IDIOTS' CORNER - Newbee, out and proud!

[Poly Hive]

The learning never finishes.

Some basics though in the head are extremely useful.

The table of development is one such.

Knowing what a test frame is and how to use it.

PH

 

[AnotherNewBee]

IMHO the only 'stupid question' is one you think of, but don't ask.

 

[Scubi]

I think having a 'newbee corner' on the forum would be a great idea.
It could be a place for all us new to the world of beekeeping to ask the same 'stupid' questions or look-up to see if it has already been asked.
It would be a place for those who love passing on their enthusiasm and knowledge of beekeeping to newcomers in a helpful friendly way. Maybe even adding links to pages where the answers may so that the newbee can read up for themselves.
But it would be a place for all those who get annoyed by such mundane and stupid questions to stay away from unless they want to add something useful and helpful.

Yes, sometimes we need to learn from our mistakes after all anybody who has never made a mistake has never ever done anything. However, sometimes I think that experienced beekeepers forget what it was like come across a problem that you have no idea (or not enough experience) how to resolve and you are afraid you will lose your bees and/or possibly all the money you have invested in them. You have asked fellow beekeepers and got mixed answers, you have reread the books, looked up various websites and still remain confused. So you ask your 'stupid' question on the forum only to get told to go away and think about it by an 'oldbee'. It is vary frustrating for newbees sometimes.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I think having a 'newbee corner' on the forum would be a great idea.

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6336

 

[Ely]

Does the open mesh floor go above or below the brood box?

 

[enrico]

Depends if you have the brood box upside down..... Yes I have seen it tried!!! Haven't we Panteg.......

 

[AnotherNewBee]

I think having a 'newbee corner' on the forum would be a great idea.
It could be a place for all us new to the world of beekeeping to ask the same 'stupid' questions or look-up to see if it has already been asked.
It would be a place for those who love passing on their enthusiasm and knowledge of beekeeping to newcomers in a helpful friendly way. Maybe even adding links to pages where the answers may so that the newbee can read up for themselves.
But it would be a place for all those who get annoyed by such mundane and stupid questions to stay away from unless they want to add something useful and helpful.

Yes, sometimes we need to learn from our mistakes after all anybody who has never made a mistake has never ever done anything. However, sometimes I think that experienced beekeepers forget what it was like come across a problem that you have no idea (or not enough experience) how to resolve and you are afraid you will lose your bees and/or possibly all the money you have invested in them. You have asked fellow beekeepers and got mixed answers, you have reread the books, looked up various websites and still remain confused. So you ask your 'stupid' question on the forum only to get told to go away and think about it by an 'oldbee'. It is vary frustrating for newbees sometimes.

I agree, but where do you draw the line between newbie and expert? Some might consider a newbie as someone who has not yet kept a colony, for others it might be someone who has had less than 10 colonies for less than 2 years. For some it might even be 'a hobby beekeeper no matter how many colonies they keep'. The 'newbie' might be a highly knowledgeable beek but a new forum user.

If I don't like someone I just add them to my ignore list - only one so far - and occasionally take a look at their posts/threads to see if my opinion of them has changed. The same could be done with newbies. A newbie might come across as anything from a complete fool to a very experienced beek who is just new to the forum. If their posts/threads are irritating you just add them to your ignore list.

As a newbie asking a question I'll ask to be treated gently, though I do recognise that there are sometimes no easy answers!

 

[Jim Newmark]

I like the idea of a newbie corner too as I didn't want to post this naive question on to the main site!
My colony has survived the winter and looks really good - my wife now says that I prefer them to her as I am there with binoculars rather than sit with her - and perhaps some truth in that.
So on to a queen excluder and my first super. But after almost a week there seems to be no real interest from the bees below, just one or two exploring (I can tell as when the warm weather came I put one of those glass quilts on the top.) When will they start drawing the foundation, never mind giving me honey?

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Good question Jim.

Would ask it myself if I hadn't got a list as long as my arm to ask.


Dusty

P.s. Ultreen1 asked, way back in post 27, what AMM stands for - and no one replied. Well I know it stands for Apis mellifera mellifera (from the stickie on Acronyms), but I think I'm tempting fate if I say it's the nearest we can get to the native british back bee.

 

[VEG]

I like the idea of a newbie corner too as I didn't want to post this naive question on to the main site!
My colony has survived the winter and looks really good - my wife now says that I prefer them to her as I am there with binoculars rather than sit with her - and perhaps some truth in that.
So on to a queen excluder and my first super. But after almost a week there seems to be no real interest from the bees below, just one or two exploring (I can tell as when the warm weather came I put one of those glass quilts on the top.) When will they start drawing the foundation, never mind giving me honey?

Sometimes leaving the queen excluder off for a while will get the bees up into the super, some spray the super foundation with syrup (not tried that).

 

[ultreen1]

Thanks dusty didn't know there was a sticky for that!

 

[oliver90owner]

Does the open mesh floor go above or below the brood box?

Only above if you are using one as a travelling screen!

 

[enrico]

What a brilliant idea. Do you know I had never thought of doing that!! I made a screen but the mesh was 1 mm to big. Found out after half an hour when the car started filling with bees!!!

 

[ultreen1]

Can different colony's propolise at different rates?

 

[Rich0909]

Very much so - some will coat everything in it and even reduce the entrance with it others are content just to glue the frames together and the crown board on.

Rich

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Another daft question.


It's going to be piddling down today in Manchester.
Doubt of any of my girls will be out foraging.

Will those bees have a day off - put their feet up and twiddle their antennae?

Or will they revert to more 'adolescent' task such as tending young, comb- building?

Dusty?

 

[oliver90owner]

Likely as not, many more will be on sentry duty - ready to get you, if you open them up!

They may well be 'at the ready', for when the rain stops. I would think they are mostly surplus to requirements - too 'aged' to make wax effectively, or to feed larvae.

 

[MattC]

Stung on the nose

Another question for the old hands: I was stung on the left side of my nose yesterday- one sneaky little b*gger was lying in wait for me to take off veil.
I took a precautionary antihistamine and there was nothing very dramatic last night. However woke this morning to find eyelids puffed right up, particularly the left which is uncomfortable to keep open for more than a few seconds. Is this a 'normal' local reaction according to others' experience?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Queens59]

Yep - afraid so. Some people swell like mad and others just have a bump

 

[protheroe]

ive taken a few on the nose,eyes water and stings like heck but no swelling