Hope we'll be able to come and visit them when they're settled
Silly question, but how do you know which way their flight path will be?
of course you can visit.
The hive only has an entrance on one side. That should be the warmest and most sheltered side. If you put something high a little way in front of that entrance they'll fly upwards as soon as they leave the hive to clear the obstacle.
lottie
Joined: 11 Aug 2005 Posts: 5059 Location: ceredigion
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 07 11:05 am Post subject:
It doesn't have to be a permanent barrier as it's not a problem in the winter----bean frames/nets, atichokes, fruit canes etc are fine---the bees won't go through them but seem to see them as solid. Since bees go up in a spiral-- in a small garden you need something around 6ft high around 5- 6ft away on any side they can fly into a member of the public to get them above their heads---not just in front of the hive entrance
chez
Joined: 13 Aug 2006 Posts: 35934 Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 07 2:35 pm Post subject:
Yay for bees! Hope it all goes well. Don't wear anything smelly - perfume, deodorant etc., apparently it wigs them out .
well we didn't pick them up as we had a phone call last friday afternoon from a rather embarassed and apologetic beekeeper - they'd swarmed!!
He caught them in a neighbour's tree but wanted to hold on to them for a day or two longer to make sure they were ok and not likely to do it again. We've since spoken to him again and they're fine, really strong, well bees and we can have a second go at picking them up this friday. He said that when he opened up his other hives, out of 25 hives, 18 had bees packing their little suitcases, preparing to swarm. Sounds like the warm weather has caught beekeepers out somewhat.
We've also had a phone call from the local village beekeeper who has also offered us some bees which will be ready in the next fortnight so we'll start off with two hives rather earlier than we'd planned, but there is mileage in getting some bees from him as they'll be local and he said he'd come and give us a hand with them and seems keen to encourage us as new beekeepers. It would be bad tactics and churlish to refuse his help obviously
lottie
Joined: 11 Aug 2005 Posts: 5059 Location: ceredigion
Posted: Wed Apr 25, 07 1:24 pm Post subject:
Much better to have 2 hives---that way at least you'll have bees next spring if you were unlucky enough to lose a hive next winter----good luck!
I'm hopefully starting my beekeeping course on Friday - Looking forward to it
keep us informed as to how you get on. I know you were worried about where to site them when you get your own but if its any help to know our local beekeeping assc last newsletter advertised someone who was happy to have hives on his land so you may find a suitable place through the people you meet on the course.
thank you Gil, our bee supplier reckons we may well get some honey this year which is a bonus as we'd not planned for that in the first year.
It is a whole new hobby for us!
joanne
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 7100 Location: Morecambe, Lancashire
Posted: Sat Apr 28, 07 10:37 am Post subject:
Mrs Fiddlesticks wrote:
jocorless wrote:
I'm hopefully starting my beekeeping course on Friday - Looking forward to it
keep us informed as to how you get on. I know you were worried about where to site them when you get your own but if its any help to know our local beekeeping assc last newsletter advertised someone who was happy to have hives on his land so you may find a suitable place through the people you meet on the course.
Well, with some tredpidation I went last night to my first class of 6 on Introduction to Beekeeping - Fantastic evening even though I had to leave early as I was already going out somewhere else - We learnt so much and we haven't even opened a hive yet (it is far too early still here)
I now understand the difference between the very pretty WBC hives and the Nationals - I hadn't realised the WBC's were double skinned
I learnt how to put a frame together, the importance of using Varroa mesh floors, that the localised strains around here are the native blacks rather than the Italian strain, that you shouldn't site hives in a row unless you have the entrance's in different directions to stop colony drift, what brule mite is and that you can keep down the levels of brule mite in the hive by using a little bit of tobacco in the smoker and treatment for Varroa can be done in September or April but not both as its too stressful for the bees, that apple pollen is green, horse chestnut is brick red and dandelion is a very deep yellow.......
Not bad for 1.5 hours plus the course is free if you become a member of the Lancaster District Branch of the BBKA
Next week amongst other things we will be making frames ourselves because the branch has been given a £6,000 grant by the Lottery to set up educational resources for new beekeepers which means they have some brand new equipment that needs to be put together and the group are going to gain the experience by doing that all together and they have 2 special hives just used by the beginners
Other stuff they offer is after a year of beekeeping you can take the BBKA Basic Beekeeping Examination which looks like something interesting to have on your CV
Of course I've still no idea where I'm going to site my hives but now I'm even more determined to have some
.
I want to do a course now (ok so I know it's not going to happen but never mind)
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