New High Rise Apiary

[MuswellMetro]

This is my new apiary on the third floor roof of the local university

it is about 75ft x25ft and i have permission for 4 hives on this roof and similar number of hives if these hives prove successful on three similar adjacent roofs

This one faces west and looks towards Brent Cross and the London North Circular A406

The roof is a sedum roof and protected from the east and North by a 12ft back wall of glass and i have decided only yo have clipped queens up there

working Hives at Height is all new to me, so if anyone has experience of hives at three storeys up then i would be pleased to hear about any problems

so far after three weeks up there the Bees are fine and today bringing in pollen and nectar by the ton

 

[Excession]

Nice one!

 

[burren]

That looks a fine, grand and safe from preying eyes site!

 

[MuswellMetro]

The only problem so far is getting into the lift and not taking off the my veil last friday

The screams as the lift door opened on the first floor....are still ringing in my ears...............a group of students wondered what was in the lift and one must have been of a nervous disposition ....i had to calm her down and buy her a coffee

also got to find a better method than water for putting out the smoker as otherwise i might set the fire alarms off

The roofs are also a bit twee because it is what the university needs for their internal publicity shots...ie really they wanted a WBC as it fits their green image...so it is a compromise... The roof and first hive was made by Tom Bick, i should have bought more while he was trading....the other is one with a national bee supplies roof at great expence...MODERATOR: .i should have come back via exmoor not oakhampton

 

[VEG]

why only 4 hives on that roof plenty of room there?

 

[meidel]

looks good - lonely and windswept

 

[Luminos]

Not much sedum for a sedum roof

 

[MuswellMetro]

why only 4 hives on that roof plenty of room there?

but we are on there by negotiation....not pushing my luck...so we have agreement for four.....any more might upset the neighbours.....20,000 students on campus

so taking it slowly...i dont need the space and i dont know the forage in this area of to london

 

[meidel]

the usual north london suburb type forage - a few nurseries for exoticism and the odd allotment, you know

 

[MuswellMetro]

Not much sedum for a sedum roof

it is quite densly covered with sedum ( pre sown mats) but only it is only this week that all the grass gone to seed....i dont mind if the sedum dies---i hate the smell of it

 

[richardbees]

Craig

London is rapidly becoming overcrowded with beehives - how many do you think he should have?

Richard

 

[VEG]

Craig

London is rapidly becoming overcrowded with beehives - how many do you think he should have?

Richard

I was just asking why he was only allowed 4 hives I didnt comment on how many I think he should put there

 

[richardbees]

I really do apologise, Craig, and I'm sincerely sorry for that aggressive response!

It's just that I'm becoming concerned about so many new hives (and new beeks) in London.

 

[oliver90owner]

working Hives at Height is all new to me

Looks just like working bees in a meadow, to me.
Just don't look over the edge if you are frightened of being so far above terra firma.

Climbing up the inside of a 300 foot chimney stack was just like going up a set of stairs (OK these were ladders from one lift (level) to the next). No sensation of height at all - until one got to the top and looked over the edge to the ground below (and feeling the whole structure moving from side to side!). Uncanny, but not scary. I remember it was easier coming down than climbing up.

Can't remember now whether they had started the brick laying part of the construction as access to the top was still there. Normally they would have started bricking at the top and worked downwards removing the ladders and floors as they progressed downwards.

Each lift, for those not in the know, had a ledge for retaining the brick lining.

I have never gone up the outside of a chimney like that. That would have been an education!

RAB

 

[VEG]

No problem

 

[AnotherNewBee]

Do you really think it was necessary to give your bees runway landing lights?

 

[MuswellMetro]

the usual north london suburb type forage - a few nurseries for exoticism and the odd allotment, you know

my main apairy is on a london farm at totteridge common ( google it)...it is farm land, two miles from main suburban gardens but still only 10 miles from charing cross...so never had an urban london beehive as my hives are surrounded by hedges, pasture and nice wild flowers ....my main problem isthe inter action of bees and horses

The rest of my hives are out by the M25

so you know more than me about allotments and exotics forage....all i know is that i have blackberries already in my garden but just buds on the blackberries near my hivesk

 

[meidel]

my hives are surrounded by hedges, pasture and nice wild flowers ....my main problem isthe inter action of bees and horses

I don't know about horses and bees but I do know that my dog is usually alright to come near the apiary except for those times of swarm preparation - which leads me to believe they are a little tetchy and the dog can pick up on it. He literally digs his heels in, lowers his head and stays glued to the spot at about 20 metres from the apiary

The rest of my hives are out by the M25

so you know more than me about allotments and exotics forage....all i know is that i have blackberries already in my garden but just buds on the blackberries near my hivesk

We saw a purple coloured bee a couple of days ago

 

[Liz bee]

the usual north london suburb type forage - a few nurseries for exoticism and the odd allotment, you know

Yes, perhaps you could persuade the powers that be to plant every spare bit of their land with bee friendly plants to help support their new bees. They're going to use a lot of energy flying up to the 3rd floor carrying their load. I believe 2nd floor is recommended maximum height. Unfortunately planting flowers doesn't have the same P.R. cachet as having hives on your roof.

 

[DulwichGnome]

Reminds me of a site I tried a couple of years ago and I had trouble with the wind carrying the bees off into a corner. You might want to try having a wind break each side of the hive to funnel them in.

Mike.