skep beekeping

[tonybloke]

a nice article in novembers BBKA News magazine on skep beekeeping

 

[Chris Luck]

Skeps? Goodness me man are you trying to rattle all those cages again and in the BBKA News magazine of all places.

I hope it's made clear that this is not the way to keep bees unless the skeps are plastic and have frames that can be removed for inspection once a week.

Chris

 

[masterBK]

Brings back memories. It was in the early 60;s and a teenager. I did a live demonstration of driving bees from one skep to another at the three counties show at Malvern. I had only been shown the day before how to do it by an experienced beekeeper (I think he was called Tom Bradford).

 

[sunhivebee]

skeps? outrageous

Skeps? Goodness me man are you trying to rattle all those cages again and in the BBKA News magazine of all places.

I hope it's made clear that this is not the way to keep bees unless the skeps are plastic and have frames that can be removed for inspection once a week.

Chris

Surely it is made quite clear, they are responsible people, after all. As for skeps, there was a bee inspector in Wales who had a hundred or so colonies in skeps until a few years ago, then migrated to Warres and ended up joining the no-treatment nutters. I imagine he now lives in exile in Patgonia somewhere.

HH

 

[tonybloke]

Skeps? Goodness me man are you trying to rattle all those cages again and in the BBKA News magazine of all places.

I hope it's made clear that this is not the way to keep bees unless the skeps are plastic and have frames that can be removed for inspection once a week.

Chris

not read the article?
it's actually a well balanced piece, with some good ideas.

 

[tonybloke]

>Chris, I'll post you a copy of the magazine, if you like (I get 2 a month, as I'm a member of both Norfolk & Suffolk BKA's)
p.m. your address, eh?
regards, Tony

 

[MuswellMetro]

where do they put their matchsticks in a skep?

 

[tonybloke]

where do they put their matchsticks in a skep?

they use long matchsticks, called 'spiles' MM, straight through the skep, at 90 deg to the comb.
(but you knew that anyway)

 

[Chris Luck]

Chris, I'll post you a copy of the magazine, if you like (I get 2 a month, as I'm a member of both Norfolk & Suffolk BKA's)
p.m. your address, eh?
regards, Tony

That's extraordinarily kind of you Tony.

It's..

La Petite Claviere,
86400 Blanzay,
Vienne,
France

Chris

 

[For want of a better word]

I imagine he now lives in exile in Patgonia somewhere


That would be Juan Jones then ... Diolch !

 

[tonybloke]

That's extraordinarily kind of you Tony.
Chris

it's now enveloped, will post on Monday

 

[Goran]

I started with skeps in beekeeping. I bought skeps cause to get lot of swarms ( to increase numbers of colonies and to get lot of young queens). 3 sure swarms till 5 per skep. And in skep always is young queen. Now are all transffered to standard hives. I think when starting it's good thing if You can get cheap skep in spring to increase number of colonies for a price of one.. Next season just transfer to standard hive..

 

[oliver90owner]

I bought skeps cause to get lot of swarms

You could just have easily inserted 'nucs' for 'skeps'. About the same effect, but I might agree, a little more expensive, perhaps.

 

[bignikki]

There is a great series of films on youtube about skep beekeeping in eastern europe. type in
'heather skep beekeeping"
It,s fascinating and the old boy is a pleasure to watch. It shows how good natured bees can be too!



'

 

[For want of a better word]

There is a great series of films on youtube about skep beekeeping in eastern europe. type in
'heather skep beekeeping"
It,s fascinating and the old boy is a pleasure to watch. It shows how good natured bees can be too!



'

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=13917

enjoy... predates the new sun hives by a few centuries.... new wheel .. what colour?

 

[Goran]

There is a great series of films on youtube about skep beekeeping in eastern europe. type in
'heather skep beekeeping"
It,s fascinating and the old boy is a pleasure to watch. It shows how good natured bees can be too!



'

Also at our place ( south-east Europe) is centuries tradition skep beekeeping. If You want to see how it looks just copy word " vrškara" in the google video search and You'll get plenty of videos.
Various materials for making of it has been used - all from nature and it's really interesting. For example first thing what was interesting for me is to listen "singing" ( not actually singing but it sounds like that) of old queen which will go with swarm and young queens which still aren't "emerged".. This just few days before swarming.
But it need attention, and I had no time for it and I transffered it to a standard hive.

 

[Chris Luck]

predates the new sun hives by a few centuries.... new wheel .. what colour?

I would say the sun hive was as different to a skep as a National or any other type of hive unless I've misunderstood the construction and the way it works.

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/album.php?albumid=467

Chris