What have you learned in your first year?

[Ely]

I'm in my 5th year but in my 1st I learned that being organised and preplanning is absolutely key in beekeeping.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'm in my 5th year but in my 1st I learned that being organised and preplanning is absolutely key in beekeeping.

One day I'll get around to doing it

 

[Ely]

Same here. Tidied my bee room up today (used to be the pubs walk-in fridge). I can actually see the floor now and I don't stick to it. Put the supers in a stack instead of scattered to the wind.

 

[Cazza]

You would think that after a scary number of years, I would not be so stupid as to Pagden AS a hive, forget to mark the frame with the selected QC and promptly deliberately squash it on the second move, thinking I had missed it four days before.Aaaaaargh! Lesson: always mark the frame with your QC on it.

Fortunately I have too many hives as usual so it matters little but I am still feeling very stupid.
Cazza

 

[Mrs Webmuppet]

My daughter aka Little Miss Webmuppet (aged 14) and I spent the afternoon with our mentor today. We were anticipating an afternoon of hive inspections.....and spent part of it catching a swarm and a cast. Little Miss Webmuppet caught the swarm in a cardboard box and spent the rest of the afternoon feeling very pleased with her efforts, she was even happier when our mentor said she could install them in her nice new hive.

That's it no more room at the Webmuppet bee inn this year. I think we are pushing our luck with the neighbours now with three hives and 9 chickens in our little garden in the middle of a housing estate!

 

[BrianO]

Still experiencing it, in with two feet with one hive bought established ( to repay a favour hopefully in honey for getting a second fantastic apiary site) and two nucs.

What have I learned, .... Sounds corny but to respect and wonder even more still these incredible little critters ...

Oh and don't compound an earlier mistake of not putting metal runners in brood box, by letting your smoker run out of fuel with 3 brood frames propolised hard into place yet to be examined.... Holy Moly they went ( rightly so ) Bananas !!

 

[Erichalfbee]

That's it no more room at the Webmuppet bee inn this year. I think we are pushing our luck with the neighbours now with three hives and 9 chickens in our little garden in the middle of a housing estate!

Time to look for that out apiary in case. You do realise that it's worse than morehen disease when you AS them next year you'll have SIX boxes !

 

[Mrs Webmuppet]

I realise than more bees disease ( and the humans get no say in this one) is as bad as more hens........the local vicar has already suggested that subject to the church committees agreement we could use the unused corner of the church yard.......in exchange we would have to keep the under growth in that corner under control. I have already picked up a second hand nuc box and hive with the potential increases next year in mind.

But seriously 3 hives is sufficient for us to cope with for the time being.Our mentor has a whole team of 'trainees ' who he would be able to re home any excess bees with. Our mentor has had so many swarms to collect this year even he has run out of kit now....

 

[Finman]

I'm in my 5th year but in my 1st I learned that being organised and preplanning is absolutely key in beekeeping.

To be first year beekeeper, it means that you have not basic knowledge how a beehive lives through the year.

You may plan, but bees does not know anything about your plan.

It seems to me that a beginner has a rigid plan, how fast bees shoud draw foundations, feed feed feed, and the main plan is to get new combs. Very few think that they should get first a normal big colony.

Then the plan that "I do not mind about honey yield" . Then what I do then when bees get the yield...winter store planning in June...

I do not trust on 2-hive owners' planning. And other non experienced helpers does not make it easier.

 

[Erichalfbee]

You may plan, but bees does not know anything about your plan.

Finman, you are so right.
I have a folder on my computer desktop with my hive records therein. It makes for interesting reading.
This winter I took a photo of the apiary and wrote out "a cunning plan"; more out of boredom that anything else but behind it was some aspiration.
I looked at it this morning and broke into hysterical laughter..... What a season!

 

[Nige.Coll]

drawn comb is worth it's weight in gold

 

[SireeDubs]

Ok, so not first year (3rd), but immense learning curve...

Most notable amongst thing I've learned:

1. Plan, yes, by all means. But remain flexible. Bees haven't read the books.
2. Have a timeline for everything! Has really helped me understand what's happening, or what should be happening when it's not!
3. Don't shoot from the hip. I see a problem, I close up the colony, think about it and take action after consideration.
4. Don't flog a dead horse. Know when nature's got the better of you and graciously withdraw.
5. Ensure your 5 year old son doesn't get his two year old sister to poke a stick in the hive to see what happens. (Though on plus side, at least I know neither are allergic).

T

PS Have just noticed the front cover of a military journal hanging around in the kitchen. THINK WISELY, PLAN BOLDLY, ACT SWIFTLY . What they said.

 

[BrianO]

that sawdust , unless compressed to a certain extent , is not sufficient in the quantity of one fuel chamber fill, to keep a smoker going for the length of period for a standard hive inspection.

OK as a readily combustible base with longer burning material above, such as leylandii dried seed cones ( excellent ! ).

Small point but worth noting.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

that sawdust , unless compressed to a certain extent , is not sufficient in the quantity of one fuel chamber fill, to keep a smoker going for the length of period for a standard hive inspection.

OK as a readily combustible base with longer burning material above, such as leylandii dried seed cones ( excellent ! ).

Small point but worth noting.

I use shavings from bales of horse bedding plus dried twigs and can inspect 6 hives in the burn time from a full smoker

 

[Ben90]

Thornes' corrugated cardboard packing filler is also good smoker fuel, and also a good protector for sending jars of honey in the post.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

One of the things I learned in my first week of beekeeping, is that the temperature of the bottom of a smoker, is slightly higher than the melting point of a wheelie-bin lid!

The evidence is there every time I recycle my daily newspaper.

Dusty

 

[BeeJayBee]

I learned in my first 24 hours of beekeeping that bees don't like being messed with when it's dark, not even if you gently try to replace supers that had to be removed during transit.

I also learned how to light a smoker very, very, quickly.

 

[pargyle]

One of the things I learned in my first week of beekeeping, is that the temperature of the bottom of a smoker, is slightly higher than the melting point of a wheelie-bin lid!

The evidence is there every time I recycle my daily newspaper.

Dusty

Or in my case put some garden rubbish in the plastic compost bin ... I thought smokers were supposed to be insulated !

 

[jd101k2000]

I learned the importance of record keeping. I had enough difficulty remembering what I had seen in 2 hives, then I had 3, 4, 5, 6, 5, 6, 7, 8, 7, 8, 9, 8.

I think I have eight now. I will check my records to make sure.

 

[Ben90]

I think I have eight now. I will check my records to make sure.

Story of my life.

"How many colonies do you have?"
"7. No... I split one last week. 8."