What did you learn on your first day as a beekeeper?

[Torq]

To get rid of following bees and those clinging to your suit. Go stand in the shade for a couple of minutes, they'll get cold and go home!

 

[hallshoney]

not to be a tight git and buy a propper pair of gloves and the six hives i had taken on had come from the devil 16 stings later.

 

[FreeFall]

20 things learned in the first 8 hours as a beekeeper.

1) A nuc transit box is remarkably unprepossessing
- so no dramatic drive home in a bee suit. Dammit.

Unless you jam the correx travel box between the floor and the passenger seat in an attempt to stop it sliding around and inadvertently crease a corner, so the buggers start leaking out while doing 70 mph down the A419...

Nick

 

[flemage]

definatly the hive has wonderfull smell!

Watching an brand new bee coming out of its cell 'they are furry' and thinking i need a lot more kit.... a realy massive amount of new kit.

Oh and when you are most focused on the bee's, the sun is shining the birds are singing and for once the bees are calm, you will burn your fingers on the smoker and understand that molten plastic hurts more than any bee sting!

 

[george]

That it takes 3 'suggestions ' from your bee farmer mentor about trying these gloves instead of those c%$p leather ones you are crushing my bees with , before you catch on , swapping them for something thinner and with more feel .
G

 

[rae]

If your veil is touching your face, while you are peering into a hive, you will get stung on the nose.

 

[YorkshireBees]

What it feels like to climb up a tall ladder lent against a bendy tree to retrieve a swarm!

Hadn't actually planned to take up beekeeping but my father had just passed away and nobody had thoughts about the 4 hives he had in the garden until one of them swarmed!

I grabbed his smock and gloves and the trusty cardboard box he used to collect swarms and set off up the ladder to try and retrieve them with a brush in hand!

Half an hour later, after experiencing close up the noise a few thousand swarming bees make from close up, I had the majority (including the Queen) in the box and felt elated!

Now a few years later I have to remind myself of that initial feeling when I am 'elbows' deep in a big hive inspection with a great cloud of bees round me and no fear!

In essence with the right gear and method the bees do you no harm!

 

[fiftyjon]

Beekeeping is supposed to be a relaxing hobby!!!...

 

[Excession]

Just because you inspect your mates hives wearing only a veil for protection without issues, doesn't mean that's suitable attire for moving a hive.

Especially when a rotten old bottom board falls apart and dumps a thousand Bees in your lap!

Just because they are gentle (only got one sting) dont get lax, you will be more confident dealing with dramas in a full suit.

Lesson learned! Suit ordered!

 

[BeeJayBee]

Two ratchet straps are useful for holding hives together, at 90 degrees to each other.

Separating a super from a brood box before putting them in the car, and then trying to re-combine them in the dark doesn't result in happy bees.

 

[Mike a]

OSR = excited frenzy even if its dark when you open the hive entrance after moving them to the field.