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StuP

Joined: 19 Jan 2006
Posts: 123
Location: Aberdeenshire

Posted: Wed Feb 13, 08 10:50 am Post subject:
We have three hives - although only one's currently occupied We bought Nationals new (flat packed) with inheritance money from Kat's gran who used to keep bees down in Guildford. We thought it was the kind of thing she might have approved of. All of her equipment was gifted to the local association years ago except for one rather rusty old smoker.

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Wed Feb 13, 08 1:28 pm Post subject:
Because we've acquired bits piecemeal[ never one to pass by a bargain ] we have 2 kinds of hives----Langstroths and nationals---to complicate matters even more the langstroths have modified dadant supers---I prefer langstroths for the bigger brood box---but we got the national hives second hand for £20 each--and it is easier to get bargain bits for them---juggling is sometimes required

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35934
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Wed Feb 13, 08 5:17 pm Post subject:
We have four WBC hives, two of which are occupied at the moment. We are hoping to artificially swarm them this year and fill the two empty ones. Rather than the five uncontrolled swarms that we had last year

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Wed Feb 13, 08 5:25 pm Post subject:

Chez wrote:

Rather than the five uncontrolled swarms that we had last year

Tell me about it!!!---they only did it when my O.H. was away as well and formed clusters where they were well nigh impossible to get---last year mine just hadn't read the book---got really badly stung through gloves one swarm was so bad tempered. Better things this year

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35934
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Wed Feb 13, 08 6:24 pm Post subject:
I took comfort from Mochyn telling me that one year during his boyhood, ALL of Sir Edmund Hillary's father's 69,000 hives swarmed at once Edit: it might have been 6,900. But LOTS!

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon

Posted: Wed Feb 13, 08 8:54 pm Post subject:
Frankly even 69 hives swarming at once sounds like lots.

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 08 12:26 am Post subject:

Chez wrote:

I took comfort from Mochyn telling me that one year during his boyhood, ALL of Sir Edmund Hillary's father's 69,000 hives swarmed at once

Edit: it might have been 6,900. But LOTS!

WOW and er WOW!!!!!

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 08 11:14 am Post subject:
And Chez's hives are coming over here to live with my two as part of the great Montgomeryshire bee co-op...

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35934
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 08 11:19 am Post subject:

mochyn wrote:

And Chez's hives are coming over here to live with my two as part of the great Montgomeryshire bee co-op...

But there will, categorically, be NO SWARMING. I will be having a stern talk with them before they go.

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