points of the compass

[Finman]

That's telling you Murray - not only do you not have a dozen degrees from Helstinky university (must have been a BOGOF offer after the last war) but you know nothing about car parks either.

Only what I know is car barks. When something is moving, village dogs start to bark.
.

 

[ladaok]

My hives are in the back garden, about 10 metres from the house. I used to orient my hives parallel to the fence, which runs a few degrees off West-East, which looked neater and meant the entrances were not pointing across the garden, so the bees did not fly at us in the garden. This meant the sun hit the entrances, which faced slightly SW, around 9:30 to 10AM.

But the hives did not thrive. So I asked around (including on this forum) about whether there was any truth in the story you see in old beekeeping books, about turning your entrances so the morning sun hits them. It is meant to make the bees rise earlier, and then they go get more nectar (before the other hives in the area wake up). Opinions were divided 50/50, yes/no.

So I tried rotating the hives about 30 degrees. Turns out it still looks tidy next to the fence, even though they are not parallel. And the sun hits the entrances earlier. The bees now go flying 30-60 minutes earlier and the hives seem to be doing OK.

So my first answer is: in the UK point your entrances South or SE.

There are other considerations. In the UK (and I imagine in NZ) it gets hot at midday in the summer sun. At this point some shade is desirable. So if you have the option, place your hives on the East side of a tree which will shade it from noon on.

Also I am lucky because as the sun goes lower in the sky now, as winter approaches, the house blocks early morning sun on the hives. This means the bees do not come out when it is too cold. I have heard and read several times (once from Finman) that if bees are tricked by bright light to come out when it is really cold, as soon as they settle on something they freeze and die.

I run my comb "warm way" so it blocks draughts from the entrance.

With regards the 30 hives versus 4 hives thing. Finland is a very different climate and forage to the UK. I have seen large numbers of hives in one apiary (the biggest was 80 hives) but they were breeding apiaries where the operator was trying to flood the area with a particular strain. Even for pollination services, which need lots of hives, I imagine bee farmers would spread hives out in batches of say 4 because that would be more efficient than 30 hives in one field. A bee farmer told me our rural village could probably support 20 hives because there is a good variety of forage round here, not just fields of OSR. Right now there are probably 13 hives between 5 beekeepers plus 4 feral colonies (so you could view us as one 17 hive apiary) and our honey crops are not huge.

Hives in a circle would be a great way to tease un-scientific people. You could tell them the hives are arranged like an ancient stone circle to draw on the Earth Energy. And at midsummer we have to dance naked round them.

Hey brother, thanks for the effort on that reply. ... very interesting

A couple of things are becoming evident here, hobbyists V commercial, one is crowing about Kgs / hive, the other walks to the bank with Kgs of honey money, iv'e been in both situations, and the bk/ing practices are poles apart

hives in a circle ? as I say, may have been Harry Cloake ( cloake board ) who possibly started this idea. He used it for Q breeding. From all accounts, probably one of the cleverest beeks, seen the same in massive clover fields. Do you think we are dumb arse down here Finman. They obviously thought about it and tried the idea, and it works for those fella's.

Finman is obviously a man of many talents, we recon you should take up Polar Bear wrestling to add to your .....

 

[Finman]

Hey brother, thanks for the effort on that reply. ... very interesting


Finman is obviously a man of many talents, we recon you should take up Polar Bear wrestling to add to your .....

First of all, you could look from some map, where polar bears exist and where is Finland.

Take care that your ostrichts do not kick down you beehives.

You have not told how much you get honey per hive.

I had 40 kg average yield 50 years ago. 2-box swarms brought those yields. Further more those swarms draw 3 langstroth boxes foundations. Comb building took 15 kg honey per hive.



.
.

 

[MartinL]

So you noticed ..... if you imply they don't know what their doing, or refute their reason, .. ****, it's like stick'n ya head in a wasp nest, they are so patriotic, i's nearly beyond belief

WOW, looks like great sport to be had there???


Where do you sign up?

JBM?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

WOW, looks like great sport to be had there???


Where do you sign up?

JBM?

Nah, no fun, it's like shooting fish in a barrel - or taunting toddlers

A distant cousin is amurrican (and a trumpet supporter!!) so I get my fair share of their feeble minded ramblings on Farcebook with the election looming. Such a large country and nary two braincells to rub together.

 

[ladaok]

1q) Take care that your ostrichts do not kick down you beehives.

2q) You have not told how much you get honey per hive.

1a) So, your not as clever as you look eh? ..... check you zoology and country of origin.. we had several species of Moa here, not lawn Moa's either

2a) 36kg

 

[Finman]

1a) So, your not as clever as you look eh? ..... check you zoology and country of origin.. we had several species of Moa here, not lawn Moa's either

Same eh with you with your polar bear knowledge.

I checked the zoology. According news New Zealand's second biggest ostrich farm was closing. It had 3000 birds.

 

[Arfermo]

Watch How Bees Teach Each Other to Solve Problems

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/10/bees-learn-by-watching-each-other-bumblebees/

 

[ladaok]

Same eh with you with your polar bear knowledge.

I checked the zoology. According news New Zealand's second biggest ostrich farm was closing. It had 3000 birds.

check you zoology and country of origin.. ... try pulling your head out of the sand

 

[Anduril]

Same eh with you with your polar bear knowledge.

I checked the zoology. According news New Zealand's second biggest ostrich farm was closing. It had 3000 birds.

Does this mean Wales has moved continent as well, there was an ostrich farm in Pontarddulais, but the owner turned out to be a fraudster and drug dealer. Remind me to carry a sock in my beekeeping toolbox to place over the ostriches head.
What was this thread about?

 

[Finman]

check you zoology and country of origin.. ... try pulling your head out of the sand

That is good advice. I had forget it.

I have studied zoology in Helsinki university 5 years. And geography too. I know about zoology more than you will ever know.

I have here ostrich farm 20 km away. They are everywhere.

 

[Finman]

2a) 36kg

My average yields are between 60 and 90 kg. Biggest average yield is 130 kg/hive. It depends about weathers, how rain, temp and drought play inside that 6 weeks. Last summer biggest yield came from aphids. Canola gove nothing, even if I had tens on heactars around my small hives units.

We have maximum 6 weeks yield period. During that time best hives take 150-170 kg / hive. Best weeks are 50 kg, it means 7 kg a day. But if I situate hives in wrong place, I get nothing.

In whole Finland average yield is 40 kg.

 

[ladaok]

My average yields are between 60 and 90 kg. Biggest average yield is 130 kg/hive. It depends about weathers, how rain, temp and drought play inside that 6 weeks. Last summer biggest yield came from aphids. Canola gove nothing, even if I had tens on heactars around my small hives units.

We have maximum 6 weeks yield period. During that time best hives take 150-170 kg / hive. Best weeks are 50 kg, it means 7 kg a day. But if I situate hives in wrong place, I get nothing.

In whole Finland average yield is 40 kg.

to be honest Finman, those are very good averages, ... but at the end of the season I could walk away with 4 tonne of honey and 50 splits, that's what counts too me

 

[Finman]

to be honest Finman, those are very good averages, ... but at the end of the season I could walk away with 4 tonne of honey and 50 splits, that's what counts too me

I cannot and I have never tried. I have worked in capital city in another job. Beekeeping has been my hobby since age 15.

I have had 50 years about 15-18 hives. That is enough to me. I did not went to university to get a beekeeper job.

Once I tried 30 hives but the WALLS of my store rooms stopped the trial. I cannot turn my arse in those rooms.

I have 150 km trip from my home to my summer cottage, where the bees are. That is my life.

Many wonder why I drive car so much and why I move my hives. I just drive and I just move, and I have not even asked from my wife, can I do it.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Honey prices in USA September 2016

https://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/fvmhoney.pdf
.

I am a thief.