Mentors offered in Southport

[Sandbee79]

We are 2 beekeepers who want to take on a couple of newbees each season.
We offer to teach in the evenings over the winter and help you through your first season and hopefully get you bees.

 

[McNulty]

Hi sandbee

I am from crossens and will be setting up a hive next spring. My dad used to keep bees in the 80's quite successfully but I was only a kid then so I don't remember much so I will be learning it all again from scratch.

I will probably be ordering a Langstroth poly this week from modern beekeeping so I will be looking for bees next year, if all goes to plan! whether to buy local or buy stock from other parts of the country is something that I will need to make a decision on.

I will spend this winter learning and reading and it would be great if I could mail you the odd question or two as I come across problems I don't understand or even just to pick your brains on local problems affecting bees.

Cheers and good luck with your hives!

 

[Arfermo]

Before anything else, join your local Beekeeping Association and get a book or two including "Guide to Bees and Honey" by Ted Hooper. The BKA local that you opt for is bound to have members who wants to impart their (vast) knowledge and maybe even sort you out with bees etc. If there is more than one BKA in your area, Google to the BBKA website where they are all listed with telephone numbers of the contact points. Enjoy - it's a fascinating hobby

 

[enrico]

Before anything else, join your local Beekeeping Association and get a book or two including "Guide to Bees and Honey" by Ted Hooper. The BKA local that you opt for is bound to have members who wants to impart their (vast) knowledge and maybe even sort you out with bees etc. If there is more than one BKA in your area, Google to the BBKA website where they are all listed with telephone numbers of the contact points. Enjoy - it's a fascinating hobby

I disagree ..... They are being offered everything by two generous people, blow the bbka, all they can offer is a bit of insurance
Tin hat on!
E

 

[victor meldrew]

Forgot "Disgusted Tunbridge Wells"

VM


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk - now Free

 

[Barbarian]

McNulty ....

May I suggest you hold off ordering your Lang for a while. You have got several months before you need to get a hive.

You could find that a hive you choose is not popular in your area. You could find it difficult to buy a nuc on the frames you are using, expensive to get further equipment for your hive, difficult to sell a nuc on the frames you use and should you find you cannot continue beekeeping selling on your nearly new equipment and getting peanuts.

 

[victor meldrew]

Hi sandbee

I am from crossens and will be setting up a hive next spring. My dad used to keep bees in the 80's quite successfully but I was only a kid then so I don't remember much so I will be learning it all again from scratch.

I will probably be ordering a Langstroth poly this week from modern beekeeping so I will be looking for bees next year, if all goes to plan! whether to buy local or buy stock from other parts of the country is something that I will need to make a decision on.

I will spend this winter learning and reading and it would be great if I could mail you the odd question or two as I come across problems I don't understand or even just to pick your brains on local problems affecting bees.

Cheers and good luck with your hives!

There is a member of the Ormkirk and Croston Beekeepers who is an advocate of langstroth hives M
VM


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk - now Free

 

[McNulty]

Thanks for all your posts everyone.

I will definitely pick up that book Afermo.

I have juggled with the hive type dilemma the past few weeks. A national seems more sensible but there is a bit of a contrarian in me that says give the langstroth a go. Im sure good beekeeping is thousands of times more important than the hive type so im not sure it matters that much. I have read many articles and threads on the pro's and con's of each so I would be going in with my eyes at least half open to the pitfalls (or maybe not! ....haha) I thought buying a national nuc wasnt a problem as nat frames can be easily converted to fit a lang?

One area where I can't get a clear consensus is on plastic frames and foundation. Anyone have any input?

And yeah Barbarian, I probably am being a bit too impulsive on buying this hive, its only going to sit there for 6 months staring at me... I keep telling myself there's no rush!

 

[McNulty]

langstroth purchased..

Carnie or buckfast 2014 nuc now needed!

 

[Easy Beesy]

Have you asked Lancashire about bees? Tried their website? Picked a local branch? Sussed out who sells locally? Spoken to any of the local Beekeepers? Found out who sells langs Nucs of the bee you want? Gone to a hive with a Beekeepers? Got any experience?

Wouldn't it be prudent to do these things before buying a hive or looking for bees?

 

[Easy Beesy]

Sorry heavy handed double tap

 

[McNulty]

Hi easy beesy,

thanks for your concerns. lol...

I will be joining southport or ormskirk beekeepers, not quite sure which yet. its a size vs distance conundrum as yet.

I have only been in a hive a couple of times this summer. Before that was 20 years ago. So although I have no real experience I know a few very local people who will be there to hold my hand.

As regards bees, every bee supplier I have spoke to have been excellent. Becky's bees, bs bees, Exmoor bees, a few black bee suppliers from north wales. All fantastic with regards to help and advise. After reading Cooper's book on black bees I did have a mental shift to the north wales black bee but in recent days I am now swinging back to the buckfast. I dont suppose it makes a great deal of difference though. Overwintered nucs on langstroth are available from quite a few places and converting a national nuc to langstroth isnt a problem either. Then I always have the option of buying a package from quite a few places. A lot of the small local guys wont really know what they have available till next spring when they assess the damage! Local would be better though so I dont have to drive down to gloucester or andover etc. I've got a great site for the first few hives and I've got access to plenty more land around here if I want more. I think (hope) I've got most of the bases covered for the time being.

I've just read jurgen tautz's book 'the buzz about bees', a great read. There is so much info on the web these days and there are some really fantastic blogs in which I can read about people's experiences with all aspects of beekeeping. Add to that forums like this and I can definitely keep bees 'on paper!', lol. Now for the real thing.....

 

[Mellifera397]

When choosing your type of bee I would suggest local first and foremost as they are most likely to be used to to the local climate. If you do want to order from a supplier be considerate to other local beekeepers, ask around. If several local beeks don't like buckfast and they are within three miles then you could be ruining their bees, in their eyes of course.

Also club bees, especially ormskirk and croston's, are MUCH cheaper leaving you with more money to spend in the sales.

Wait for the sales before you buy a hive, Th's and MM have online ones.

M

 

[McNulty]

too late...

first langstroth purchased and painted. Will wait for the sales though and maybe pick up a second.

 

[enrico]

Blimey......hope the bees can find it! And I hope you remember where you put it! You can paint my house any day!

 

[Mellifera397]

Wow!! I used to think poly hives were a bit ugly but now, well just WOW.

That is an amazing looking hive

M

 

[McNulty]

Thanks, I've never painted anything before. This is my first ever attempt, straight off the bat!

Im quite happy with it. Its a lot easier than you might imagine. A couple of coats of masonry paint followed by a few squirts of £1 spray cans from the pound shop.

I will probably spray those yellow plastic strips when I can get outside too..

 

[Easy Beesy]

Were you a grafitti artist in a previous life ? Lol

 

[BeeJayBee]

Thanks, I've never painted anything before. This is my first ever attempt, straight off the bat!

Im quite happy with it. Its a lot easier than you might imagine. A couple of coats of masonry paint followed by a few squirts of £1 spray cans from the pound shop.

So, are you going to tell us how you made the leaf patterns?

 

[McNulty]

I found the best leaf shapes were...................leaves... lol

yep just chop some branches and use them as stencils.

(my apologies to sandbee for hijacking his thread)