In my garden?

[sunhivebee]

Oh dear. You forgot to mention the TV presenter who got stung near her eye during filming.

Or did I imagine seeing it happen? http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=21180

Quite right, and thanks, yes, there are exceptions; I have a hunch that if you turned up you'd get
stung, too. Just something in your nitpicking attitude that my bees, superbly trained, would be bound to react to. By the way, that lovely tv presenter has turned into a highly effective supporter of "natural" beekeeping; must have been something in that sting ... And even better, the nature of that friendly bee garden has caught the BBC's attention .... coming back in June.

But let's return to topic: Keeping bees in one's garden is perfectly possible, and a lot depends on one's neighbours and what kind of routines one carries out with one's bees. It is undeniable that there are things people do which can upset the bees ... and then it;s the neighbours who pay the price, usually, as they are usually not stomping about in a bee-suit, gloves, and wellies.

 

[Mellifera397]

Quite right, and thanks, yes, there are exceptions; I have a hunch that if you turned up you'd get
stung, too. Just something in your nitpicking attitude that my bees, superbly trained, would be bound to react to. By the way, that lovely tv presenter has turned into a highly effective supporter of "natural" beekeeping; must have been something in that sting ... And even better, the nature of that friendly bee garden has caught the BBC's attention .... coming back in June.

But let's return to topic: Keeping bees in one's garden is perfectly possible, and a lot depends on one's neighbours and what kind of routines one carries out with one's bees. It is undeniable that there are things people do which can upset the bees ... and then it;s the neighbours who pay the price, usually, as they are usually not stomping about in a bee-suit, gloves, and wellies.

Hardly nitpicking it was on national television and I hope they cancel their visit in june and stop promoting beekeepers who seem to have abandoned science and fill the land with errant swarms that either make a nuisance of themselves to the public by hanging on someone's car or to the beekeeper as they need to be cut out of some poor person's loft space.

M

 

[Mellifera397]

On the original topic gardens are fine for bees if they are docile and you do your utmost to avoid them swarming. Some neighbours are interested but often they're not.

M

 

[sunhivebee]

"I hope they cancel their visit in june and stop promoting beekeepers who seem to have abandoned science and fill the land with errant swarms that either make a nuisance of themselves to the public by hanging on someone's car or to the beekeeper as they need to be cut out of some poor person's loft space."

Mellifera, you do not sound as sweet as your pet name here. You ought to attend an nvc course, you appear quite angry.

Do not worry your head about my swarms, I catch them all, unless one of the swarm-supressing beeks nearby who tend to be dead keen on swarms to make up their losses, gets there first, but my vigilance is acute, and I am keen that my precious bees have good homes; yes, it's funny how my unscientific operation is so successful, with such healthy bees. I wish you the same. If your colony does really well, you, too might get a swarm, but not if you destroy all the queen cells. Best of luck, anyway.

 

[Hivemaker.]

it's funny how my unscientific operation is so successful, with such healthy bees.

 

[sunhivebee]

Jetta, I hope you feel encouraged to keep bees in your garden. From what most people responded, it can be done and can give lots of pleasure.
Good luck with it all.
Heidi

 

[BeeJayBee]

I have a hunch that if you turned up you'd get stung, too. Just something in your nitpicking attitude that my bees, superbly trained, would be bound to react to.

Good job you're looking Hivemaker. It looks as if Heidi's account might have been hacked, I can't imagine she would make such an unpleasant comment.

 

[mbc]

2) The loss of a gardener who insisted on helping with a swarm on an unshakeable high up conifer branch, sawed the branch with swarm on off, dropped it and trod on hundreds of bees on the way down the ladder. The bees behaved aggressively towards him ever after and he did not last long.

Isnt it just awful when one looses ones gardener.

Yet more evidence that so called "natural" beekeeping is merely an affectation for the better off.

 

[Mellifera397]

This so-called 'natural' approach is unfortunately getting more and more followers as the guardian prints more and more one sided articles. I read a piece on the neonics vote and whilst I don't have a particularly wide knowledge of the topic I noticed a frightening paucity of the BBKA's opinion considering it represents a large number of beekeepers in the uk.

Oh and Heidi I'm not an angry person at all I just disagree with your practices that don't seem to care for the bees, it seems to me that you just say you do and expect your kind thoughts to get the bees through the tough winters as they are hindered by DWV and other varroa related viruses that could be solved through the simple application of naturally sourced Thymol, oxalic acid or formic acid. As I say I merely disagree with your practices however I am unlikely to sway you from your firmly held beliefs.

Oh and by the way I have been thoroughly discouraged from destroying queen cells as they usually end up swarming by hiding a queen cell anyway. There are a few methods that we use such as the artificial swarm or the nucleus method.

M

 

[derekm]

On the original topic gardens are fine for bees if they are docile and you do your utmost to avoid them swarming. Some neighbours are interested but often they're not.

M

We got lucky when ours swarmed one into our apple tree and the other into a neighbours garden who has liked bees from a small child and knew all about swarms, and said she would give us a call when then they had settled. Not all neighbours are from hell.
We have high fences so the bees are going up about 3 to 4m before they cross the boundary.

 

[madasafish]

Isnt it just awful when one looses ones gardener.

Yet more evidence that so called "natural" beekeeping is merely an affectation for the better off.

Oi!

I'm the gardener and beekeeper.. and trying to be natural.. (altho' not like Lawrence's gamekeeper)

Does that mean I'm "better off" and going to get a lottery windfall?

 

[sunhivebee]

it seems to me that you just say you do and expect your kind thoughts to get the bees through the tough winters as they are hindered by DWV and other varroa related viruses that could be solved through the simple application of naturally sourced Thymol, oxalic acid or formic acid. As I say I merely disagree with your practices however I am unlikely to sway you from your firmly held beliefs.



We are unlikely to engage in fruitful discussion of anything as you make statements about my beekeeping, and even my beliefs! that lack substance. My overwinterung statistics are very good indeed, and allow me to deduce that my bee husbandry, whilst far from perfect, may have something to recommend it.

Possibly some of your "beliefs" in the treatment regimes you appear to be recommending to me, may need re-visiting from time to time.

In my eigth year of treatmentfree beekeeping now I feel encouraged by what has been achieved. The treatment regimes of others are nevertheless of interest to me, and I feel no need to dissuade them from these regimes. My primary focus is the health of my colonies, and the health and diveristy of the forage on offer.

Best wishes
Heidi

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

My overwinterung statistics are very good indeed, and allow me to deduce that my bee husbandry, whilst far from perfect, may have something to recommend it.

My primary focus is the health of my colonies, and the health and diveristy of the forage on offer.

So, out of curiosity - what were your survival statistics this last winter then heidi?

 

[Mellifera397]

My primary focus is the health of my colonies, and the health and diveristy of the forage on offer.





Now there's something we agree on

M

 

[Dishmop]

I suppose one advantage of "natural beekeeping" is that you dont have to know anything about beekeeping.

Encourage everyone to go the natural route.... then HH can fill her classrooms with people making wicker laundry baskets to house all the swarms. Not forgetting of course the collection of donations for the charity to help discover a cure for varroa...........

Just how much has been spent on bee health by HH's charity, or what results have been achieved doesnt seem to be information to which the public has access. Can I apply for some of this donated money please to fund a new bigger observation hive.

 

[Dishmop]

Winter and early spring are critical times in the bees’ year. This course is designed to help new beekeepers to prepare their colonies for these months, and thus minimalise losses.

Practical advice will be given on such topics as: adequate stores, hive preparation, protecting the colony, planting for forage, caring for the swarm, and early warning signs to look for.

AH.
Practical advice like if they are low on stores, give them some honey obtained from a beek down the road.
Planting for forage..... Those few plants in your garden will feed the 5 thousand.
Early warning signs???? and then what? This is "natural" beekeeping so what do you do when you see these early warning signs?

 

[pargyle]

I suppose one advantage of "natural beekeeping" is that you dont have to know anything about beekeeping.

Encourage everyone to go the natural route.... then HH can fill her classrooms with people making wicker laundry baskets to house all the swarms. Not forgetting of course the collection of donations for the charity to help discover a cure for varroa...........

Just how much has been spent on bee health by HH's charity, or what results have been achieved doesnt seem to be information to which the public has access. Can I apply for some of this donated money please to fund a new bigger observation hive.

This really is garbage ... just because people choose to follow an alternative path to the conventional bashing with chemical treatments (some whether they need it or not !) does not mean that:

a) They don't know anything about beekeeping.

b) That they ignore any signs of either disease or parasites and do nothing about it.

c) That they have a careless disregard for swarming.

d) They are all card carrying tree huggers who sit around knitting skeps and whittling top bars.

I'm getting really fed up of this type of post from a few of you and you really need to grow up.

If you went and actually spoke to a few people who practice beekeeping in a less chemically oriented fashion - regardless of what structure they keep their bees in - you may find that they are a lot nearer their bees and their bees health issues than you may think.

 

[Dishmop]

Natural beekeeping doesnt exist. There is no such thing. Natural for them would be living in trees, not in specialy made boxes.

I have nothing against people who dont want to use chemicals......as in fact I dont, but to do nothing about trying to control swarms, is in most beekeepers opinion is stupid.

a) They don't know anything about beekeeping.

I didnt say they didnt know anything about beekeeping.... I said that that they didnt need to know anything.

b) That they ignore any signs of either disease or parasites and do nothing about it.

What do they do then? We would all like to know, because so far with all the millions of £'s spent, nobody else seems to know.

c) That they have a careless disregard for swarming.

It would seem that some of them do otherwisw they would do something to try and prevent swarms and not run around telling people it's the correct way to go, and the local residents love it.

d) They are all card carrying tree huggers who sit around knitting skeps and whittling top bars.

I didnt say or even infer that.

 

[Dishmop]

I'm getting really fed up of this type of post from a few of you and you really need to grow up.

Tuff.

 

[madasafish]

This really is garbage ... just because people choose to follow an alternative path to the conventional bashing with chemical treatments (some whether they need it or not !) does not mean that:

a) They don't know anything about beekeeping.

b) That they ignore any signs of either disease or parasites and do nothing about it.

c) That they have a careless disregard for swarming.

d) They are all card carrying tree huggers who sit around knitting skeps and whittling top bars.

I'm getting really fed up of this type of post from a few of you and you really need to grow up.

If you went and actually spoke to a few people who practice beekeeping in a less chemically oriented fashion - regardless of what structure they keep their bees in - you may find that they are a lot nearer their bees and their bees health issues than you may think.

I find a thick epidermis is a great advantage.

Some people of course reckon I'm just thick