Skeptics

Starting this blog for those who are interested in skep beekeeping.

I do not keep bees in skeps and am quite happy with my Nationals but I get the impression there are plenty on here who might consider the former. From my perspective, if the advice of many on the forum about the more common moveable frame hives cannot sway you, I'd rather that there is some advice to maximise your chances of success and somewhere where questions can be asked without any slanging. The bees come first.

I would ask those who might want to discuss on this blog to consider this before responding to others, whatever your view. It is fine to challenge but do it constructively. If someone irks you, be the bigger person. Let's leave the faeces for cladding skeps with!

As a first post, and this is outside of my expertise so they may be irrelevant, I will suggest some potential issues and ask that those who have experience, ideas or relevant knowledge give pointers, even if not skep keepers. I probably won't be very involved but if it gets cantankerous I'll go running to the mods, so there.

• A straw skep does not offer much insulation or protection from the harsher weather. As such overwintering is a potential concern. Some form of shelter (e.g. Bee boles) is probably going to be useful.
• If coating it in faeces, check with the farmer that the livestock it's from haven't been wormed recently. Many wormers have an insecticidal activity.
• Inspections will be hard/impossible. How do skep keepers monitor for diseases and is it possible to mitigate the risk of swarming?

 

[blackcloud]

I'm ambivalent to the idea -each to their own- but It does strike me as odd that you would want to regress to a less efficient means of beekeeping-especially with disease precautions being an increasing factor.
I'm as nostalgic as the next old codger ( Fred Dibnah is an icon) but I wouldn't want a traction engine as my daily transport.

 

[Apiarist]

• A straw skep does not offer much insulation or protection from the harsher weather. As such overwintering is a potential concern. Some form of shelter (e.g. Bee boles) is probably going to be useful.
• If coating it in faeces, check with the farmer that the livestock it's from haven't been wormed recently. Many wormers have an insecticidal activity.
• Inspections will be hard/impossible. How do skep keepers monitor for diseases and is it possible to mitigate the risk of swarming?

From memory based on what I have retained from their mention in books and some research...

A straw skep I think 1" - 1.5" thick gives more insulation than the average wooden beehive ALSO it's shape gives it an advantage, if I recall Derek Mitchell's (?) research found the skep was the second best for the bees in relation to thermo regulation.

Didn't think of cow poop containing insecticides, well thought out, but yes they will need some form of water proofing for them to benefit from the insulative characteristics of the straw.

The inside the skep will be very rough, causing the bees to cover it with a thick layer of propolis (2mm after two years), this will help somewhat towards disease BUT you are right, you will not be able to do inspections for disease and pest control: And as for swarm control, my understanding was that an old skep was placed in the same apiary for the swarm to occupy.

Would be interesting to see if bees in a 40L skep survived better than bees in a National Brood box IF both were left untreated...?

 

[emmac79]

You might find my thread Skeps Appeal interesting. I can’t link to it right now. If you would genuinely like to understand more about keeping bees in skeps, I highly recommend Chris Park’s course on Skep beekeeping. I just attended and it was fantastic and highly informative. It’s run through Bees For Development.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Skeps Appeal

 

[emmac79]

Skeps Appeal

Thank you, I was on my phone and hadn’t had my coffee yet

 

[Erichalfbee]

I've only just managed the latter

 

[Anduril]

You can inspect a skep by turning it upside-down and by removing some comb but you have to put it back using a wooden skewer, along the lines of a cut-out. Skeps are small and do create swarming, but some of the skeps had holes at the top and a cut to size queen excluder can be used to make a skep super. Other than killing the bees to harvest the honey you can use drumming after turning the skep upside-down to drive the bees up to a skep placed above it. I think you would have to have nice bees in order to do that and they used to have drumming competitions to see who could get the queen into the other skep first.

 

[emmac79]

You can inspect a skep by turning it upside-down and by removing some comb but you have to put it back using a wooden skewer, along the lines of a cut-out. Skeps are small and do create swarming, but some of the skeps had holes at the top and a cut to size queen excluder can be used to make a skep super. Other than killing the bees to harvest the honey you can use drumming after turning the skep upside-down to drive the bees up to a skep placed above it. I think you would have to have nice bees in order to do that and they used to have drumming competitions to see who could get the queen into the other skep first.

Yes, exactly this.

I much prefer the idea of the two storey method with queen excluder. I watched Chris drum to allow him to remove some honey. He made it look very easy

 

[Erichalfbee]

How about keeping some bees in a skep. Forget about interfering with them entirely and keep a traditional moveable hive for your honey?

 

[emmac79]

How about keeping some bees in a skep. Forget about interfering with them entirely and keep a traditional moveable hive for your honey?

It’s certainly an idea. I’ll keep my topbars as I like them a great deal (and they were pricey!)

 

[Erichalfbee]

Keeping bees in a skep. Why? I mean why would you do it?

 

[emmac79]

Because it works? I'm not sure I understand the question. I thought we'd had this conversation on the other thread?

 

[Anduril]

Keeping bees in a skep. Why? I mean why would you do it?

It's another way of viewing them from a bygone era.

 

[Anduril]

Keeping bees in a skep. Why? I mean why would you do it?

Also another way of looking at it, you are keeping traditions alive.

 

[emmac79]

Also another way of looking at it, you are keeping traditions alive.

Skep making itself is on the endangered craft list. I'd like to learn how to do it purely on that basis alone.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Because it works? I'm not sure I understand the question. I thought we'd had this conversation on the other thread?

Thus is a different thread. To keep tradition alive has been mentioned. Is it a tradition that’s worth keeping alive? Would you do it because it “seems” more “natural” ?
It’s not a trick question
If you want honey there are easier ways.
If you want to let the bees simply live in one why not just leave them alone?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Skep making itself is on the endangered craft list. I'd like to learn how to do it purely on that basis alone.

Indeed. But why do you have to put bees in one?

 

[emmac79]

I know it's a different thread but in the other thread you said "There are many ways to keep bees. Whatever floats your boat." and so you can understand that a thread on the same topic with a "Why would you do that?" seems ever so confusing?

Like you said, it's another way to keep bees. Not an either/or type thing.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I’m not disputing that it’s another way to keep bees. I’m not against it at all. It just seems invasive.