Seriously thinking about beekeeping

[Elaine]

We got our first hive this year (my husband is by 'bee-buddy') - I would say the main thing you need to do before committing to your own hive is to make sure you feel confident handling a full hive of active bees! You need to respect them and their sting - but not be afraid of them. Sorry if it sounds like stating the obvious, but if you are not confident, then your movements will not be smooth and steady, and there will be a greater risk of squashing one, which will probably upset you as well as them :-(
Once you have them - I find it good to just sit and watch them coming and going - that helps you get a feel for thier mood - (although the down-side is you keep seeing things you've never seen before and wondereing what it means!)
Thirdly "Don't Panic" - Every time we make a decision on anything, based on what we've read/advice from the course we are attending/other beekeepers/our bee supplier/this forum or just what we think- the next thing you read or hear can be completely contradictory! And the bees do what they want anyway

Elaine

 

[richardbees]

Chris says:

"One of the reasons for looking to site my hive on our allotment is that the council is trying to push holders to keep hives."

OMIGOD !!!!

 

[oliver90owner]

My suggeastion is to retain any and all correspondence re this. Then when something does go wrong, they will have to bear some of the responsibility.

RAB

 

[chrisd1974]

I have bees on allotment in Mossbank St Helens if you want to come and have a look. BKAs are Southport, Liverpool and Ormskirk & Croston. I think they all recommend National hives

How do the other allotment holders think about your hive? Yes would love to pop down and take a peek

Thanks

 

[chrisd1974]

Thanks Elaine for the advice and good advice it is and what is the OMG for Richard lol

 

[beeboybee]

chris i will second sixfooters offer of a tour of my allotment hives!
i have had them there 18months and now actively looking for somewhere less Public!

PM me if interested

 

[SixFooter]

I have one or 2 hives, a bait hive and a varying number of nucs on my allotment. The plot next door has 2 hves. The Non Beekeeping plot holders are supportive, but I bribe them with a couple of jars of honey each. The boxes are sited next to barriers (shed, greenhouse,tree) so the bees have to fly up after leaving the hive. I try to inspect when there are no people about on the adjacent plots and I'll stop if the bees get tetchy.

Send me a pm if you would like to come round.

 

[rae]

Hives - whatever is popular at the local association. Probably nationals, if so, go for 14x12 or commercial broods - we are regretting our few Std Broods.

Location. A perfectly decent hive can turn into a bunch of utter b******s quite fast. Be prepared to re-queen, and ideally have an alternate site for them if they get nasty. You'll need to be really on the ball when it comes to increase: if the local drones are of b*****d heritage, that's what will end up in your hive!

 

[madasafish]

Welcome.
My advice?

Get a few stings first for yourself and anyone else who will help.

If you react badly to beestings, beekeeeping is not for you. Bad reactions include swelling , and in severe (and very rare) cases death...

No point in a hobby your body can not tolerate..

(and you will get stung...)

 

[Moggs]

Hi Chris. Welcome. I fear that you may not be listening closely enough to RAB and PH's counsel!

I keep bees on my allotment. I am very glad that I didn't start beekeeping on my allotment.

My own view is that beekeeping in a public environment calls for special measures. Some may have been lucky to date. Some may be experienced enough to deal with problems as they arise.

Bees bring problems, as a bee colony *will* get out of order at some point.

Then you as a beekeeper have a duty of care to act appropriately and maybe quickly.

A few thousand angry bees can be quite a handful (though you, unlike any Sunday afternoon children allotment gardeners, will have your full protective suit on).

Have a wiki for anaphylactic shock - maybe search the threads here. Then you can perhaps make a more enlightened decision.

Anyway, good beekeeping to you, whatever you decide.

 

[BBG]

Good evening to you beekeepers out there. As you can see from the title I am looking to get into beekeeping along with the many other hobbies that I have. Myself and my wife have an allotment which will alow bee hives, but I will be the first plot holder to have one. I am currently trying to research what type of hive I should get first but the sare so many with so many parts which I do not understand. I would like to have a hive which is a good size, dont want to get a small one then have to upgrade if you know what I mean. I have been intouch with our local bee keeping association and they are letting me attend their next meeting but just wanted to try and get the basics first from experienced people like yourselve so at least when i go to this meeting I know a small part of bee keeping.

Hope this makes sense

Thanks Chris

Langstroth
Three supers

And all the accoutrements.

Have somewhere three miles away you can take them to sort them out if they start following, aggression, unlikely unless you buy mongrels.

If you show willing to do that the same evening they're a problem, fellow allotment holders will feel more at ease knowing you have a plan B and accept them when you bring your docile herd back.

When sorted bring back and harmony will settle on the allotment

 

[chrisd1974]

Hi Chris. Welcome. I fear that you may not be listening closely enough to RAB and PH's counsel!

I keep bees on my allotment. I am very glad that I didn't start beekeeping on my allotment.

My own view is that beekeeping in a public environment calls for special measures. Some may have been lucky to date. Some may be experienced enough to deal with problems as they arise.

Bees bring problems, as a bee colony *will* get out of order at some point.

Then you as a beekeeper have a duty of care to act appropriately and maybe quickly.

A few thousand angry bees can be quite a handful (though you, unlike any Sunday afternoon children allotment gardeners, will have your full protective suit on).

Have a wiki for anaphylactic shock - maybe search the threads here. Then you can perhaps make a more enlightened decision.

Anyway, good beekeeping to you, whatever you decide.

Thanks for the words of wisdom but I can assure you that I am not jumping head long into this fabulous hobby I know I have a lot of learning to do and I must say that I have read everyones advice in great detail. I am well aware of the risks involved both to myself and other and have not taken this lightly, at the end of the day we could get hit by a bus. Chris

 

[richardbees]

I posted this earlier:

""Chris says:
"One of the reasons for looking to site my hive on our allotment is that the council is trying to push holders to keep hives."

OMIGOD !!!!""

why i say omigod is because keeping bees on an allotment is not the same as keeping pigs....a lot more education is involved !!!

 

[chrisd1974]

Yes I am aware of the education involved and I am so glad I haven't got pigs, they would eat everything on my plot!!!!!

 

[richardbees]

Sorry Chris , nothing against you it's just that anything 'Council sponsored' makes me worried...

Good luck with your bees, and this is the best website for advice

richard

 

[drex]

Welcome Chris,

In my second season of allotment beekeeping.

First I had to persuade the council to allow me to keep bees - you are already one up, but that did involve careful planning of the actual site, and getting the support of everyone on the site. Cannot emphasise the planning of the actual location enough.

Before getting the bees I went on local asociation course (theory and practical), and also enrolled another plot holder to come into the enterprise as a bee buddy - so one of us is usually about.

Any plot holder who shows an interest is given a beesuit, and can spectate during an inspection, if they wish.

Started off with one small nuc, and by the end of the year had 3 colonies ( 2 swarms).

The bees are well away from any thoroughfare on the allotment site, and cannot be directly seen from any thoroughfare.

I emphasise the need to plan ( the bees however will take no notice), and to let things build naturally.

Have fun

 

[chrisd1974]

I know Richard and like I said earlier I respect all the advice that you and everyone else have put forward. Cheers Chris

 

[Swarm]

Welcome Chris,

In my second season of allotment beekeeping.

First I had to persuade the council to allow me to keep bees - you are already one up, but that did involve careful planning of the actual site, and getting the support of everyone on the site. Cannot emphasise the planning of the actual location enough.

Before getting the bees I went on local asociation course (theory and practical), and also enrolled another plot holder to come into the enterprise as a bee buddy - so one of us is usually about.

Any plot holder who shows an interest is given a beesuit, and can spectate during an inspection, if they wish.

Started off with one small nuc, and by the end of the year had 3 colonies ( 2 swarms).

The bees are well away from any thoroughfare on the allotment site, and cannot be directly seen from any thoroughfare.

I emphasise the need to plan ( the bees however will take no notice), and to let things build naturally.

Have fun

That sounds like a great place to have an allotment.