Help please,I need beekeeping support.

[blackzfm]

I am a new beekeeper this year , and the mentor has decided to stop answering any of my emails ?
I Have so many questions so here I go and hopefully there are some nice beekeepers who can help me in my moment of need :-
I bought my colony in July I had 5 frames , I was told to feed them threw july so I did, then I was told to stop feeding ?
They have been doing really well but I only have 8 full frames some stores and some broad in my broad box.
Should I now be feeding I no the answer is yes but for how long.
I was also sold some formic acid by my mentor .
Should I be using it and if so when do I do this as I have looked up and it says dont feed at the sametime as using formic acid ?
When should I stop feeding ?
Can you see my dilema ? I dont want to kill my bees but i have no one to turn to soo please if any one can help it would be greatly appreciated from me and my bees

 

[Luna]

I am sure someone who is more knowledgeable will be here soon to answer your questions. But, whereabouts in the UK are you, I am in South Wales and would be more than happy to help or pass your details on to my Beek Elders if you live near me

 

[Grub]

I am a new beekeeper this year , and the mentor has decided to stop answering any of my emails ?
I Have so many questions so here I go and hopefully there are some nice beekeepers who can help me in my moment of need :-
I bought my colony in July I had 5 frames , I was told to feed them threw july so I did, then I was told to stop feeding ?
They have been doing really well but I only have 8 full frames some stores and some broad in my broad box.
Should I now be feeding I no the answer is yes but for how long.
I was also sold some formic acid by my mentor .
Should I be using it and if so when do I do this as I have looked up and it says dont feed at the sametime as using formic acid ?
When should I stop feeding ?
Can you see my dilema ? I dont want to kill my bees but i have no one to turn to soo please if any one can help it would be greatly appreciated from me and my bees

I will have a go
A couple of questions
Have you treated them for Varroa ?
Have you joined a BK society
yes you do need to feed them up if they dont have enough food
Have you bought any good books to read
Formic acid you use December/January not now!!
Change from UK and put area the bees are kept in will help
Grub

 

[oliver90owner]

Formic acid you use December/January not now!!

Not many of us use formic acid, and it is certainly not what you think it is.

It is most certainly not for use in the winter for varroa treatment!!

The question of why your mentor is not answerinfg e-mails is something for the original poster to ponder; lack of help yourself (by reference to readily available information) might be one reason, there may be one or more of several others. A mentor is there to help when in difficulty and to assist early on with management, not as a real live finder of information which is absolutely standard issue! A mentor is someone who one can fall back on, but not a teacher. Subtle difference.

RAB

 

[peteinwilts]

there are beeks on this forum all over the country that would only be too happy to help.

if your 'mentor' is giving you incorrect information (although incorrect information may be subjective), you have to potentially doubt other advice he has given you.
A second opinion is always a good thing to have.

 

[drex]

I tend to agree with RAB. I am new this year and went to BK classes. I have read quite a number of books, but do not always understand the advice and that is when I can use the forum to clarify.
I also appraoch my mentor as a last resort, if I still do not understand.
More detail is needed to be of any help.
How many frames of brood, bees, stores. Part of UK? etc
This forum is very helpful and friendly. RAB has done me good when he has pointed me in right direction, and told me then to find out myself.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

This thread is very similar
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7041
and may answer some of your questions.

I have a retorical one. Why do 'mentors' dump their students like this?

 

[Juststarting]

Guys,
Give blackzfm a chance! He/she seems to be asking reasonable questions and obviously needs some help especially if their mentor has sold them formic acid and not explained useage. Even if they did some of us are just slower learners or just need reassurance. Who know's why their mentor is no longer helping from one posting its a bit harsh to judge.

I'm sure with more time a bit more encouragement blackzfm will be able to use the forum to find out info for themselves, but I hate the idea of any new members reading these posts and deciding not ask a question that would either save their bees or prevent them causing harm through lack of knowledge.

I'm sure that there's a whole thesis to be written on the subtleties of forum use and why very similar questions get such differing responses - may even be more use than studying the waggle dance! let's give all posters the benefit of the doubt at least until they prove themselves unworthy of it.

 

[MuswellMetro]

They have been doing really well but I only have 8 full frames some stores and some broad in my broad box.
Should I now be feeding I no the answer is yes but for how long.

first welcome

should you feed ,well unfornutaley unless you have hefteda hive before lifting up on side to see how heavy it is is a bit hit and miss, but it should be heavier than a full super, but then you have never lifted one

so as I've just been looking in the Module book about feeding quantities


according to the module a hive apparently needs 35-40lbs (16-18kg) of stores to overwinter. 'stores' is the weight of sealed liquid feed, i.e. equivalent to honey. Honey is 80% sugar, 20% water. So, 10lb of stores would contain 8lb of sugar.

In order to calculate how much feed you need to give your bees, you have start by gauging how much stores the bees already have. i.e . If your brood frames have about 10lb in the brood box to start with, just after homey extraction, they'd need another 25-30lb of stores to overwinter ( does this allow for the fact the bees use these stores so amount left for winter might be less than you think).

One standard national brood frame full of sealed liquid stores weighs about 5lb, so the hive would need 7 or 8 brood frames full of sealed liquid stores. I guess a sealed 14"x12" might hold about 7.5-8 lbs of sealed stores.( do then need more as larger brood)
.

Does that help?!! Winter reading ......

 

[Grub]

Formic acid you use December/January not now!!

Not many of us use formic acid, and it is certainly not what you think it is.

It is most certainly not for use in the winter for varroa treatment!!

The question of why your mentor is not answerinfg e-mails is something for the original poster to ponder; lack of help yourself (by reference to readily available information) might be one reason, there may be one or more of several others. A mentor is there to help when in difficulty and to assist early on with management, not as a real live finder of information which is absolutely standard issue! A mentor is someone who one can fall back on, but not a teacher. Subtle difference.

RAB

oops learnt somthing new so I will stick with oxalic

Grub

 

[peteinwilts]

Give blackzfm a chance!

I happen to agree... someone who is asking for help should not be told to go and read a book or join a club... long term, if necessary, then yes, but he needs help now.

Certainly not the warm welcome this forum gives to newbies...

Blackzfm appears to have bad advice from a 'mentor' or did not understand him\her (and patience is what a mentor requires, not sodding off after a short time. maybe the mentor does not have the patience required)
Maybe blackzfm's idea of a mentor is a teacher!

"Mentoring is a process for the informal transmission of knowledge, social capital, and the psychosocial support perceived by the recipient as relevant to work, career, or professional development;mentoring entails informal communication, usually face-to-face and during a sustained period of time, between a person who is perceived to have greater relevant knowledge, wisdom, or experience (the mentor) and a person who is perceived to have less"

I personally thought the idea of a mentor was a teacher to help where necessary and advise what to do (which books to read, clubs to join and where to join and to be there if it starts to go pear shaped). it appears as if blackzfm has not recieved this.

 

[BKF Admin]

I have a retorical one. Why do 'mentors' dump their students like this?

This is something that happens more often than some may think.

I would say the reason is because loads of Beekeepers like to help out people new to the hobby,but as soon as the new beekeeper has gained a little experience the mentor goes off the boil until a new beekeeper comes along again.

It seems that it is ok to teach someone with zero experience but as soon as the new beekeeper has read a book the mentor is off,I have seen this happen year on year even from beekeepers running local associations.

Maybe those beekeepers who decide to mentor should do it for the long haul rather than until they have managed to sell the new beekeeper a nuc and taken the money.

 

[Poly Hive]

I agree admin.

There are mentors and mentors.

PH

 

[Stiffy]

I am a new beekeeper this year , and the mentor has decided to stop answering any of my emails ?
I Have so many questions so here I go and hopefully there are some nice beekeepers who can help me in my moment of need :-
I bought my colony in July I had 5 frames , I was told to feed them threw july so I did, then I was told to stop feeding ?
They have been doing really well but I only have 8 full frames some stores and some broad in my broad box.
Should I now be feeding I no the answer is yes but for how long.
I was also sold some formic acid by my mentor .
Should I be using it and if so when do I do this as I have looked up and it says dont feed at the sametime as using formic acid ?
When should I stop feeding ?
Can you see my dilema ? I dont want to kill my bees but i have no one to turn to soo please if any one can help it would be greatly appreciated from me and my bees

A little more info would be useful and location can be really give an idea what your bees might need ie If you are in the far north of Scotland it may be too late to give advice on treating and feeding.

I am sure others will have differing methods

I guess that you late mentor advised feeding your Nuc through July to try and increase them. Through August I guess your mentor thought that there should be enough for the bees to forage on, personally I found that several hives needed a feed, even so it seems that your bees have gotten to September with some brood (number of frames would useful) and stores.

Do not use formic acid on them but do start to treat with apiguard asap. This will take a minimum of 4 weeks.

Once complete feed with 2:1 syrup until the weather turns cold or they stop taking it.

I then leave them with a slab of fondant until Christmas time and then treat with a trickle over the seams with Oxalic acid when there shouldnt be brood or very little. I then tuck them up again with another slab of fondant (if first has been taken) until spring.

Hope this helps?
Cheers
S

 

[hedgerow pete]

i am not in to answering the original question as that seems to be covered by better beeks than me .

the dumping of students , now wheres my soap box

ah here were are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

as someone that will normaly over the year end up with several, students,friends,new beeks,etc why do i wish them gone or why do they leave, now this is only my personal experiences so i am sure others would have differant ideas and differant views. some of my students are local some are not at the moment i am talking to someone in africa about keeping african bees


I teach, the peter weston school of bee keeping and nothing else, i do not teach bbka methods just mine, some student leave because i keep asking them to trial differant methods and differant ways so they in turn progress to the next mentor.

some student blindly ready any book they choose and then if anyone trys to suggest that that method has been bettered, superceded, replaced or rubished they throw a wobbly and go off, now this answer leaves the question who is wrong me for refusing there ideas or them for refusing mine, either way a seperation happens

some students are just a complete waste of MY TIME, there fore off they go either pushed or walked.

some students just want to use me as a free bee keeper looking after thier hive, where ever that is , free of charge, whilst they just pretend to be a new age beek, and just abuse my efforts to train and just demand constant attention when it suits them,( this year i was called on the phone whilst on holiday to be asked if i could pop over straight away as they looked to be busy and put another super on for him, the super was to be mine has he had not bothered to buy a second one this year and they were to busy shopping)

some students decide for them selves to be a sponge of people and information and these people i love and i am apart of , they turn up as many times as they feel is needed or they can get hold off, whilst learning from me they are also playing on there home hive and then when they have decided that i hold no new information that they want, or see someone better/differant they pop off to them to drain there ideas, guilty as charged, my lord

some students just refuse to learn the little bit on there own, several years ago i had a lady beek, each weekend we would do inspections , run through what we were looking for. we made her a wbc hive and nuc to fill it, but after every session i would say that next week we would do or look at a specific item, find queen/ mark queen/ look for 3,6,10 day old eggs, try to find where she had been, colours of pollens etc, not so much home work but at least if you had the time you could if you wanted to read what ever book you had or the internet or evan this forum and just have a little gander at what we would be looking at next time, bed time reading is what it used to be called,

but every time she would turn up and it was if that she had never been to a bee hive before and we would have to start at the basics again and agian and again and AGAIN, evertually i just got fed up with her lack or just unwanting to learn effort, so bye bye

some students just have a personal issue, as in they dont like the fat bloke(me)

some get squashed when i fall of this soap box too.

love to all, rant over soap box put away, like i said just my ideas thats all

 

[hedgerow pete]

forgot to say
thing that realy narks me, is that people ask for help but cant be bothered to put thier address in there profiles so people like me, if i had read that message would see that they are local 5 miles or less and several pm's would be sent. saying when this weeked i could get over to them to offer a hours help, bringing spare equipment and tools if they needed.

all it thats is a little of help your self to get others to help you, some people dont seem to want to help them selves.
NO OFFENCE OR ANY ONE IN MIND, ITS JUST A POINT OF VIEW
love and hugs to all beeks , evan me

 

[Queens59]

As someone let down by a mentor, I think some feel that once you have signed up to 'their' assoc. they don't want to know; it is 'lets get bigger than the next door assoc.' and not what is best for a) The bees b) The keeper c) Their neighbours!

I had a 25 minute session looking at my mentors hive and having a 'chat', a phone-call 2 days later from another member of the assoc. offering me a nuc. as my mentor felt 'I was ready for my own bees'; having been unable to attend beginners course. He then answered 1 email immediately and ignored every other one - I hived them etc. on my own, went Q- alone and have relied on this forum for that and every problem since. I have also read roughly 15 books, and counting. I invited him to visit my hive (1/4 mile from his home) and he is too busy/has visitors etc.

I think some assoc's just want numbers, but are not willing to follow up or support those they are keen to enlist, or are overwhelmed and won't admit it, some other areas seem to treat there newbees really well - I just live in the wrong place!

 

[clare p]

Hey hedgerowpete, do you teach them your individual bee varroa treatment method?
Clare
p.s seriously love your videos

 

[chycarne]

Hmmmm ouch, I personally feel a mentor should mentor and therefore suggest how you can do things, a teacher tells you how to...
You are at the point of learning for yourself and I guess the forum is your mentor...
my view is, ok feed them but dont visit too often, so a good amount of Apifonda but not enough for it to drip through the hive inviting all sorts of robbing beasts. if the bees are doing well I wouldnt give much else apart from Apilife Var our bees have TOLERATED it better than the apigaurd we used last year... follow the instructions on the packet. if the bees are hungry some ambrosia syrup may help get them going. Dont disturb them too much if you see something you dont understand, put the hive back together go for a cup of tea and some research, think... post a question, dont panic!!! and react to what you read by taking that advice. Be clear with your question, asking can you tell the time is not the same as asking what time is it. Key words in google searches are good and remember "we all can" help but we need to know the problem, drip feed us, oh and be positive, no such thing as a daft question. good luck

 

[kazmcc]

Hi, I'm new to this too but it seems I have been really lucky with my mentor. I hope some of these posts have answered your questions, and if there is something you don't understand, then ask again. There are plenty of people on here who will be happy to walk you through it.

I think if you ask someone to mentor you, then you should have the respect to listen to their way of doing things. The way I intend to learn is, firstly, to listen to my mentor, then look more closely into what he has taught me and find out how other experienced beeks do it. I would never refuse to do as he asks while he teaches me. Once I go it alone, I may not do everything the way he taught me, but for now, I will do exactly as he recommends. He knows a lot more about this than I do which is why he is mentoring me. I think I have kept my side of the bargain by trying to find out as much information on my own, and I hope I am a good pupil and don't mither him too much lol. He will be seeing us through our first year, and I suspect that won't be the end of his involvement. I'm sure that even after that I will still be able to contact him for advice and support. It seems I have been very lucky, and really feel for those who find themselves alone. I don't know what I would do in that situation.