[Esme]

I'm just wondering does anyone here keep bees? It's occured to me that I have intended to keep them all my life - and yet in nearly half a century that hasn't happened - although I've kept almost everything else!
I'm beginning to wonder if now is the time to think of it seriously.

[skyblue]

Hi

I started last summer. things went well and now just waiting to see if they made it through the winter. Only thing is with keeping the bee's and chickens i don't seem to get much done at the weekends, end up just sitting and watching for hours.

[mumsy]

something we've wanted to do for ages too!! Finally got around to buying the book Starting with Bees a couple of years ago, a few weeks ago my neighbour gave us his old  beehive, now don't know whether to make it a feature in the garden or use it??  When I first looked into it, you could get bees 'free' from the NBA, think it has really taken off like keeping chooks as they don't offer that anymore. But go for it Esme, then we can all learn from you.

[SnooziSuzi]

I was going to have a look at making a top-bar hive this year 'cos I don't really eat that much honey but I wanted them for pollination (not many bees round here last year  :cry: )

I got the barefoot beekeeper (check out www.biobees.com) guide on how to make one and it seems do-able but I just haven't got round to it yet.

The British Beekeepers Association website has loads of info too ... www.bbka.org.uk

Hope this helps!
Su

EDIT:  Also,  Houghall college in Durham runs FREE beekeeping courses - I emailed them about it and they said that they would be running some next year, althuogh this was sent very early this year so he might have his dates mixed up thinking it is still 2007!!    Aparantly they will be run during the last wednesday of every month.  Unfortunately for me, my Allotment Association meetings also fall on this day so I won't be able to attend this time round  

[Trillium]

A friend of mine keeps bees and she says the best thing to do is join your local beekeepers society. You'll have access to a lot of professional help, regular meetings, updated info on potential problems, etc. It's very hands on and most beekeepers will gladly help you set up your system and visit once in a while to make sure you don't overlook problems that may be starting and you're not familiar with. In Canada, all beekeepers must have yearly gov't inspections done to keep various diseases and pests under control. I believe the inspections are free, and worthwhile as it takes only a few weeks for one of the serious ones (can't remember the name at the moment) to totally kill your whole hive and move on to the next place. Seems to me something similar (inspections) is in place in the UK. But before you put any brood in place, make sure you have access to clean harvesting equipment (spinners, etc). That's where the big money lies.

[Esme]

Thanks for the info, guys - I'll be emailing Houghall today, Soozi. I nearly joined a beekeeper's group in Weardale a couple of years back, but just couldn't make the meetings, might look for another one more accesible to me at the moment.

[SnooziSuzi]

Now that you mention it Trill everyone here says to join a local society too - I'd forgotten that bit!

Esme, I'll forward the email I received from the guy at Houghall to you by PM.