Identifying commercial beeks

[Motobiman]

I value the input from commercial beekeepers. I adopt their methods where relevant and just wish the weather was better. Predictably, the weather is unpredictable year to year...

I value everyone's input, except the few on my ignore list.

 

[Finman]

I value everyone's input, except the few on my ignore list.

I do not have ignore list. I use voodoo.

I have voodoo book for dummies.
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[jenkinsbrynmair]

And is their a measure of success for the beep who has no desire at all to extract honey from his/her hives?

A bee's raison detre is to produce honey - if your bees consistently fail to produce honey then there is a failing either in the bees or the beekeeper.

 

[Swarm]

I don't think they've failed to produce, he chooses not to remove any. But if the bees have not swarmed and no honey taken the hives should be quite tall by now?

 

[Finman]

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The main principle is that bees gather honey store to get over winter.
You only change it to cheap sugar. That is beekeeping.

Like with chicken. You take the egg and put a wooden egg instead.
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[MuswellMetro]

wow, I cant believe you got no honey Three years in a row, I would take a closer look at your bees or environment.

I think you would be suprised as to how many beekeepers inspired by monte don and marthy kierny TV shows actually get any honey after five years let alone three years

The new wave of beekeepers i have to help because in the London area actually seem in cloud cuckoo land compared to those who took up beekeeping in the early 2000's. , They know beekeeping is simple, it said so on TV

A beekeeper who featured on an early Monte Don program managed to kill eight nuc at the rate of two per year over 4 years She purchased them from a major retailer at £230 per nuc (£1900+) and then tried to blame the retailer for suppling bad bees, she used to ask for help then totally ignore the advice,

Thankfully for bees she decided beekeeping was to expensive LOL

 

[madasafish]

A beekeeper who featured on an early Monte Don program managed to kill eight nuc at the rate of two per year over 4 years She purchased them from a major retailer at £230 per nuc (£1900+) and then tried to blame the retailer for suppling bad bees, she used to ask for help then totally ignore the advice,

Thankfully for bees she decided beekeeping was to expensive LOL

I know a lady who failed to overwinter three colonies over the past three. years. I am helping her to succeed (I hope!) this winter...

 

[MuswellMetro]

I know a lady who failed to overwinter three colonies over the past three. years. I am helping her to succeed (I hope!) this winter...

like you possibly i will help any beekeeper who asks for help and try my best but sometimes it is very difficult to move them on

this year what have i come accross, a good strain buckfast bee from I think a july nuc with marked queen Its was in a WBC small ten frame box with one supers They had two but only one used as they did not want honey and just wanted to help bees...they had gone to spain for three weeks in June and the bees had filled all the lifts of the WBC with wild comb and you could not get the lifts off, "no it never swarmed,they are so calm we never have to do anything with them"...now has an unmarked queen

A beekeeper who had been on two seperate county BKA beginners courses who call for help as she had bees swarming...found she had bought a nuc from Thornes and had left the Nuc as she had bought a topbar hive ( again as he did not want honey) and could not work out how to get the national frame into the to bar hive

A request to borrow a Bee suit FOR A FEW DAYS as they had bought bees and an octagonal hive from wyvale garden centre (£400 for hive)and they just wanted to put the bees in the octagonal hive and leave them to live in it so did not need the suit long

 

[mbc]

Starting with reasonable bees and following very simple guidelines most beginners struggle not to get up to three or four colonies after three seasons and spending more than they'd reckoned on new equipment keeping on top of swarm control. Barring bad luck with virgins mating I'm struggling to think how people lose bees so long as they've followed basic varroa control guidelines, am I missing something?

 

[MuswellMetro]

Starting with reasonable bees and following very simple guidelines most beginners struggle not to get up to three or four colonies after three seasons and spending more than they'd reckoned on new equipment keeping on top of swarm control. Barring bad luck with virgins mating I'm struggling to think how people lose bees so long as they've followed basic varroa control guidelines, am I missing something?

i remember on my first help out at the beginners lectures, stressing that for swarm control if you bought one hive for bees then you need another hive for swarm control............one person bought their first hive and bees and then bought a second hive and bees....next year, "YOU SAID, if you had one hive then you needed a second hive for swarm control so i bought second hive and bees", it is that some just dont understand what they read or are told

the person who lost 8 nucs of bees, wanted to join our BKA but not BBKA, !NO! refused to have her details sent to NBU even though an EFB hotspot, refused to register ,managed to convince the Local authorityon whose allotment she had bees that she did not need the basic assessment as she had been trained by Monte, refused to inspect as it makes them swarm, , never bought new foundation for the firstv nuc and reused the wild comb, never treated for varroa, fed the nuc jaggery ( indian raw sugar) and said if i give them enough room they wont swarm

 

[maddydog]

am I missing something?

Yeah, some people have more money than sense

 

[Erichalfbee]

am I missing something?

Lack of education and understanding and falling prey to advertising.
I'll talk bees all day even past the gazed expression of my victim but some folk don't listen

 

[user 6228]

Lack of education and understanding and falling prey to advertising.
I'll talk bees all day even past the gazed expression of my victim but some folk don't listen

been there

 

[BeeJayBee]

Starting with reasonable bees and following very simple guidelines most beginners struggle not to get up to three or four colonies after three seasons and spending more than they'd reckoned on new equipment keeping on top of swarm control.

I'd guess that most beginners will be okay but ...

We've had new beekeepers who only want a nuc or a 'little hive' because they're beginners and one or two who, no matter how much support and mentoring they have had over two or three years, will never make it as independent beekeepers.

There do seem to be more of the 'let alone' brigade, who want a hive in their garden to 'look at' or because they want to 'do their bit' to save bees from extinction. They'd never dream of taking any honey, even if there were a massive excess, and don't understand why their bees abscond.

 

[Finman]

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There do seem to be more of the 'let alone' brigade,.....

Basic reason is that bees sting, when you try to do something with them.


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[kevrhcfag]

Why ask the question? Because I am interested in the subject.

With all due respect to you father that's a very old-fashioned viewpoint.

I will pose an alternate: there are is no such thing as a silly question except the one you fail to ask.

Yep that was him old fashioned proper person, hopefully I have carried on some of his more desirable traits. (all due respect LOL)

Always has been and always will be silly questions, I have asked more than my fair share in my time no doubt.

I can't quite decide whether your being cute (also known in my circles as a cc), deliberately obtuse or a wum.

You are interested in answers to your questions, but as you are only too acutely aware I doubt you will ask a question that hasn't been previously asked and this forum has a decent search facility so you can see different points of view to your hearts content on a myriad of subjects. But you already knew that.

Given the number of hives some of your posts and time line I find some of them puzzling. But this old fashioned guy will be eternally grateful to you for letting me know the forum has an "Ignore Button" so I will no longer see or get caught up in your "Fishing Threads" again. I will happily take the hook out and retire gracefully.

 

[Poly Hive]

I can't quite decide whether your being cute (also known in my circles as a cc), deliberately obtuse or a wum.

You are interested in answers to your questions, but as you are only too acutely aware I doubt you will ask a question that hasn't been previously asked and this forum has a decent search facility so you can see different points of view to your hearts content on a myriad of subjects. But you already knew that.

Given the number of hives some of your posts and time line I find some of them puzzling. But this old fashioned guy will be eternally grateful to you for letting me know the forum has an "Ignore Button" so I will no longer see or get caught up in your "Fishing Threads" again. I will happily take the hook out and retire gracefully.




Just excellent.

PH

 

[Finman]

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So, there are beeks, who keep bees to make honey. They need a label onto their front face.

Then there are beeks, who do not extract their honey.


There are carrot farmers, who sell carrots.

Then there are carrot crowers who do not lift carrots from dirt. They just grow carrots. They love carrots, on hobby level. Some make love on professional level.
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Some keep a dwarf pig on their soffa, but they do not eate their pal. They love pig.

Hmmm. Now I leave to swimming hall

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

If your bees don't get honey (it what they naturally do) then something is wrong, and probably something YOU are doing.

This is an ant adding to the weight of an elephant, to the point of being embarrassing, but:

+1

ADD

And is their a measure of success for the beep who has no desire at all to extract honey from his/her hives?

You're not listening. Non-production is nothing to do with your DESIRE. It is a SYMPTOM.

 

[Motobiman]

This is an ant adding to the weight of an elephant, to the point of being embarrassing, but:

+1

ADD



You're not listening. Non-production is nothing to do with your DESIRE. It is a SYMPTOM.

The word I used was EXTRACT.

And I don't consider the amount of honey each hive produces is the ONLY measure of the colony,s success.