Isle of wight Bee Auction

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wightbees

Queen Bee
Beekeeping Sponsor
Joined
Feb 18, 2010
Messages
2,738
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Location
Isle Of Wight
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
How long is a piece of string
Hi

I went to this today, a lovely day it was too.
I don't know if Mark s was there. Well Nationals hives where selling at about £35 this included frames all second hand mind but a good deal i thought, although i didn't buy these.
I managed to get 5 boxes and a roof Langstroth £23 . I am very happy with this . As everyone was buying the Nats of which there was lots i thought i had a good chance with the Langs :)

Now the good bit i have got another full hive with Bees at £130 :)
Although i'm not sure what type it is , but i'm sure someone can help me on this latter.
5 full hives all went for about this price.
Straw skeps going at £5 to £8 each didn't buy one though.
 
Was there any ex-vectis apiculture stuff on offer,it sounds like there was with skeps being offered.
 
There was only a few new bits that i saw. A smoker, Skeps, hive tool and frame handle x 2 and a bee suit
 
Wow. Some attractive prices there, considering what people are paying on the 'mainland'.......
 
£ 130 for a hive of bees !!!!? the buble has burst I think I'll off load my ecxess nucs pdq
 
£ 130 for a hive of bees !!!!? the buble has burst I think I'll off load my ecxess nucs pdq

I dont think so,its the IOW,thats why it was cheaper due to the amount of people that would of attended and the short distance they would of traveled.

We have a member on the forum that sells Nuc's for £80,but you have to travel to the edge of the uk to pick them up.
 
And we all had tea and cakes free as well. Does not get much better than that. :)
Admin is right , it's the Island nothing like the mainland stuff.
I met some nice people there and have joined the IWBKA as a freind. It was the only way i was aloud to take part in the Auction. So if you just turn up like i did you have to pay to come in. But this didn't matter as i was planing on joining anyway.
 
wightbee

following last night chat i think you have purchased a BS commercial hive of bees for your £130...good deal

ok if that is correct then you will need to convert them to langstorths ( as that is your standard box you have chosen)..or change to commercial :troll:

so, others may correct me but i think ( thought at back of my mind) that BS comm frames at 438mm top bars and 396mmx 254mm main will fit into a langstroth 490mm ish by 230mm ish , /if you wire them to langstroth top bars ( or piece of wood the same dimension) and add a 35 mm or 40mm EKE to your langstroth

the EKE will just be four bits of wood the dimension of you langstroth and anyway comes in usefull for feeding foundant and apiguard
 
How deep do i make a EKE or does it not matter ?
I will stick with the langs now as i have 3 and this other hive.
I am going to have a look latter and take some messurements.
 
The other way of doing it is to make a conversion board (a piece of 12mm ply with a relevant hole cut in it) and put the L/s on top. I'm doing this as I'm changing over from Nationals to L/s. A 12mm lath nailed to the board the same size as L/s to stop the frames touching the board at the sides. (or an eke as MM says)

Was suggested on this forum (PH I think) and it seems to be working.

When the queen is up in the top box and laying with some brood there, put on a q/e and 3 weeks later the move should be complete.

Will need a small entrance in the eke/lath as the drones need to get out.
 
PH's adaptor and bailey change way may be simpler for you,and its early in the season, so they with draw nice fresh comb ( you may need to feed them)

otherwise, use the eke method and slowly swap out the commercial frames for new langstroth brood foundation, the floor entrance should suffice plus a 35mm high EKE on the floor then brood box. removing the eke when you have all langstroth frames

As you have already disocvered two beeks, three answers,,,what would i do..bailey change,PH adaptor was an idea i thought of but didnt know the dimension but the flow of nectar has to be high as it uses a lot of honey to make the wax, so you may need to feed as well
 
Thanks for the ideas. I moved them late last night and put something infront of the entrance as you said MM. I have ordered some frames and foundation from thornes but it's going to be late in the week before it is even posted i found out after a phone call :(

These bee are very small and dark in colour i will take a pic or two latter if i can, but it was dark last night so i can't be certain. I had two escape in the van but apart from that it all went ok :)
 
I don't know Admin
As it was my first vistit i don't know there names . The only way i new the amount i was biding was with the help of my partner ,due to hearing difficulties.
 

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