This page was last updated
18 February 2012
Quest for the Good Life Welcome to our Bee Keeping page.
For the first time we are trying bee keeping. Following on from a one day course and a follow up apiary visit with a local bee keeper we have now taken the plunge and taken on our first hive and colony. We would recommend taking a course to give you a basic understanding on the art and to make contact with some experienced people. You will learn a lot.
In our case we had to create some space first. We wanted to house them in our garden and hope to benefit from their pollination skills. We also have an exposed garden with winds blowing from over the local fields so we also had to make some shelter.
To read more about this process you can read our blog and see how we made space for bees.
The most common type of hive used seems to be the national. A square box in appearance. If you want a more romantic looking hive then use the WBC but read up first.
The national came flat packed and I would recommend this to anyone who can hammer a nail straight. You learn more about the structure of the hive and how the component parts go together. You learn the language of the hive.
With the hive built it stood for a week to allow the glue to dry and to air out a bit. With this kit came everything you see in the picture apart from the stand, which I made. All of the brood frames and super frames and foundations came with the kit. I will make one or two modifications but basically as a starter kit this is a great way to get going.
Because we are exposed here I built a trellis around with the intention of plants covering it over the next year or two, but in the mean time some green wind break mesh really helps to keep the area around the hive sheltered.
We have also developed the cottage garden in the front of the house (Debi’s speciality) which will really kick in to helping the bees.
Herbs, especially Thymes, have been planted around the garden to help with nectar and pollen gathering.
With our fruit trees, garden plants and the surrounding hedges the bees should be able to manage.
came as a nucleus from an experienced bee keeper. In this picture they have just been housed and I think they must be chatting to each other about the new digs.
These honey bees are the Buckfast strain and are quite well behaved. They have very good house keeping skills and tend not to swarm to readily
As the colony size increases, it has a better chance of surviving the winter months. Come the autumn, care has to be taken with Varroa Mite control and the bees have to be fed well to ensure they have enough stores. They will huddle up during the colder weather and simply eat what they have at hand. If it’s not enough, they will starve and that will be our fault, so it’s all about colony management.
Once the winter is through, the bees will collect spring pollen and nectar and begin the expansion in numbers again. Providing we manage the space and storage capacity in the hive then all should be well. If we don’t then the bees may get overcrowded and swarm. Not what we want at all as we loose half our bee stock.
So bee keeping is very interesting and rewarding. With the pressures of agricultural sprays, Varroa Mite and environmental factors, the bee keeper has to be on guard, vigilant and able to act when needed. These skills we have to learn fast. That forms the basis of this section of the web site. Not a text book, but more essential information as we discover more and more about bee keeping.