Sponsor |  Gaz-W | Jun 24, 2007 9:38am | I've been interested in getting some bees since reading John Seymour's "Complete Self-sufficiency: The Classic Guide for Realists and Dreamers" last year. I think first though I need to find out a lot more about bee keeping.
Can anyone suggest any good guide books on bee husbandry?
Also I work away during the week, would only being able to spend time with the bees on a weekend work or do they require a lot more time?
Where is a good place to buy my first bees and bee equipment. |
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Sponsor | | jamiet | Jun 24, 2007 11:54am | Hi Gaz, First, I suggest checking out groups.yahoo.com/group/worldwidebeekeeping/ [groups.yahoo.com/group/worldwidebeekeeping/]
there are a lot of people from Britain posting at this group.
Purchasing products/supplies in your area, I'd suggest going to:
beehoo.com/f_region.php [beehoo.com/f_region.php] , they have a full list of resources there.
Here are a couple of suppliers:
bjsherriff.co.uk [bjsherriff.co.uk]
bbwear.co.uk [bbwear.co.uk]
Being a beekeeper doesn't require a huge amount of time, as long as you plan ahead. Make sure you have the hives set up right, and that they're protected from other insects, animals, and the weather. Just checking on them once or twice a week should be enough.
Check out:
gobeekeeping.com/lesson%20three.htm [gobeekeeping.com/lesson%20three.htm]
dadant.com/journal/classroom/index.html [dadant.com/journal/classroom/index.html]
apis.ifas.ufl.edu/beginner.htm [apis.ifas.ufl.edu/beginner.htm]
hivetool.com/guide/index.htm [hivetool.com/guide/index.htm]
Books:
THE BEE-KEEPERS' GUIDE or MANUAL OF THE APIARY by A.J. Cook
THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO BEEKEEPING by
Roger A. Morse.
BEEKEEPING IN BRITAIN by
R. O. B. Manley
There are so many great books, and I've only listed a few.
Try to get some videos on it too.
Here's an online video of interest:
Online Video: Life Cycle of the Honeybee and Varroa Mite
video.google.com/videoplay [video.google.com/videoplay]
I highly suggest that you join some beekeeping groups in your area, it's great to have some hands on learning. Having a mentor is really helpful.
P.S. Here's a good listing on recommended books:
hivetool.com/guide/reading.htm [hivetool.com/guide/reading.htm] |
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Sponsor | | Gaz-W | Jun 24, 2007 1:10pm | Cheers, I'm gonna try out some of those books you've mentioned before I start to buy the equipment.
Funny you should mention about joining a local bee-keeping group as until about an hour ago I didn't realise we had one, but while we were sat in the local Chinese waiting for our takeaway the girlfriend noticed a story about them in the local newspaper. Apparently they have found Varroa Mite in a local hive. They meet once a month so I'm gonna try and get along to it sometime, apparently they are holding an open day soon which I'll be looking out for. |
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Sponsor | | jamiet | Jun 24, 2007 3:10pm | It's definitely worth joining, you might even be able to buy an already established hive. I recommend buying two hives, which I should have done. I am going to be buying another hive very soon. It's better to have 2 to compare against each other. I may post a pic or two here of my hive. In fact, here's one:
My wife made the sign. |
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|  domestika | Jul 3, 2007 7:49am | | British beginners might be interested in the Urban Bees blog I stumbled upon earlier. It's the adventures of a couple of newbees in Queens Park, London, UK - full of very good pictures and videos. (I'm not affiliated with the blog, by the way - just enjoy it a lot.) queensparkbees.blogspot.com [queensparkbees.blogspot.com] |
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Sponsor | | jamiet | Jul 4, 2007 5:07am | | Great site! |
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| | domestika | Jul 4, 2007 5:10am | | Isn't it? I love the photo of the queen cell, especially. |
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Sponsor | | jamiet | Jul 4, 2007 5:20am | | Last week I was checking my hive, and found my new queen that I had just recently introduced to the hive, what a relief it was to see that lovely little lady, LOL. |
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| | domestika | Jul 8, 2007 5:09pm | | I know exactly what you mean! I've been keeping bees for 8 years, but still have the occasional wake-up-in-a-cold-sweat nightmare about accidentally squishing a queen when checking the hive! |
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Sponsor | | jamiet | Jul 9, 2007 4:42am | | Yeah, I was definitely worried that I would hurt her. Talking about walking on eggshells! |
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