Im new to beekeeping and I would like some help.

[miles999]

Hi everyone,

Im very new to Beekeeping, infact I am hoping that this will be my first season. However I am lost as to know where to begin. I live just outside of Southwold, Suffolk and I am looking for any help and advice on what I should be doing.

Where I can locate well priced equipment?

How I can get my hands on my first Swarm?

If you are able to help me in any way I would appreicate your reply.

Kind Regards,

Miles

 

[wightbees]

The first thing some will say is join you local BKA
I didnt lol
Welcome

 

[miles999]

Thanks for your reply wightbees.

I have joined my local BKA and I am awaiting information from them. They have reccomended through there useful links page that I join this Forum as the help and advice that is give is invaluable.

Is there anyhting else you could advise me on?

Thanks

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Welcome!

I'm an aspiring Beek, been hanging around for 8 months or so.

This is a great source of help if you ignore the huge egos and cope with a bit of handbags every now and again.

There's a sticky that will help:

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=14770

Enjoy!

Dusty

 

[borderer]

Welcome to the forum. there is a lot of useful information available to you here. I would recommend that you join your local association. find a mentor you can trust and read as much as you can. Guide to Bees and Honey by Ted Hooper would be a could start, reading that book transformed my beekeeping.

 

[itma]

See if you can still get onto one of the Association's beginners courses - it'll likely all end in tears without that foundation. And they are normally run in the winter months ...
Read some decent books - there's a new Haynes manual that's being well spoken of. Hooper is authoratitive but not quite up-to-date -- good to read as your second or third book, I'd suggest. Read this forum (but don't believe/accept everything!) There's even the odd 'sticky thread' specifically for beginners ... Have a go with the forum Search facility - most subjects are done to death every few months!

Kit. Decent prices ...
You've missed the Winter Sales!
As a beginner, probably best to avoid the stuff others are unloading at auction. But your association might know of people retiring, moving, etc and might be able to help to look it over for you.
Some with carpentry skills would want to build their own. Plans are available for free, but precision is needed - particularly on internal dimensions. Others would build a kit. And some wanting readymade would break with tradition and buy plastic foam hives for higher performance at a lower cost than wood. Lots of possibilities.

Bees. Talk to your local association. Sorry, same answer again! But its a very good starting point. Many have schemes specifically to get you bees for your first hive (you'll need at least two, and a pile of spare/standby bits and pieces, fairly rapidly).
Find a friendly member local-ish to you, and 'help' him until you are ready for bees of your own. He (or the association) may even have a suit and veil to lend you until you know whether or not handling stinging insects is fun for you, or not.

Welcome to a fascinating world!


ADDED - as you'll soon discover, two beekeepers means at least three opinions! Take a couple of books by different authors, and start by only accepting what they agree on. Note what they disagree on, and see which you find more convincing!

 

[fatshark]

In addition to going your local association I would recommend attending any sort of beginners courses or introduction days they offer. It may be too late for a full course - either because it has finished or is fully subscribed. In the absence of a local and available mentor this is by far the best way to a) get to know other beekeepers and b) experience some practical beekeeping in a supportive environment.

Taking the lid off a tetchy hive for the first time with no help and support is a daunting experience ... not recommended.

Finally, your local BKA may well be able to provide a nuc colony to get started rather than depending upon the arrival of a swarm. My association prepares nucs for about half the standard rate to provide those who have taken the beginners course.

Have fun ... done right you'll find beekeeping hugely rewarding.

PS With apologies for the simultaneous almost duplicate posting to itma. For books I'd recommend "Teach Yourself Beekeeping" as an alternative to Hooper.

 

[Skyhook]

All good advice. I would say start by reading 'Bees at the bottom of the garden', gives you a good overview. Then you'll be ready to read Hooper, with a bit more context.

Join your local association. If they have a beginners day do it, if not find a mentor who will teach you on his/her/the associations hives. If neither of these are possible, find another association.

Don't buy until you've tried. It's not for everyone, much better to find out on someone elses hives if you don't like it.

Read as much on here as you can. When I joined, I basically read the entire site. The information can be mixed, but it will give you a clear picture of just how many ways there are to skin a cat in beekeeping. Also, read other books. You should own Hooper, the rest can come from the library.

Enjoy it. At the end of the day, that's why 95% of us do it.

 

[rockdoc]

Welcome to the forum, it is perhaps the best of the bunch.For what its worth, my initiation into this grand craft was at my fathers side. I would strongly suggest tagging along to apiary meetings and getting a feel for the craft before diving in. I'm currently taking a young person through the same route I took and this year he should ready, if he wants, to take on his own hive. Whatever course you take, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I have, it is a fascinating and fully absorbing hobby.

 

[miles999]

I would like to thank everyone who has replied to this thread. Your words of wisdom will no doubt point me in the right direction and help light the way into the world of Beekeeping.

I have joined my local BKA which for me is Waveney Beekeepers' Group in Suffolk and through this I will hopefully be able to find a mentor that I can help and gain as much knowledge as possible. If there are any members based in Suffolk near the Waveney or Southwold area I would appreicate maybe meeting you and seeing how things are done.

I understand that everyone wants to jump in head first and get there swarm.
However I am a carer for my disabled wife and I have nearly 2 acres of land that I would love to make use of. I am therefore commited to this venture and would like to be able to aquire buy either buying or preferably renting/borrowing some hives, equipment and whatever people would be willing to offer me.

Once again many thanks for your advice and support. All information will be gratfully appreciated.

cheers and thank you to this fantastic forum!! Long may it continue!!

 

[tonybloke]

welcome to the forum.
I'm a member of the waveney lot.
( I suggested the forum link on their new website )
have you booked on one of their training courses?

 

[Moggs]

Hi Miles. The Spring Convention is usually a good opportunity to get up to speed with kit. The big bee kit suppliers have loads of stuff - mostly second quality but perfectly serviceable.

Be prepared for some jostling!

 

[miles999]

PM sent to tonybloke

 

[miles999]

Hi Moggs,

Could you elaborate on the details of the Spring Convention. What is it and where is it based.

Thanks

 

[DaveJNeal]

re : getting your first bees.

Personally, I'd go against getting a swarm as your first lot - you've got no idea of what you're getting, what they might be carrying illness wise, etc.

it's a hell of a lot more expensive, but I'd buy a nucleus from one of you local beekeepers ( that way you've got a local helping hand who knows the bees ) and you'll have hopefully some idea of where the bees have come from, age of the queen, etc.

a nuc from my local god send is £140

deffo back up the join the local association theme - again, you can never had too much help in the first few years. Along the same lines, it's a good idea to see what everyone else is using before you go and spend £££ on kit that looks good but no-one else uses. down here in Essex, we're pretty much all commercial sizes, as the warmer weather tends to mean larger colonies, so the commercial size boxes lend themselves to that size of family, I can't imagine being on the coast is going to cool you down that much.

best of luck, have patience and enjoy

Cheers

D

 

[itma]

Hi Moggs,

Could you elaborate on the details of the Spring Convention. What is it and where is it based.

Thanks

Shropshire, late April.

Details http://www.*************/news_and_events/spring_convention_2012/welcome_SC2012 /but the forum censors that address ...


ADDED -- bypassing the censorship! http://tinyurl.com/7k786sw

 

[BeeNice]

Hi and welcome, when I started I went to the well know beekeeping supplier (T's) and got there 'bees on a budget' hive and all the stuff that went with it, that was 3 years ago and all the stuff is still going well, the only thing I added to that is a full bee suit. Have a look, I had to put it all together but that was part of learning about beekeeping. My first bees I got from the local association. Good luck and enjoy.
Steven

 

[drex]

I agree with all the mentions of local assoc. Here I started with a theory cpourse ( over winter) and moved onto practical course in the spring, handling the tutors bees initially under guidance, then on our own in small groups. Invaluable. Not only that, if you finished both parts you are eventually supplied with a free nuc of bees, if you are still bee less by that time. Ongoing support from one to one advice/mentors is good, and regualr meetings on various topics.

I suggest you do not rush into buying things. See if you can get to handle some bees first and really see if it is for you ( I did not however, but have known several spend £100's and then decide it was not for them). I initially bought my equipment in T's end of year sale. Their National flat pack seconds are good value. Since then I make as much of my own as I can ( frame feeders, clearer boards etc) and have just made a Kenyan top bar ( yet to be stocked) - a cheap way of getting into bees - but I am glad that I started off with conventional framed hives.

The type of hive to get is best chosen on what is most used by others in your area, and any personal preferences, depnding on your physical abilities too. Other gear such as smokers and suits prices vary hugely on the web, but in general you get what you pay for. Cheap can be acceptable though.

Start slowly, learn some patience ( the bees work in their time) , and enjoy this amazing hobby

 

[Spadaman]

I would agree with all of the above. Be prepared for conflicting advice from different beekeepers - it can be difficult to know who is right.

You say you have 2 acres of land. Have you thought about offering an apiary site for an experienced Beekeeper? You could then tag along when he/she is working them - a good way to get experience. With any luck you may be able to buy a Nuc or two from him and then start off yourself.

This is what I did and got two nucs for next to nothing; loads and loads of experience; cheap or free honey in exchange for looking after my mentors hives. Also gained a couple of new friends ( mentor and his son ). Everyones a winner !!

 

[witchcraft]

Hi everyone,

Im very new to Beekeeping, infact I am hoping that this will be my first season. However I am lost as to know where to begin. I live just outside of Southwold, Suffolk and I am looking for any help and advice on what I should be doing.

Where I can locate well priced equipment?

How I can get my hands on my first Swarm?

If you are able to help me in any way I would appreicate your reply.

Kind Regards,

Miles

Get down to Jeremy Quinlan's Ipswich and E Suffolk beginners' course much the best one around here (it must be about to start). I drove across to it from Bildeston and would highly recommend it.

Mark - near Stowmarket