Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => Pets without Feathers => Topic started by: Flowerpower136 on May 11, 2010, 14:42

Title: Advice re Bees plees
Post by: Flowerpower136 on May 11, 2010, 14:42
Asking on behalf of my sister.

She can't keep hens (prohibited in the deeds), so is thinking of bees.. . . .  dont ask, the only similarity I can see is that they are both ginger and have wings :D.

Basically, apart from watching and enjoying them in the garden, we haven't a clue.  Can anyone advise where to find info, any good books for starters, any specialist sites, etc?

All and any advice welcome.
Title: Re: Advice re Bees plees
Post by: madcat on May 11, 2010, 14:54
http://www.britishbee.org.uk/  is the best place to start ...  And then her local county beekeepers association.  She get get the general stuff, find out about a local keeper, courses etc etc.
Title: Re: Advice re Bees plees
Post by: Flowerpower136 on May 12, 2010, 10:15
Thanks Madcat, that's really helpful.
Title: Re: Advice re Bees plees
Post by: jimbeekeeper on May 12, 2010, 14:54
Best place and forum is

www.beekeepingforum.co.uk

Title: Re: Advice re Bees plees
Post by: Kate and her Ducks on May 12, 2010, 22:59
Get her to contact her local bee keeping association. They are absolutely invaluable. The run courses and classes, can provide equipment and are a great source of info and support when getting started or if you have problems (more And more common with all the threats that bees face).
Title: Re: Advice re Bees plees
Post by: Flowerpower136 on May 13, 2010, 11:28
Thanks, I'm passing it all on, brilliant help.
Title: Re: Advice re Bees plees
Post by: scabs on May 13, 2010, 17:16
Also, and I may be wrong here but it's what I was told by someone just yesterday, you have to be a member of the Association to be insured.

I'm sure the beekeepers on here will correct me if that's wrong.

The more I read about beekeeping, the more appealing (if maddening) it seems.

Best of luck.  :)
Title: Re: Advice re Bees plees
Post by: jimbeekeeper on May 13, 2010, 20:54
Also, and I may be wrong here but it's what I was told by someone just yesterday, you have to be a member of the Association to be insured.




Not necessarily, but a bit long winded if you try on your own. To be honest the "insurance" is not really worth the paper it is written on!

There is a bit of a new movement going on, mainly focused around the BBKA and their sponsorship from mainly BAYER, to get "bee friendly" put on some of their chemicals, in exchange for about £10,000 per year to the BBKA.

A very long story and on going debate about the morality of it...long story short, an alternative to the BBKA is being muted, off which would include insurance.

But in conclusion

A lot of keepers do not have it and it, and it is not a legal requirement.
Title: Re: Advice re Bees plees
Post by: scabs on May 14, 2010, 07:57
Thanks Jim.  :)

Am I to take it from your comments that if you lost your brood over winter say, you're pretty much stuffed?

Sorry to hijack the thread, Flower.  ;)
Title: Re: Advice re Bees plees
Post by: jimbeekeeper on May 14, 2010, 19:32

Am I to take it from your comments that if you lost your brood over winter say, you're pretty much stuffed?

Sorry to hijack the thread, Flower.  ;)

Are you referring to claiming back off insurance? If so the insurance (for what it is worth) is not for that! 

It is if your bees are found (either by you or a bee inspector) to have a notifible disease, either European foul brood or American Foul brood, both can lead to the inspector burning as a minimum the bees! the frames etc. They might suggest burning the hive (if wooden) or chemically treating it i.e if you have an Omlet hive.

If the above is the case you get a few £ back for loss of frames etc, but not for loss of bees.

As I said not worth the paper it is written on
Title: Re: Advice re Bees plees
Post by: Flowerpower136 on May 15, 2010, 17:24
The more the merrier Scabs.

Insurance :ohmy:

Now I've read the thread I understand, intiailly was thinking it was 3rd party liability for neighbour's bee strings. :lol:

Sister is still thinking about it.  She's a bit worried about reaction from neighbours, but still keen on the idea.  Me thinks it won't do any harm to ponder a bit.

Thanks everyone.
Title: Re: Advice re Bees plees
Post by: jimbeekeeper on May 15, 2010, 20:13

Insurance :ohmy:

Now I've read the thread I understand, intiailly was thinking it was 3rd party liability for neighbour's bee strings. :lol:



Yes it does cover 3rd party / public liablity.

Rather than me rambling on to much! Have a read of this link all about the linsurance.

FYI I am a member of my local assocation, and as part of that it includes the insurance.

http://www.britishbee.org.uk/insurance_cover.php

Title: Re: Advice re Bees plees
Post by: lmpd on May 15, 2010, 21:54
my wife has just enrolled on a bee keeping course
i'll get her to put some info up soon
Title: Re: Advice re Bees plees
Post by: Yorkie on May 16, 2010, 20:03
I *think* membership of the BBKA & attendance on one of their courses is a pre-requisite before permission is granted for beekeeping on our council sites.

I was stung immediately under the eye by a bee on the site; they hadn't been properly smoked before being opened up (or something similar).  Three mm higher and would have been really nasty.
Title: Re: Advice re Bees plees
Post by: Flowerpower136 on May 19, 2010, 15:46
Me again, on behalf of Sister.  Why doesn't she join the forum!! :mad:

Anyway, she's been doing some reasearch, and has read that you have to clip the wings of the queen in order to prevent swarms?

Noooooo :ohmy:   Is that true, or has she got the poultry pages afterall?  I don't clip the chooks wings, and they swarm everytime I open the gate. :lol:

Seriously.  Is that true?  It's put her right off the idea.  Also she seems to be scared of being sued.  How likely is that?
Title: Re: Advice re Bees plees
Post by: Snoop on May 19, 2010, 18:10
Anyway, she's been doing some research, and has read that you have to clip the wings of the queen in order to prevent swarms?

For a start, you have to know something about bees in order to be able to identify the queen, so I think your sister would be pretty well scuppered if she decided to set out with a pair of scissors to do the deed.  Jim will maybe have some views on whether it's a good idea. Sounds to me like a bizarre thing to want to do: beekeepers round here aren't unhappy about swarms, so long as they can catch them. Free bees for a new hive effectively.

Your sister definitely needs to get in touch with her local beekeeping association and go on a course. She needs to meet other beekeepers and get to see a hive in action to decide.
Title: Re: Advice re Bees plees
Post by: lmpd on May 19, 2010, 22:13
Hi I am Mrs LMPD
I did a really basic Interested in BeeKeeping course run by our local enviroment trust (not a full course)
I was about 50:50 about keeping bees - now much less scared and more interested
Yes you will get stung, but there also seems to be lots people willing to help you - If I go ahead joining the local assosciation and doing te proper course will be top of my list.  The time commitment doesnt seem too great either and no bees are harmed either
So if all works out I think I will go for it next spring
The best advice was AWAYS wear wellies!!!
Title: Re: Advice re Bees plees
Post by: jimbeekeeper on May 19, 2010, 22:33
Just been doing my swarm prevention this evening, which has resulted in 3 new hives of bees for me :D

A healthy and strong hive will always develop to a point that they "out grow" their location, be that a wooden hive or tree stump.

You can not stop swarming, but you can try to work with the bees to reduce or mange swarming.

Clipping of queens wings is one way, but the hive can still swarm and you can loose both the queen and half your colony.

it is quite 50:50 over clipping of queens wings, I do not do it, I feel my others ways allow me the time to be proactive in the swarm instinct.

And in my case, utilising it to create new and additional hives of bees (colonies)

Beekeeping is probably the most (dare I use the word) advanced of the small holding live stock to keep.

I mean since when did you see a swarm of pigs fly off, or your chickens sting to death a person :ohmy:

Bees know what they are doing, but as a keeper you need to read the signs, and try and be a step ahead or it is VERY easy to get caught out and you newly bought at great expense colony will all be gone by late August.

Incidentally this time of year is a good time to take advantage of less proactive beekeepers misfortune, and catch one of their lost swarms in a "bait hive" 8)

As side, bees swarm unless you manage them, they need to find a new location and before they swarm the Scout bee will be looking for a new one. You can attract them in with ideally an empty hive, with some foundation frames and s swarm lure, which lemon grass oil works well, along with just the smell of the bees wax..

Best to get a “bee buddy” someone that has been doing it for at least 2 seasons, read up about it on the likes of www.beekeepingforum.co.uk and try and contact your local beekeepers
Title: Re: Advice re Bees plees
Post by: jimbeekeeper on May 19, 2010, 22:36
.  The time commitment doesnt seem too great either and no bees are harmed either

The best advice was AWAYS wear wellies!!!


Now is about the busiest time for beekeeping, requiring about 15 mins per hive every 7 days.

I am sorry but bees do get harmed (not intentionally) it is ALMOST impossible not to squash bees when handling frames, hive components.

Wells are good and steel toed caped is better in case you drop a brood or super box on you foot.









Title: Re: Advice re Bees plees
Post by: Flowerpower136 on May 20, 2010, 09:13
Thanks for all of this.  Clearly there is a lot more to beekeeping than one might imagine.  I have a feeling she may be having 2nd thoughts, but will encourage her to go on a course.  It's what I did when I started with chooks.

Thanks very much for your help.