Bees! Yay for bees!

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Bees! Yay for bees!
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Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Fri Jan 12, 07 9:37 pm Post subject:
Fancy them ringing you Clearly developing a certain reputation in the area What is it about bees - I have always fancied some. I remember reading many soppy books as a young girl where bees were mentioned somewhere or other.

2steps

Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 5349
Location: Surrey

Posted: Fri Jan 12, 07 9:47 pm Post subject:
excellent

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45460
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Jan 13, 07 12:53 am Post subject:
bee(n) fascinated for ages and ive never got organised yet please let us know how it goes

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sat Jan 13, 07 10:27 am Post subject:

ruby wrote:

What is it about bees - I have always fancied some. I remember reading many soppy books as a young girl where bees were mentioned somewhere or other.

Winnie the Pooh?

Anna-marie

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 980
Location: West Wales

Posted: Sat Jan 13, 07 10:02 pm Post subject:

wellington womble wrote:

ruby wrote:

What is it about bees - I have always fancied some. I remember reading many soppy books as a young girl where bees were mentioned somewhere or other.

Winnie the Pooh?

Good luck, Chez,
I hope that they are what you are looking for

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Sun Jan 14, 07 12:10 am Post subject:

dpack wrote:

bee(n) fascinated for ages and ive never got organised yet
please let us know how it goes

Echoed.
Chez, keep us up to date on how the fun goes, won't you?

Lorrainelovesplants

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne

Posted: Tue Jan 16, 07 7:05 pm Post subject:
You lucky thing! I got my first hive and bees in August, they are so brill. Ive been feeding them on fondant lately, but its been so mild they are still buzzing about. Hoping to get another hive this year. They are so easy to keep! Best of luck! Lorraine

Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Tue Jan 16, 07 7:28 pm Post subject:
Totallly ignorant question, but how long can bees be left for, say if you wanted to go on holiday or something?

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Tue Jan 16, 07 7:29 pm Post subject:
I look at mine maybe three times a year, they don't seem to mind.

Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Tue Jan 16, 07 8:33 pm Post subject:

sally_in_wales wrote:

I look at mine maybe three times a year, they don't seem to mind.

Excellent!

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Tue Jan 16, 07 8:54 pm Post subject:

I should add that I usually need a crowbar rather than a hive tool o get the lid off because they propolis it shut with such long intervals, but I go in once in spring to check they are ok (if they need varroa strips I'll go in again to take em out later), We bung on supers at intervals over the summer, then I check late summer and steal a super or two if they have filled them, then check before winter to see if their stores are ok. Thats it here. Minimal intervention and generally very happy bees. Havent fed them for a couple of years either, but then we leave them loads of stores of their own too.

Lorrainelovesplants

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 07 6:20 am Post subject:

I look in on mine one a week through the late spring to autumn, just to check the queen is laying, that there is no disease, that they have enough room, pop on a super when required.
Then take off full supers and collect honey, in autumn do the varroa thing, and then check stores in early autumn and feed if necessary. About Dec I would hope to settle them in, but still check weight to see if they need fondant through mild winters.
Wont open hive till a nice warm April day.
Couple of minutes once a week. Pimps!
Lorraine

chez

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

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 07 8:31 am Post subject:
My bee-keeping Ma has told me to reckon on an afternoon once a fortnight or so during the summer.

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 07 9:08 am Post subject:
That does seem to be the way a lot of the beekeepers round here do it. I used to do that before I became sensitive to the stings, so we go for a low intervention method now. I think either method works, just whatever is best for you and your bees really

chez

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

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 07 9:14 am Post subject:
Yes - I'm sure that we'll work out the best way for us as we go along. Reassuring to know that they don't NEED fortnightly intervention, thanks Sally.

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