Hello from a locked down rainy Wales ๐Ÿ˜

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Nick Lang

House Bee
Joined
Oct 30, 2020
Messages
184
Reaction score
81
Location
Pontypool, South Wales
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
Only one
Hello to everyone.....my first post.....so I thought I would keep it simple and just say hello ๐Ÿ˜

Been contemplating starting bee keeping....haven't any bees yet...but am getting ready...making preparations to get some in the spring next year ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ‘
 
Nope....not yet ๐Ÿ™‚
Then you should get cracking and order yourself a nice nuc of bees from a reliable supplier, before they run out of overwintered colonies. If you don't want to go down the Buckfast and Carniolan route most suppliers will have mongrel bees for sale that they have bred. Free bees from somebody else's swarmed colony are fun and most of us are addicted to attracting one every year but they will be an unknown quantity.
 
Then you should get cracking and order yourself a nice nuc of bees from a reliable supplier, before they run out of overwintered colonies. If you don't want to go down the Buckfast and Carniolan route most suppliers will have mongrel bees for sale that they have bred. Free bees from somebody else's swarmed colony are fun and most of us are addicted to attracting one every year but they will be an unknown quantity.
I have been looking about....I'm probably going to get a nuc of Buckfast to start with....I would like to do the swarm trap thing...but I don't want to get overwhelmed too soon.....we are rural...and I usually get about four or five wild bees nests on my property each year ๐Ÿ™‚
 
I have been looking about....I'm probably going to get a nuc of Buckfast to start with....I would like to do the swarm trap thing...but I don't want to get overwhelmed too soon.....we are rural...and I usually get about four or five wild bees nests on my property each year ๐Ÿ™‚
Some members on here can get pretty heated about Buckfast/Black bees. You get what suits you to start with and as your experience grows you can make a more informed decision about what sort of bee you want to keep. My first new bees were Buckies. I keep all sorts now.
At least with an overwintered nuc you have a ready made small colony.
 
Hello from wales here as well. Get some swarm traps up in spring - get local bees!
Hello Hugh, I too am a relative โ€˜learnerโ€™, Iโ€™ve never heard of โ€˜swarm trapsโ€™ - can you enlighten me, please? I live in Normandy.
Austin
 
I always put two up. One in the garden on the potting shed roof and one on the field shelter near the apiary. Always successful
 
So do you end up with two new colonies every year then??
Yes.
I give bees away though. Though not always the caught ones.
Some years ago when I got into trouble one of the forum members here gave me a nuc
Since then I try to do the same.
 
I put bait hives in all my apiaries. They are useful as an early warning to see if any of my hives are contemplating swarming. If there is interest at a bait hive from scouts I make sure that they are not from one of my hives by being extra vigilant during the inspections. If they aren't mine then it's free bees :)
 
Shwmae Nick,
Best way to start is to find someone competent nearby and getting the same kit and bees as them, maybe even ask if you can shadow them for inspections for a season. Your local association should be able to offer pointers.
 
Something I aspire to doing, after I was so kindly helped this year.
Yes Emily
Itโ€™s a good thing to do.
We all help each other.
We may argue and stamp our feet at times but we are a community not just a forum
A family if you like.
 

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