How did you get started in beekeeping?

[MarkyMark]

Hi Everyone, Im just wondering how others on here got into this beekeeping malarky ????
Did someone spark your interest ? Or did you just wake up oneday and thought....Ill get a beehive...or 10 ?

I have a teacher at school to blame for starting my interest in keeping them back in the 80's (thanks mr stonell !!

)

 

[planbee]

Back in the 1950's, I used to be taken to visit my Great-Uncle Sylvester, and my Aunt Hilda, she was my Grandfathers' sister.

Sylvester was Head Gardener on an estate at Buckden, near Huntingdon.

Every time you went to the toilet, you had to walk near a couple of WBC's, and because it was summer when we visited, the Bee's were always crossing the garden path.

The toilet was at the other end of garden, bucket under the board type, and you had to sprinkle "pepper" in it afterwards, a fascination for an eight year old, living in a city.

Always remembered the "Bee's and the Bog", but it was 28 years, and a move from Northamptonshire to Staffordshire, before I got my own Bee's - but no plans for a bucket - yet!

John

 

[Heather]

My brother kept a couple of hives when I was 17 (many moons ago) and I helped out.

3 years ago, on holiday, watching bees work, I mentioned to a friend that I fancied keeping bees myself. Back home 2 weeks later, she phoned me, huge swarm in her garden from the feral bees in her old tree. I shot to a bee farm locally, bought a WBC (only one they had ready) collected the swarm -
and here today with - temporarily- 20 colonies in my garden

Selling some as we speak

 

[Baggyone]

Had an passing interest in Biology and breeding since school 22 years ago. Perked up a bit food wise when I got into growing my own veg, took on chickens and then saw a swarm at work last year and decided that Bees were an option. Got my nuc this year.

 

[jon]

I got a nuc and a swarm from my dad a few years back and took it from there.

 

[Mosquito]

My Daughters school had 2 beehives and they asked if anyone would like to help look after them.

 

[Bucks_Boy]

Finished academic exams, finished professional studies, finished yachting qualifications, sailed round the world, so decided to learn about things that still interest me - French polishing, Hedge laying, fly fishing, then a beekeeping course...not had time for anything else since, bees sort of took over my spare time since then...........

 

[planbee]

Mosquito,

If your daughters school is in West Yorkshire, I'll bet a pound to a pinch of Chinese excretement, that it's not in the catchment area of Kirklees Council!

John

 

[crazy_bull]

Used to help an old chap in our village who was incapable of feeding his chickens. Another chap used to look after his bees. Anyway long story short, when he passed away i was left all his spare eqipment (a good bonfire) and a hive of bees (i was 10!) the rest as they say is history.

C B

 

[Brian Bush]

Always had an interest in gardening and agriculture in general. Grandfather was a farmer and brought up around larger livestock. Came home from work nearly 40 yrs ago and there was an enormous swarm in garden. fetched the vicar, local bee keeper, and watched in facination as he collected and hived the swarm.
Got married and decided to persue my interest in bees. Put in touch with local beekeeper for a large estate and spent some time with him helping out and learning the ropes. Got severely stung by another persons bees when asked to open them for the bee inspector. Wife said this is a non starter!!!

Last yeart decided I did not want to travel the world or jump out of aeroplanes. I was going to fulfil my ambition. went on bee keeping course with local BKA and spent winter of 2007/2008 building hives. Got my first colony last year and have 12 yesterday. (I have a nagging feeling the swarm officer will be sending me on a 'wild swarm chase' this weekend!!)
Yep! I certainly have a bad case of bee fever!!!

 

[buzzy bee]

The internet was my reason!