Natural Beekeeping International Forum

[Dexter's shed]

was over our woodland checking on the big prime swarm that I put there 6 days ago, and I got yet another call to collect a swarm, by the time I got back to Essex time was getting on, as it was our bee club's meeting night too, but thankfully had the time to pick up this cast swarm of reasonable size, although I used a national poly hive which are great for swarm collections, I've added ROSE frames, will be transferring these over to a rose osb once they have filled out the frames, I'm leaving them in my garden until the queen gets mated, as having 3 colonies here already, that's lots of drones, and this strain of bees are very docile, the big prime swarm at the woods are a little feisty, so I've been told, yet to find out,

http://youtu.be/1wokfwgEWZc

[AugustC]

The only bee calls I have had this year have been tree bumbles in bird nesting boxes.. no I tell a lie, my friend did call me last night to say he had a swarm in a tree in his garden. But he lives in Gloucester. I gave him the BBKA website to find a beek but they said it was too high up and left. Some people have no sense of adventure.

Dex, my folks live in Hornchurch and I may have got my dad interested as he told me last night that he wants to put a bait hive on the roof of his shed. He also said he'd looked up the Havering BKA and says they are obviously just in it for the Honey! So, I have clearly infected him with the natural beek bug too.

[Dexter's shed]

our bee club in thurrock was predominately filled with honey type members, but they are still a friendly bunch and like listening to my stories of tbh and rose stuff

http://www.thurrockbeekeeping.com/#

[madasafish]

3 honeybee swarms.. (one unreachable by me under a roof)

20+ bumble bees - all tree bumbles.

I charge for bumble bee callouts.

[Dexter's shed]

because the local council give my number out, people tend to think its a free service, this year around 100 bumble calls, and they all assure you its honey bees living in the nest box, until I tell them, that if I come for honey bees, that turn out to be bumbles, then there is a charge, out of those 100, only had around 6 that swore blind they were honey bees, yup, they got charged
but you take the rough with the smooth don't ya, as have collected around 4 good swarms

[madasafish]

Ditto re the local council..(and Rentokil)...

Most pest controllers round here will not touch honey bees..

[Dexter's shed]

[madasafish]