An old hive - so long as it is clean and disease-free - makes an excellent swarm-baiting device, as it already has the right smells. If you can, set it up in a fairly sunny spot (but preferably not in sun all day) and raise it off the ground - ideally by several feet.
If bees are not already swarming where you are, they will be soon - so you may have some extra bees before too long!
Good luck with it.
Thinking about keeping bees?
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- margo - newbie
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Re: Thinking about keeping bees?
Low cost, low impact, natural beekeeping in top bar hives www.biobees.com
Re: Thinking about keeping bees?
Fab article. I enjoyed reading it and have visited your website and bookmarked it for future reference. I have to be honest and say I hadn't worried about cost of equipment, moving heavy boxes etc because I'm still in the idyllic daydream stage of beekeeping!
After having found a lot of buff-tail bumble bees in our house last week, they probably came in with a basket of logs, I was prompted to do some bee research. I was quite alarmed by the reports of colony collapse disorder and would hate this to happen to bees I kept. I've heard mobile phones cause problems to bee navigation systems. Have you had any problems with CCD and do you know of solutions?
After having found a lot of buff-tail bumble bees in our house last week, they probably came in with a basket of logs, I was prompted to do some bee research. I was quite alarmed by the reports of colony collapse disorder and would hate this to happen to bees I kept. I've heard mobile phones cause problems to bee navigation systems. Have you had any problems with CCD and do you know of solutions?
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- margo - newbie
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Re: Thinking about keeping bees?
Thanks. We aim to please!goo wrote:Fab article. I enjoyed reading it and have visited your website and bookmarked it for future reference.
Many people don't - it usually hits them round about the time they try to lift a full super of honey at the Branch Apiary, or when the glossy catalogue from Thornes arrives...I have to be honest and say I hadn't worried about cost of equipment, moving heavy boxes etc because I'm still in the idyllic daydream stage of beekeeping!
There is no correlation between mobile phone masts and CCD. That was a silly story put out by lazy journalists, probably egged on by the agri-chem companies who are much more likely to be the source of the problem.After having found a lot of buff-tail bumble bees in our house last week, they probably came in with a basket of logs, I was prompted to do some bee research. I was quite alarmed by the reports of colony collapse disorder and would hate this to happen to bees I kept. I've heard mobile phones cause problems to bee navigation systems. Have you had any problems with CCD and do you know of solutions?
The most likely scenario for CCD is that bees' immune systems have been compromised by a toxic soup of pesticides and the use of high-dose pyrethroids by beekeepers to kill mites has tipped them over the edge.
More bee-nurturers are needed to ensure the survival of the species!
see http://www.biobees.com/library/pesticid ... icides.pdf
Low cost, low impact, natural beekeeping in top bar hives www.biobees.com
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- A selfsufficientish Regular
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Re: Thinking about keeping bees?
I also found the article really interesting, thanks. I'm also interested in keeping bees some day and am going on a taster session in June!
There's a talk on CCD here if anybody's interested:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 1959719523
There's a talk on CCD here if anybody's interested:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 1959719523
They're not weeds - that's a habitat for wildlife, don't you know?
http://sproutingbroccoli.wordpress.com
http://sproutingbroccoli.wordpress.com
- Andy Hamilton
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Re: Thinking about keeping bees?
Yep, excellent article. Sorry for the delay in putting it up but is it up now
First we sow the seeds, nature grows the seeds then we eat the seeds. Neil Pye
My best selling Homebrew book Booze for Free
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The Other Andy Hamilton - Drinks & Foraging
My best selling Homebrew book Booze for Free
and...... Twitter
The Other Andy Hamilton - Drinks & Foraging
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Re: Thinking about keeping bees?
Great article and the website looks really useful. OH has been looking for info. on less complicated beekeeping and the plans for the top bar hive make it a much more affordable possibility once we move.
Thanks and best wishes, Jill
Thanks and best wishes, Jill