Giving up bee keeping!

[bobba]

I made a promises to the miss last summer that I would get the hives out of the garden before next season.

I have been trying like crazy to find a place to keep them, but have exhausted just about every lead.

There is one place I may be able to keep them but it has security concerns.

It is an unsecured remote field overlooked by 2 roads. My cousin rents the field and keep horses and a container there, her container has been broken into more than once. My cousin is happy for me to keep bees there, but I still need permission from the land owner.

So as I see it I now have 2 options, possible unsecured field or sell my bees......

Those who have read my posts and know me a little will understand how much I love my bees. So its been a very difficult decision, but unfortunately I am running out of time to find somewhere so have to look at selling them!

If I cannot sell them, my work will take them off my hands!!!!!

I have 4 hives if anyone is interested. I dont have a clue what to do about price, tbh I just want to see them go to someone who will look after them.

(to mods, if I get any cash then BF will obviously get a donation, please let me know what % you would like from sales)

Thanks,

 

[Ian123]

Hi don’t give up yet unless of course you want to. Your in Hampshire you should have an abundance of possibilities. Many get success or offers from local village or area face book groups, I am aware of some that get multiple offers this way!! It’s often a case of to many. Other than that arm yourself with a few jars of honey and go knocking on doors of likely suspects like farmers or large land owners. I’ve been turned down by plenty of people who have subsequently offered up other contacts and options. If your set on a sale I’d think bees in a single brood hive advertised in spring would be no less than £300 each.

 

[robinharman]

Don't give up.
As Ian says try Facebook or even the postcard in the corner shop. Is there anyone in the local association who would share a site?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I made a promises to the miss last summer that I would get the hives out of the garden before next season.

I have been trying like crazy to find a place to keep them, but have exhausted just about every lead.

There is one place I may be able to keep them but it has security concerns.

It is an unsecured remote field overlooked by 2 roads. My cousin rents the field and keep horses and a container there, her container has been broken into more than once. My cousin is happy for me to keep bees there, but I still need permission from the land owner.

So as I see it I now have 2 options, possible unsecured field or sell my bees......

Those who have read my posts and know me a little will understand how much I love my bees. So its been a very difficult decision, but unfortunately I am running out of time to find somewhere so have to look at selling them!

If I cannot sell them, my work will take them off my hands!!!!!

I have 4 hives if anyone is interested. I dont have a clue what to do about price, tbh I just want to see them go to someone who will look after them.

(to mods, if I get any cash then BF will obviously get a donation, please let me know what % you would like from sales)

Thanks,

Oh no don’t give up. How have you tried to find alternative sites?
BKF won’t want a % …… don’t be silly.
I just hope we can all between us save them for you

 

[enrico]

Oh Bobba,
If the bees are ruining your garden for your family then the family has to come first. Ian has given good advice but whichever way you end up going it will be sad to lose you! Do what is best for you. Wish I was closer and I would try and help you out! You could always try your local BBKA and offer them as practise hives!

 

[bobba]

I always started bee keeping in the garden with the aim of moving to an out apiary.

I have been knocking doors and tried land owners.

I dont plan to give up forever. I will resume my search for for a suitable place in the future. I have a ton of unused (unassailable) wood work witch I plan to keep so can get up an running again once I find a spot.

enrico is on the money. I have a 2 and 5 yo old boys. One of them trod on bee and got stung on the foot last summer. Luckily my bees have not attacked anyone, but I would still never let my boys play in the garden unattended. So we just want to be able to leave the back door open and let the kids run in and out.

Once the kids are old enough the miss says I can have bees in the garden again, so I dont want to be the dad who ruins the garden for the family.

Tbh another motivating factor to sell them is to spend more time with the boys why they are young, I work ridiculous hours and the little ones grow up so fast. So some more time with them will be precious.

If I dont have the bees in the garden I will also have traveling time to deal with, so bee keeping will gobble even more hours.

So the plan is to sell the bees, have more time for the family, then resume keeping when the boys are older.

If I could have found an ideal spot, with short travel time, then it may have worked, but unfortunately that has not happened.

I love bees and bee keeping but the family have to come 1st.

 

[The Poot]

I always started bee keeping in the garden with the aim of moving to an out apiary.

I have been knocking doors and tried land owners.

I dont plan to give up forever. I will resume my search for for a suitable place in the future. I have a ton of unused (unassailable) wood work witch I plan to keep so can get up an running again once I find a spot.

enrico is on the money. I have a 2 and 5 yo old boys. One of them trod on bee and got stung on the foot last summer. Luckily my bees have not attacked anyone, but I would still never let my boys play in the garden unattended. So we just want to be able to leave the back door open and let the kids run in and out.

Once the kids are old enough the miss says I can have bees in the garden again, so I dont want to be the dad who ruins the garden for the family.

Tbh another motivating factor to sell them is to spend more time with the boys why they are young, I work ridiculous hours and the little ones grow up so fast. So some more time with them will be precious.

If I dont have the bees in the garden I will also have traveling time to deal with, so bee keeping will gobble even more hours.

So the plan is to sell the bees, have more time for the family, then resume keeping when the boys are older.

If I could have found an ideal spot, with short travel time, then it may have worked, but unfortunately that has not happened.

I love bees and bee keeping but the family have to come 1st.

Sounds to me like you’re making a sensible decision.
Sad, but sensible.
Come back when you’re in your dotage like the rest of us old f****

 

[Erichalfbee]

Come back when you’re in your dotage like the rest of us old f****

Hey!!!

 

[Erichalfbee]

@bobba
Post what you have for sale in the For Sale section. I’m sure somebody will snap them up.
Life’s too short to waste time and family is the most important thing ever

 

[enrico]

Sounds to me like you’re making a sensible decision.
Sad, but sensible.
Come back when you’re in your dotage like the rest of us old f****

I am past being one of them!

 

[Susan1]

Is there not a beekeeping association with an apiary nearby.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Bobba,
If you seriously want an out apiary I would use your local Facebook page.
I was looking for an out apiary and posted if anyone fancied hosting a few hives in the end of a large garden, edge of a wood or corner of a field.
I had 5 offers within an hour and over 20 within 24 hours, I inspected about 5 of the best sounding ones and picked the best two in the end.

 

[pargyle]

Hi Bobba, Very sad but I understand the needs of family have to come first and bees are a commitment that take up time - in the garden they can take less time than an out-apiary but .. the downsides are very obvious keeping bees in proximity to a young family. I've always had mine in the garden and 'er indoors hates them but they are tucked away in an area where they don't affect anyone. Come back to the craft when you have time and and the space to cope with it.

 

[Nannysbees]

I made a promises to the miss last summer that I would get the hives out of the garden before next season.

I have been trying like crazy to find a place to keep them, but have exhausted just about every lead.

There is one place I may be able to keep them but it has security concerns.

It is an unsecured remote field overlooked by 2 roads. My cousin rents the field and keep horses and a container there, her container has been broken into more than once. My cousin is happy for me to keep bees there, but I still need permission from the land owner.

So as I see it I now have 2 options, possible unsecured field or sell my bees......

Those who have read my posts and know me a little will understand how much I love my bees. So its been a very difficult decision, but unfortunately I am running out of time to find somewhere so have to look at selling them!

If I cannot sell them, my work will take them off my hands!!!!!

I have 4 hives if anyone is interested. I dont have a clue what to do about price, tbh I just want to see them go to someone who will look after them.

(to mods, if I get any cash then BF will obviously get a donation, please let me know what % you would like from sales)

Thanks,

Why are they causing a problem in your garden. Have you had them there for a while, could you cut down to two instead of four, would that help? We have four at the bottom of our garden, only wanted two but 4 is manageable, no problem with them at the moment, what are the issues?
Ah just read your other posts, I can understand with young children.

 

[Worldsend]

What is your location roughly?

Local BKA near me always offering links with people offering sites for bees

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Have you though thought about foster care?

 

[Ian123]

Have you though thought about foster care?

YOU MEAN HIS KIDS DONT YOU.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

YOU MEAN HIS KIDS DONT YOU.

Just trying to offer an option
Maybe just rent them out until they're old enough to lift a full super?.

 

[bobba]

Thanks for all the kind words.

My grandad kept budgies, he had a bird houses in the garden. My mum and aunts tell me of how he spent every spare moment caring for his budgies and had time for nothing else. I dont want my kids to remember me like that but with bees.

So to make it work I needed a spot in a very convenient location, ideally cycling distance so I dont always have to hog the car.

There will definitely be a time in my life for more bee keeping, and its something I intend to do with my boys when they are old enough.

I will keep looking for that special spot, and if I find it the bees will be back in a heart beat. When the boys are older I can get some back in the garden and will probably have more time to travel and a second car too, so will have more options.

Someone is considering taking 2 of my 4 colonies. So fingers crossed we can work something out.

So hopfuly that will just leave 2.

Once I have worked things out I will list the (hopefully) two remaining hives/colonies in the for sale section. But if anyone is interested please get in touch.

Bee keeping has actually become a serious addiction for me, its really hard to stop. I know if I had an out apiary I would be up to 12 hives in a few years and looking for a second spot. So its an addiction I must control - for now!

I will miss keeping bees and I know the more time passes the more I will miss it. The thought of next spring and summer being beautiful and having no bees is already making me sad.

I am thinking about getting some bumble bees instead but will research how garden friendly they are first.

I assume bumble bee keepers are still welcome here?

But thanks again, especially those who have offered suggestions to help me find a spot.

 

[The Poot]

Thanks for all the kind words.

My grandad kept budgies, he had a bird houses in the garden. My mum and aunts tell me of how he spent every spare moment caring for his budgies and had time for nothing else. I dont want my kids to remember me like that but with bees.

So to make it work I needed a spot in a very convenient location, ideally cycling distance so I dont always have to hog the car.

There will definitely be a time in my life for more bee keeping, and its something I intend to do with my boys when they are old enough.

I will keep looking for that special spot, and if I find it the bees will be back in a heart beat. When the boys are older I can get some back in the garden and will probably have more time to travel and a second car too, so will have more options.

Someone is considering taking 2 of my 4 colonies. So fingers crossed we can work something out.

So hopfuly that will just leave 2.

Once I have worked things out I will list the (hopefully) two remaining hives/colonies in the for sale section. But if anyone is interested please get in touch.

Bee keeping has actually become a serious addiction for me, its really hard to stop. I know if I had an out apiary I would be up to 12 hives in a few years and looking for a second spot. So its an addiction I must control - for now!

I will miss keeping bees and I know the more time passes the more I will miss it. The thought of next spring and summer being beautiful and having no bees is already making me sad.

I am thinking about getting some bumble bees instead but will research how garden friendly they are first.

I assume bumble bee keepers are still welcome here?

But thanks again, especially those who have offered suggestions to help me find a spot.

Hi Bobba,
Check out Dave Goulson for bumbles. His book “A sting in the tail” is really interesting and his website has info on providing nesting facilities for bumbles. Much less risk than with honey bees in the garden. You can also get into keeping solitary bees and again, far less of a risk and your children would probably find them really interesting.
Whatever you do, I wish you well and applaud your decision.