Hi from a complete newbee in south Beds

[MikeBee]

Hi everyone. I've been thinking about trying out beekeeping for a while now and have finally decided to give it a proper go. Absolutely zero experience with bees so far, apart from the few thousand ivy bees living in my lawn (which I don't believe count) but of course I have been hitting the interwebs to find out as much as I can beforehand. The area should be good for a few hives (relatively remote on the rubbish end of the Chilterns) so I am looking forward to getting my hands sticky.

YouTube and web info aside I've signed up for a six week course with one of the local beekeeping associations so I'm aiming to increase my knowledge and start out with a hive later this year. I'm not sure if I should put in an advance order for a nuc now even though I have no equipment as yet. I've heard the they're usually all likely to have sold out/been pre-ordered by mid April. Am I getting ahead of myself here?

Cheers, Mike

 

[enrico]

Hi everyone. I've been thinking about trying out beekeeping for a while now and have finally decided to give it a proper go. Absolutely zero experience with bees so far, apart from the few thousand ivy bees living in my lawn (which I don't believe count) but of course I have been hitting the interwebs to find out as much as I can beforehand. The area should be good for a few hives (relatively remote on the rubbish end of the Chilterns) so I am looking forward to getting my hands sticky.

YouTube and web info aside I've signed up for a six week course with one of the local beekeeping associations so I'm aiming to increase my knowledge and start out with a hive later this year. I'm not sure if I should put in an advance order for a nuc now even though I have no equipment as yet. I've heard the they're usually all likely to have sold out/been pre-ordered by mid April. Am I getting ahead of myself here?

Cheers, Mike

Welcome Mike,
Before you spend any money wait until you have actually been through at least one hive either on the course or with a friendly beekeeper. It isn't everyone's sport well done for signing up to a course. Click on the link at the bottom of my post and you may see what I mean about it not being easy. Not discouraging you just .... preparing you

 

[MikeBee]

Welcome Mike,
Before you spend any money wait until you have actually been through at least one hive either on the course or with a friendly beekeeper. It isn't everyone's sport well done for signing up to a course. Click on the link at the bottom of my post and you may see what I mean about it not being easy. Not discouraging you just .... preparing you

Oh I know it's not for everyone but I think this is going to hook me. I read a recent article by the Apiarist for those thinking of taking it up and it was pretty hardcore in its warnings. Personally, I just went off and started reading up on Nosema analysis instead.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'm not sure if I should put in an advance order for a nuc now even though I have no equipment as yet. I've heard the they're usually all likely to have sold out/been pre-ordered by mid April.

there will be plenty of nucs available later and at a better price, once the mad scrabble of people who have to be 'first in' at everything and the winter casualty replacements have been satiated.

Am I getting ahead of myself here?

a bit