Bees

[Greenfingers Jo]

Did you know that the Bee keepers association and their local branches are often looking for places to put hives?
Thought it would be useful to improve cropping and do my bit for the planet.

I've contacted my local association and they are very keen

[Greenfingers Jo]

[willebee]

Hi
Looks like we're getting a bee-keeper at our site. 2 questions:
1. Will they help with the produce, polonation etc?
2. How do you stop them stinging when they swarm?

I don't mind wildlife on my plot, but if they drive me away, that's another matter!

Cheers.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Honeybees are extremely efficient at finding the best sources of nectar and pollen, so they certainly won't visit everything. I have found, though, that pollination has improved overall since I've had bees.

Swarming bees won't sting unless you actually pick one up, or they're starving due to a spell of bad weather; they don't have food stores available once they leave the hive. Most swarming can be prevented anyway; it's spectacular but harmless to everything except the beekeeper's honey crop. A good beekeeper will have bees which won't bother the neighbours. I can open my hives, pull them apart, and very often not get a single sting. I got one the other day, but only because I trapped a bee under my finger when lifting a frame out. I keep bees which don't swarm very often, and take precautions. There are nasty bees, but there's no need for anyone to keep such beasts.

Here's  a small swarm; I knocked it off the branch into a box, dumped them into a hive, and the bees didn't react to me at all.

[Thegoodlife]

hi,
i would like to have a hive of my own at my lottie, how much would i cost for a hive & bees of my own i have been reading and studying bees for 18months now

;D

[calendula]

can be very expensive if buying everything in as new + nuc, cheapest would be to buy a second hand hive, get to know a beekeeper who might sell you one as well as rearing a nuc for you then you've only got to buy wax (unless a bee keeper is selling the whole hive and supers to you) - you can cut the cost of the wax by melting and pressing it yourself but this is time consuming and messy job

[Robert_Brenchley]

Wax isn't that expensive and you can offset the cost by exchanging your old wax for new. but you're right, woodenware can be pricy. Try the local Beekeepers' Association and see if they've got anything. Thhere's some useful info here: http://www.britishbee.org.uk/getting_started.php . Addresses of local associations are here:  http://www.britishbee.org.uk/local_associations_about_us.php .