Hello from Greece

[geobees]

I was roaming various beekeeping forums last month and found here a really good source of information.
Congrats for your community!

I closed a year as a beekeeper though I was living next to a wild bee colony for 10 years (inside my basement's air duct).
We were totally fascinated (especially my boys) having our ladies literally inside the house sometimes.
These rare moments belong to the past since we had to move from the big city (Athens) to the forests of northern Greece.
I felt, that this was the opportunity of my life....the next move was to get our own bees.
I started with 4 hives and did 6 successful splits last summer.
Now getting prepared my girls for the winter.

I wish health and lots of honey to all of you!
George

 

[Easy Beesy]

Welcome George. Looking forward to sharing knowledge and tips with you. Could you share some of your weather perhaps?

Eb

 

[Heather]

I love your beautiful country, and the people so friendly. Had great fun there!
This is a great forum, isnt it. Lots of differing opinions though- just choose what suits you- and your bees - the best.

 

[Chrisfnvs]

Welcome George, you will learn a lot on this site, there is at least one very experienced Bee breeder in your part of the world who uses this forum, if you have any photos i would like to see them. Chris

 

[enrico]

Hey George, welcome, it is good to have views from all over the world.....you will be amazed by how we British are so different to anywhere else. Ask finman!

 

[Luminos]

 

[geobees]

Thank you...

...everybody for this true and warm welcome !!!!!!!!

Easy Beesy,
we have mostly sunny days and temps from 10 to 20 Celcius during last week.
The main plants delivering nectar right now is Erica Μultiflora and Ditrichia viscosa and they're about to stop.
http://melissokomikafyta.blogspot.gr/2010/07/erica-ultiflora.html
http://melissokomikafyta.blogspot.gr/2010/10/blog-post.html

(excellent plant for controlling Varroa, we put it on the floor/top of the frames)




Heather I can tell, you must have had lots of fun here !!!
Yesterday, on my way back home we had one of those sunsets...you know!
I took a picture and here's for you to make it a wallpaper so you can miss the place even more. This is Pantokratoras in Preveza.
You are obliged to see my bees on your next trip here !
(click 2 times for full res)


Chrisfnvs
I will start posting some pics and vids very soon.
Actually I tried to upload some and got rejected twice.
I figured out, that I have to re-size around 600x600 pixels in order to accept them.

Enrico + Luminos Thanx a lot guys....!


Cheers !!!

 

[whoosling]

This is a great site, please send us some of your beautiful weather,looking forward to hearing all your beekeeping tales.

 

[Chrisfnvs]

Thanks for posting the photos and links George, i am always interested in bees and beekeeping from around the world, i was interested in that plant you use in the fight against varroa can you explain more ? Chris

 

[enrico]

I have a feeling you have to have a few posts before you put pictures and videos on
E

 

[geobees]

I have a feeling you have to have a few posts before you put pictures and videos on
E

These are external links, didn't upload them in the forum......
Anyway, what is the procedure exactly?

*edit: found a limit of 10 posts.

 

[geobees]

Thanks for posting the photos and links George, i am always interested in bees and beekeeping from around the world, i was interested in that plant you use in the fight against varroa can you explain more ? Chris

Dear Chris, just google INULA VISCOSA and you'll find all the info.
There's an Israeli company (I copied the text below from their site) that produces an essence oil from the plant you might use as well.
For the time being I'm introducing essential oils through feeding (Tea Tree oil, Wintergreen and Lemongrass)....next spring I would do the same.
Never used any drugs so far, just strong medicinal herbs (oregano, thyme, garlic etc.) inside their fondant.


About Inula viscosa
While hardly known outside its native Mediterranean region and not promoted commercially, the
medicinal plant Inula viscosa has been regarded for thousand of years as one of the most
important medicinal plant in its native range around the Mediterranean basin, an
amazing plant of many medicinal uses.

The medicinal plant Inula viscosa (Ait.) L. (Compositae), is a sturdy perennial shrub that grows
in the wild around the Mediterranean basin. It is an aromatic plant that disperses a strong smell
of camphor. The leaves and stems of the plant are coated with a sticky resin, from September
through the winter months, the plant blooms with clusters of small yellow flowers, providing one
of the few food sources available to honey bees during winter.

The local Israeli phenotype of Inula viscosa is considered the most potent in bio-active resin
production, being located in the most southern latitude of its natural habitat range, it is believed
to possess higher biological activity compared to its European relatives, In Israel, the species is
exposed to warmer climate, more and longer sunshine exposure days and lack of summer
rainfall that can wash off some of the resin and the longer hot Israeli summer that causes the
plant to secret more defensive resin to fend off attacks from fungi bacteria and insects.

 

[simonrp]

 

[tonybloke]

welcome to the forum, geobees

 

[Haughton Honey]

Welcome geobees - here is a photo of my Greek friend Panagiotis who keeps bees in the Ionian islands

 

[geobees]

Welcome geobees - here is a photo of my Greek friend Panagiotis who keeps bees in the Ionian islands

Thank you all for your welcome!!!

In which island is Panos located ?
We must be close since Preveza is in the Ionian Sea.

 

[Anduril]

George
In your blogspot it says: Smoking also swarm with akonizia acts against Âáññüá Google Translate cannot translate Âáññüá is it Varroa by any chance?
Checked the Royal Horticultural Website and Dittrichia viscosa is on there and also specimens held in the RHS Herbarium at Wisley. Very interesting.

 

[Anduril]

Intersting link if it is allowed http://vinc.innovationcenter-crete.gr/site/product/description.xhtml?technologyId=33
Costic acid

 

[Haughton Honey]

Thank you all for your welcome!!!

In which island is Panos located ?
We must be close since Preveza is in the Ionian Sea.

Hi George,

He lives on Paxos, and also has hives and vines on Anti-Paxos

Cris

 

[Japetus]

Yassoo George countrymate, welcome to the forum!