beehives on allotments

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karlooben

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beehives on allotments
« on: May 15, 2009, 20:00 »
some ppl on my site actually  well 4 ppl in one weekend asked if i would keep bees seeing that i adore all animals an keep chickens on the site , i wont do it but another plot holder is interested . i know you have to do courses etc for keeping bees but where on a allotment site is the better spot to place the hive , around the far end of the site under the trees were its quieter or can they just be placed anywhere .

some ppl are worrying about pollutation etc but yet they dont really want hives around which is fair enough but most ppl say yes to having them even my mum has said yes to keeping them in our miniture orhcard  { shockinggggg} the council that run our site are pretty happy for it to happen as some of the other sites they run keep bees as well .

bascailly i just wanted to know where the best place to put them would be .
"Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawakened."

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SG6

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Re: beehives on allotments
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2009, 21:05 »
Somewhere sheltered simply for protection of the hive.
Somewhere not too disturbed, they will not really want people wandering past all the time.
After that they are relatively happy.

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Trillium

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Re: beehives on allotments
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2009, 00:53 »
By sheltered, SG6 means some shade as the hives can get very hot in summer heat and the bees will waste a lot of energy cooling off the hive. You must also have water available at all times for them, preferably in a shallow bird bath, one that birds won't try to bathe in or drink dry.

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elibump

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Re: beehives on allotments
« Reply #3 on: May 16, 2009, 07:34 »
My bee-book recommends setting up your hive facing southeast, providing a wind break at the back of the hive to block harsh winter winds, dappled sunlight for preference but (as previously mentioned) absolutely not in full sunlight - not in dark shade either because of damp, somewhere with good ventilation.

Hope this helps.

Carolyn xx :)
Talking to the microwave,I ask you wall, what is the world coming to?
Blesséd are the cracked for tis they who let in the light!

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karlooben

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Re: beehives on allotments
« Reply #4 on: May 16, 2009, 07:47 »
that helps loads thanks guys  :D. along the far side of our site is a main fencing that backs onto the cementry there are loads of trees so that area seems perfect for them , i'll let this guy know who was interested and see if maybe soon we can get some hives going .

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elibump

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Re: beehives on allotments
« Reply #5 on: May 16, 2009, 07:49 »
Don't know if its the same in the UK but over here all the bee-swarm-sellers are saying that they're late because of weather and the farmers still spraying the fields - our provider reckons at least another 2 weeks before we can talk about delivery :(

Carolyn xx

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Kristen

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Re: beehives on allotments
« Reply #6 on: May 16, 2009, 11:07 »
I have read that the entrance to the hive should not face, and be close to, say, a path that people use - otherwise it could be alarming if the bees exit the hive en masse!

I also read of significant increases in allotment crops - 30% perhaps, from memory? - if there are hives nearby - that might convince the neigh-sayer! - its the bees, after all, that do the pollination - banning them altogether isn't going to work! so better, in my mind, to get comfortable having them about.

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Salmo

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Re: beehives on allotments
« Reply #7 on: May 16, 2009, 11:12 »
Good advice on where to put the hives. The best way to start is to help another beekeeper with their hives. You may well be able to persuade a local beekeeper to put some of their bees on your site. There is probably a local branch of the Beekeepers Association.

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zazen999

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Re: beehives on allotments
« Reply #8 on: May 16, 2009, 11:17 »
It might help to let people know what to do in the event of a swarm as well....as I found to my surprise last night as the bees 3 plots down were swarming whilst I was down there and it did startle me to be honest. I met with the guy who keeps them as I was leaving and he said he has to follow them and 'collect' them and bring them back.
I actively encourage bees, and have lots of flowers on the lottie, but I don't want to be around when a swarm starts moving....it would have helped if we new about what happens, what to do and who to call if we see one.
 
It's the stray ones that start flying further out that disgruntle me....and my plot is just about where they would be flying.

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karlooben

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Re: beehives on allotments
« Reply #9 on: May 16, 2009, 20:19 »
i wont be having the hives myself personally i got enough animals in my life  :lol:.i can understand ppl being worried about swarms etc , i was once attacked by wasps so i know what its like.

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elibump

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Re: beehives on allotments
« Reply #10 on: May 17, 2009, 08:02 »
Generally speaking, unless they think you're trying to steal their honey, bees don't attack -even when in a swarm, they will only attack to protect the hive.
 :)

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karlooben

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Re: beehives on allotments
« Reply #11 on: May 17, 2009, 09:24 »
i would think that like most animals ,insects they will only attack if provocked anyway { sorry bad spelling }  :lol: an when i got done by the wasps i was trying to digging out a plant stump that they had nested in my mistake i think i only got stung 15 times but they got me all over my head an neck { luckily missed my eyes } so i screamed down the phone at my mum who thought i had a riding accident as i was down with the horses at the time and even when she got there 30 mins later i was still being attacked . we got to the hosiptal an the little blighters were still inside my hair at the time , i learned my lesson that day .

my head was swelling an shrinking at the same time an it was at least 5 days before i could really lay down properly as it hurt that much , how ppl cope with have hundreds of stings wehter its a wasp or a bee i just dont know .

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Salmo

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Re: beehives on allotments
« Reply #12 on: May 17, 2009, 12:40 »
I totally agree that beekeepers should leave instructions and contact details. If you have a swarm suddenly appear in your garden or allotment and do not know of a local bekeeper call the Council who should send a beekeeper to deal with it.

A swarm of bees is worth capturing early in the Summer as it will produce honey. Later on they will need to be fed through the Winter. Hence the rhym

A swarm of bees in May is worth a load of hay
A swarm of bees in June is worth a silver spoon.
But a swarm of bees in July is not worth a fly

Swarming bees seldon sting and are unlikely to attack. They fill themselves with honey before they leave the hive and are only interested in taking their young queen to a new home. They usually swarm on a tree, fence or building within a few hundred yards of the hive where they stay for a while before moving away to find a home. If the beekeeper is lucky he will see them go and take the swarm back to one of his own hives. If no beekeeper captures the swarm they will probably find a home in and old tree, which is where they would live if they were wild.

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Martin

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Re: beehives on allotments
« Reply #13 on: May 17, 2009, 23:02 »
Having recently been on an open day run by my local beekeeping society, a good suggestion was to site the hive facing a hedge or fence (not too close, obviously).
That way the bees have to fly over the hedge/fence/wall when entering/exiting the hive and will then fly over people's heads.
Martin

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Knoblauch

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Re: beehives on allotments
« Reply #14 on: May 18, 2009, 11:17 »
I was just watching a programme on the iPlayer about the plight of the humble bee and whatever it is which is eradicating them; the point was made that a London beekeeper interviewed had suffered none of the catastrophic losses that rural ones had, and suburban gardens provided a large amount of foraging for bees - so we should all be either growing lots of wildflowers in ours or even having beehives.  I don't think mine is big enough, otherwise I would, but I'm certainly going to plant lots of flowers in a shady area.  Hopefully before too long I'll be able to cite the popular song:- "My bee eats because I'm a landowner."*

It seems to be yet another nail in the US's coffin - they were used to driving pollinating bees up and down the country in trucks, but now they're having to fly them in from Oz in 747s!

* This was a joke on a Denis Norden quiz game where they had to make up a story and paraphrase popular sayings - so don't blame me!  :)
« Last Edit: May 18, 2009, 22:49 by Knoblauch »



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