The Poultry Keeper

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1356 Location: Leicestershire

Had this years first look inside the hives today, I'm a beekeeping virgin and haven't had them a year yet so it's all new to me, but everything is looking good, lovely weather and the rape's nearly in flower (and I didn't get stung) so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a crop of honey this year.

Itsybitsy

fairislefaerie · Joined: 12 Mar 2007 Posts: 542

OOooo honey on the comb !!

That has to be the only thing I will miss from living on the mainland, we had a place just 5 mins away where I used to go every week & get a huge chunk of honey on the comb.

Angela

NannyP · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 7:45 pm Post subject:

Ooh good luck...Nigel's the beekeeper. I have bees in the very back of my mind. I'll see how I get on with veggies and table birds this year, plus all the fruit crop from the many blossoming trees Shocked

Clucky · Joined: 22 Jul 2006 Posts: 2182 Location: Shropshire

Oooh Itsybitsy!

Bees....I love bees! Watching them hop from one flower to the next. I really love the teeny weeny ones with the orange bottoms Laughing

but I am a scardy cat so couldn't have them.

In saying that, if you need a outleft for bees wax in blocks please let me know as OH uses it as part of a mouth piece for didgeridoos. It has to be pure so can be hard to get hold of in some shops, so a bee keeper is like gold dust to us. Smile

Our last lot ended up in the dog Shocked

She loves the taste and we accidently left a block lying around and she ate it...when I say a block I am talking about a dinner plate size and one inch thick Confused

nigel · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 5:18 am Post subject:

I should be getting my bees this week cheers

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1356 Location: Leicestershire

Are they local? Did you take your hives with you? or are you using those insulated ones?

The rape here is 1 month earlier than last year.

I'll bear you in mind Clucky if I ever have any spare wax - have you tried a beekeeping suppliers? Also a good supply of beeswax is your local Church. Church candles are beeswax and there are always stubs, get friendly with your local Church cleaner!

Itsybitsy

nigel · Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 10:00 am Post subject:

These are local, but still buckfast types. Most hives here are either polystrene or insulated. These are the insulated type.

Hoping to have them this weekend

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1356 Location: Leicestershire

Ohh lovely, how many are you getting?

I'm putting a super on tomorrow.

Itsybitsy

stephen · Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 3:15 pm Post subject:

Two hives, I believe. We get to choose two from three tonight.

George · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 5661 Location: London

There was a thing on the news today about a problem with bees dying out

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/3681938.stm

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1356 Location: Leicestershire

Can't find it

Itsybitsy

jaydee67 · Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 10:56 pm Post subject:

Look here - I found it top right hand side

http://search.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/search/results.pl?scope=all&edition=d&q=bees&go=Search

stephen · Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 5:44 am Post subject:

We picked them up last night, out in the forests in Skåne, and brought them home. They are buckfast types, and we hope to see them out and about in the sunshine this morning Smile

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1356 Location: Leicestershire

nigel · Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 9:21 am Post subject:

It's mainly arable, though there are some field beans. The biggest 'crop' is mixed woodlands which should make some nice delicate honey.