Hello and help please!

[Pollybell]

You should appreciate that a colony of bees can be 40,000 to 50,000 bees. Not treated properly they can be a danger to you, family, neighbours and also the bees. Don't want to discourage as bee keeping is very rewarding. However, the bees need proper handling to be safe to all. Sounds like you have considered and planning to go about it properly. Good luck

 

[Beanwood]

Zac,

I think I understand where you are coming from, but please remember that bees are livestock or living creatures, and so if I am to look after them, I have a duty of care, to give them the best conditions I can.

Hence I started out with a beginners course to learn how to look after them. When it came to getting a hive I opted for Th**nes flat pack, national. Great fun to put together and I think the bees on a budget model is now only about £145, which is cheap in beekeeping equipment. I then went on and made up several of my own nucleus boxes, and other bits and pieces, all from old timber.

Having gained the confidence to handle bees in a framed hive, but still with so much to learn, I have built my own top bar hive - as mentioned above - which if you like is a more "natural way" of keeping bees - I might get some flak for that last remark, but am trying to keep it simple.

Even just "catching a swarm" needs a degree of knowledge ( and luck). If you are lucky someone from your local association may well provide you with one.

I find keeping bees very enjoyable, at times daunting, often challenging, but always fun. I like making my own bits and pieces of equipment too.

Glad you have made contact with local association, but reading is also essential. Hooper's " guide to bees and honey" is comprehensive in your early ( and not so early) days.

Scottish beekeepers association has some good plans for building equipment,

www.bio7bees.com/forum/index.php - remove the 7 , is a good place to look at "natural" beekeeping.

Enjoy

Zac,

Maybe I've missed the point - you want to care for bees, and possibly get a bit of honey ? - but generally (If I understand correctly) - to get honey from a skep involves - err destroying the bees and possibly skep ??

I've completed the beginners course - not just for my own safety, and that of my family/neighbours, but also for the bees. There are a great many things out there which will kill them - I don't want to be ill prepared to assist them survive. (Some of these aren't really 'natural' btw - for example Asian hornets)

I consider myself a reasonably bright bloke - but there were several 'lightbulb moments' during the course - and some fascinating facts to boot (e.g. Waggle dance - change of direction every four minutes, speed for distance, specific part of the comb etc - weird - but brilliant, and something you probably wouldn't work out from casual observation) well worth the investment in time and money in my book. With information you have a choice - without it you don't really.

Best of luck - but please take care of these remarkable ladies (And the occasional male), and try to avoid getting sued without insurance, should it all go wrong Just because they're not a dog or a cat doesn't mean they don't deserve some responsibility if you choose to take on their care.

 

[zac]

E r yeh ,i think you may have missunderstood but its good to see youre concern for the creatures.Ive not heard back from my local group and will have to phone them.But they seem to have chosen saturday afternoons to meet ,and unfortunately i work sat.Anyone on here live around canterbury that i could help with their hives?

 

[garethavenell]

Zac, the Canterbury club sometimes takes a few days to reply (they did with me anyway), most of the meetings are on Saturdays. I live in Canterbury but am also a beginner but feel free to come and visit my hive. PM me your email.

 

[Headnavigator]

Hi, I do suggest you look up the website mentioned in #20 of this thread. There are Top Bar hives available with a covered glass panel let into the side which allow you to watch your bees 'side on' to the comb and there are TB courses you could do if that was the way you chose to go. Whatever you choose it really is worth building up your experience and confidence slowly over time, before you get stuck in to managing your own colony. No amount of book-learning prepares you for the moment that you 'know' something is going on with your precious bees but you don't know what to do for the best - and you get three different answers from other beekeepers! Developing your own judgement and being able to take responsibility for and act on your own decisions is such a vital (and satisfying) part of beekeeping.
I wish you all the best, but do be patient and take the longer route, it is worth it in the end.

 

[itma]

Zac, the Canterbury club sometimes takes a few days to reply (they did with me anyway), most of the meetings are on Saturdays. I live in Canterbury but am also a beginner but feel free to come and visit my hive. PM me your email.

Meetings: Canterbury and Dover both hold their Summer (apiary, outdoor) meetings on Saturday afternoons. Ashford seem to be on Sundays this year. Winter (indoor) meetings are on Wednesday evenings for Canterbury, Friday evenings for Ashford ... and Saturday afternoons for Dover. Yes there are sometimes others that take place on other days.

Replies from Canterbury - both the Secretary and the Web Admin are hyper-busy this week before the Spring Convention in the Midlands. But they will get back to you.
I'm well outside Canterbury, but if you are interested in meeting some unusually gentle bees, send me a PM.
There's a bloke in Deal who is a bit of an evangelist for Top Bar hives. He makes and sells them too, but they are probably the easiest for a home-woodworker to DIY build from scratch. Just not the easiest for other beekeepers to help out with!


Where are you hoping to keep your bees? Have you considered what the impact might be on neighbours and passers-by? Unfortunately you'll need to consider security as well, since bees and hives do get stolen ... there's quite a lot to consider!

 

[zac]

Thanks for all the advice and help,its very much apreciated.I was talking with my neighbours last year and mentioned my intentions +that they may get some presents on their washing line when as id read the hive gets its clear out and all the neigbours could say was ,hey that the bees would be great for their apple blossom