Hello and help please!

[zac]

Hello there,my first post and so many questions?first id better explain myself+then someone may be able to steer me right.Ive considered getting bees for a couple of years now and need to do something about it this time.i want to do it just for the experience+satisfaction of working with them not necessarily for the honey.For that reason ive decided(or tell me this is a bad idea?)to start by getting a cheap skep and hopefully enticing some bees to find me!?this would be far more enjoyable than just cheque booking out a new hive+colloney.Soo Hello and any advice?Thanks

 

[Pollybell]

I would suggest that actually acquiring the bees is a little down the road. Learning a bit about caring for them, getting some basic kit etc. comes first.

Suggest finding your local beekeeping association and speaking to them as a start

A skep is good for collecting bees but not for keeping them.

Good luck

 

[DarynWebb]

I would suggest that actually acquiring the bees is a little down the road. Learning a bit about caring for them, getting some basic kit etc. comes first.

Suggest finding your local beekeeping association and speaking to them as a start

A skep is good for collecting bees but not for keeping them.

Good luck

buy the best you can afford maybe look at topbar hives if your on a budget

 

[Les]

One of the things that you will learn about beekeeping is that is not easy to do on the cheap.

 

[Poly Hive]

One of the main reasons for having removable combs is to assist with disease identification. Skeps do not permit this which is one good reason they are not used now (in general) as permanent homes for bees.

I too suggest that some further reading is useful at your stage.

PH

 

[zac]

Thanks for the replys,i do understand the limitations of the skep and yes know very little but have read a bit and as i said thought for some time on this.All the comments make perfect sense but unfortunately i dont think any have grasped the motives and sentiments i tried to convey. i could go and do this tomorrow by spending out and taking a course but that would completely miss the point!!does any one understand?maybe could put it across for me. The skep would be the start. If i missed that step id be missing the journey, where i arrive at is almost imiterial without that.

 

[garethavenell]

Where abouts in Canterbury are you? The local club meets once a month and can be found here: http://canterburybeekeepers.org.uk/

Often swarms that are caught in the local area are given to new members as a priority if they don't have any bees yet.

Hope you enjoy the journey. GA

 

[mexbigshow]

hi and welcome, we understand where you are coming from its just that a skep isn't considered the 1st step of beekeeping anymore, a skep is sometimes used to collect a wild colony or a swarm that is in a tree or hedge etc but doing this isn't advised to a novice i don't even collect swarms this way because it can be dangerous so best left to the pro's, i started beekeeping by building a simple top bar hive from spare timber and ply then baited it with a swarm lure and after a while a colony moved in, and the others are saying go and get some experience from other beekeepers in your area not necessarily pay to go on the courses just tag along with beeks on inspections and pick their brains for a while

chris

 

[victor meldrew]

I couldn't recommend your joining a local organisation strongly enough !
Leaving politics out of the equation, there will be a wealth of bee lore at your disposal
Join in the practical groups, get a feel for bees (not all people take to them )
If possible, find a trusted mentor amongst them and work with him/her for a full season before committing time and money into a pursuit which really doesn't float your boat so to speak
I make no apologies for being seemingly off putting but too many newbies have fallen in love with an idea only to be disappointed with the outcome , poorer and wiser
VM

 

[psafloyd]

Thanks for the replys,i do understand the limitations of the skep and yes know very little but have read a bit and as i said thought for some time on this.All the comments make perfect sense but unfortunately i dont think any have grasped the motives and sentiments i tried to convey. i could go and do this tomorrow by spending out and taking a course but that would completely miss the point!!does any one understand?maybe could put it across for me. The skep would be the start. If i missed that step id be missing the journey, where i arrive at is almost imiterial without that.

I think we understand what you want to do, but if you attract a swarm, where do you go then?
Why not run a skep AND go and get some training/experience or just discuss bees so you can start thinking about what you may do next.
As has been suggested, you can build a top bar hive very cheaply if you don't want to spend big, or even be enticed into spending loads of money so you have a turnkey solution.
But even if you did spend loads of money,mthat is only the start and it takes considerable time effort and experience to know what to do next, which is why so many of us are always asking questions on here.
Good luck.

 

[AnotherNewBee]

I do understand that there are many reasons for wanting to keep bees. Some like honey, some want to sell bee products, some want pollinators in their gardens, some just want to relax and watch the bees go by.

It's important to think about the changes that have happened over the last few decades that have made skeps an unwise choice for beekeeping. Diseases have come in, from abroad, that can be transmitted from one colony to others within a few miles. Some of them are notifiable. In extreme cases it is necessary to destroy colonies to prevent them from spreading disease. Beekeepers who cannot manage disease in their colonies effectively are not popular, especially if any of the notifiable diseases are in your area.

It's an excellent idea to stay in touch to learn about beekeeping, get early warning of problems within your area, get help to solve problems when necessary, and sometimes to have someone who can keep an eye on your bees when you can't (such as when you're away on holiday and need someone to step in quickly to prevent them from swarming, or when you're away and we get hit by bad weather which keeps the bees at home - possibly long enough for them to starve if they aren't fed).

Cooperation with other local beeks is definitely the way to go if you want to keep a healthy, safe colony. Even if it's only to let you know when nearby farmers are planning to spray so you have advance warning and can move your colony or plug up its entrance to keep the workers at home.

I'd say any beek owes it to his beekeeping (and non-beekeeping) neighbours to stay in touch and set up his/her colonies so any problems can be easily managed.

 

[Silly Bee]

Hello there,my first post and so many questions?first id better explain myself+then someone may be able to steer me right.Ive considered getting bees for a couple of years now and need to do something about it this time.i want to do it just for the experience+satisfaction of working with them not necessarily for the honey.For that reason ive decided(or tell me this is a bad idea?)to start by getting a cheap skep and hopefully enticing some bees to find me!?this would be far more enjoyable than just cheque booking out a new hive+colloney.Soo Hello and any advice?Thanks

As anyone suggested you get stung first (by a bee) it might not be for you if you are allergic?

 

[zac]

Thanks all,wise words anothernewbee.Mexbigshow ,you kinda started out the way id like to.Im up for buying a new national hive but only ever thought of the skep for starting out with rather as you did with youre home made one.I just wanted to sound out the viability of actually attracting my own swarm,not keeping them on the cheap.So knowing i really need to get to know my local keepers what would be the best way to entice my swarm to the skep before transfer to a proper hive?

 

[zac]

On the back of that,also would an observational hive be practical?

 

[mexbigshow]

i personally wouldn't bother buying a skep if you are happy to use a national and you don't mind waiting for the bees to take up residence i would just set a national up as a bait hive then it would save messing about transferring the bees from 1 hive to another and also save a bit of money, try and find some local beeks in your area so you can see how overwhelming a full hive can bee because small swarms can be very placid when you 1st attract them then when they have built up properly it becomes a bit daunting

 

[zac]

ok thanks,thats probably the direction i will go then. i have e mailed my local group.is an observational hive a none starter?id like a little honey but mainly want to watch the bees.

 

[Easy Beesy]

Don't mean to put a damper on your enthusiasm but it's really obvious you need to learn more before you get bees or you would realise a skep is not the best plan. You wouldn't build a stable and just wait for a horse to move in, would you? You came on here for opinions and advice so read them all. Skeps are not suitable for keeping a colony of bees in, not in this country. Learn what they require before you give them what you think is suitable. Most skeps are not big enough, robust enough, and are difficult to inspect. once you know their lifecycle and requirements you can make an informed decision as to what to keep them in. I have no doubt that once you have the knowledge you will make a good caring beekeeper.

 

[itma]

ok thanks,thats probably the direction i will go then. i have e mailed my local group.is an observational hive a none starter?id like a little honey but mainly want to watch the bees.

Zac, "observation" hives are expensive and mainly used as demonstration tools, rather than real homes for bees.
Bees want a dark space to live in and use as home. So the windows are covered most of the time.
A cheap and easy thing is to use a see through "crown board" (inner cover).
One of the things that you'll learn (and see if you like) is that bees cover the inside of their hives with antiseptic/hygienic but sticky gunk called propolis. And yes, they cover the inside of windows, just like the rest of the inside of the hive.

From the sound of things, you might be more keen on a top bar hive ...
Skeps haven't been used for keeping bees (other than as a historical re-creation) for a hundred years or more. They are actually pretty awful long-term homes for bees. BUT, they are still sometimes used as a lightweight, tough and handy container for getting (whether by knocking, cutting or smoking) a swarm into for transport - though many would use a cardboard box!

Unfortunately, neither the Canterbury nor Dover clubs run beginner classes during the Summer - only during the Winter.
And the Canterbury group's April meeting was yesterday!
The next is 4 weeks away ...
But you can still do some book-learning on your own, and aided by club bee-visits and this forum, you can still learn a lot without classes.
Bees do a lot of things differently to most people's expectations - so there is quite a lot to learn.
The forum has lots of threads on books, especially for beginners. Begin by seeing which of the recommended books your library has, or can get in for you.

 

[Davelin]

ok thanks,thats probably the direction i will go then. i have e mailed my local group.is an observational hive a none starter?id like a little honey but mainly want to watch the bees.

An observation hive is used for shows etc, and is not suitable for keeping bees in long term. You can get a glass or polycarbonate cover which allows you to look in the top without too much disruption. Watching them fly in and out of the hive is as satisfying as anything, but as others have stated there's a bit more too it than just watching.

 

[drex]

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