No maintenance if I don't want any honey?

[Tobeeornottobee]

If I just wanted a hive to help the countryside rather than to collect honey - can I buy a simple, small hive, hang it from a tree (perhaps) at the bottom of the garden and (more or less) leave it to its own devices?

I wouldn't mind something that's low/no commitment initially - mainly leaving the bees to get on with it - and maybe embrace beekeeping properly in a couple of years time.

To what extent is this do-able and to what extent is it a rubbish idea?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Yes you could get some bumble bee nest boxes and some nesting tubes set up to attract solitary bees.

 

[farbee]

Not honeybees but you could look at bumblebees

 

[dpearce4]

Welcome to the forum.

Maybe you could find your local Association and offer for a member from there to come and place a hive in your garden, they will look after it (hopefully) do all the swarm control etc and you could help out if and when you wanted to. it would give you a real insite into beekeeping with no outlay and then if you get to enjoy and your time permits it then you could take the site over in a couple of years time.

 

[Rhiellie]

You could always see if a local beekeeper wanted to site a hive on your land, you wouldn't need to do any maintenance yourself but maybe if you wanted to give beekeeping a go yourself in a couple of years, you'd have someone on hand to 'show you the ropes'.

 

[Luminos]

you'd have someone on hand to 'show you the ropes'.

Nah, that's just for skeps

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

you'd have someone on hand to 'show you the ropes'.

Nah, that's just for skeps

You're such a skep-tic, Luminos.

Dusty.

 

[Rhiellie]

you'd have someone on hand to 'show you the ropes'.

Nah, that's just for skeps

Note to self: never refer to ropes on this forum

 

[Luminos]

You're such a skep-tic, Luminos.

Dusty.

Better than being a dip-stic...

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Better than being a dip-stic...

Touché.

Game, set and match to Luminos.

Dusty.

 

[Luminos]

Note to self: never refer to ropes on this forum

Ropes is fine - but NEVER mention 1) matchsticks, 2) gaping holes

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Ropes is fine - but NEVER mention 1) matchsticks, 2) gaping holes

...or neonicotinoids.

D

 

[Rhiellie]

Ropes is fine - but NEVER mention 1) matchsticks, 2) gaping holes

ok now you have both confused me these are obviously advanced beekeeper jokes, I was just about with you on the ropes !

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

ok now you have both confused me these are obviously advanced beekeeper jokes, I was just about with you on the ropes !

Sorry!

The Forum goes mental over neonicotinoids and there's a long running argument about the old advice to use matchsticks to create a gap to enhance ventilation.

As for ropes - don't mention them.
(I don't understand it either.)

Welcome, by the way.
Embrace the chaos.

Dusty.

 

[itma]

Back on topic ...

...
Maybe you could find your local Association and offer for a member from there to come and place a hive in your garden, they will look after it (hopefully) do all the swarm control etc and you could help out if and when you wanted to. it would give you a real insite into beekeeping with no outlay and then if you get to enjoy and your time permits it then you could take the site over in a couple of years time.

Sound advice.


Honeybees can (or at least before varroa, could) look after themselves.
After a fashion.

BUT the colony will divide ("swarm"), with one half looking for a new home -- likely in a chimney or a house wall.
Honeybees can occasionally get seriously bad tempered - so forwardly 'defensive' that some would call them aggressive.
And an unmanaged colony is a bee-health hazard to other colonies in the locality.
And then there is varroa...
All need 'management'.


The 'traditional' (decorative) hive design is known as a "WBC" - but they actually take a little more looking after than most others (taking off and replacing the 'lifts' {external cladding} plus the small brood box steering many to brood and a half).
However a "top bar hive", though not so pretty can be easier to look after (no heavy lifting, etc), and is often chosen by those for whom a honey crop isn't the priority.

 

[Andy Duff]

Nice one ITMA but hands off beekeeping, it's bumble bee terrirory.

creating safe habitats for bumbles is a valuable contribution for very little effort.

To the original poster-
look after bumbles. You will probably end up wanting to keep honey bees, so in that case join a....take a .... etc etc etc
and wave goodbye to your money and free time

 

[ratcatcher]

yes you could keep bees without wanting honey and minimal interference from yourself, by going for a top bar hive, but I strongly advise that you DON'T, keeping bees is HIGHLY ADDICTIVE, within days you would be sitting watching,picture taking,videoing, counting them entering the hive, checking out different coloured pollens, and when its raining, you'll be sitting indoors looking at utube clips, diy plans for making more hives,reading books and boring your family and everyone you know to death, as your only conversation will include bees in some form,

take it as gospel, Im a beginner of around 4 months, I only wanted ONE HIVE in the garden, I now have 2 national hives, 2 top bar hives, 2 6 frame nucs and a top bar nuc, an out apiary and another site ready for next year

run now while you still have a chance, erase bees from your mind and go buy a budgie

one of my top bars, much prefer these to nationals, not because they are cheap and easy to make, this one cost me around £14, but just so easy to inspect
http://youtu.be/li9obrnaRZE

 

[Andy Duff]

yes you could keep bees without wanting honey and minimal interference from yourself, by going for a top bar hive, but I strongly advise that you DON'T, keeping bees is HIGHLY ADDICTIVE, within days you would be sitting watching,picture taking,videoing, counting them entering the hive, checking out different coloured pollens, and when its raining, you'll be sitting indoors looking at utube clips, diy plans for making more hives,reading books and boring your family and everyone you know to death, as your only conversation will include bees in some form,

take it as gospel, Im a beginner of around 4 months, I only wanted ONE HIVE in the garden, I now have 2 national hives, 2 top bar hives, 2 6 frame nucs and a top bar nuc, an out apiary and another site ready for next year

run now while you still have a chance, erase bees from your mind and go buy a budgie

one of my top bars, much prefer these to nationals, not because they are cheap and easy to make, this one cost me around £14, but just so easy to inspect
http://youtu.be/li9obrnaRZE

It ain't cheep and it's never easy. TBH's. there's more to beekeeping than keeping bees in a box

 

[meidel]

hijack - nice link ratcatcher - like the way the hive was designed to take national frames as well

 

[ratcatcher]

It ain't cheep and it's never easy. TBH's. there's more to beekeeping than keeping bees in a box

everyone has a right to an opinion, but it was that type of quote that stopped me getting into bees around 4yrs ago, I was told around £400 to start up with bees, and there was no way I could afford that, on something that may fly away, or me not like,
this type of quote I have since heard more often, always national owners, and honey producers, yet if you want to keep bees, without the expense, it can be done, homemade TBH, both the two I have cost a total of £30, plus timber from skips and a few days work in the garden, they both take national frames (x2) if needed for transferring bees over, bees are free when collected yourself, and I probably only paid £70 for a full suit and tools/smoker etc

so £100 got me into bees, granted I have since bought a couple of nationals, but that was my choice for a different plan, but had I been quoted £100 4 yrs ago, I would certainly have started back then

just google bees on a budget, friends of the bees