Newbie from Norfolk

[MuswellMetro]

I'm actually more worried about the local garden centre - a few streets away. It is always rammed with stuff in flower, whatever the season and will be inundated with thousands of bees.....

yep, done that, 500yds away i havea garden centre, walked around the centre, notice my golden italians distinct shades over everything, we had the allotmnet show in august and i closed them up in the prevoius evening,,,went to garden centre as part of the allotment show to get a tea and kids shows, the owners was very worried all the bees had gone, thought he had spra yed something and killed them..just a few grey carnies around

 

[MSER]

Hello, so kind of you all to be encouraging.

I think I am feeling a bit overwhelmed when I heard just how much you have to know/do and- silly I know - I even felt quite sad at the thought of those little guys dying after 6 months flogging themselves to death (or 6 weeks the chap said in the busiest season) and then the likelihood of losing a whole hive full Im not sure Im made of the right stuff. LOL, my OH said to the beekeeper, "she would probably give them all names".

Also, the chap was saying how you have to clip the queens wings and sort out any eggs which would grow into queens............... a bit queasy about that too.

Bit overwhelmed at the mo. Funnily enough my son rang me today and he said he would love to have a hive on his London/thames side flat balcony- lol - bet that would be fun

A course in June is there? I only looked at the evening classes starting May - and they emailed me today to say there are places still available.

Heather

 

[MuswellMetro]

Hello, so kind of you all to be encouraging.



Heather

first you think you think ,
how nice to keep bees ,
then you come to the conclusion you must be Mad to consider beekeeping,
then you realise it is just knowledge
then you think you know all about bees,
then you really feel you have your feet under the table,
then the bees just do what bees do,
and you just panic as its not what you were taught

.....then you think you are a beekeeper

then the bees suprise you again and you do not panic

...it just a their nature
then you recover and then you are a beek

i am at about stage 4

 

[MSER]

Bless you. Im amazed when I read how people just seem to jump into it without any training - Id want to have a good working knowledge before commitment -

 

[wilderness]

Heather,

You don't need to know everything before you start beekeeping. As some of the guys on here will testify, they have kept bees for 50 years and still get surprised.

Join your local association.
You need to do a theory course to learn about the names of the bits of the hive and understand bit about the bee biology. Follow this with a pratical course so you get an idea of what a colony looks like and what it feels like to get stung . If possible work with a mentor during your first year.

Then read, read and read - loads of good books recommended elsewhere on this site. Ask lots of questions too.

Beekeeping is a fascinating and rewarding hobby.

Where in the UK are you?

 

[oliver90owner]

You don't need to know everything before you start beekeeping

So right, correct and profound! If one did, then there would be no beekeepers!!!

I know everything about bees, of course, but every time I come on this forum, or look through the colonies, or go to the lokal BKA meets, or google a topic, or read another book, or etc., I learn something new!!

Regards, RAB

 

[rae]

Im amazed when I read how people just seem to jump into it without any training - Id want to have a good working knowledge before commitment

We read every book going. In theory,we should have a good working knowledge, but there are many things that simply come from experience. Nothing can prepare you for opening a big hive for the first time - you just have to do it and learn. The bees will always do something slightly different to what is says in the books/training....

It is like driving - you can read all you like, but nothing prepares you for a hill start with a queue of traffic behind you...

 

[oliver90owner]

nothing prepares you for a hill start with a queue of traffic behind you...

Except practise, practise, practise....and a good handbrake!

A good analogy to beekeeping?

Regards, RAB

 

[Black Comb]

Good analogy Rae.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Heather,
The practical course at Easton College is hands on - I did it 3 years ago. Some had already done theory but I had read a couple of books before the course and remembered things that I had learned as a child some thirty - well nearly fourty years before. One guy at the course I was on obviously had not done any theory at all and didn't have a clue what was happening so he was wasting his time.
Some people have bought bees and have no idea what they are doing with them so you are doing exactly the right thing by asking questions and thinking about beekeeping before you part with your hard earned money.

Adam

 

[Poly Hive]

I can assure you that trying to teach a person who knows nothing is very difficult and frustrating for the others who have paid the same but are not getting the benefit they should because of "Mr/Mrs person idle."

PH

 

[tonybloke]

When I attended beekeeping courses (practical & theory)@ Easton I had read widely on the subject before the start of the course.
But, a lot of folk had read nothing at all, expecting to be spoon-fed info, like when they were at infant school. This does slow down the teaching / learning process for the rest of the students.
While I agree that hands-on teaching is vital, a bit of reading before the course starts is beneficial to all of the class!!

 

[plumberman]

I feel your pain PH: as a career changer to secondary school science the lack of initiative with some students beggars belief on occasions. What you are meant to do of course is "differentiate" - i.e cater for all learning levels with the accompanying compromise that this entails for some of the students.

 

[Poly Hive]

Differienciate yes... in a class situation I agree.

On a course that the attendee has paid for out of their own pocket I feel rather resentful.

I must be getting old and grumpy..LOL

PH

 

[plumberman]

Not criticising at all - just empathising.

 

[Poly Hive]

And much appreciated.

PH

 

[MSER]

Very grateful to everyones input and encouragement. I think may be first step is the course. By the way, they have three courses, one is the practical 8 week one and I think they really need you to go in twos for that one and OH wouldnt know when he would be home in time to get to it.

The ten week one sounds class based and I think thats the one to go for.

The third is an advanced one.

Ive only been stung a couple of time by bees. And they were bumbles. One on my chin as I carried a bouquet of flowers - came up pretty lumpy that one! Other one on my leg as I felt something moving up under my jeans and attempted to assist it.

I am reading through all the posts on here and am finding it fascinating if confusing and scarey. Queen excluders, half broods, queen cells - there is so much to know.

 

[Black Comb]

I would go for the practical one.
You need to establish that you are comfortable handling bees before you spend a lot of money on kit.

You'll learn faster as well IMO.

Do the class based one in additon if you like.

Just my opinion.

 

[Poly Hive]

In my experience there is no comparison between a bumble sting and a honey bee.

Bumble sting took some 20 mins to even register on the pain receptors.

Honey bees take seconds.

A good long read would be highly beneficial.

PH

 

[MuswellMetro]

In my experience there is no comparison between a bumble sting and a honey bee.

Bumble sting took some 20 mins to even register on the pain receptors.

Honey bees take seconds.

A good long read would be highly beneficial.

PH

we send out a recomended reading list to our Beginers..graded first easy read ( Cramp).essential (DERFRA Varroa & A/EFB) , detailed (TEd Hooper), further reading (Buzz for Bees Etc) and half way through a 12 week course, one beginer asked is there a good book about bees i could buy.....ahhhhh .

We also recomended 14x12 as all our own Nuc are on them...guess what always happens on the days we deliver the 14x12 Nuc....we end up making Hives with temp 14x12 broods of two supers and floor and roof