Hi

[user 22908]

Hi all im from the east coast in angus ive been keeping bees for almost 2 years so still a newby and i currently have 5 national hives

 

[pargyle]

Welcome - you are well on the way - two years in and you know enough to know how little you know .. you've found the best bee forum on the planet. Very busy and always people on tap to answer those questions that you can't find an answer in the books for. Tell us a bit more about your beekeeping - 5 colonies at the 2 year mark is a good start.

 

[user 22908]

Hi pargyle, thanks for the welcome, and isnt that the truth, how very little we newbies know. my beekeeping is all about winging it just like the bees, my first year was filled with terror, stings swarms, more stings and queen issues ( she was hiding) , and that was after doing a beginners course and reading every book and blog i could find , as everyone in the know says, bees dont read bee books!!! This year has dare i say it been a little less daunting so far, probably due to investing in a professional quality bee suit and remembering to breathe while inspecting im just waiting for the osr to fade as the 3 hives with supers on are filling quickly. Has everyone noticed just how many more fields of the stuff there are this year? Well there are around montrose where i am .

 

[pargyle]

Hi pargyle, thanks for the welcome, and isnt that the truth, how very little we newbies know. my beekeeping is all about winging it just like the bees, my first year was filled with terror, stings swarms, more stings and queen issues ( she was hiding) , and that was after doing a beginners course and reading every book and blog i could find , as everyone in the know says, bees dont read bee books!!! This year has dare i say it been a little less daunting so far, probably due to investing in a professional quality bee suit and remembering to breathe while inspecting im just waiting for the osr to fade as the 3 hives with supers on are filling quickly. Has everyone noticed just how many more fields of the stuff there are this year? Well there are around montrose where i am .

A good suit gives you a lot of confidence ... stings are (usually) inevitable part of keeping bees but they are not pleasant so the worry is there if you don't have faith in your PPE - and I think the bees sense when the keeper is nervous in any way - fear pheremones from humans ?

There's enough back catalogue on this forum to keep you out of the bee books for several winters to come ! Lots of novel and innovative ideas to steal and use in your beekeeping - many of them you won't find in the books.

There is a lot more OSR down here in the South this year than there has been in recent years ... whilst it produces massive honey crops I'm rather glad there's not much around me where I am ... I can live without the extraction and processing !

 

[Wilco]

@Shona Increased OSR may be reflecting a potential shortage in sunflower oil due to Ukraine thus may be more profitable.

There's also the becoming a beekeeper bit where you then become hyperattentive to potential forage so notice it more!

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

There's also the becoming a beekeeper bit where you then become hyperattentive to potential forage so notice it more!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Has everyone noticed just how many more fields of the stuff there are this year? Well there are around montrose where i am .

None around me thank heavens.
Welcome. I hope you enjoy the forum.

 

[enrico]

Hi Shona, don't be afraid to ask the questions before you go something. Don't be afraid to let the bees correct your mistakes

 

[Murox]

Fàilte

 

[madasafish]

Welcome.
MIL lived in Montrose in retirement: lovely place.
Envy.

 

[user 22908]

@Shona Increased OSR may be reflecting a potential shortage in sunflower oil due to Ukraine thus may be more profitable.

There's also the becoming a beekeeper bit where you then become hyperattentive to potential forage so notice it more!

Hi wilco , yes thats what my hub and i thought about the osr increase too.

 

[user 22908]

Welcome.
MIL lived in Montrose in retirement: lovely place.
Envy.

Hi madasafish, i was born in the county and ive lived in this area bar a few years totally agree its a bonny place

 

[user 22908]

Fàilte

 

[user 22908]

Tapadh leibh murox

 

[user 22908]

Hi Shona, don't be afraid to ask the questions before you go something. Don't be afraid to let the bees correct your mistakes

Thank you enrico

 

[user 22908]

None around me thank heavens.
Welcome. I hope you enjoy the forum.

Thank you erichalfbee . I love the sunny yellow fields and the smell of it wafting, I’ll let you know if thats the same after harvesting the honey

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thank you erichalfbee . I love the sunny yellow fields and the smell of it wafting, I’ll let you know if thats the same after harvesting the honey

I don’t mind the fields at all. I just think the honey is awful but lots of people like it.

 

[user 22908]

A good suit gives you a lot of confidence ... stings are (usually) inevitable part of keeping bees but they are not pleasant so the worry is there if you don't have faith in your PPE - and I think the bees sense when the keeper is nervous in any way - fear pheremones from humans ?

There's enough back catalogue on this forum to keep you out of the bee books for several winters to come ! Lots of novel and innovative ideas to steal and use in your beekeeping - many of them you won't find in the books.

There is a lot more OSR down here in the South this year than there has been in recent years ... whilst it produces massive honey crops I'm rather glad there's not much around me where I am ... I can live without the extraction and processing !

Yes it certainly has helped with the confidence thing, i bought a cheap suit from ebay at the start, false economy as i only wore it a couple of times before i had a hole in the hood mesh, i only realised there was a hole when there were several bees inside painful lesson learned!!

I don’t mind the fields at all. I just think the honey is awful but lots of people like it.

 

[user 22908]

Ah ok , i dont mind the honey. I must admit to not being a fan of heather honey though

 

[Moobee]

It’s a great forum. Don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions. You can get away with it when you’re new!!