Keeping Bee's in Skeps

[Hachi]

Is it legal to keep your bee's in Skeps in the UK?

 

[Beefriendly]

Yes.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If people are allowed to keep bees in **** encrusted Ikea lampshades, then skeps are fine

 

[SDM]

Much of the US requires that beehives have removable frames for inspections.

 

[taurus]

If people are allowed to keep bees in **** encrusted Ikea lampshades, then skeps are fine

Oh, is this the latest wisdom? It had bypassed me. Off to Ikea I go then.

Why keep them in skeps - out of interest?

 

[Finman]

If people are allowed to keep bees in ****

Yeah. That Idea comes propably from the official cow **** cover of the hive.

 

[madasafish]

Is it legal to keep your bee's in Skeps in the UK?

Top bar hives, chimney pots, trees, are all legal...as are skeps, compost bins and 45 gallon drums.

Whether they are sensible given the local climate is another issue entirely. Boles help. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee_bole

 

[Stiffy]

Oh, is this the latest wisdom? It had bypassed me. Off to Ikea I go then.

Why keep them in skeps - out of interest?

Not sure why anyone would want to keep bees in a skep but think the comment referred to a 'natural' bee (not) keeper who used to appear on the forum from time to time. Also appeared on Countryfile when one of the presenters was stung on the nose.
S

 

[REDWOOD]

I could think of worst hives to keep bees in

 

[Hachi]

I thought it was too but wanted to be certain of my facts. Essentially I was on a USA beekeeping site and a fellow Brit was telling them it was illegal to keep bee's in skeps in the UK. They were also quite patronising about the USA not having the kit to build a skep which given they're a big if not biggest superpower to suggest they haven't the tools or kit to make a skep was unbelievable to say the least.

 

[Vortex]

Whilst historically the home of the bees was what we now call a skep, and my Tudor times they had upper and lower skeps so it was easier to remove the honey without losing your bees, you actually need a waterproof place to keep the skep.
Until the invention of Bee Bowls by monastic orders this was typically done by placing a bushel of long straw over the skep.
There's a guy down Kent way(whose name currently escapes me) who offers courses in natural bee keeping, skep making, and knows more about this than I.

 

[masterBK]

When I was 13yrs old ( in 1960) I was asked by my association (worcestershire) to give a demonstration in front of audience at the three counties show in Malvern of driving bees from one skep into another one by drumming on the sides of the occupied skep with my hands (having been taught how to do it the day before by a bee farmer called Tom Bradford). The skeps were attached to each other by driving irons at an angle and the bees simply walked from one to the other. Not done it since.

ps The bundle of straw over a skep is called a hackle.

 

[drex]

I run Nationals, but do have bees in a KTBH and Warre hive, both inherited from my friend, just out of interest. They have taught me a lot about handling bees and comb, but they are inspected much less than my production hives. Not been attracted to trying a skep- yet.!!!!

 

[madasafish]

I run Nationals, but do have bees in a KTBH and Warre hive, both inherited from my friend, just out of interest. They have taught me a lot about handling bees and comb, but they are inspected much less than my production hives. Not been attracted to trying a skep- yet.!!!!

+1 with my TBH..(bread knife at the ready to cut combs attached to sides)

 

[Curley]

We did put a swarm in a skep in our club apiary a couple of years ago. Went well and very interesting to see. Bees seemed very content in there. But varroa treatment was't easy and mice damage contributed to an overwinter loss.

 

[drex]

+1 with my TBH..(bread knife at the ready to cut combs attached to sides)

I have always used a bread knife too. However this year my mate gave me a piece of steel rod, which I bent and flattened and sharpened to make Warre hive tool, and just inserted it into a wooden handle. Has the edge over the bread knife

 

[Fritillary]

I have always used a bread knife too. However this year my mate gave me a piece of steel rod, which I bent and flattened and sharpened to make Warre hive tool, and just inserted it into a wooden handle. Has the edge over the bread knife

Keep wondering where the bread knife is while in the kitchen, so have finally weakened and ordered a swanky extra long 'proper' hive tool for my TBHs, having seen same in action when our SBI inspected last year.

 

[Uncle Betty]

I have always used a bread knife too. However this year my mate gave me a piece of steel rod, which I bent and flattened and sharpened to make Warre hive tool, and just inserted it into a wooden handle. Has the edge over the bread knife

You might have seen the well-known series on skep beekeeping in Germany, there is a distinctive knife being used - a blade on one end, a hook on the other. Called a 'drone knife'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2IjNBbLESY&list=PLYXejt7IvbsPfyUS0CehTWrMo9oGKnXFO

It's at the 11:00 mark.