Der Alte Fritz
House Bee
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2010
- Messages
- 346
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Rye, East Sussex
- Hive Type
- WBC
- Number of Hives
- 2
Does anyone have any experience of renting hives, the pluses, minues, pitfalls?
Guess it may depend on how much you are renting the hive for, and if the monthly fee also depends on this.
But otherwise a brand new cedar flatpack with all the trimmings can be bought for £135ish and second hand and other woods even less, so more than a tenner a month for the rental will be costing you.
Yes but you need to take into account the cost of the learning, which I would have to buy. The alternative is to go on a course at between £30-300 and then find a mentor or pay for tuition at £25 per hour (as one rate I have been quoted).
What is the most cost effective way to learn beekeeping as a new beekeeper?
1) Read all of the bee books
2) Get a decent nuc from a proper supplier
3) Join the local association (now) and go to the winter meetings.
You don't have to have a mentor, but if you are in the local association there will be someone to help if it all goes wrong. Most of the time it doesn't go wrong.
Totally agree with Rea, I started in May of this year, have 3 hives that are doing really well. I went on a weekend course, joined the club and have plenty of people to call (just in case) like the time I caught my 3rd swarm of the season and didn't have a hive to put them in. Plus you need an interest in beekeeping, it's a bit like having an allotment, you have SO many people with good intentions, BUT, when the work gets a bit hard, or they can't be bothered, then it all goes to pot. Keep a look out in the future for hives full of bees going cheap (Not Cheap, cheap!).1) Read all of the bee books
2) Get a decent nuc from a proper supplier
3) Join the local association (now) and go to the winter meetings.
You don't have to have a mentor, but if you are in the local association there will be someone to help if it all goes wrong. Most of the time it doesn't go wrong.
(Not Cheap, cheap!).
whilst everyone has all argeed on the asso or club route can we try another?
yes the heratic is BACK.
firstly the person who wrote the starter text is abroad and not uk based so the idea of a club can be a little out of his depth of travel.
so lets start the other way!
everyone wants money and only the poor work for nowt so if this person has found a way to get some skill training and it works for him and his wallet then i say go for it, a rate of 10 euros per hour for the beek and say 50 euros for the hive for a year is pretty good to me.
Join your local association say £30 year max and all the lessons are free
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