Swarm - to re-hive, pass on, release or ignore?

[Dogged]

I have noted that one of your motivations to keep bees is that you suffer from a serious mood disorder - as do I. I also note that you have an allotment.

May I suggest that you install your bees at the allotment after finding another beek who will be on standby to check on your bees when you are unable to get out to them. Clearly you may have to confide in this person about your health problems, but if you are comfortable to do that this could be a solution.

 

[mjt68]

Warre hives do have removable top bars. The design I like is actually has what I would call a 1/2 frame, it has a top bar and side bars, but no foundation. Makes removal of the bars and comb really quite simple.

In theory or in practice?

 

[dan3008]

In theory or in practice?

I'll tell you when I've tried them lol.
The one person I know with them says they are really good, and when I helped remove some old comb from the hive (it had been in there for 3 years, and he was starting to worry about accumulating disease), it slid straight out no problem, and hadnt attached to the sides at all. As for burr comb. I've never seen it be a problem in TBH, Yes, sometimes a bit more work, but never a real issue...
I guess we'll have to see

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Just read through this thread and have broken into a cold sweat.
As a bee mentor I think this bloke would make a good blacksmith he must be a danger to himself, his bees and the surrounding area.
Keeping bees in your chosen location looks far from ideal.
Keeping bees in a warre hive in your garden or indeed an allotment seems reckless and inconsiderate to your neighbours and recipe for disaster nd bound to end up inconveniencing (to be optimistic) your neighbours and will put you in thoroughly bad odour with them and more to the point your landlord - I would see letter to quit for the bees or worse in short order.
I would seriously reconsider the whole idea.

 

[Millet]

Just read through this thread and have broken into a cold sweat.
As a bee mentor I think this bloke would make a good blacksmith he must be a danger to himself, his bees and the surrounding area.
Keeping bees in your chosen location looks far from ideal.
Keeping bees in a warre hive in your garden or indeed an allotment seems reckless and inconsiderate to your neighbours and recipe for disaster nd bound to end up inconveniencing (to be optimistic) your neighbours and will put you in thoroughly bad odour with them and more to the point your landlord - I would see letter to quit for the bees or worse in short order.
I would seriously reconsider the whole idea.

, i was going to stick a hive in a garden on a terraced row of houses around 5yrs ago, my lady friend talked me out of it, i now have a hive in the middle of nowhere and after my short season last year i am really glad i listened to SWMBO.

 

[Madge]

...
The other option is to find the queen and clip her wings. ...

How are you going to find the queen in a hive with no moveable frames?

Warre hives do have removable top bars. ...

Yes, we know Warré hives can have removable frames - but what do you have? If they're not moveable, then you have a problem and possibly your neighbours as well; if they are moveable, then you're ok. Do an artificial swarm. End of story.

Have you read Warre's book?
... There is a section on swarm control in the book ...

Yes, he suggests splitting the boxes without finding the queen. That is no safeguard against swarming as the half of the colony with the queen might still have an urge to swarm and might not have been satisfied with that trick, and the half without the queen might swarm with virgin queens.

I skim-read bits of the book just now, and I think he talks about a 'woodland setting' - so not urban.

Kitta

 

[Cussword]

Seriously, it would be wise to listen to people.
Maybe keeping your bees at your allotment would cause less trouble for you in the long term.

Nobody is trying to put you off keeping bees, the majority just know better where they should be kept because of experience.


.

 

[mjt68]

That's 3 of us with dog avatars in one thread! OP - bees will be bees and different hive types are just different tools for the same job. I don't live in your neighbourhood so I don't have a horse in this race but I wish you all the best and would advise you to listen to the advice here and have a good think. At least get more hands-on experience with bees before jumping in the deep end. What you want may be possible, and I really think watching bees come and go is indeed therapeutic but a Warre is the wrong tool for the job and you need to consider your neighbours and what you might subject them to.

 

[dan3008]

Good news, I had an email from my local BBKA and will be getting a follow up in a few days with details of local apiary's where I can take my hive, and get some more local (and hands on) help from other keepers in getting started/maintaining my hive when I'm not well.

Given I'm not a member (yet) they are being really nice and helpful I suppose its all the more reason for me to join lol

bad news, I still need to sort honey/wax processing equipment, as they recommend processing it all at home because of the time involved. But yeh, hopefully by this time next year, I'll be back up to speed and have my first colony emerging after winter (although, maybe not, I might wait a year helping with other peoples bees)

--edit--
Added notes
-it has been recommend that if I want bees in my garden for pollination (which I do too) I could always set up a mini hive in the garden, and basically have a nuc at home for a few months each year... Not sure how that would work, but ill talk to somone about that later on
-what do people here think to flow frames? I'm wondering about making a hive with a set in a few years once in more settled into life

 

[BeeJayBee]

Excellent news Dan.

Good luck

There's no reason why you can't extract small amounts of honey using crush and strain, and it would be difficult to use an extractor for Warre frames anyway. Check online for how to do it. Otherwise you could probably hire an extractor from your association.

Wax processing is easy enough using old kitchen equipment, that nobody will ever want to use to cook with again.

 

[Dogged]

Good news indeed. Well done and enjoy your bees.

 

[Fatbee]

bad news, I still need to sort honey/wax processing

--edit--
Added notes
-it has been recommend that if I want bees in my garden for pollination (which I do too) I could always set up a mini hive in the garden, and basically have a nuc at home for a few months each year... Not sure how that would work, but ill talk to somone about that later on
-what do people here think to flow frames? I'm wondering about making a hive with a set in a few years once in more settled into life

That association may have equipment you can hire or if not there are some basic honey spinners available on the web. Beekeeping isn't cheap!

As for nuc at home, it's possible but you would need to keep a close on eye on it because in a strong honey flow they can soon get overcrowded and you will also need to learn how to unite back to your main colony.

Flow hive -- do a search in the search button will give you your answer!

I like your enthusiasm but one step at a time

 

[dan3008]

As for nuc at home, it's possible but you would need to keep a close on eye on it because in a strong honey flow they can soon get overcrowded and you will also need to learn how to unite back to your main colony.

yeh I've had quite a chat about that, there's a guy locally who does it, and is willing to teach me about having a him nuc, but wants me to wait a year or two first

Flow hive -- do a search in the search button will give you your answer!

I like your enthusiasm but one step at a time

I'm nothing I not enthusiastic lol. But I'm also sensible about these things. I'll do lots of research and make lots of plans, but ill go really slowly and only take it one step at a time.

Beejaybee - I plan on using the crush and strain method for now, and if I decide I a few years I want a framed hive, ill just have to look then

 

[Cussword]

Good luck to you Dan.
Be sure to keep us updated.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

-it has been recommend that if I want bees in my garden for pollination (which I do too) I could always set up a mini hive in the garden, and basically have a nuc at home for a few months each year...

I was at the Convention yesterday, and a couple of Harper Adams post-grads were showing their work and had two lots of bumble bees there. (Strange that these were the only live bees at a honey Beekeeper's Convention!)

Anyhow, they had small colonies of bees in small plastic 'hives' to be put in gardens. Only £40 - so really cheap.

An idea for you, Dan?

[Kaz will be along soon, with all the correct details. She's the expert. Kept going back to their stand all day!]

Dusty

 

[Erichalfbee]

I saw these a few years ago at Hampton Court Flower show. More expensive there, though.

 

[mjt68]

If you want to sit and watch bees come and go, work flowers and have a garden buzzing with life, bumblebees are a great shout! The Bumblebee Conservation Trust have plans for a nest, basically an upturned flowerpot filled with straw. Stuff which smells of mice is best, so set one up and see if mice move in or ask a friend or pet shop with a pet rodent for some old bedding (they won't charge!). You'll also be helping the environment and supporting threatened species! Sow some wildflower species and you're all set.

 

[pargyle]

If you want to sit and watch bees come and go, work flowers and have a garden buzzing with life, bumblebees are a great shout! The Bumblebee Conservation Trust have plans for a nest, basically an upturned flowerpot filled with straw. Stuff which smells of mice is best, so set one up and see if mice move in or ask a friend or pet shop with a pet rodent for some old bedding (they won't charge!). You'll also be helping the environment and supporting threatened species! Sow some wildflower species and you're all set.

Yes ... or build a small wall with very weak mortar and insert some fat drinking straws into the joints between the bricks (and remove them when the mortar has set), site the wall so it faces as near south as possible. You will find masonry bees (which are in decline because modern buildings have mortar that is too hard for them to mine) will take up residence in hoards. They are perfectly harmless and it's a joy to watch them coming and going. If anyone is going to RHS Wisley go and sit next to the wall by the childrens education centre and you will see them in hundreds. The wall was built specially for them ... and it works.