Tips for new beeks

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Here's a few tips :
In general, reserve youtube for porn and pictures of cats
Be very careful where you obtain your advice from,being exceptionally mindful of anything which involves the letters B,A,K and B, or anyone that recommends you hold your lit smoker between your legs
Always have a 'reserve' hive tool tucked under the mat in your vehicle

 

[Antipodes]

My advice would be that there is quite a bit of learning to be done, more than might be initially imagined, which takes time.

I think it was Dr Rob Sloane who described fly fishing as a collection of personal experiences and I consider beekeeping to be much like that too.

 

[Murox]

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.

Perhaps advice on - "How to keep your new Queen and nucleus" - from swarming might be useful.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think it was Dr Rob Sloane who described fly fishing as a collection of personal .

I thought it was more 30% trying to avoid getting your fly stuck in the back of your head, 30% getting it out of trees and 40% trying to get it near a fish

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Perhaps advice on - "How to keep your new Queen and nucleus" - from swarming might be useful.

That's advice applicable to both new and not new beekeepers

 

[fiat500bee]

Here's a few tips :

Be very careful where you obtain your advice from,being exceptionally mindful of anything which involves the letters B,A,K and B, or anyone that recommends you hold your lit smoker between your legs

I've seen that done on YouTube vids and many other obviously misguided, bravado-motivated things.

Reading between the letters on your three consonants and a vowel I'm wondering what you object to.? Reason being, I hate clubs and organisations in general, but get the impression that new beekeepers are supposed to register/ get involved/seek practical guidance.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I've seen that done on YouTube vids and many other obviously misguided, bravado-motivated things.

Reading between the letters on your three consonants and a vowel I'm wondering what you object to.? Reason being, I hate clubs and organisations in general, but get the impression that new beekeepers are supposed to register/ get involved/seek practical guidance.

It’s a joke between us old lags. This forum was set up as a refreshing and innovative alternative to the BBKA forum where dissent and debate was instantly squashed.
Some BBKA guidance is suspect
There are better
Join your local BKA, get a mentor and play with their bees and you won’t go far wrong.

 

[Dogged]

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.

 

[DaveG23]

My advice that as a novice I am still trying to follow.

KISS: especially swarm control, learn a simple method. Don't try to do anything involving swapping brood boxes to different stands until you have mastered something like the nuc method.

You can never have enough drawn combs.

You need more kit than they tell you. Buy spare brood boxes, buy a nuc box.

Buy your hives and supers in the sales!

Aim to have at least 2 hives, it's so easy to lose your only hive.

Aim to have a nuc for overwintering.

Keep going back to the books and more experienced beeks, you won't remember half of what you were taught.

Unless you have a photographic memory, Take notes. You will forget most of what you have seen, you will forget dates.