How many hives could I put on an 450 acre farm.

[For want of a better word]

Has anything happened within 70 Miles,
You're in North wales aren't you?

[/LIST]

On an island ???......they even wrote a little sing along song about it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlvnWywlPBw

 

[Curly green fingers]

Hi, so far I've taken two colony's of buckfast bee's to the farm there both really strong and are on double brood both covering 8/9 frames .
My plan was to take all six out of the garden brood/half and one that is brood and two half's my plan was to build them up before I took them the weather doesn't look good for the next few weeks and the osr is looking good and will possibly be flowering in a months time , I've applied fondant to the garden hives as they are a bit light ideally I wanted to give them some syrup to stimulate the queen's a bit , I was thinking there not going to of built up enough .
The biggest colony is on 8/9 frames and the smallest 5/6frames.
Your thoughts
Cheers mark...

 

[Murox]

If you know the approx. date the flow will begin, 40 days before flowering to stimulate brood rearing is about right, that way the adult bees reared will be ready to forage in the field when the flowering period starts. that accounts for all the stages of a bees life up til it forages - I think. If your on poly you may well be fine with hive top feeders, its all a bit of a gamble with the vagaries of the weather this early in the year.

 

[Curly green fingers]

If you know the approx. date the flow will begin, 40 days before flowering to stimulate brood rearing is about right, that way the adult bees reared will be ready to forage in the field when the flowering period starts. that accounts for all the stages of a bees life up til it forages - I think. If your on poly you may well be fine with hive top feeders, its all a bit of a gamble with the vagaries of the weather this early in the year.

There cedar hives the approx flow date would be no more than 5 weeks from now I'll get a picture and put it on here , the field beans are looking good to. The weather could obviously change the dates .

 

[citrus]

any farmers or bee keepers with farming background with any tips ?

we have an apiary on a 200 acre farm that is run by a faith charity that I am a member of so have a bit of say in what they might plant for next year.

any farmers on here that could give a bit of guidance on planting for bees ?

is there a goldilocks crop that works for farming (get a crop without too much equipment) and also the bees get a boost ?

The land is good fertile land but often is left to grass as it is easier tho they do have some corn and some poly tunnels.

I read about borage as an option but dont know how much specialised farming equipment we would need to do this and so would welcome any other ideas

 

[Walrus]

Sorry, not a farmer, but borage would be fantastic
https://www.fwi.co.uk/arable/borage-area-set-to-rise-in-2014

 

[Apiarisnt]

Borage as forage

I read about borage as an option but dont know how much specialised farming equipment we would need to do this and so would welcome any other ideas

These guys can give you guidance on borage https://www.premiumcrops.com/borage.html

 

[dpearce4]

we have an apiary on a 200 acre farm that is run by a faith charity that I am a member of so have a bit of say in what they might plant for next year.

any farmers on here that could give a bit of guidance on planting for bees ?

is there a goldilocks crop that works for farming (get a crop without too much equipment) and also the bees get a boost ?

The land is good fertile land but often is left to grass as it is easier tho they do have some corn and some poly tunnels.

I read about borage as an option but dont know how much specialised farming equipment we would need to do this and so would welcome any other ideas

Under sow the grass with clover and have sheep or cattle on it.

 

[Murox]

we have an apiary on a 200 acre farm that is run by a faith charity that I am a member of so have a bit of say in what they might plant for next year.

any farmers on here that could give a bit of guidance on planting for bees ?

is there a goldilocks crop that works for farming (get a crop without too much equipment) and also the bees get a boost ?

The land is good fertile land but often is left to grass as it is easier tho they do have some corn and some poly tunnels.

I read about borage as an option but dont know how much specialised farming equipment we would need to do this and so would welcome any other ideas

Suggest you also have browse of this link https://www.farmseeds.co.uk/t/categ...ewardship-mixtures/pollen-and-nectar-mixtures

And even this https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/rural-payments-agency

 

[citrus]

thanks all ... some light reading on a wet windy evening tonight !

 

[Millet]

we have an apiary on a 200 acre farm that is run by a faith charity that I am a member of so have a bit of say in what they might plant for next year.

any farmers on here that could give a bit of guidance on planting for bees ?

is there a goldilocks crop that works for farming (get a crop without too much equipment) and also the bees get a boost ?

The land is good fertile land but often is left to grass as it is easier tho they do have some corn and some poly tunnels.

I read about borage as an option but dont know how much specialised farming equipment we would need to do this and so would welcome any other ideas

It depends on how much you can plant but Phacilia is excellent and if you sow big patches of it a fortnight apart the bees will have a constant supply for a long time..

 

[Curly green finger's]

we have an apiary on a 200 acre farm that is run by a faith charity that I am a member of so have a bit of say in what they might plant for next year.

any farmers on here that could give a bit of guidance on planting for bees ?

is there a goldilocks crop that works for farming (get a crop without too much equipment) and also the bees get a boost ?

The land is good fertile land but often is left to grass as it is easier tho they do have some corn and some poly tunnels.

I read about borage as an option but dont know how much specialised farming equipment we would need to do this and so would welcome any other ideas

Hi Chris op here I'll pm you some of the things we've done this season.
Busy busy children.

 

[Repwoc]

What about sainfoin?

https://beehappyplants.co.uk/bee-plants/onobrychis-viciifolia/

 

[citrus]

Hi Chris op here I'll pm you some of the things we've done this season.
Busy busy children.

Cheers Mark and all posters