Why do you keep Bees?

[einsteinagogo]

I've always been interested in insects from a very young age, I used to have a "Creature Club", where I would collect insects, e.g. ants, spiders, beetles etc

now, I have my own space, garden, allotment, and to further my interest, and help out the Bees, I keep bees!

and they give me back, some beeswax and honey!

 

[Stiffy]

Yerrrs - O.K. the first lot was just grabbed from Wilko's by SWMBO as she hadn't done any forward planning (so much for the civil service high flyer!!) and it was this GM free 'smallholder' pellets and looked O.K. - called in the farmer's coop on the way back from buying grain for the flight pond and enquired as to suitable food: type1 the same 'smallholder' 25 kilo bag at something like 15 quid the alternative bog standard layers' pellets but not in the twee brown paper sack with rustic green writing but still GM free at half the price - and the difference the smallholders swindle has marigold in - marigold! I ask you is this country now populated by the gullible? or is it me?

No not just you, I must confess to being another sad bxxxxxd who originally succomed to a dreadful Chinese balsa wood chicken house and bought the best layers only to find the sodding hens I saved from becoming a Mcdonalds ate all their own eggs.....never again!
I now have legbars and light Sussex in a converted B&Q shed, waterproof and so many eggs we sell them along with honey.
We have an auto door and Mr Reynard hasn't worked out how to get in yet
S

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[jenkinsbrynmair]

only to find the sodding hens I saved from becoming a Mcdonalds ate all their own eggs.....never again!
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Cure for that is simple - my grandfather taught me, catch them at it and take the broken egg away, empty it out and refill with freshly mixed English mustard (the powdered sort from Coleman's) put it back in the run and they'll soon learn to leave well alone!!

 

[BeeNice]

Did motor racing, then went diving, got an allotment and though 'what's dangerous and challenging, beekeeping!'
Why not another thread 'Why do I keep chickens'

 

[Tonyatcwfarm]

Bees were a 2012 project for me to go with 2011s polytunnel mini orchard,and raised beds,2010 was the poultry breeding(Pekin bantams),2009 was get a sub 10 handicap in golf and 2013 was rabbit hunting with an airgun
Suggestions being taken for 2014

 

[REDWOOD]

[BBiryani, Tikka and Kojak][/B]

I don't mind eating Biryani and Tikka but I would find Kojak a bit too fat for my taste

 

[wood blewit]

my second year keepin bees all my friends call me a bee bore they start buzzin when they see me every bday an crimmy i get summat associated with bees my family an friends when they go on holiday never fetch me booze bak as a prezzy its summat associated with bees my wife buys beeswax polish now she never used to it was always mr sheen , my teenage daughters shampoo has essence of beeswax or summat bee like innit ,it never used to,, all the people in our little village call me now every time something flies from a hole in the wall of there houses and last halloween the local kids tasted my honey comb sweets an there mum an dads keep mothering me for the recipe,,, but i know after all of this when i talk to my bees about it they say don't worry we love you aaahhh my bees so kool wouldn't bee without em

 

[Queens59]

Mental health!! Forced to retire from teaching at 42 after a botched op. I was cracking up completely...I knew I had to do something, but was unsure what. I had wanted to keep bees and chickens for years, but chickens were out thanks to a property covenant; but bees were not included - so used some of my retirement lump to buy the basics (minus hives - free-cycle) I started off and the rest is history!!

 

[VEG]

I watched a program on tv with bees in with hugh fernly doodah and thought oooh that looks good and the rest is history

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Oh and-bragging now and aware how lucky I am-a beesting does not bother me (I carefully avoided the plural so as not to tempt fate...)

 

[Margaret Elisabeth]

I was interested in all aspects of nature as a child, tried to grow an apple tree from a pip,weeded rows of my relatives veg, fed the chickens in the run, my first sentence was "it bit me with its peck". I still have the photograph of me in the run when dad showed me how easily they could be shoo-ed away. I used to watch the different insects at the various blossoms and bees fascinated me. Horse riding, go karting, hill walking, abseiling, fire walking, flying a plane, been there done that. Last year I had the opportunity to attend a free three day course and jumped at it. There are newts and frogs in the pond fruit and flowers in the garden. How could I not keep bees? Shame about the covenant prohibiting poultry.

 

[betterbee]

hate long winter days look forward to spring trips by the bees ,forerunner to spring//summer ,been like this for40 years ,long may the interest continue

 

[willowfarmer]

I like watching them do all the work

 

[Margaret Elisabeth]

Plus I like the idea of women working collectively for the greater good of the community. And me getting the benefit, even if I do collect a few stings when I am not careful enough.

 

[Stiffy]

Cure for that is simple - my grandfather taught me, catch them at it and take the broken egg away, empty it out and refill with freshly mixed English mustard (the powdered sort from Coleman's) put it back in the run and they'll soon learn to leave well alone!!

Tried mustard, they just broke each egg until they found the 'good' ones! Nice idea re-homing and originally felt very good but wouldn't do it again.
S



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[jenkinsbrynmair]

We had a battery farm about two miles away from us - when my grandparents had basically packed in their poultry operation they would regularly buy in a load of ex layers (they were only a few pennies each), fatten them up for a while (and get the eggs of course) then slaughter them for our table - chicken was expensive in them days so it was a good scheme

 

[alldigging]

Why not another thread 'Why do I keep chickens'

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll187f27Pxg"]The Hazards of Backyard Hens - YouTube[/ame]

Substitute chickens for bees in this video...?

 

[Stiffy]

The Hazards of Backyard Hens - YouTube

Substitute chickens for bees in this video...?

Grrrrr I meet people like this on a daily basis!
The problem is they are supposed to be speaking the Queens English which doesn't have an inflection at the end of each sentence and an abbreviations for every other word.
OMG I am turning into a grumpy old Git must be lack of bee activity
S

PS don't look up 'Grumpy' street slang... you have be warned if you do

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

And OMG ?

 

[Stiffy]

And OMG ?

'Oh My God' which seems to have to start every sentence nowadays.