Mentor in West Yorkshire Required

[MillBeek]

Hi,

I would like someone to mentor me please

I live in very West Yorkshire, so even East Lancashire would be close, if we can get over the Roses issue!

I am a complete beginner, with no bees. The local association beginners course is full for this year. I do not have the room to put hives in my back garden and would not with a two year old about, so I do not have a site or hives with which to start. So some help with site location would also be a boon.

I feel all this is secondary if I do not have the experience or practice of handling bees. Maybe I can help out with someone else's bees until I have the confidence to stride out on my own. I do feel that I have missed the opportunity to start my own hives this year.

Any help would be appreciated.

Craig

 

[Rock_Chick]

Hi Craig,
I'm in Rochdale if thats any good to you.I'm waiting for some new bees as they did't do well over winter.Send me a P.M

 

[Hombre]

Suggestion:
You want a mentor and you have no experience or done a course. How about re-phrasing your view of the world to "willing apprentice, seeks busy bee/honey farmer to assist in return for on the job training". Can offer 1 or 2 days a week, Saturdays preferred".

What a way to spend the summer. It's a bit of a commitment, but so is keeping your own bees.
The experience you get will be priceless and will quickly far exceed that of opening three hives of your own for a year. The range of various apiaries will show a wide spectrum of development. Your labour will be appreciated and natural discussions will make you very enlightened.

If you make a hive and put it in your garden with a bit of old comb, it will make a very nice feature and if bees move in you will be a winner. I would put it well beyond the reach of your 2 year old against the day that it might become occupied. The construction will focus your mind about the critical dimensions/clearances for bee space. So all in all, you will be a beekeeper with a hive of your own and who knows, if you get a swarm, your mentor/employer might agree to host your hive on one of his apiaries for you. You would be constrained to fitting in with his/her schedules, but it could work out OK, particularly if it wasn't too distant for you.