Isolated Situation

[Frenchie]

I'am just coming to the end of my first year with my bees in Normandie. We live in an old farmhouse with a one acre plus garden full of flowers, bushes and trees. We are surrounded by fields which this year have mostly contained potatoes, sugar beet and flax. I have 4 hives and the bees have very little stores, we have taken no honey this year. Nearest village is about 3kms away. So I'am not sure if their is sufficient food source here for 4 colonies? What do peeps think. Thanks.

 

[oliver90owner]

Not enough winter stores? No useful forage to come? Well, as I see it, the obvious course of action is to provide the bees with sufficient stores for winter. IE. Feed them!

The surrounding agricultural crops will be rotated next year, presumably? Monocrops are generally inadequate for bees, unless there is a variety of crops blooming throughout the summer.

I suggest you source some foraging alternatives for your colonies in the summer season.

I doubt any other poster will offer any different advice. Although one alternative might be to reduce your colony count, even though next year's crops and weather may be much more favourable!

 

[B+.]

We are surrounded by fields which this year have mostly contained potatoes, sugar beet and flax.

You are quite right. There is nothing for bees on potatoes or sugar beet and very little on flax, but, what of the hedgerows, weeds, etc....and what crops are they rotated with next year? It may be that this was just a culmination of all the crops that offer insects very little.
How far do those fields extend? Honeybees can forage for up to 3 miles but, the further away any nectar source is, the less benefit is will be to the colony. You may have to migrate them between crops or in years when there is little for them to forage on.

 

[Frenchie]

Thanks for replies. In Normandie we don't have hedgerows so no help their. Pretty much the conclusion I had come to. I'am of course feeding them at the moment, but I guess next year reduce to 2 colonies here and move over hives to friends gardens.

 

[dexter's shed]

, but I guess next year reduce to 2 colonies here and move over hives to friends gardens.

as long as those friends live further than 3 miles away, otherwise not much point

 

[oliver90owner]

otherwise not much point

Err, not true. Not true at all. Think about it or draw a 'Venn' type diagram? Even better would be to work it out before posting?

 

[dexter's shed]

otherwise not much point

Err, not true. Not true at all. Think about it or draw a 'Venn' type diagram? Even better would be to work it out before posting?

lets say the friend lives a mile up the road, then his bees as are now, would probably be feeding there already, so moving them in my eyes would not give them any more forage, and create more work for the keeper, but as with any forum for bees, ask a question and get different answers, no reason my reply is right or wrong, same as yours, it's just a difference of opinion god forbid we could both be wrong

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

god forbid we could both be wrong

But thankfully not in this case

 

[Hawklord]

I'am just coming to the end of my first year with my bees in Normandie. We live in an old farmhouse with a one acre plus garden full of flowers, bushes and trees. We are surrounded by fields which this year have mostly contained potatoes, sugar beet and flax. I have 4 hives and the bees have very little stores, we have taken no honey this year. Nearest village is about 3kms away. So I'am not sure if their is sufficient food source here for 4 colonies? What do peeps think. Thanks.

So are you saying there's no border between each field, no trees?

 

[B+.]

In Normandie we don't have hedgerows

Could you tell me when and why you lost your hedgerows please?
I was struck by the lack of hedges on the train to Paris but I thought it was just a small area. I hadn't realised it was more widespread

 

[oliver90owner]

lets say the friend lives a mile up the road

Err, let's get into the realms of reality. One mile is not three miles by any stroke of the imagination.

It is not a simple difference of opinion. I am most certainly not wrong, but you are definitely in the duff advice category. You have not even considered that the three mile rule does not mean the bees are likely to be foraging at that distance. You clearly do not even appear to understand the thee mile rule properly.

If you don't know, don't give rediculous instructions on a world-wide forum where any further silly suggestionsand arguments will be seen as 'just digging a deeper hole' for yourself.

in my eyes

Open your eyes and try to get your answers in the right ball park. Your advice was factually rubbish and if you don't know it by now, nobody, but nobody, should give any credencet whatsoever to your replies.

no reason my reply is right or wrong

Really? It is only one of those two options and it is most certainly not the first! There is every reason why it is wrong. Do go away and work it out; it should not have been difficult at all. If it is, anyone taking advice like that from you is likely just being 'led up the garden path'.

 

[Frenchie]

No Trees or hedgerows between fields or along roadsides anywhere is this region. Its been like that as long as I can remember. Seems to be the case in most of France.Farms seem to be smaller with lots of smallish fields, so may be to much work with lots of hedges. I'll ask our local farmer when I next see him.

 

[buzzin]

lets say the friend lives a mile up the road

Err, let's get into the realms of reality. One mile is not three miles by any stroke of the imagination.

It is not a simple difference of opinion. I am most certainly not wrong, but you are definitely in the duff advice category. You have not even considered that the three mile rule does not mean the bees are likely to be foraging at that distance. You clearly do not even appear to understand the thee mile rule properly.

If you don't know, don't give rediculous instructions on a world-wide forum where any further silly suggestionsand arguments will be seen as 'just digging a deeper hole' for yourself.

in my eyes

Open your eyes and try to get your answers in the right ball park. Your advice was factually rubbish and if you don't know it by now, nobody, but nobody, should give any credencet whatsoever to your replies.

no reason my reply is right or wrong

Really? It is only one of those two options and it is most certainly not the first! There is every reason why it is wrong. Do go away and work it out; it should not have been difficult at all. If it is, anyone taking advice like that from you is likely just being 'led up the garden path'.

Moderators
Should this type of post be allowed on the forum? The brow beating, bullying and denigrating reply was out of all propotion. He complains about the reply being on a 'Worldwide forum' but cannot see he is trashing his own 'reputation'? worldwide! I doubt he would have given that reply face to face.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Moderators
Should this type of post be allowed on the forum?

Yes.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

too much rubbish advice being given on here and people up in arms when someone tries to point it out

 

[Hachi]

Yes.

 

[buzzin]

The usual suspects........
The point I was making was the op may have been wrong, it was the tone of reply that was condecending, arrogant etc etc. Probably would still not say it face to face without the risk of his LRT being shoved where the sun don't shine.

 

[pargyle]

The usual suspects........

Well ... You can add me to the list as well .. rubbish advice should be challenged .. RAB was direct but right .. so was Hivemaker.

 

[buzzin]

Well ... You can add me to the list as well .. rubbish advice should be challenged .. RAB was direct but right .. so was Hivemaker.

No problem with that, just that Mr Brown has his own way of denigrating posters that surely cannot reflect well to casual visitors?

 

[Finman]

Thanks for replies. In Normandie we don't have hedgerows so no help their. Pretty much the conclusion I had come to. I'am of course feeding them at the moment, but I guess next year reduce to 2 colonies here and move over hives to friends gardens.

It is better to look first, if friend's area has enough bees allready. It does not help, if pastures are overgrowded.

I have 100 miles from my city home to beekeeping yard. Then I move hives during sumer inside 20 mile radius.

Why I do that? .... To get 100-150 kg honey per hive.


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