beekeeping news
Natural Beekeeping NetworkLatest Forum PostsClick on the headers to take you to individual threade or forum RSS feed
Author: Ivan Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 4:55 pm (GMT 0) That's an interesting observation about the thistles. I have a fair crop of them in my field each late summer because I don't manage the grass too well and this is Scotland after all... but I would say the bees are less interested than the butterflies Author: Norm Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 3:55 pm (GMT 0) Kathy, welcome. Watch the video here:- http://vimeo.com/5614348 Norm _________________ http://normsbeesnaturally.blogspot.com/ Please donate to Friends of the Bees http://fotb.drogon.org/index.php Author: Kathy Subject: establishing bees in top bar hive Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 3:24 pm (GMT 0) How does one place several 'nuc' frames from a bee supply source in a top bar hive that does not accept the standard Langstroth frames? Thank you Kathy Author: zaunreiter Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 1:04 pm (GMT 0)
Yes, that is it. I don't know what is the reason for that behaviour - maybe there are more underlying causes. Some years the bees build right down through all sections - not a problem at all. Bernhard _________________ ~ back to the bees ~ Author: zaunreiter Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 1:01 pm (GMT 0) I wouldn't use them. There are already enough chemicals out there the bees have to cope with. Bernhard _________________ ~ back to the bees ~ Author: zaunreiter Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 12:59 pm (GMT 0) A future beekeeper 
It starts with fear and hate, ends with love. Bernhard _________________ ~ back to the bees ~ Author: Gareth Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 11:19 am (GMT 0)
Keep the entrance down to one bee space (7mm to allow room for drones) and keep an eye on them if feeding. Wasps can be a particular problem later in the season with small colonies: I lost a few last year because the wasps were silent robbing. Neither the bees nor the wasps were making a fuss, so the robbing went unnoticed at first. And once established such robbing is almost impossible to stop as the bees seem to accept the wasps as one of their own - hive scent I guess. _________________ Gareth We are Earth's Pandoran species, yet we are blissfully oblivious to what we have let out of the box - Susan Blackmore. Author: Tavascarow Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 7:00 am (GMT 0)
Feeding inside the hive reduces the risk of robbing. It's not such a problem if this is your only colony but wasps can be attracted, & in a small colony, which wont have the same ability as a large established one to defend itself, can become a pest as they will steal larvae as well as honey/ syrup. _________________ Don't worry Bee happy. Member of Cornwall Natural Beekeepers http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/CornwallNaturalBeekeepers/ Author: GarlyDog Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 10:40 pm (GMT 0) Welcome to the forum. A few words of advice for you... I have my bees on a second story roof too with one doorway into the house as an escape route. There have been times that the bees have come out of the hive en-mass when I was doing some manipulations in the hive. You always have to be prepared to stay out with them until things calm down or they will follow you into the house. Be prepared with a veil, gloves and ties around your ankles if you have to wait it out. I have set up a secondary escape route (a ladder) if I need to get away. I hope your bees are nice and docile. It is especially helpful for a rooftop hive. Cheers! _________________ Gary This message was crafted using 99% post consumer electrons. http://www.HiveCam.com Author: chameleon Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 9:16 pm (GMT 0) Thanks, thats a little clearer now. if i do need to feed them because the weather turns bad, is it best to do this inside the hive? Author: Norm Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 3:40 pm (GMT 0) Hello & welcome. 
Trawl the memberlist for other TBH'ers in your area. _________________ http://normsbeesnaturally.blogspot.com/ Please donate to Friends of the Bees http://fotb.drogon.org/index.php Author: nitevet39 Subject: Greetings from Minnesota Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 2:39 pm (GMT 0) I am new to beekeeping. I decided to try top bar beekeeping after doing a little research. Thanks to all who post in this forum-this has been the best source of information on top bar hive beekeeping I've found so far-would still love to find someone in my area who does it... My bees arrive on April 24! 2 2lb packages, going in to 2 top bar hives that will be on my 2nd floor porch (I'm in the city...). I am so excited! Author: GarlyDog Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 2:11 pm (GMT 0) The person understands the bees' purpose and activities on an intellectual level and the difference from wasps. Sometimes irrational fears still drives behavior. In the end, I have no doubt that they will have a lovely garden, complete with bees and wasps. I made sure that they weren't considering a pesticide solution either. _________________ Gary This message was crafted using 99% post consumer electrons. http://www.HiveCam.com Author: Ivan Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 1:45 pm (GMT 0) ...on the other side of the coin 1. Ply is a nice stable material that won't warp as readily as wood boards so it can be easier to woodwork 2. Bees ventilate the hive with a passion during the nectar flow so any volatiles coming from the ply may be washed out of the hive entrance leaving an insignificant concentration to dissolve into the comb 4. Pine is a source of turpentine, which makes it unattractive for use as a food smoking material... could those same unpleasant volatiles from natural wood be just as much of a problem for bees and honey as volatiles from ply? 3. Bees ventilate moisture out of the hive which combined with the Warre quilt might mean that waterproof ply walls are perfectly OK Author: thomas89 Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 1:16 pm (GMT 0) Thanks for the compassion, not sure if it makes me feel better, but thanks non the less  . Guess it feels better just to share the misery. I had just ordered 2 packages for the top bar hives I built over the winter. I'm not sure if I'll order another one to replace the dead out or just encourage (ya right, like they need it) one of them to swarm, thereby allowing me to excersise my swarm catching skills, something i'm very interested in developing in my local area.
thanks again. thomas _________________ None of us is free if one of us is chained. Author: Ivan Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 10:58 am (GMT 0) I have four Warre hives all close to the ground as per the advice by Warre My thoughts are... yes a bit of extra height might help guard against mice, the low height might help keep out draughts, though one can introduce different floor designs or leave empty nadir boxes to counter this If the various arguements about height have very little actual effect on the bees welfare then I think the overriding consideration should be for the beekeeper's back. Perhaps we should be thinking about the best height range for our Warre hives that suits our own posture Author: Ivan Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 9:28 am (GMT 0)
Berhard could you expand please on what you mean by the false floor problem... is this the phenomenon where a colony has an empty box below but behaves as though it has run out of space and swarms? Is this something to do with the size of the gaps between the top-bars? Author: Tavascarow Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 7:45 am (GMT 0)
Along with a jar of honey. _________________ Don't worry Bee happy. Member of Cornwall Natural Beekeepers http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/CornwallNaturalBeekeepers/ Author: professor Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 11:48 pm (GMT 0) Heck I even put the ones found in the snow or on the cold fall ground in my hands and try to blow warm breath into them. Sometimes they do come around and are able to walk back in to momma. Finding a whole hive dead totally bums me out and I feel guilty even if I did everything right. Goes with keeping them I guess. Sorry to hear about your loss. _________________ Just as dogs love to chew bones, the mind loves to get its teeth into problems. That's why it does crossword puzzles and builds atom bombs.- Eckhart Tolle Author: CCD Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 11:05 pm (GMT 0)
Well exactly. As soon as I read the start of this thread, I saw that here was someone afraid of bees. Or more specifically, someone afraid of being stung. They want a nice little ‘haven’ without any pests or irritations…. a pretty garden cut off from the real world. I think you should talk to the person and ask them why they do not want bees. Then clear up misconceptions about their likelihood to sting. Bees are not like wasps (yellow jackets) which annoy you at picnics – trying to get at your soda etc. And when out foraging, they are not in hive-defence mode and much, much less likely to sting. I have poked and prodded foraging bees and they just take off and fly to the next flower. It’s actually quite fascinating just sitting there watching bees forage on flowers. Growing plants that actually attract insects, like buddleia, can be quite a point of interest in the garden – attracting plenty of butterflies etc. too. It would be a shame to omit such beautiful flowers from a garden because of a misunderstanding about the behaviour of bees. If you can explain it all sympathetically, they will hopefully be a little more open to the bees. They will, after all, then have a completely free hand to plant whatever they want irrespective of the bees’ preferences or dislikes. Author: duncanjc Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 5:22 pm (GMT 0) Amazon is shipping: http://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Bees-Erik-Berrevoets/dp/088010709X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268241649&sr=1-1 _________________ http://duncanbees.blogspot.com/ Author: Nijal Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 4:20 pm (GMT 0)
The publication date is March 30, 2010 I would expect Amazon to stock this when it comes out. Author: GarlyDog Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 4:08 pm (GMT 0)
Excellent point, but it's not the case here. _________________ Gary This message was crafted using 99% post consumer electrons. http://www.HiveCam.com Author: GarlyDog Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 4:06 pm (GMT 0)
You read my mind. LOL _________________ Gary This message was crafted using 99% post consumer electrons. http://www.HiveCam.com Author: cvirtue Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 3:33 pm (GMT 0) I don't think that those of us who really like bees "get used to it." You have my sympathies. _________________ T-shirts & etc. with Top Bar/Warre mottoes and other allegedly clever designs by yours truly. |
Natural beekeepingHow To Build a Top Bar Hive (free ebook)The Barefoot Beekeeper - beekeeping, pure and simple - paperback or PDF The Barefoot Beekeeper - downloadable PDF only Natural Beekeeping Network forum Barefoot Beekeeper's Blog Saving the Bees Short video about the BBKA's complicity with pesticide manufacturers for BBC News24 Overview of the BBKA/Bayer controversy Natural Beekeeping podcast on iTunes how to do stuff  A dynamic new charity dedicated to showing people how sustainable living can be easy, healthy, inexpensive and fun! Links
|