Natural Beekeeping International Forum

[greengage]

As i mentioned earlier Im new to this and plan on having a TBH at home but at work we are getting bees and will probably use National hives, because that is what everyone else uses, (It gets complicated politics) anyway we had a visit from a beekeper to look at our set up and I mentioned TBH, She didnt seem too impressed as there as too much work involved. She also suggested buying swarms, I was hoping to catch one as getting into beekeeping here could cost a lot of money with ,Gear/hives and ancillary equipment, I have seen a number of swarms last year and our visitor caught 18 swarms last year, I dont know if its true or not, anyway ill press on and keep you briefed if your interested, lot more to this than meets the eye, read a recent post here where they mentioned a bee inspector dont know if we have one of these here but did register my hens with the dept (due to H5N1 outbreak a few years ago in Asia) and got a lot of stick for that from another forum but thats another story. Lots of info here good site keep up the good work

[biobee]

I remember the old tower in the cemetery of Kildare Cathedral...

You could track down Mike Cahn of Carraig Dulra, Co. Wexford (he's on here somewhere...) who has a couple of TBHs and is not so far from you. There are others in Dublin.

[greengage]

Hope you enjoyed your visit, Ill have a look for him Tks.

[B kind]

According to local beekeepers last summer was the best honey year for 30 years, The summer started early and pretty much went on and on. There may well have been more swarms than normal last year but this year who knows? We had bees here about 10-15 years ago and between then and having our own bees 2 years ago we never once saw a swarm and rarely a honeybee in the garden.

But, I know of a couple of wild colonies within 10 miles of here that have been going strong for many many years.

As for buying swarms, As you are a gardener I'll put it this way, go to a garden centre and inquire about a plant and they will tell you how much it costs, fair enough, it's a livelihood and it takes time and money to raise plants. Go to a gardener and inquire about a plant, and unless it is rare they will most likely share. In my experience it is much the same with bees.

[rmcpb]

[madasafish]

Quote:
Bees do take a lot of time, but from what I have read it is more about the approach than the hive that matters.

I have 4 full size TBHS and 3 Jumbo Langstroths...(plus a few nucs).

I tend to run bees fairly hands off.. but I do inspect in swarming season as I like to get a honey crop and I don't like chasing swarms.. lost one flying over the nearby school two years ago!

Langs are easier to inspect. More difficult and costly to make. I run foundationless which is cheaper but has occasional problems..

TBH are cheap to make and run but low honey yields I extract mainly in spring and expect to get a bumper crop this year...last year was very good.

Feeding and treating? Langs win hands down.

Assessing stores? Langs win hands down.
Quick inspection - ? My Langs have clear crownboards - so no disruption. Langs win by a mile.

I think Poly Lang hives beat TBHs hands down for bee friendliness...due to the insulation properties- my one poly hive has survived a cool winter (worst week sub -4C this year vs 2012 -16C) much better than my most vigorous TBH - and they are bees which are from the same grandmother..

My TBHs have all insulated roofs and walls..

[biobee]

[AugustC]

Surely if your primary preference of poly langs over TBH is insulation based you could just better insult your TBH. Unlike most langs the TBHs are what you make them. Make them out of polystyrene if you like..

[madasafish]

[biobee]

[rmcpb]

To the bees, its a box. Obviously, to us its a statement of who we are. We should get over this argument and get on with treating the bees in a "natural" way.

Cheers
Rob.