Always been my thought too (reinforced by my wife coming from many generations of farmers!)
What are our bees up to?
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Always been my thought too (reinforced by my wife coming from many generations of farmers!)
Thats what mates are for
I do my mates chooks when he's away for example.
Bees aren't too bad - you have to see to them once a week in swarm season. But being a member of a local beekepers association means we can help each other out for longer holidays
Can I ask those members who keep a hive - are you fairly remote, or do you live amongst others - in terms of neighbours, I mean? And what do they say to/make of having a hive in the vicinity? I rather like the idea of a hive in the back garden, but would imagine it would cause toys to be thrown from prams.
I've been told that a dusting with icing sugar helps prevent varroa mites too. Don't know how effective it is 
I've been told that a dusting with icing sugar helps prevent varroa mites too. Don't know how effective it is
Apparently it does, but you need to use a mesh floor as well. You lightly dust the bees with the sugar and they groom it, and the mites, off. The mites fall through the floor and out of the hive
We have neighbours...not as close as town neighbours, but neighbours none the less. We were at pains to explain to them what we were planning, that we were buying very passive bees etc.
We also ensure the bees were forced to fly up and out (the hives are partially enclosed by walls, hedges etc.). This means the bees fly further afield to forage.
In our case the farmer said "cool, put them in my fields if you want more".
The chicken keeper said "excellent, they will pollinate my fruit trees".
The "townie" teachers said "oh....okay". After a week I saw the guy and said "how are you finding the bees?".
To which he replied "what bees?". I explained we had had them for a week. He came and looked at us sat beside the hives (no bee suits) and had a look.
"Oh - aren't they small" he said.
Another week passed and I saw him in the lane
"Saw one of your bees in the garden drinking from my pond", he informed me "sweet little things aren't they?"
Urban bees do very well indeed apparently. If you are polite with your neighbours and explain your plans, you should be golden.
Excellent, glad it's going well for you.
The OH has recently decided to get some chickens, so reckon we'l start there, and think about bees in the future.
Thanks for the reply.
The OH has recently decided to get some chickens, so reckon we'l start there, and think about bees in the future.
Thanks for the reply.
I keep 2 colonies with neighbours pretty close (house and garden adjoin on one side), and another keeper about 100m away. One of my hives is up against the fence into my neighbours garden. Distance to fields from my place is about 200m in two directions. I think I've been really lucky with my neighbours, and I'm at pains to be accommodating and keep in with them.
The only problem I've had was with two mating swarms, and the neighbours were easily reassured and very patient while the bees did their thing and headed home.
I asked all the neighbours up front if they were ok with it, and they were all really enthusiastic. I keep a spare veil and offer to show them the bees during an inspection if they're really curious - no takers so far, although they frequently ask how they're getting on.
I'd second British Reds comments - talk to the neighbours up front, and try to get someone from your local BKA to take a look at your garden before getting any bees. If you decide to keep bees, a course with your local BKA beforehand will set you up well.
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I was taught that bees only "swarm" when a colony gets too large and said swarm is a portion of the colony going elsewhere to start a new colony. Also that this condition is when they're the most docile. Is that incorrect? Or possibly only true of wild bees?
That's generally true. However a mating swarm sometimes happens when a virgin queen goes out to mate. The workers will accompany her, and sometimes lose track of her. They'll then hang around where they last smelt her, waiting for her to come back. It was a new one on me when it happened, and scared the bejesus out of me. That's the thing about bees, they're unpredictable wild animals. Keeping them is a constant learning experience
As for docile swarming bees - yes, that's true. They fill up their honey sac when they set out swarming, so they're stuffed to the gills with food. Stinging is the last thing they can be bothered to do. A bit like us after a large meal
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