Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi guys,

I'm looking at taking up bee keeping, both for therapeutic value, and pollination. Bonus honey would be nice too

I've done my research and started building a long deep topbar hive

I just wondered if anyone on her has any advice? Since you lot are nicer than the beekeepingforum.co.uk lot

I've had both types of hive in my garden, but left their care to a bee keeping friend. We've had 25 jars of honey even in poor summers and it is nice to eat your own Yorkshire honey.

Last year the bees were very prone to swarming, they are anyway at this time of the year. My neighbour was afraid they would sting his children and asked me to move the hives, so I decided to move them out of the garden altogether to avoid conflict. They are doing very well on an allotment in Wakefield now.

I didn't really notice any improvement in pollination, but get both hive bees and bumblebees in the garden anyway. Someone keeps bees about a mile away, so I suppose they visit my garden.

The top bar hive is quite easy to manage.

I did find wasps a problem some years, trying to get in and raid the hive.

T ry to get some nice docile bees. They are usually ok, but we've had an occasional swarm that is agressive which makes tending them a nightmare.

Good luck.

Thanks plum

I've got an offer for a nuc of some very docile and none swarmy bees. But end of the day, swarms do happen, so its just a case of keeping ontop of them and splitting / requeening when needed

I buy all my honey from the Sheffield honey company, so I don't think I could go back to shop bought stuff. Proper local honey just isn't the same

Hello

I would like to give you another option with regard to beekeeping options, and you can build this hive yourself as well.

Well its not so much a hive as a "honey bee habitat" its the only beehive that complies with all the Permacalture ethics.

Its is a much more gentle, natural less intrusive way of beekeeping. better for the sole, and better for the bees, and as the bees are never fed or exposed to chemicals in the hive the honey is out of this world!

Any how thought you might like to have a look at this as an option.

xplenation
https://youtu.be/B0hTU9JrZ9U

build vidio
https://youtu.be/r-emMWxVDEg

How to catch a swarm
https://youtu.be/vChAQN0ZTuM

gardenersbeehive.com

This is a very helpful site for beginner beekeeping if you would like a gentler more natural system.

http://www.biobees.com/

he also has a book out that I would recommend.

Kevin