Prospective beekeeper - needs kick up backside!

[barratt_sab]

I have asked two farmers in the last year, both of whom said they'd be delighted to accommodate hives, and I've had someone approach me to ask if we'll put a hive in their field - I have been pleasantly surprised at how willing people are to help.

Another forum member has suggested freecycle as a way to get a site for a hive - I've not tried it, but they had a great response, as I recall.

 

[nottingham]

Hi Andrea,

I have just started to look for new apiary sites. I put an advert on gumtree monday just past (21/03/11) and now I have 3 new apiary sites. Why not try it. http://essex.gumtree.com/

________________________________________________________________________
example:

Hi, I am looking for a large garden I can use to fulfill my passion to become a beekeeper. Only a small part of your garden will be needed, about 1 square meter. My garden is not very big at all and I don't want to upset my neighbours, with bees flying into there house.

There will not be any cost to yourself and if all goes well you will get some free honey too. You may have been thinking about taking up beekeeping yourself but worried about how much money if would cost you to buy a Hive, bees and protective clothing. The start up costs can bee a lot but with my bees in your garden you could help me and do a kind of “try before you buy” Then I could give you the details of the local beekeeping association.

Thank You for taking the time to read my advert. My contact number is: 07*********.

Andrea
_____________________________________________________________

There is a way that you could get yourself a colony of bees on the cheap but it is not guaranteed to work. Yet I have had a lot of success myself.

You could setup 4 or 5 swarm bait boxes. I have looked up farmers on yell.com and phoned them to ask if I could put swarm boxes on there land. 8 out of 10 will have no problem with this at all.

All you need is a box that can take 5 or 6 brood frames. A box made of corrugated plastic would do fine or just find some old wood and make the boxes yourself. Making sure to make a entrance for the bees. Then buy some Lemongrass ESSENTIAL OIL (you can buy it on ebay for £1.78) put 5 drops of the oil in the box and wait for the farmer to phone you. You may even find that the farmer lets you keep the bees on his farm too.

Good luck.

Duncan

 

[nottingham]

Another forum member has suggested freecycle as a way to get a site for a hive - I've not tried it, but they had a great response, as I recall.

I put an advert on freecycle myself and although I did get a reply to my advert I later found out that I had broken there T&C lol

Duncan

 

[AndreaW]

At a slight tangent - the nature, size and aspect of your garden and its relationship to neighbours gardens could be relevant. My grandchildren and my next door neighbour's children are so interested in my bees - and it has stopped them being silly every time a flying insect comes close to them. When hives are empty it is a great opportunity to let them see and discuss what will happen when bees arrive. I have a hat / veil/vest thing so it will fit children and if supplemented with wellies and thick denims etc they can get close if they are interested. However, the hive is separate enough and the bees are single minded enough that as long as they avoid flight paths they can enjoy from a distance without problems. They'd be at greater risk from passing wasps if they had sticky sweets than from my bees.
However, I am quite fortunate in the size and aspect of the garden and only have neighbours on two sides - not in the direction the bees most commonly head.
Tricia

Garden is about 100 ft long by 40 ft wide I think. We were thinking of putting a hive at the back left hand corner originally behind our chicken enclosure. We would fence it off so that our two little ones couldn't get to it, however my dh is more worried about visiting children kicking a football at the hive and all the bees coming out to attack! My kids actually want me to put a hive in the garden (they are 8 and 6). We have had some grief with our neighbours on one side re our chickens sometimes being noisy early in the morning, just think they will be even worse (the neighbours not the chickens) if we get a hive as well. The other neighbours are all fine

 

[AndreaW]

I have asked two farmers in the last year, both of whom said they'd be delighted to accommodate hives, and I've had someone approach me to ask if we'll put a hive in their field - I have been pleasantly surprised at how willing people are to help.

Another forum member has suggested freecycle as a way to get a site for a hive - I've not tried it, but they had a great response, as I recall.

I have put a request on freecycle - no luck yet, most people seem to think I want a free hive as if. Thought my request was pretty clear but obviously not

 

[AndreaW]

More information needed before a decision on hives in the garden or not! Size of plot, divisions between neighbours ie hedges, fences etc My grandchildren love the bees but the area with the hives has a gate and they know not to go up there without me! But they watch from another part of the garden and go around looking for them on the flowers!
I didn't get my hives until I had got involved in quite a few practical sessions at the local assoication's apiary - you need to check if this is really for you or not! Some people were just too frightened to go near!
Louise

I have actually been to an open hive day and held a frame full of bees - that was fine and I loved it. I am beginning to think though that the advice to do the practical first might be a good idea - I don't want to feel out of my depth. Maybe that is why I keep stalling on decisions

 

[nelletap]

Though the main freecycle and - the UK controlled Freegle - groups don't like posts asking for something like this on their main sites (intended for things that would otherwise end up in landfill) many have 'cafe sites' where this would almost certainly be allowed and encouraged. On our local group (chilternfreegle) the cafe site (chilterncafe) has a healthy range of swaps for plants or seeds during the summer and there is sharing of green ideas or recommendations of tradesmen on there as well.
Note that the majority of the freecycle groups in the UK formed their own version (Freegle) about 18 months ago. Where the US freecycle network created replacement groups these are mainly run by US moderators though there are still some UK managed freecycle groups.
tricia

 

[AndreaW]

Thanks for the Gumtree info Duncan - I might try that. Mulling over whether to just do the practical course and wait a year now ;-) Although I do worry I will have lost momentum and forget things . Hopefully I might be able to help one of the existing beekeepers in our BKA as there is one nearby.

 

[nottingham]

beekeeping is mainly about confidence. I started beekeeping because I put "free hobby course" in google and a website came up saying free beekeeping course for beginners. I only started because it was a good way of having a day away from the misses without it costing me anything. I have now got my own bees and a new misses lol.

When I first got my bees I was worried all the time that I might do something wrong. I also use to get "phantom bee stings" I know it sounds silly but having your own bees takes a bit of getting use to and you want to tell everyone you meet that you have your own bees lol.

Duncan

 

[AndreaW]

beekeeping is mainly about confidence. I started beekeeping because I put "free hobby course" in google and a website came up saying free beekeeping course for beginners. I only started because it was a good way of having a day away from the misses without it costing me anything. I have now got my own bees and a new misses lol.

Duncan

I better not let my hubbie see that - he'll never let me get a hive

 

[alexander]

Thanks for the Gumtree info Duncan - I might try that. Mulling over whether to just do the practical course and wait a year now ;-) Although I do worry I will have lost momentum and forget things . Hopefully I might be able to help one of the existing beekeepers in our BKA as there is one nearby.

Chelmsford course by any chance?

I bought my hive before the end of the course, and bees on order, will do the practical course, but just wanted to get going really. Dont like waiting!

Luckily folks have a small holding, so space is not an issue, as reguards looking for a farm, go for an arable farm. I work on a mixed arable/pig farm, and we dont like to have people coming and going, its a massive disease risk. But most farmers I know would let you have a tiny (and thats all you need) bit of land.

Learn on the go thats what I think!

 

[nottingham]

Andrea, getting good support and advice from a beekeeper that has had there own bees for a long time will be invaluable. You can't put a cost on support like that but don't tell the beekeeper that or they may bill you lol. My advice would be to not start getting snowed under with to much beekeeping info, as you will find that it will become info overload.

Yet make sure that the help and support is always there and just BUY A HIVE!!!! PLEASE lol. If you buy one on Ebay and it doesn't work out just re-list it on Ebay and get your money back. If you buy it at a good price, you may even make some money on top of what you paid.

Beekeeping will change your life. It can't be explained to the humble non-beekeeper but you have handled a frame of bee and you must of got a buzz from it lol

Duncan

 

[KayJ]

Originally Posted by barratt_sab
I have asked two farmers in the last year, both of whom said they'd be delighted to accommodate hives, and I've had someone approach me to ask if we'll put a hive in their field - I have been pleasantly surprised at how willing people are to help.

Can any one give me a rough idea as to the cost of an out apirary? Is there a going rate?

 

[Lois]

My out apiary costs nothing and I think most don't charge. I have mine conveniently on my way home from work. So try to have an apiary at a convenient site for you as well, if it's too far out of your way you migh find it more difficult to visit it.

 

[louiseww]

As a newbie, I learned for a year, during that year I bought two hives and assembled them ready for the bees - I was of the view that if I changed my mind during that time then I could easily sell the hives once assembled.
To decide whether or not your garden is safe with youngsters you would need to give me some more detail. The top end of ours has a gate and our grandchildren only go up there with one of us and they have had the safety ideas drilled into them now for over a year. You need screens, hedges or such like to make sure the bees come in high and down - but there will always be certain time of the year when they don't play the game and are agitated because of wasps/swarms in the area and they get very territorial but if you garden is large enough this isn't a problem. There are times when we can only use the area nearer to the house (our garden is about 100ft long)!
Hope this help!
Louise

 

[louiseww]

I believe, from others who have out apiaries, that the cost is the provision of a nice few jars of honey when the flow starts, to the owner of the land. The benefits to the farmer with crops is payment in itself!
Louise

 

[louiseww]

Andrea, getting good support and advice from a beekeeper that has had there own bees for a long time will be invaluable. You can't put a cost on support like that but don't tell the beekeeper that or they may bill you lol. My advice would be to not start getting snowed under with to much beekeeping info, as you will find that it will become info overload.

Yet make sure that the help and support is always there and just BUY A HIVE!!!! PLEASE lol. If you buy one on Ebay and it doesn't work out just re-list it on Ebay and get your money back. If you buy it at a good price, you may even make some money on top of what you paid.

Beekeeping will change your life. It can't be explained to the humble non-beekeeper but you have handled a frame of bee and you must of got a buzz from it lol

Duncan

Check out caddon hives, very good price, excellent quality, but no queen excluder with it!
L