New to bees - Yorkshire

[Courty]

Hi,
I am the proud custodian of a newly acquired five bar nuc, having taken the plunge of starting something I’ve always wanted to do.

I have a polyhive ready as their new home and some basic kit to get started.
This is so exciting, I watched them returning to their box with full pollen sacs and felt like bursting with joy, felt proud to see them fight off a wasp and grateful they reacted well when I topped up their feed.

I’ve not bothered them other than that, happy to let them settle in to their new surroundings for their first week at their new location (bought locally).
I’m moving them into the hive in the next few days.

I’m sure it will be a varied journey and who knows what the future holds. Hopefully a few healthy hives and pleasure from learning. This is the first practical step towards my dream of running a smallholding for a complete change of lifestyle in a few years time.

I’ve made contact with a local BKA group to get some practical experience and advice, no doubt I will be asking more than a few questions and hopefully have something positive to contribute here.

I look forward to joining the gang,

Courty

 

[Murox]

Welcome. Local bees for local conditions, great.

 

[TooBee...]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[enrico]

Hi, if you haven't done any courses yet then please ask away if you need to
E

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Hi,
I am the proud custodian of a newly acquired five bar nuc, having taken the plunge of starting something I’ve always wanted to do.

I have a polyhive ready as their new home and some basic kit to get started.
This is so exciting, I watched them returning to their box with full pollen sacs and felt like bursting with joy, felt proud to see them fight off a wasp and grateful they reacted well when I topped up their feed.

I’ve not bothered them other than that, happy to let them settle in to their new surroundings for their first week at their new location (bought locally).
I’m moving them into the hive in the next few days.

I’m sure it will be a varied journey and who knows what the future holds. Hopefully a few healthy hives and pleasure from learning. This is the first practical step towards my dream of running a smallholding for a complete change of lifestyle in a few years time.

I’ve made contact with a local BKA group to get some practical experience and advice, no doubt I will be asking more than a few questions and hopefully have something positive to contribute here.

I look forward to joining the gang,

Courty

Welcome to the crazy world of keeping your own bees. You may be faced with a problem due to timing of your accqisition as you are going to be going into winter with little experience. There are some good beekeepers in Sheffield so fingers crossed you can make contact with them and enlist the support of a mentor to guide you through the trials and tribulations until their winter/spring theory training starts.
Think logically, don't make hurried decisions when you're not sure what's going on and listen to sensible advice while filtering out nonsense. You'll soon learn to differentiate between the two types.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Isn’t it wonderful that bursting with pride feeling? Get yourself a copy of “At the hive entrance” by Storch. It’s avaikabe as a download but as a booklet it’s such a charming little book with little illustrations regarding bees’ behaviour you can look at.

 

[Beefriendly]

Welcome fellow Tyke.
May your bees be prosperous, gentle and non swarmy.
Hell if you only get one of those three you are heading in the right direction.

 

[BeeSpace]

Welcome - I'm in Rotherham and new to keeping this year (although been a local assoc. member for a year or so). Some of our members are also members in Sheffield so you definitely have some good folk around to support you.

I find myself having to really, really restrain myself from finding reasons to go in the hives - it's so fascinating!

 

[Bakerbee]

Welcome i started this time last year and found Ted Hoopers book on bees really helpful. Good luck.

 

[Courty]

Thank you for the warm welcome!

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone, I’m meeting some great people in the real bee world too, everyone has been very encouraging.

I’ll take it slowly and hopefully make it a successful adventure.

The first challenge seems to be having everything ready and to know what I’m going to do before I do it, so the disturbance to the bees is minimal. And there is definitely a mind over matter aspect to keeping calm and focussed when they are getting feisty on the outside of my suit. Who would have through that the sudden popping open of my plastic takeaway tray feeder would infuriate them? Having gloves on made it awkward to open. I’m sure I will work it out in time.

Courty

 

[bontbee]

Hi, Courty,

Some bees are much more sensitive to vibration and movement than others.

If you can get to see other people's bees, you'll get a better idea of how "aggressive" - ie. defensive! - yours are. The association apiary is likely to be stocked with docile strains - it seems to be the norm. Try to get to see bees kept by other beekeepers.

I had some basket cases a couple of years back being total little s**ts when I opened the hives and then following when they were closed They could only have been worse if they had been "greeters". The other extreme is bees that can be handled without the need for a beesuit, let alone gloves.

It's useful to see best and worst cases so you can gauge your own bees better. Oh, and conditions will affect their reaction sometimes eg. if they are hungry they are likely to be more tetchy than when there is a flow; at this time of year they are more likely to be defensive, to protect all their hard won stores...

Good luck with your bees. It's a fab hobby, except that it can take up too much space, (kit) and can get too obsessive...

 

[Courty]

Nuc to hive went well!

Today was the big day. Having done several practice runs in the front room with empty frames and planning each step in my head before B Day, I transferred the bees into their new home.

It went relatively smoothly, there was a lot of propolis and some of the frames took some prising out, especially one with some side comb, but they are all in place, and the poly hive put together.
I was more concerned with getting them in and not losing the Queen than checking what was on the combs. There were plenty of bees though, it looked busy and full.

I watched for half an hour, they seemed a bit confused with the new entrance, but steadily worked it out and the strays made there way in.
I used the mouse guard which is a white plastic slider that reduces the holes to eleven arches, I chose this option because there are a lot of wasps visiting.
The bees are ferocious in fending them off and I didn’t want too big an entrance.
It wasn’t as traumatic as I had feared, hopefully I have done a reasonable job and they will expand sufficiently for winter.

I think I deserve a beer when I go to the supermarket for more sugar for their feed.

Courty

 

[Erichalfbee]

A mouseguard gives the bees too many separate entrances to defend. Just close the normal entrance down to a couple of bee spaces. A bit of Correx pinned over is good or a bit of sponge

 

[theoriginalbee]

Welcome, Courty! I'm a Barnsley lass living in North West London - I was up there earlier this week and noticed there is still lots of forage about compared to down here. It still seems like bee heaven! Can I say it has been an absolute pleasure to read everyones comments on this thread, by the way. I'm pretty new to beekeeping myself and I will be looking out for the recommended reads etc myself. What a constuctive, friendly and positive introduction for a new enthusiast! Thanks everyone!

 

[Courty]

The welcome.....

The welcome has been brilliant, I think I will enjoy it here.
I had a bit of a flap when I checked my bees this morning and thought they were being seriously robbed by other bees and the new feeder was untouched. A local keeper provided some reassurance, I’ve reduced the entrance to two small bee size holes just in case.
The support has been great. I just wish I had the confidence to let them get on with it, I’m fussing and worrying like a new parent!

Courty

 

[Beefriendly]

I’m fussing and worrying like a new parent!

Courty

And as most parents know 2 is better than 1.
You really need 2 hives to have some stability and get out of trouble (should it ever occur). Plan on increase...good way to move forward.

 

[Courty]

More than one colony....

...I had planned on starting next year but several opportunities fell into place at once and I took the plunge. So I’ve got all my bees in one basket and I’m watching that basket!
Sometimes focus is everything.
Courty

 

[Beefriendly]

...I had planned on starting next year but several opportunities fell into place at once and I took the plunge. So I’ve got all my bees in one basket and I’m watching that basket!
Sometimes focus is everything.
Courty

Well done for going for it...but you have 2 arms...can balance two baskets next year perhaps?

 

[Courty]

Wasps

My friend with a hive nearby told me they have just had two small colonies decimated by wasps. Another thing to keep me awake at night. I’ve reduced the entrance to t o bee spaces and they seem ok, plenty pollen coming in, steady activity and the wasps hanging around seem to be sent packing as soon as they get too close. There is another decapitated wasp infront of the hive.
Hopefully they are strong enough to keep them from too much destruction.
Ive dribbled a trail of syrup through the new feeder so the bees can investigate if they want to.
I’ll leave them to their own devices for a while.
I can’t afford another hive and bees just yet and it’s abit late in the year now, perhaps, so it’s all or nothing.
Gutted for my friend.

Courty

 

[john t]

A mouseguard gives the bees too many separate entrances to defend. Just close the normal entrance down to a couple of bee spaces. A bit of Correx pinned over is good or a bit of sponge

with the amount of wasps about at the moment it is important to close down the entrance,all my hives are 1 bee space

and welcome to the wonderful world of beekeeping