New hive today

[iamduvern]

I have been out today knocking on doors looking for some pigeon and rabbit shooting and found a small farm that had a couple of bee hives speaking to the owner he has decided to call it a day with his bees and would I like to have them so I nipped home picked up my suit and had a quick look in both hives and there are plenty of bees.So I have three questions would I be able to move them now and on one of the hives there is a super on that is full of solid set honey he tells me that it was from last years rape harvest Is it worth leaving the super on and letting the bees feed on it or just throwing it away and starting from scratch.Are there any treatments I should consider
This is only my second year with bees and I live in Hertfordshire

 

[Baggyone]

You can get the honey out if your willing to eat it yourself. Simply take out all the combs and heat untill it all melts. The wax will settle to the top and the rest is yours. It would take quite a bit of heat and thats why I would have it myself only.Would'nt add any water to it. Or just get the knife straight in and enjoy.

You can move hives using the old rule - 3 feet or 3 miles. However, i blew all the rules and haven't lost any of mine. Its still early in the year remember.

 

[oliver90owner]

A super - about 25 pounds @ 4 quid a pound, jarred, must be worth fifty or sixty quid.

Sugar at 70p a kilo would make the ~11kg honey, say 9 1/2 kgs of sugar worth 6 1/2 quid. The comb, if drawn evenly also has value in resources and time. I never throw anything away unless there is a disease issue.

After removing this year's crop of OSR the bees might easily need feeding if there is a barren time before the next decent flow. People in the northwest were feeding colonies, or losing them, in the 'summer' last year, so one can never tell.

But it is your choice at the end of the day. It seems like a throw away world these days. Doubt if Yorkshire beeks would ditch it, but you are much further south.....

Regards, RAB

 

[YorkshireBees]

Doubt if Yorkshire beeks would ditch it, but you are much further south.....

Regards, RAB

Hey, what are you trying to say about us!!??



Although I would probably try to do something with it, lets face it the bees did a lot of work collecting it to just throw it all away!

 

[MODNOD]

Getting back to the shooting side of things, what gun do you use on rabbits and is J13/M1 to far for you.

 

[iamduvern]

J13 Milton Keynes?? Have gun will travel!! 12 g on permission .410 silenced shottie if the game keeper is around and .177 air rifle with night vision if Im creeping around the countryside at night
If you are having rabbit problems PM me if shooting is a problem I have ferrets and a game whippetx

 

[Poly Hive]

Can you post a pic of your whippet please, asks whippet owner...

PH

 

[iamduvern]

As requested

 

[iamduvern]

The whole team

 

[Poly Hive]

Our non working whippet, who is at time VERY laid back.

LOL

PH

 

[louiseww]

Do you eat what you catch/shoot?

 

[iamduvern]

We have all of the healthy rabbits any mixi bunnies go to the ferrets and the dog Pigeons I tend to breast out as luck would have it its venison tonight curtesy of a Post Office van that clipped a small muncjac a couple of days ago that went into the boot of the car and around to a butcher friend who expertly portioned it up

 

[oliver90owner]

Do you eat what you catch/shoot?

Most got used.

Pigeon pie used to be on the menu.

Rabbit, duck, goose, pheasant, hare.

I draw the line at clays, though! They would be a bit slimy in a pie, I reckon.

I used to sell pigeon for export when there was a surplus, but that was about 30 years ago or more.

Regards, RAB

 

[Erichalfbee]

Norfolk's a great place for pheasant road kill, many's the bird that I've picked up. I suppose they rear them,let them go and they have no survival sense.

 

[keithgrimes]

Do you eat what you catch/shoot?

Most got used.

Pigeon pie used to be on the menu.

Rabbit, duck, goose, pheasant, hare.

I draw the line at clays, though! They would be a bit slimy in a pie, I reckon.

I used to sell pigeon for export when there was a surplus, but that was about 30 years ago or more.

Regards, RAB

Clays are OK but the gravy is awful