Tips for new beeks

[jignog]

Hi all,

I have written an article on a blog which is about tips we have all picked up during our beekeeping experiences that we could pass onto new beekeepers. Some of these tips are not covered much in the books we have suggested to us.
Give it a scan over and comment on the article and I can update it with new content.

Many thanks

EDIT from moderator. Your link points to your shop and advertising is not allowed. Please join in tips by all means but post them in the thread. Thank you.

 

[Poly Hive]

Check your zips BEFORE approaching the bees.

Keep the sun behind you.

Bees can and do move a lot faster than you think possible.

Learn to keep your hive tool in your hand as well as the frame.

And the tip to be calm and confident is sorry to say a bit useless. That comes with experience.

PH

 

[jignog]

Good tips, especially with the zips.

 

[jignog]

My apologies moderator.

 

[Adam Bourne]

Could you post any of the tips from the article on this thread? Would be really interested to see them as I'm learning myself at the moment

 

[B+.]

Check your zips BEFORE approaching the bees.

Excellent point PH.
Something I should have done yesterday - I went through 3 before I realised there were bees crawling inside my veil!

 

[Show me the honey]

Don’t worry about a bee or 3 on your hands they are just checking you out start flapping and they might not be so happy to see you!

 

[Curly green finger's]

This thread probably exists but I thought I would start another one.

1 never inspect a colony when they are oriantating.

2 don't wear leather gloves that have bee venom on.

3 get some one else to move heavy supers for you.

The list is endless feel free to add more Cheers.

 

[Erichalfbee]

This thread probably exists but I thought I would start another one.

1 never inspect a colony when they are oriantating.

.

Why?

 

[enrico]

Why?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Try it and see! Lol
On a more serious note!
You will get a face full of bee's.

Half the colony will be very very unstable on the frames.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

never inspect a colony when they are oriantating.
.

Why?

Try it and see! Lol
On a more serious note!
You will get a face full of bee's.

Half the colony will be very very unstable on the frames.

Do it often, can't afford to wait for them to stop orientating (which they seem to do often) and never had a problem - why would they be unstable on the frames?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Do it often, can't afford to wait for them to stop orientating (which they seem to do often) and never had a problem - why would they be unstable on the frames?

I've got videos through a clear crown board of when there oriantating and one half of the colony are running all over the frames.

In my first year I inspected a colony that was oriantating and my above posts /replys were what happened..
Would you suggest a new bee does inspect a colony while oriantating then? I'll post one of the videos in a mo.


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[enrico]

I thought the 'why' referred to the new thread!

 

[Curly green finger's]

I thought the 'why' referred to the new thread!

Because I thought it might help new beeks??
My personal experiences.

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[B+.]

Do it often, can't afford to wait for them to stop orientating (which they seem to do often) and never had a problem - why would they be unstable on the frames?

Stability on the comb is a genetic tendency related to a nervous disposition which can be selected out.
If you have a number of colonies in an apiary, at least one will have bees performing orientation flights so you can't wait indefinitely.

In terms of what advice I'd offer to a new beekeeper: Always have a spare hive tool. The number of times I've left my hive-tool ontop of a hive at the other side of the apiary (or even in a different apiary) is so time-consuming.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Stability on the comb is a genetic tendency related to a nervous disposition which can be selected out.

If you have a number of colonies in an apiary, at least one will have bees performing orientation flights so you can't wait indefinitely.

But for a new beek that has one or two??

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[B+.]

But for a new beek that has one or two??

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IMHO, that is only a problem because of the way "new beekeepers" get their bees in the UK.
If everyone relies on swarms, that sets the bar for the quality of bees everyone has. If, as happens in countries like Germany, there are proper breeders who propagate good bees, the bar is set that much higher - it's this dependence we have here on the lowest common denominator.

 

[Curly green finger's]

IMHO, that is only a problem because of the way "new beekeepers" get their bees in the UK.

If everyone relies on swarms, that sets the bar for the quality of bees everyone has. If, as happens in countries like Germany, there are proper breeders who propagate good bees, the bar is set that much higher.

Well here's to rearing some really nice stock in the future [emoji106]

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[Swarm]

Most 'new beekeepers' buy that 'nucleus headed by 2020 buckfast queen'.
High percentage lose that queen in a matter of weeks, umpteen swarms collected this year with blue spot queens.
Don't blame the bees, the clue is in the name beekeeper and some people aren't.