Bee Keeping

[YT2095]

anyone here have any experience with bee keeping and would like to share any tips or resources with me, I`de be gratefull.

 

I`ll be having my 1`st brood box either today or tomorrow, it`s a small 5 cell box with honey bees and although google is good, People advice is better.

 

I`m a Novice at this and would welcome any expert advice on placement in the garden (250 sqr metres), liability, baiscly anything and everything!

 

thanks

[ag4gt]

When you work with them, move slowely and delibertly. Don’t get excited and make sure you are not going to do something like drop a hive lid. I have found that 2 hives are better then one.

[YT2095]

Cheers

 

I only have the 5 cell brood at the moment (I repaired it yesterday, as it was given to me in a state of disrepair).

 

I`ve spent hours with my mates bees in his enclosure sitting on an old deisel drum without any protection at all, and with no problems ever.

it may sound crazy and un-scientific, but I always ask for permission to enter from the bees before I go in, and depending on the "Feeling" I get back, I either enter or not.

 

I can sit there alone quite happily with a beer and a cig, and just get treated like "Part of the furniture" by them.

 

the only time I ever got stung was when a 2 can vandamne came in and started ripping a hive appart for the honey, I tried stopping him and couldn`t

he came off the worst though

 

sadly there are 2 rogue nests and I can only have the one, the other will have to be destroyed (I refuse to be there or help with that as it`s against everything I beleive in and stand for). I`ll have the one though.

 

do you know a way I can keep the other hive, even though I don`t have a special box or anything?

also it`s attatched to a solid wooden stump, how do we remove it without upsetting or hurting them? as I`de love to keep them alive too if possible.

 

my mate has all the safety suits and hats and the smoker etc...

[-Demosthenes-]

We had a small hive (2 of those unit thingies) and we walked around it all the time and they never stung us, one stung my dad once, but never any of us. They all died last summer I'm not quite sure why, something to do with hornets I think.

[akcapr]

Use smoke to make them sleepy. well u probly knew that. Just wondering, but why did you buy bees? seems like an unusual hobby, or is it an addcition to honey you are quenching?

[YT2095]

I didn`t buy them, they`re Rogues from my mates 2 hives that fancied their chances on their own, so he`s giving them to me.

 

as for Why I`de want them, well why not, I have a bird box with blue tits nesting in it on my shed, I feed the wild birds in the winter too, I do it because I enjoy watching them AND it gives me an oportunity to see stuff like this 1`st hand and up close rather than on TV nature progs and such. This way I get to see stuff that most people miss or take for granted, as for the Honey well I can`t grow sugar cane here really, but I grow my own Hops and Barley for beer, Honey will work just as well

 

so I`m not Entirely without a motive or 2 *Hic*

[jdurg]

Me thinks that YT is seeking information on the birds and the bees.

[mmalluck]

So you enjoy a good grog?

 

They're tasty.

[ecoli]

I don't know about elsewhere, but in the US mites have become a big problem. We (my family) used to have 7 to 8 hives, but now we're down to two hives, and only two boxes per hive.

[YT2095]

we`ve had a few problems with the Wax Moth, and a certain type of wasp that kills bees especialy, fortunately no problems so far this year, touch wood.

 

anyway, I`ve put the bees in the brood box today, they seem very pleasant and even tempered in nature, I had to cut several branches from the bush they`de occupied and then the 2 main branches afterwards that the main nest was held onto, and they were quite happy to walk over my hands and secuters as I cut them to place into the box.

they`d already made a pure white honey comb lattice the size of my hand already (unpopulated), so I`m quite exited to see what they`ll make in the box!

 

as for Birds and Bees, yeah sure, and why not!

[YT2095]

this thread`s now a moot point.

 

I went to check on my bees yesterday at 2pm and they are all dead, not dead and DYING, all just stone cold dead, someones poisoned them all, they were all ok and out working at 9pm the night before and the space of 17 hours a spray has been used by some evil ba$t.

 

now I`ve got to bury them all and see if I can decontaminate the brood box.

[akcapr]

r u shure they were "sprayed"?

[YT2095]

yes 100%

 

the residue was still there, clear sticky (honey like) substance that was NOT sweet, and it was also in a spray pattern, and non of them were any further than 18 inch from the box, the other half were still inside, just as dead

 

I`ve decontaminated the box again, now it just needs plenty fresh air and UV (wish I had a portable battery Ozonator too).

 

anyway a good lick of paint/varnish and I should be ready to try again, this time with a trap or 2 in mind!

 

and if I find out who likes to play with poison in the mean time... I`ll teach them how it`s REALLY DONE!!!!

[ecoli]

Good for you YT, don't let pesticides get you down. I suppose I'm lucky in that I have woods surrounding my property to protect me from any pesticides.

[akcapr]

who in the hell would do that? probably not some kids. so it must have been like adults- perhaps people who were like some agency or just someone who hated bees.

[Glider]

Yeah. If it had been kids they probably would have just used fly spray or set fire to the hives or something. The stuff YT describes sounds more specialised, which would suggest planning.

[ecoli]

It's possible that it wasn't done on purpose, a nearby pesticide sprayer could've accidently sprayed your bees, by the wind, or whatever.

[YT2095]

no no no, it was on an allotment garden in the middle of town, NO-ONE sprays! )

 

this was up close and personal, as my mates bees in his enclose (open top) were all 100% ok, mine were about 8 foot away on the path, it`s private ground with 70 other plot holders there and it`s fenced and locked surroundings, so it was either someone with a key to the land or the Council!

 

the spray pattern was localised to the box and internal frames (cells).

[Newtonian]

Culprit probably an elderly veggie grower,with a "i had this lottie 34 year.....be damned if i let someone have BEEEEEZ near my bloody garden".

That type of person and not too far away from your location,probably "tut...tut..damn shame that sonny...young uns today eh....oh well perhaps its for the best not keeping anymore bees eh".

I remember necking next doors Pidg......ooops only kidding but you get the picture YT.

[YT2095]

I`ve been Given a pigeon today, after looking after it for 2 weeks with half a leg missing.

I managed to get hold of the owner less than 5 mins ago, he was going to send the transfer of Ownership papers to me, I said I don`t want to "OWN" it a bird should be free, it`s Gods bird not mine, but I will look after it.

 

he said thank you, you`re an Honest man and i`1ll trust it`s care with you, you can keep it (I recon he thought I was a breeder or racer or something `till i said that).

 

so now I have a "pet" pigeon to look after along with my other birds I care for

 

pretty cool how stuff turns out with patience and care

[BenSon]

Sorry to revive this thread so late, but I find this topic interesting. Just wondering what happened with the hive any more bees yet? Or any word on who the sprayer is?

 

~Scott

[YT2095]

no, not yet, it`s still in a dry area getting rid of any residual moisure that may have been trapped between the wood joints.

but be certain the next rogue nest we find, is Mine

 

as for the sprayer, still no idea yet, but I`m a patient man with a long memory, the truth is bound to turn up eventualy.

I`ll be there waiting! :>

[BenSon]

Do you have to get a rouge nest, bee hives aren't that common. What about the other one I thought you said there was two? What type of bees are they, you have those big bumble bees over there don't you.

 

~Scott

[NavajoEverclear]

i love bees, i'd like to start something like that. also there are of coarse wild bees around, if i stay still while following them and make no sudden moves you think its safe for me to observe them before getting my own hive

[YT2095]

Do you have to get a rouge nest' date=' bee hives aren't that common. What about the other one I thought you said there was two? What type of bees are they, you have those big bumble bees over there don't you.

 

~Scott[/quote']

 

I do have to get rogues for honey bees, the bumble bees are ok too, but only make enough honey for themselves. at the allotment site we get about 3 or 4 rogue honey bees nests forming each year, so it`ll not take too long