Who Keeps Bees?

Post by **clv101** » 18 Aug 2013, 20:43

The first 35lb, extracted, jarred and labelled:

woodburner · Post by **woodburner** » 18 Aug 2013, 21:02

Well done you, great result.

Post by **clv101** » 18 Aug 2013, 21:08

Bees did most of the work!

woodburner · Post by **woodburner** » 19 Aug 2013, 00:04

Yeah, but you have to use the chair and whip to train them.

leroy · Post by **leroy** » 02 Sep 2013, 16:14

Very jealous Clv. I had a prime swarm leave from my single colony back in April (witnessed by my neighbour) while at work, and then two cast swarms which I managed to combine and put them in a second hive. I now have two healthy colonies with young queens and enough honey (I think) to see them through the winter... Had to buy my honey of my mentor again this year!

What kind of varroa treatments do people out there use? Is that organic HiveClean stuff any good? Thymol? Oxalic acid? I am still quite new to this so any thoughts are welcome.

The other thing I wanted to ask experienced beeks here on PS is if they have any advice about queen rearing. My colony was lovely last year: could handle them without gloves if quick, but this year they are fierce, sometimes stinging just for being close to the hives. I was thinking of going on a queen rearing course at Hartpury College in Gloucs to see if I can alter their temperament next year. Any other advice guys? Really should join a Beekeeping forum now...

Norm · Post by **Norm** » 02 Sep 2013, 17:48

Queen rearing from a stock that are stingers may not get you back docile bees because you are using the same genetics. The trick to that problem is to requeen with a mated queen of known provenance and providing your introduction is successful within a few weeks all your bees will be replaced with hopefully milder bees.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 17 Sep 2013, 07:31

Dave Goulson on DEFRA, bees and neonics. http://splash.sussex.ac.uk/blog/for/dg2 ... icotinoids

woodburner · Post by **woodburner** » 17 Sep 2013, 13:25

Dave Goulson is just a trouble maker, trying to bring facts into the discussion. That's hardly 21st century British is it?

raspberry-blower · Post by **raspberry-blower** » 22 Oct 2013, 14:40

Quite old article from Treehugger that doesn't appear to have been posted before:

So what is with all the dying bees? Scientists have been trying to discover this for years. Meanwhile, bees keep dropping like... well, you know.

Is it mites? Pesticides? Cell phone towers? What is really at the root? Turns out the real issue really scary, because it is more complex and pervasive than thought.
Article continues

Bottom line is as WB's comment - namely land management by poison is not acceptable.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 22 Oct 2013, 15:01

Thanks r-b

We detected 35 different pesticides in the sampled pollen, and found high fungicide loads.

I hope no-one is surprised at the effects this has. And people think I'm odd when I object to stuff that's not organically grown.

woodburner · Post by **woodburner** » 22 Oct 2013, 17:00

You object to stuff that's not organically grown? I think that's a bit odd.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 22 Oct 2013, 17:10

Put like that, yeah.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 07 Mar 2014, 22:22

Government consultation on bees and pollinators
https://consult.defra.gov.uk/plant-and- ... nsult_view

Required reading: file:///C:/Users/biffvernon/Downloads/140305%20National%20Pollinator%20Strategy_final.pdf

Post by **clv101** » 02 Jul 2014, 21:06

We've been raising queens recently. A new blog on a course we took and our progress: http://chrisvernon.co.uk/2014/07/raising-queen-bees/

Little John · Post by **Little John** » 02 Jul 2014, 21:12

Funny this thread should pop up at this time. Yesterday, my Warre hive threw a MASSIVE swarm that settled at the end of a long branch of my neighbours tree 25 foot up. This morning, at about 8am, I lashed up several broom handles with a large plastic patio plant pot on the end. I pushed up hard against the swarm and got about half to drop in. All hell broke loose as they all roared around me. Pulled the pot down to ground, turned it upside down with a bit of wood under one side to given an entrance and beat a hasty retreat. Went back an hour or two later and all bees in plant pot coming and going like nothing happened.

Got them transferred into hastily constructed Warre hive number 2 this evening. All bees tucked up for night. Will be moving to my garden in the morning with some brash in front of entrance to force them to reorient to their final home.

all a bit exciting really.....