Mentor in West Oxfordshire?

[Wolf man]

Hello

I've kindly been offered land to place some bee hives by a farmer friend, and would very much like to make the most of this opportunity.

Is there anyone in west Oxfordshire area who would be willing to be a mentor to me please.

Many thanks in advance

M.

 

[susbees]

Join the local beekeeping association? Do a beginners' course? Read a lot? Think about it again after 1,2 and 3?

 

[Chris B]

Join the local beekeeping association? Do a beginners' course? Read a lot? Think about it again after 1,2 and 3?

Yes, but in this order:

Read a lot - you'll learn more than can be crammed into any beginner course.
(There are many good books. The only one I don't like is Beekeeping for Dummies. But Dave Wootton's book is a nice intro. and Ted Hooper's book is the bible.)

Do a course - consolidates what you've read and builds confidence.

Join BKA - Best source of mentor and bees

You won't need to think about it after that.

 

[susbees]

Yes, but in this order:

Read a lot - you'll learn more than can be crammed into any beginner course.
(There are many good books. The only one I don't like is Beekeeping for Dummies. But Dave Wootton's book is a nice intro. and Ted Hooper's book is the bible.)

Do a course - consolidates what you've read and builds confidence.

Join BKA - Best source of mentor and bees

You won't need to think about it after that.

Well yes, and no. Our new BKA two season course takes the I've-been-on-a-taster-session beekeeper from the first theory day and then practical session of the Beginner course through a season's practical skills at an experienced beekeeper's apiary followed by a second theory day prior to their full six session winter course (the Basic fee is also included in the package for when/if they wish to take it). From joining to do the course (membership included and the new BBKA-endorsed book which has its good bits) they are free to attend apiary days aimed at the first years of beekeeping (more advanced are visiting close by so combined tea after for questions etc), evening winter programme talks etc.

So depends on local provision I guess and whether local private courses are value for money and well run. Ours runs at less than the cost of ONE day with lunch, tea and cake at a private provider in the county.

Also, having BKA courses run by trainers with a bit of teaching experience so they are correctly pitched and the students are actively involved and not glued to Powerpoint is very important.

 

[Chris B]

Don't get me wrong I think courses are good. I also think an over-emphasis on training and mentoring results in a dependency culture and can actually hinder development. And some people are just natural self-starters too.

 

[susbees]

And some people are just natural self-starters too.

Indeed

 

[Wolf man]

Many thanks for your advice folks.
Although I agree with your advice on joining a local BKA, I personally prefer to learn from individuals (whom I can approach to clear up issues that I may have) and also just by getting on with it.

 

[Tom Bick]

A mentor is supposed to be a more experienced beekeeper who is on call to help out when the novice if they need it. What you describe sounds like you want someone to teach you? You may be lucky and find someone to put in the time and share the site as part of the deal but I suspect you will learn faster through your local association.

 

[Wolf man]

Tom

A mentor is exactly what I would ideally like, as I much prefer learning on my own. I'm sure that there will be odd occasions when I may need some clarification, hence why I'm seeking a mentor.
I understand the importance of using the local association, but to be honest, I'd like to get a hive started this spring. Going through the training with the BKA will mean hat I will not be able to start this year.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Should be interesting!

The trouble is, how long will it take you to learn the fundamentals of, say, when and how to do an inspection? And how your bees compare with others? Etc etc.

Book reading is all very well - and this Forum is a great resource, if somewhat contentious and quirky. But you would learn so much more in the company of others. And a mentor is different from a personal tutor.

I have some sympathy with your determination to do it more or less on your own. But not a lot.

Still, only bees will suffer.


Dusty

 

[Chris B]

I'm with Wolf man. If that's the way you learn best then go for it.
When I started in 1999 I didn't do a course because there weren't any. I was the only beginner in my local branch that year. But I did have a mentor and I had read Hooper from cover to cover several times in the preceding 6 months. It suited me just fine. If I could go back in time the only thing I would change is I'd start 10 years earlier.

 

[susbees]

Best start with siting an apiary...A through Z...there's quite a lot to getting even that bit right - theft, vandalism, stinging the horses on the bridleway and getting sued, is there enough forage for all seasons, avoiding spray etc etc.

 

[Tom Bick]

Tom

A mentor is exactly what I would ideally like, as I much prefer learning on my own. I'm sure that there will be odd occasions when I may need some clarification, hence why I'm seeking a mentor.
I understand the importance of using the local association, but to be honest, I'd like to get a hive started this spring. Going through the training with the BKA will mean hat I will not be able to start this year.

By all means get going with your bees this spring but it will also be good if you join and try to attend your local association you will be surprised what you may learn even if the other new beekeepers are slow to grasp the basics and you think they are holding you back.
I think you will be more likely to get a mentor or even two through your association once you have broken the ice as to say and I bet you will increase your chances if you offer space on the bit of land for a hive or two for the mentor providing it can accommodate a few hives. This way you can inspect all the hives together and you will learn in good speed.

 

[Easy Beesy]

This forum takes the place of mentors for some. Often new beekeepers are in trouble before they notice something wrong. Even those who do a course and read books cannot learn everything before they get bees.
Why not poll those first year beekeepers on here - if you started again, would you go it alone? and see what their experience tells you.

 

[Wolf man]

Folks this is all good advice...I whole heartedly thank you for it.
Chris and Tom, I have to say I agree with both of you and the advice offered. Tom, your suggestion of joining a local BKA and also start in spring sound a perfect compromise with what I would like to do...and will look into it further.

Chris, my heart says do it on my own and learn as I go. An old teacher of mine said to me once, 'You learn best through the mistakes you make'.

Is Hooper the best book to get as a beginner?

Cheers guys, keep the advice coming, it's greatly appreciated

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Forum advice on Hooper tends to be that it's very good indeed but perhaps a bit advanced for a newbie.

For myself, I found it fine - though I read Hooper twice, and parts more than that, plus a couple of other books, over the long dark winter last year.

Depends, I guess, on how you get on with text books,

Dusty

 

[Easy Beesy]

Hi dusty
If the guy is going to go it alone, how can anything be 'too advanced'? He will need to know or have access to anything the bees can throw at him, so won't he need all the info at hand? That's going to be one well-thumbed copy of Hooper!

 

[alanf]

Is Hooper the best book to get as a beginner

Have a look at the poll thread:
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=8587

The Alan Campion is often recommended as a first primer, a quick survey of what's involved before you start. Hooper has a lot in there. It's not going to suit every learning style, the layout is harder to browse with a lot of dense text and long paragraphs. For a more recent approach the David Cramp has a clearer layout and lots of bullet point lists. For the more pictorially inclined there is the Haynes manual although less heavily discounted online than the ones already mentioned.

Free stuff worth looking at is the catalogues from the larger suppliers (pdf and online). And there's loads of stuff online, learn your search tools. Beyond a couple of general manuals you're likely to get more out of the specialist books as your library expands; queen rearing, forage, microscopy or whatever is of interest.

 

[Chris B]

If you want it laid out in nice easy steps then there are better books than Hooper. But it sounds to me you need a good meaty reference book - Hooper is the bible in that regard. You won't go wrong getting another book alongside it though - plenty of good options (I like the look of the Wootton book personally).
After a year or two you'll only refer back to Hooper.

 

[pisatorial]

i will help u if you want. i bought my first hive a few years with no expierence in ireland , then did a course and moved to Australia to work as a commercial beekeeper for a company with 1400 hives, producing honey to supply to capilano honey under contract. also pollination of avocados and macadamia nuts. i have just moved to essex recently and want to get 1 or 2 hives myself.