[waterhouse]

The BBKA produce course material, and there are loads of books.  My wife has all of them but she points out that it's really hard to turn the pages and read when wearing a bee-suit and gloves.  And her bees never read the same book.

By all means learn all the theory but there's a load of practical stuff for which you can't beat phoning a friend.  Our local association not only runs the courses but offers mentoring for those that persist. 

[Sudanpan]

We're hoping to start our bee-keeping adventure this year 
A question on hive positioning:
Our field is south facing and on the side of a hill. Our cottage is in the bottom south-east corner, and I was thinking of locating the hive at the opposite top corner, ie NW. We are in Cornwall, about 4 miles as the crow flies from the north and south coasts. The top of the field is much more exposed than the bottom - as an example the hedging plants around the field were all planted at the same time and the ones at the top of the field are about 4 ft tall, while the ones at the bottom of the field are 7ft. Will the top of the field be too exposed for the bees? I was going to position the hive in the lee of the hedge but would this be sufficient?

We will be hoping to join a bee keeping association in our area 

Thanks
Tish

[waterhouse]

bees can make a home in some remarkably exposed locations - Orkney for example - but siting one in the teeth of southerly gales would not be ideal.  The hedge will be a help but how dense is it? A deciduous hedge may not provide much winter shelter for several years after planting, if ever. You know your own site best.  If in doubt, pick a reasonably fine day, go up there in shirt sleeves and stand on the proposed hive position for half an hour. If you're uncomfortable, the bees will be too.  Now try again on a less fine day and see what you think. 

If the site you choose does prove unfavourable, it is possible to move the hive, but only by a metre at a time during summer which is a bit of a pain.  Easier to do in winter if you need to make a wholesale move.  Or move it several miles away and then back again to the new site, but this is A Level stuff.

Bear in mind also that beekeeping does involve hauling around a fair amount of heavy woodwork, hopefully laden with heavy honey!  If your hive is located at any distance uphill from your storage point, you will quickly come to regret it.  I speak as one who thought that a 200 yard wheelbarrow push across paddocks would be no problem. 

Also, make sure you have sufficient, level space for your apiary.  You will need to accommodate at least two hives and have space to work round them comfortably.

Glad to see you plan to join your nearest BKA.  Members will have a more detailed understanding of local conditions and strains of bees.  Drink at the fount of wisdom.

Good luck!

[waterhouse]

Opened my three hives at the weekend to give some fondant.  Live bees in three hives !!
First winter so very nervous

You sound surprised - there are SUPPOSED to be live bees in the hive over winter y'know:)  Don't be nervous, you've done exactly the right thing.  I did the same on Weds - just catching an hour or two of mild, dry weather between frost and deluge!  The next of these will be dedicated to pruning the orchard - if the sheep don't spring any interesting surprises on us!

Good luck with your bees next season.

(waterhouse's OH)

[princesspiggy]

so whats the theory for siting a hive - out of wind? in/out of sun? obviously not to be a nuisance, do they need to be close to the flowers etc or do they not travel to find food.

[waterhouse]

OH is going to get herself an ID for this forum and I'm but a humble labourer when it comes to bees but they do range over some miles so the unless you want to make something like heather honey you don't need to take them to the crop.  Bees are insects and their activity level depends on temperature, so unless you're in one of the UK's many sun-baked piazzas it's best to give them shelter, especially during winter when the number of bees is vastly reduced anyway. 

The bees remember precisely where they came from which is why you can't move the hive except by a metre or some kilometres.  Bees from adjacent hives don't get lost.  And you want a level area to work on with the hive raised a bit so you don't bend all the time.  Pave it if it might get muddy.

I was scared stiff of bees and wasn't in favour of OH getting them but I've come to enjoy them and I'm not worried any more.  I thoroughly recommend it to anyone but we'd never have got started without the help from our association.  It's often just having someone to call, though OH gets the calls now.

[CarolW]

Can you keep bees with horses in the adjoining fields, and chickens & ducks in the same garden ?

[waterhouse]

Yes.  Our two hives and the Dartington Long Deep live in the orchard with the chickens and with horses and sheep in the adjacent paddocks.
Two are close to the house and garden so we put a 2m high bamboo fence around them so that they fly higher earlier.  People are happier if they're not too obvious in the garden

[OhLaLa]

Can you keep bees with horses in the adjoining fields, and chickens & ducks in the same garden ?

I'd think this one through. If the horses are literally grazing over the fence from the hives then don't be surprised if they receive the odd sting. The bees won't usually bother the horses unless they are of a bad tempered brood or the horses get in the way of their flight path - or nose a bit too close for the bees liking.

Chickens and ducks in the bee garden: Depends. How large an area? I've never put them in the same area as ducks are mucky creatures and the area will be boggy with duck poo in no time. Slipping on duck muck with full supers or even just whilst checking the hives is no fun. Chickens might peck at the bees and eat them, after all, other birds find them a tasty morsel - and I just don't want anything round my feet (or my hives) whilst I am trying to work.

For my hives, I fence off a 'bee garden' area. This prevents the dogs, foxes, deer, wild boars (yes we have those too) and the like from taking to much of an interest and the possibility of the hives being knocked over. I place the hives on a concrete slab to keep the grass short in front of the entrances, and just try to keep the area generally tidy and the grass short. They don't care if I whizz by on the lawnmower.

Position your hives so the entrances are facing a high hedge or something tall so when they leave the hive they have to fly up and over the obstacle. This takes them high into the air and therefore above human/horse height (however, bees will do what they want and if they want to take a left or right turn on exit and fly in/out at waist height they will do exactly that). 

[OhLaLa]

so whats the theory for siting a hive - out of wind? in/out of sun? obviously not to be a nuisance, do they need to be close to the flowers etc or do they not travel to find food.

Unfortunately, quite often beehives are positioned under a collection of trees where it is dark and damp so try to avoid that if you can. Think of somewhere you'd like to sit - out of direct sun, not cold and wet, not too breezy and you should be fine. Don't place them near a road/footpath or public right of way. Bees will fly off to forage so putting them in a flower garden looks pretty but isn't essential. Water is often overlooked, they will take water from a pond (providing it has an area adjacent on which they can land), or from a birdbath etc.

 

[waterhouse]

I should have mentioned that we separate the hives from the chickens using sheep hurdles.  They love drone brood etc btw.

We haven't noticed any stinging problems with our horses despite finding three underground wasp nests in the paddocks last year. 

[princesspiggy]

my site iv planned on using is between 2 long strips of fir woodland 20 metres apart, so quite sheltered but still has sunlight. also il be outa sight of neighbours whilst wearing the beekeepers fashion! lol    pasture is not far away, orchards a bit further, but hoping to plant more wild flowers in grassland etc. never thought about water at all, will have to think about that one. how close does that have to be?

[OhLaLa]

never thought about water at all, will have to think about that one. how close does that have to be?

Appx 5 mile radius of the hives, but obviously if you can help them out a bit in this regard so much the better, remember to take into account the seasons and draught too. Bees will take rainwater off leaves, dustbin lids - in fact anything they can, but if making a dedicated 'water garden' the water needs a gentle slope so they can land, or something floating on the water which they can use to stand on. Water in deep pots with nowhere for the bees to land = drowned bees.

Take a look here 'Creating a Honeybee Water Garden':

http://www.glenn-apiaries.com/beepond.html

 

[princesspiggy]

interesting, for years we have had loads of dead bumble bees in our horses water trough, yet last year we had hardly any. dont think anything changed but we planted loads of phaecelia (which they adored) in a different area so maybe they hung in that location instead.

[OhLaLa]

interesting, for years we have had loads of dead bumble bees in our horses water trough, yet last year we had hardly any. don't think anything changed but we planted loads of phaecelia (which they adored) in a different area so maybe they hung in that location instead.

Sadly, bees are on the decline, we need to do everything we can to help them.

Everyone:
Maybe pop a (smallish) branch or something similar which will float on the water of your horse troughs (or ponds)? It won't harm the horses and might save quite a few bees (and other insects) lives.

We have a branch placed in the water at one end (make sure the other end is facing away from horses) and have had a frog (or two) enjoying it as well.