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Bee Keeping.
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Anyone into apiaries??
I been wondering about popping a hive or two in my garden.
Been looking online & there seem to be plenty of starter kits available with the hives & the protective equipment,it even appears that you can buy the little blighters to go in the hive on line.
Just wondered if anyone does it & do you get a steady supply of honey,could I get a steady supply from one or two hives???
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Comments
I've kept bees for research but not in my garden. Talk to your neighbours! People are very anti-bee. If you have nearby neighbours you can put highish fences up so that the bees fly high over their garden rather than in to it.
Bee keeping requires quite a lot ot care these days because of the problems with disease. You should definitely go to the British Bee keepers association website and contact your local group.
Yes, you could get quite a lot of honey (40kg a year perhaps) from a couple of hives depending on how well you manage (strong colonies, disease free, no swarming) and the weather. If the nectar flow is low you can feed them artificially but the honey doesn't taste good.
Bees are absolutely wonderful! The more you learn about them the more fascinating they are. If your main goal is to get honey you might not enjoy it that much.
My uncle used to keep bees. Had 9/10 hives and used to get quite a lot of honey. One year the hives just sickened and pretty much died out - must have had verroa or something.
I do remember you need to check the hives quite often. In summer you need to check that there isnt another queen as then will then swarm and you lose a lot your captive little honey makers. This needs to be done every 10days or so (?) so they are not totally maintenance free
There is a agricultural college close to where am I and they used to do evening classes on beekeeping- might be worth checking if there is anything similar in your area.
My boss keeps bees and says it isnt as simple as getting a couple of hives - particularly with regards managing disease and the various viruses that may be decimating hives right now?
thinking seems to be go on a local course run by the BBA, get some experience with a local beekeeper (like an apprenticeship) then move on to getting your own hives when you are a bit more clued up
the other suggestion is to contact local Beekeeping goups and see if any of them would like to put their hives on your land (they look after them ) so you get to have the pleasure of watching and leaning about the bees and hives but they do all the technical stuff
try British Beekeepers Association for more info?
It is quite involved and not risk free. A friend went on a course a few years ago and was doing very well. His honey was delicious. But, a couple of years ago his two hives were hit by verroa and he lost the lot. Last year his partner bought him a colony (cost £150) and he lost that lot too to disease. However a couple of days ago a hive swarmed and decided one of his hives was the place to set up home!
You really need to keep an eye on them every week and if they are a strong colony even more often really!
British Beekeepers Association is the way to go and get yourself on a course. I would love to keep a hive but can't , I get anaphalatic shock from their stings!
Cheers all.
Last I phoned a local guy that sells his own honey,he could not have been more helpful & I am going to see him this Saturday.
He also suggested the BBA & has even offered to set me up with a couple of old hives on if I decide that long term I want to go with it.