Hi from "sunny" Scotland

[TMW2N]

Hi Folks
I've been interested in keeping bees for a long time, but never gotten round to really doing much about it. Last year I got given a one day intro course with "The Bee Man" in the Scottish borders, which was very informative, and didn't put me off, which I think was the plan...

I'm currently just doing lots of reading, watching of youtube videos and generally absorbing info. I'm not sure I'll get bees this year, I might hold off til 2019, see if I can find someone reasonably nearby who has bees I can shadow to get some hands on experience. I'd rather be a "grunt" for someone else for a bit than risk killing all my bees due to inexperience.

I discovered there's a beekeepers association in the nearest city to me, so I'll pop along to their next meeting, see what that's like.


I'm an all round geek, so spending time learning something before jumping in is pretty normal for me. I dabble with amateur radio, and home brewing. One of my friends joked recently when I mentioned bees that I looked really good for a 70 year old. Apparently i've got "old man hobbies"

Expect lots of questions, I'll try to find as much stuff out from searching as I can, but I know I'll have questions!

 

[colinc]

Welcome. Brilliant fun getting and watching your own bees and despite the concerns of you pay attention and avoid major mistakes the bees will be just fine.
Not every beek is old by the way it’s just the old ones talk louder


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[madasafish]

from an exiled Scot

70 year olds have more fun as a beekeeper..

 

[Angry_Mob]

You might eventually be able to combine your home-brewing and beekeeping hobbies to make some mead.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Hi Folks
I've been interested in keeping bees for a long time, but never gotten round to really doing much about it. Last year I got given a one day intro course with "The Bee Man" in the Scottish borders, which was very informative, and didn't put me off, which I think was the plan...

I'm currently just doing lots of reading, watching of youtube videos and generally absorbing info. I'm not sure I'll get bees this year, I might hold off til 2019, see if I can find someone reasonably nearby who has bees I can shadow to get some hands on experience. I'd rather be a "grunt" for someone else for a bit than risk killing all my bees due to inexperience.

I discovered there's a beekeepers association in the nearest city to me, so I'll pop along to their next meeting, see what that's like.


I'm an all round geek, so spending time learning something before jumping in is pretty normal for me. I dabble with amateur radio, and home brewing. One of my friends joked recently when I mentioned bees that I looked really good for a 70 year old. Apparently i've got "old man hobbies"

Expect lots of questions, I'll try to find as much stuff out from searching as I can, but I know I'll have questions!

Welcome. Your local association will be a good place to start. Just beware of youtube as a source. It can be a classic curates egg - good in parts but a lot of the contributions are just plain bad. A beginner can be easily misled.

 

[olriley]

Apparently i've got "old man hobbies"

Nothing wrong with that. I get ribbed sometimes too. Welcome!

 

[Curly green fingers]

CQ CQ DX THIS IS BRAVO MIKE 01 CALLING AND STANDING BY PLS QRZ THE Frequency . hi from Shropshire.

 

[john t]

Hello and welcome,
when you get your first batch of honey you can expand the home brew to make mead

 

[nightshade]

Hello...from another relative newbie..

I'm another who delayed getting bees and spent time around my mentor's hives..

Took me 6 years before I got some..

Still don't have a blinking clue what I'm doing!!

 

[Popparand]

Yep, big welcome from another later life newcomer to bees. I would strongly suggest you contact your local association. Most have classroom based courses in the early part of the year and if you're lucky practical hands-on courses in the summer so you can learn as you go. This should give you sufficient confidence to start with one hive this year.

Don't be put off by the science. The best advice I ever had to solving a problem was "leave it to the bees. They will sort it out". Provided they dont starve to death in the winter (not difficult to avoid) you can't really go wrong.

Word of warning though. Beekeeping can become an obsession.!

 

[Kenson]

Welcome, it's the questions that are interesting, the answers amusing