Hi from Devon Cornwall border

[Flyinstructor]

Hi
My name is Mark and I live a couple of miles inside England on the Duchy border (having moved from nearby Lezant and prior to that Zummerzet). I keep hybrids in a variety of hives, mainly WBC cedar but also Langstroth and a some Poly nucs. I Have kept Bees for a few years and still making too many mistakes, most recent being letting two hives swarm multiple times. Lesson, it just ain't smart to leave too many queen cells and yes I didn't check every 8 days. From having bought queens in the past it has been interesting to see several VQ's each day. I just wish they would marry and settle down rather than take a few thousand impressionable ladies on a honey fuelled mystery tour over successive days. I caught one Prime swarm, did a couple of splits and currently trying to tempt a large swarm which has been 60 ft up in the top of an oak tree down into a bait hive 30ft lower down. Payback I suppose, I started off with a swarm of local black bees which went from being testy to absolute b***t***S in a few months. Each inspection resulted in a 1 acre no-go zone for a couple of days and they happily chased for a few hundred yards, so will leave Cornish AMM on hold for a while. Being stubborn or stupid, the following Spring I bought in some gentler Devon bees and expanded from there. I know, it's not supposed to bee easy!?!? I just wish they would read the same books as I do. Having stumbled on this site regularly, usually after some inane google search question (like- do Cornish black bees really target the nether regions on purpose? And will 30 bee stings in such a small area ever stop itching? and finally is there a benefit in buying a good full body bee suit rather than a smock?). Anyhow I was told I had exceeded my quota of guest views, so signed up. A big thank you to you all for the posts I have enjoyed to date, I hope I can reciprocate in time.
Happy beekeeping
Mark

 

[JWF]

Sounds like you're having fun!

Welcome to the forum.

 

[colinc]

Nice entrance. Good story. Welcome to the fray


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[enrico]

It doesn't matter how much you read you still learn more from your mistakes! Welcome
E

 

[For want of a better word]

Hi
My name is Mark and I live a couple of miles inside England on the Duchy border (having moved from nearby Lezant and prior to that Zummerzet). I keep hybrids in a variety of hives, mainly WBC cedar but also Langstroth and a some Poly nucs. I Have kept Bees for a few years and still making too many mistakes, most recent being letting two hives swarm multiple times. Lesson, it just ain't smart to leave too many queen cells and yes I didn't check every 8 days. From having bought queens in the past it has been interesting to see several VQ's each day. I just wish they would marry and settle down rather than take a few thousand impressionable ladies on a honey fuelled mystery tour over successive days. I caught one Prime swarm, did a couple of splits and currently trying to tempt a large swarm which has been 60 ft up in the top of an oak tree down into a bait hive 30ft lower down. Payback I suppose, I started off with a swarm of local black bees which went from being testy to absolute b***t***S in a few months. Each inspection resulted in a 1 acre no-go zone for a couple of days and they happily chased for a few hundred yards, so will leave Cornish AMM on hold for a while. Being stubborn or stupid, the following Spring I bought in some gentler Devon bees and expanded from there. I know, it's not supposed to bee easy!?!? I just wish they would read the same books as I do. Having stumbled on this site regularly, usually after some inane google search question (like- do Cornish black bees really target the nether regions on purpose? And will 30 bee stings in such a small area ever stop itching? and finally is there a benefit in buying a good full body bee suit rather than a smock?). Anyhow I was told I had exceeded my quota of guest views, so signed up. A big thank you to you all for the posts I have enjoyed to date, I hope I can reciprocate in time.
Happy beekeeping
Mark

That is the problem with any not pure strain.... the crosses are generally cross.
The reason why I gave up on bringing in Carniolians to Devon when I lived there!!!!!

Yeghes da

 

[Flyinstructor]

Dydh da, thanks for the comment, I agree regarding carniolans but still unsure whether problem is with crosses. I tried to ensure my few early purchases were sourced from reliable West Country breeders/keepers but doubt there are many drone congregation areas which do not contain a huge mash of hybrids. My aim, not unique I'm sure, is to have healthy productive bees which are adapted to the local environment. We do have a few feral colonies of small black bees (good few mm's smaller than my stock average) so I'm hoping my colonies will darken over time and I can weed out those which are too teazy.
Thanks again

 

[Flyinstructor]

Thanks Enrico, sadly my learning style seems to value mistakes highly.

 

[theeggman]

To the forum from Okehampton.

 

[Flyinstructor]

To the forum from Okehampton.

Thanks Tim
Are 14x12 working out well? I regret not going to larger boxes but most of my colonies would still need double brood set-up although maybe I need to manage more actively.
Cheers
Mark

 

[Stiffy]

Hi
My name is Mark and I live a couple of miles inside England on the Duchy border (having moved from nearby Lezant and prior to that Zummerzet). I keep hybrids in a variety of hives, mainly WBC cedar but also Langstroth and a some Poly nucs. I Have kept Bees for a few years and still making too many mistakes, most recent being letting two hives swarm multiple times. Lesson, it just ain't smart to leave too many queen cells and yes I didn't check every 8 days. From having bought queens in the past it has been interesting to see several VQ's each day. I just wish they would marry and settle down rather than take a few thousand impressionable ladies on a honey fuelled mystery tour over successive days. I caught one Prime swarm, did a couple of splits and currently trying to tempt a large swarm which has been 60 ft up in the top of an oak tree down into a bait hive 30ft lower down. Payback I suppose, I started off with a swarm of local black bees which went from being testy to absolute b***t***S in a few months. Each inspection resulted in a 1 acre no-go zone for a couple of days and they happily chased for a few hundred yards, so will leave Cornish AMM on hold for a while. Being stubborn or stupid, the following Spring I bought in some gentler Devon bees and expanded from there. I know, it's not supposed to bee easy!?!? I just wish they would read the same books as I do. Having stumbled on this site regularly, usually after some inane google search question (like- do Cornish black bees really target the nether regions on purpose? And will 30 bee stings in such a small area ever stop itching? and finally is there a benefit in buying a good full body bee suit rather than a smock?). Anyhow I was told I had exceeded my quota of guest views, so signed up. A big thank you to you all for the posts I have enjoyed to date, I hope I can reciprocate in time.
Happy beekeeping
Mark

Welcome what a nice story and similar to the start most of us have, I guess. I too had similar problems with the Aryan race of bees and quickly found a strain that suited me rather than a bunch of fanatics.
BTW after being stung in my builders bum, I would highhly recomend a full suit!
S

 

[For want of a better word]

Welcome what a nice story and similar to the start most of us have, I guess. I too had similar problems with the Aryan race of bees and quickly found a strain that suited me rather than a bunch of fanatics.
BTW after being stung in my builders bum, I would highhly recomend a full suit!
S

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aryan_race

OMG !!! for one fleeting moment I thought the Cornish Native Black bee was in for a slagging off by the usual decenters!

My blond Italians are quite nice too BTW.

Yeghes da

 

[Stiffy]

One of the best features this forum has is the 'ignore' list. The previous poster is on mine

 

[theeggman]

One of the best features this forum has is the 'ignore' list. The previous poster is on mine

He should be on mine but I'm waiting until he goes down in flames. Any Beek in the South West can keep any bees they like, this black bee stuff is c**p. The bee population the UK is so mixed that trying to go just black bee is a joke, unless you're like HM who has isolated apiaries.

That should rattle a cage or two.

Couldn't resist it, and I'm now off to top up my glass.

 

[Swarm]

.........And that, unfortunately, is the problem with British beekeeping.

 

[Beefriendly]

Spot on.
Less drum beating propaganda replaced with truthfull information would be good. Couple that with a realization that different people have different requirements from their bee keeping and respecting their choices of bee strains to achieve their needs would be a major step forward.
I don't live in much hope of that happening. Alas.

 

[Swarm]

I was referring to the attitude in the previous post. I find it a little odd that a first post in the 'welcome' forum is just anti AMM propaganda.

 

[Stiffy]

I was referring to the attitude in the previous post. I find it a little odd that a first post in the 'welcome' forum is just anti AMM propaganda.

Please be so kind as to not misquote, I never mentioned AMM in my post! I was responding to say I had, had the same experience as the poster and that I now keep bees that suit me not some ideology. I do not care if anyone keeps black (as I do) yellow (as I do) or sky blue, what I do object to is the bullying and frankly that is what it is, to keep a certain strain
S

 

[For want of a better word]

I was referring to the attitude in the previous post. I find it a little odd that a first post in the 'welcome' forum is just anti AMM propaganda.

When in ROME!

Or risk being fed to the lions!!!

7 supers filling nicely on a DNA certified Native Black Cornish bee colony does it for me!

Strange when on someones" ignore list "that they continue to harry ....... and cast aspersions about your honest ideology!!!

Yeghes da

 

[Swarm]

Please be so kind as to not misquote, I never mentioned AMM in my post! I was responding to say I had, had the same experience as the poster and that I now keep bees that suit me not some ideology. I do not care if anyone keeps black (as I do) yellow (as I do) or sky blue, what I do object to is the bullying and frankly that is what it is, to keep a certain strain
S

What ,in my post makes you think I was referring to you then? The previous post to mine was from eggman and the Opening post was not yours either. What can I say? Never mind bullying, all I see is pi$$ taking whenever AMM is mentioned.

 

[Beefriendly]

7 supers filling nicely on a DNA certified Native Black Cornish bee colony does it for me!

A good use for all that free Tesco sugar