Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi all

I'm looking for a starter Bee Keeping set for my Dad. I've only seen 2 on Wiggly Wrigglers (around £30), but I always like to compare places before I buy.

Does anyone know any other companies that sell them? I'm sure I saw loads when I looked ast year but I must be putting the search in wrongly or something as I can't find anything....

Ta

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

What exactly are you looking for Shortie? A new national hive will set you back about £150-200 and then you need a swarm, bee suit and hat and veil, smoker, etc. There are other hives available such as the Dartington long hive which reduces the need to lift heavy supers and brood boxes.

Have you tried contacting your local beekeeping association for info/advice?

Sometimes you can get hold of second hand kit from established beekeepers who are downsizing but you do need to be sure of its provenance and that there has been no disease in that hive.

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Bright Blessings
Earthbabe
If at first you don't succeed, open a bottle of wine.

What a super idea! I'd love to keep bees but to be honest, they frighten the life out of me! Dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Shortie, have a google under bee keeping equipment. There's loads there, but here's a link.
Bee keeping equipment

I use www.thorne.co.uk for some equipment, there are many more. If you go to your local library they usually have the details of the local British Beekeepers Association group.

Meetings are usually held throughout the year, indoors in winter and at someones apiary in the summer. You will get loads of friendly advice, hands on experience of handling bees and usually the chance to pick up equipment and even a small colony which is easier to handle and look after than picking up a swarm.

They will also be able to look at where you want to put the hive and they usually have equipment which you can borrow at harvest time. You are looking at over 40lb of honey from each colony.

Joining the local group will also give you insurance cover, not just for damage to other people but for diseases and damage to your bees.

It's a great hobby.

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Digger-07

"If you think you can, or think you can't, you're right" Henry Ford.

Cheers all. I'm only looking for one on those teeny weenie ones though. Just for a back agrden. My Dad absolutely LOVES bees...

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

I found these sites back end of last year when i was exploring the idea, may be of some use

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Beekeeping/

http://www.beekeeping.co.uk/beekeepers_guide.htm

http://www.bbka.org.uk/starting.php

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Regards, Jane
What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy? The creative adult is the child who has survived.
Ursula LeGuin
http://www.etribes.com/madderbat

Hi Shortie

If you find what you are looking for could you point me in the same direction.

This sounds wonderful, have always wanted to keep bees but don't have time, this would be the next best thing

Sure will do ChrisB

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

You would be best to join the local Bee Keeping club....you will need help and advice. and a spare hive cos if your bees get happy or unhappy in their hive they will multiply and swarm or just swarm and you will have a garden full of bees.

If you are a member of a club they will help you out. If you are on your own you will have a garden full of bees.

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My phone has more Processing power than the Computers NASA used to fake the Moon Landings

Shortie

Are these the sort of things you're looking for

http://www.wildlifeshop.co.uk/?gclid...FRgnEAodfnqd3g

Assuming the link works, you should go to the insect homes

Otherwise have a root around the site under the insect section

Like Digger I get supplies from Thornes and they are very good but not sure that they do bee kits, but its a very good site and may be worth a try. If you need to talke to them they are very friendly and give out alot of advice.

Thanks all. ChrisB that looks like the kind of wildlife things I'm after, cheers

I'll mention to my Dad about joining an association too

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

Are you thinking of one with just a few frames and maybe a glass side? These are either nucleus hives or observation hives. Neither have enough bees to be self sustaining and would die out completely over the winter. because of this they need a lot of work to keep them happy, otherwise the queen will look for a new home and all your stock will dissapear in 10 minutes.

Honey bees are social insects and need a fairly large number to be able to survive. I have only seen observation hives at shows when the frames have been removed from a strong colony in a operation to requeen one of the colonies. Nucleus hives are used for breeding queens or for swarm control - neither of which are "beginners" sort of jobs.

Good luck with your quest I hope that you find what you're looking for. If not join the happy band of apiarists and have a go.

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Digger-07

"If you think you can, or think you can't, you're right" Henry Ford.

Cheers digger.. I was surprisd to fin you can buy small bumble bee nests as I've always seen them as large colony insects. I originally thought he wanted a mason bee nest as they are solitary anyway, but he want's bumble..

Maybe I'll halt for a bit and speak to an association while he's on holiday to get a better idea. I'd hate to think that by trying to help them out we;d be doing more harm!

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

Bumble bees nests are OK. Only the queens overwinter in the relative comfort of a pile of leaves or compost heap. She will start to look for a new nest site soon and begin a colony that only lasts a year.

Bumble bees really do need our help because we are too tidy and clear away any site that they would normally use for a nest. They normally bury into something, I had three different species in the same compost heap last year and had to wait until September before I could be sure they had left home.

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Digger-07

"If you think you can, or think you can't, you're right" Henry Ford.

They're really mis-understood too. In our old house there was a tiny hole in the external cavity wall. We only noticed it because our neighbour got all stressed out one day when they saw a bee flying out of it.

Anyway, they were doing no harm and this was about 3 years ago when there were alot of reports about the general decline in bee numbers so I felt pleased to be doing 'my bit'. I know it wasn't a mason bee as it was yellow and black stripey and quite a few would come and go

My neighbours really stressed out about it all the time, I was hillarious. They weren't allergic to their stings so I couldn't see the problem

This is why we want to get a small nest for them. Okay, it's not a lot but we don't have huge gardens in London to accomodate a hive

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

When I first started gardening I used my grass clipping as a mulch on my flower borders (not a good idea by the way), the next spring I noticed that some of the dried grass had formed into a little mound. Curious I took my hoe and carefully lifted off the top to have the whole mound turn into a mass of bees. I went running off into the house incase they were P'ed with me but they wern't too bothered and just rebuilt the mess I'd made of they're home. The bees were very docile and I could weed and garden around their nest without them getting upset. They were a great addition to the garden and made me feel really good about being a messy gardener

Hi Shortie, are you looking for hives to keep honey producing bees, or are you just looking for the kind of bee house for solitary bees, which will just look after themselves. I have bees in many varieties using my garden and find it fascinating to watch them - all sizes and colours, doing things in their own way.