I've got Bees :D

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I've got Bees :D
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alison
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Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sun Jul 23, 06 9:19 am Post subject: I've got Bees :D
Last night, at 8.45 I was called by my tutor, to tell me she had a swarm, and did I want it. I collected it at 9.30 pm. I have become a beekeeper!!!!! I am checking the hive today, so will share some pictures later.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Sun Jul 23, 06 9:44 am Post subject:

Congratulations

When you say tutor do you mean as in you've been doing a course in beekeeping (sorry if I have missed that) or is it just a really really dedicated French teacher?

If the former, how has the course been and how did it work? I have been meaning to do one of these evening/weekend courses that are supposed to run over the winter for a couple of years, but haven't been able to get a convenient one yet as I don't drive myself

I've just thought. It's going to take you *weeks* to come up with names for them all though. I'll start you off...Betty, Boris, Benjy, Bella, Bonnie. Never let it be said I don't try to help

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45694
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Jul 23, 06 9:51 am Post subject:
Excellent, look forward to hearing more about it, hope to do the same one day.

wellington womble

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

Posted: Sun Jul 23, 06 10:10 am Post subject:
Ooh - how exciting - my mum got a hive for her birthday in April and is doing the course at the moment. Keep meaning to do one myself, especially as we squeezing an orchard into the new garden (Haven't told himself we're having bees yet - I think he's a bit worried about mum's)

deanom

Joined: 19 Apr 2006
Posts: 93
Location: Lincolnshire

Posted: Sun Jul 23, 06 10:27 am Post subject: Courses
Excellent news about the bees. For anyone in the Lincs area who is interested in doing a course, there is one running at Thornes of Wragby. 7 Weds evenings starting late September (23rd I think). I'm doing it, and am really looking forward to it.

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

Posted: Sun Jul 23, 06 11:15 am Post subject:
Best of luck, they really are fascinating critters

alison
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Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sun Jul 23, 06 1:31 pm Post subject:

I have been doing an evening class since Christmas, once a week, and attending the North Devon Apiary, every fortnight, children permitting during this term.

I moved the bees out of the nuc box, and got them into their new hive, and had a good look. I took quite a few photos, so I'll get them sorted later.

It looks like a stong swarm, and they have drawn out 5 foundations already since last night!

more later......

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

Posted: Sun Jul 23, 06 1:32 pm Post subject:
Sounds like you are doing well. My bees are contrary madams that won't do anything I ask them to, if yours are nice and organised it will make getting used to them so much easier

Mrs Fiddlesticks

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

Posted: Sun Jul 23, 06 3:52 pm Post subject:
Oh well done Alison - piccys and info would be great! Its something I'd like to do. Some info on the course would be great too. Is it a local bee keepers association?

dougal

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

Posted: Sun Jul 23, 06 6:01 pm Post subject:
I'm dead jealous too...

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Sun Jul 23, 06 7:03 pm Post subject:

I love the thought of bees but am a bit sensitive to pain and just an incy wincy allergic to stings.
As a pest controller I occasionally had to kill an ungettable swarm but in the main I got my mate the bee keeper to come and get them. He was always dead chuffed . He got the bees and I got the money !
He ended up with about 40 hives and all went swimmingly untill one fateful day. He'd mentioned a few times that his bees had gotten nasty and that he would have to re queen them with a more pleasant strain. Well we'd taken the swarm on a low bush easy peasy and we travelled back with them in a cardboard box for a distance ofabout four miles in the back of my car , no problem !
When we got to his place he got them to march up the ramp and into a prepaed hive without a hitch and then it happened . Not the new bees but those from an established hive streamed out and attacked

I was a good fifty yards from them but some of the little b******s latched onto me and chased me all the way for a hundred yards untill I jumped into a small river. I was being stung all the way and one managed to sting me on the eye lid.
My eye quickly closed and shut and a lump remained which I had to have surgically removed six months later.
I love honey but would rather get it off my mate or other keepers similar to yourselves.
Good Luck

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

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

Posted: Sun Jul 23, 06 7:08 pm Post subject:
Painful! I sympathise, mine hospitalised me once but I wouldnt give them up. I just keep reminding myself that its highly unlikely that I'd be as bad with a 'normal' sting, its just the multiple face stings that can be awkward

creeper

Joined: 06 Feb 2006
Posts: 83
Location: Vale of Belvoir - Leicestershire

Posted: Sun Jul 23, 06 7:24 pm Post subject:
I can't wait to get bee I hope to do a course next year and have them in my orchard, for those with experiance in bees, how many hives would I get in a 1 acre orchard with 65 fruit and nut trees and about 50 soft friut bushes?

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

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

Posted: Sun Jul 23, 06 7:29 pm Post subject:
Start with one hive, then you often find they expand until you feel you have as many as you can cope with. Me, I can cope with up to three hives on a minimal intervention basis, others can cope with 500. Its hard to judge how many hives you can get on a patch, all depends on location and fodder, and they tend to fidn their own level

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Sun Jul 23, 06 7:38 pm Post subject:
I'd love to get someone to keep their bees in our orchard. I think it would be a good spot. We have quite selection of food sources. We have loads of bluebells,gorse,sycamores, blackberry brambles and we have heather about half a mile away . I'd just hope that having honey bees around would improve the miserly cropping of my fruit trees. They'd have to be nice bees though

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