What have you learned in your first year?

[BrianO]

Quick way I found to extract a super of honey, when you dont have equipment to clear a super of bees, was removing frame by frame carefully brushing al bees off and placing in an empty super in /covered by black bin bag on ground beside hive beeless.

Removed a whole super like this without to much stress. Worked for me anyway.

 

[Samurailord]

Were you not "Suited and Booted " ?

I was wearing my wife's smock (they are her bees, but I was helping out when she couldn't be there), which had been quite sufficient before, but as I moved and lifted it rode up my arms leaving a nice expanse of unprotected flesh around my wrists which the bees found straight away and expressed their displeasure.

Several times.

Needless to say I now have a nice, new, well fitting smock of my own, plus a separate home-made set of elasticated sleeves that fit over the smock and gloves between elbow and wrist as well.

If any bee manages get to my bare skin past all that, then she deserves to be able to sting me just for sheer persistance!

It served me right for trying to penny-pinch during our first year.

Andy

 

[BrianO]

I feel your pain

I think I will stay in " Full Nuclear Retardant Suit " for next decade, dont mind the odd sting but no desire to be Mugged by the little Gits

 

[midnight sun]

1) Start off with say a maximum of 2 hives or it could overwhelm you at the beginning and put you off.
2) Keep your first year as simple as possible. Complex manipulations and such would just add pressure. (Start off slowly)
3) Keep the best full records you can until you are confident you can condense them into just what you really need to be successful. Reread them before you inspect the next time, that's what they are there for. Use that information to learn about your bees.
4) Keep plenty of money handy, your going to need it!
5) Be prepared to take a bit of 'flack' on this forum, it's usually for your own good from the more 'senior' members. You may feel that some are giving you a hard time, but they could turn out to be a better 'friend' than you realise. They try to make you think for yourself. You won't always have a 'mentor' to hold your hand.
6) Keep safe, (have a mobile handy for instance) especially on your own. You never know when things can go badly wrong!
I think that's enough to be going on with for now!

 

[thenovice]

1)don't go on holidays. Bees know when you are away and make sure to misbehave
2)do not inspect Q- hive when thunderstorm is brewing
3)propolis is sticky stuff
4)keep a back up of your hive records
5)Keep them high if you value your back
6)first honey tastes the best
7) do not leave a dirty extractor out in the garden as the bees are of the same opinion cfr 6
8) if you go out in denim and get ferocious attack, take your trousers off before getting in the car. stingers still sting, even if the bee is long gone and "dismembered".

 

[Nige.Coll]

Make sure your zips are done up properly. Angry bees in your suit aren't nice or fun.
You never have enough kit.
Nucs are very useful to have.
4 pint feeders make you use a lot of diesel if used at an out apiary.
Keep notes and read them if you can't remember.
Queens do swarm in their first season.
Setting up is expensive.

 

[beeno]

Hi all,
Every year is a first year for something in beekeeping. This year for me it is not having to feed some of my hives at all and finding crystalized Ivy in the frames.

 

[Cb50]

Happy bees have grumpy days

Trying to tie down my hives with ground spikes and ratchet straps.

My bees have been a generally happy bunch all year, not today.

I know the weather is not great but needs must, they are out and bringing in pollen but they really don't like what I am doing. Making a simple task frustrating. Started without suit and noticed they were not happy and following me, put suit on and they are just trying to annoy me (annoy me back as I am annoying them).

Have left it until it cools down and they are in will block the entrance over mouse guard and finish off the two hives.

Frustrated!