An appeal for action :)

[The Drone Ranger]

Hi
If you are reading this and you haven't registered yet why not give it a go.
Tell us what you are doing with your bees.
The more the merrier
So folks on lets hear what you are up to or planning
Have you got bees? are you waiting for bees?
Been stung somewhere painful?
Climbed a tree for a swarm?

Still listening to Uriah Heep , wondering who Uriah Heep are? your in the right place :)

[Jon]

I just knew you would have stuff like Uriah Heep. Probably have a few Jethro Tull and Marillion as well.

[Trog]

Surely Uriah Heep is singular rather than plural? A Dickens character who was ever so 'umble? Am I in the wrong thread?

[Jon]

Obviously not Trog rock but certainly prog rock (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uriah_Heep_%28band%29)

Likely has a bit of Wishbone Ash as well.

[gavin]

Fish is a beekeeper and we once had hopes that someone would drag him onto here where him and Dougie MacLean could argue about the best musical genre of the 70s and 80s.

I think that it is time the Administrator wrote a piece in the Scottish Beekeeper to encourage all (except perhaps Eric and Doris) to come onto SBAi to join the fun. Drone Ranger can be the promoter for his network of independent-minded non-association beekeepers.

I'm starting to get an image of a beekeeper of a certain age, long now grey locks tied back neatly in ponytail, Michael Young style. I need to ask Wendy if that's true.

Good suggestion though, come on one and all. Take the plunge, the water is warm and the sharks have had their teeth filed down.

[Jon]

long now grey locks tied back neatly in ponytail,

That's Jimmy page you are thinking of.

[The Drone Ranger]

Grey locks Lol !!
With a big space in the middle
King Crimson, Budgie,Yes
Stranglers Poystyrene,Pink Floyd
Green Day,They may be Giants, Glynnis Barber, Blakes 7
Anybody remember that lot :)

My favourite bit of beekeeping mags are the letters to the editor
That's why I would love to hear from the forum readers about their crazy experiments, Warre Hives ,Omlets you name it :)

Save the badgers

Heres some music :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hchOYs_d_Bw

[Jon]

Just went and listened to some Heep.
My god it was awful squealing chunder.
I'll never listen to a word you say again.
That stuff needs to be ring fenced in a 1970s theme park along with wide lapels and Austin Allegros.

[wee willy]

I've lost the will to live !
WW


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[The Drone Ranger]

Just went and listened to some Heep.
My god it was awful squealing chunder.
I'll never listen to a word you say again.
That stuff needs to be ring fenced in a 1970s theme park along with wide lapels and Austin Allegros.

Ok Jon and Wee Willy check these out instead
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSlh8u8Nrig
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mP_RiUq45U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6TUGJRYig4
Bit more modern (late 70's)

My Favourite "Elderly man River"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLlTlYfqQV4

[gavin]

Was thinking last night of showing you how to embed video but I've thought better of it!

[Jon]

Don't encourage him.
This thread and all the links in it should be given a decent Christian burial.
In fact any kind of burial even a shallow grave in the woods would be acceptable.
Uriah Heep R.I.P.

[Dark Bee]

Time now for a pibroch from an phiob mhor. It will restore sanity. Anybody here able to play the "Craigs of Tumbledown"?

[Jon]

I can do Raggle Taggle Gypsy or Follow me up to Carlow but I haven't got the fingers for the jigs and reels.

[The Drone Ranger]

Gavin and Jon seem to lack any musical taste whatsoever
As for Dark Bee's proposal of "The Jimmy Shand Experience" , there is a reason for lone pipers on remote hilltops :)

[gavin]

Just to give you a feel for the activity on the forum, at 8:27 this morning there were:

- 8 registered users
- around 8-10 Guests that looked like bona fide forum readers from the IP address
- around 44-46 automated devices or 'others' who probably have no interest in the contents of the forum

Amongst those 8-10 guests are likely to be people who are registered users but just read without logging in (or whose device doesn't automatically log in when they point here).

I do wonder sometimes if the generally high level of bee discussion here puts off those with very basic questions, but if you are reading and wondering, all queries are welcome here. Many of our regulars were beginners in the last few years and see where they are now!

[chris]

Amongst those 8-10 guests are likely to be people who are registered users but just read without logging in (or whose device doesn't automatically log in when they point here).


I only log in when I want to post something. I'm sure many others do the same. Probably the large number of clicks that can be made *without commitment*. I've never exhausted it.

[The Drone Ranger]

is there a New to bees section ?

[Dark Bee]

is there a New to bees section ?

There does not appear to be, I too have been trying to find such a section too for ages - it would be so useful :)

[gavin]

That was a deliberate choice when I was setting it up, after seeing some of the things that were wrong with a couple of the other fora. Let people read, and they'll sign up one day if they want to participate. As the BBKA forum was when it was a properly open forum (and still, in its current form), and as Beesource is still. Also a longer time to remain logged in without activity - something that the BKF has since adjusted.

[Jon]

I do wonder sometimes if the generally high level of bee discussion here puts off those with very basic questions, but if you are reading and wondering, all queries are welcome here. Many of our regulars were beginners in the last few years and see where they are now!

This forum is a bit short of new beekeepers, and I think they would benefit posting questions on here. Anyone trying to mock a new starter would be jumped on pretty quickly by the moderators and the regular posters. I have noticed the bbka forum is starting to get quite a few new posters with basic questions and that is likely because AdamD and a couple of other regulars give very helpful answers without condescension.

[gavin]

The deliberate choice was the ability to read without registering .... for people new to beekeeping, is this not the place to get friendly and high quality advice:

http://www.sbai.org.uk/sbai_forum/forumdisplay.php?2-Starting-out

It might be nice if we self-moderated the banter in that section to encourage the shy to give us a try?

[Jon]

Trouble is, you get a bunch of people on a forum comfortable with each others banter but it could seem like a clique from the outside when you are not part of it.

[Calum]

What hurts more sting on the meat&two veg or sting in the nose? I think the nose just wins it. - the experience of naturalist beekeeping

[Jon]

I have been stung inside the nose and confirm it would bring a tear to a glass eye.
Have no wish to ever try the other but will report here should I still be fit to sit down in front of a keyboard.

[drumgerry]

Can't really imagine a scenario where the M and 2 Veg would get stung - or maybe naturist beekeeping has caught on in Germany Calum?

[fatshark]

In the interests of scientific research I managed to dig this up ...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-456933/Mick-Jagger-used-bees-enlarge-manhood.html

Sorry.

[mbc]

What hurts more sting on the meat&two veg or sting in the nose? I think the nose just wins it. - the experience of naturalist beekeeping

I'll keep the swelling but can you take away the pain please !

[The Drone Ranger]

No matter how good your bee suit is --never ever put the hive tool in your pocket --bees will follow
1606

[drumgerry]

Gives a whole new meaning to - "Is that a hive tool in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?!"

[The Drone Ranger]

Some years ago I was keen on using a pin pusher instead of a small hammer when nailing frames
Anyway for anyone who doesn't know they are a handle with a tube the nail goes in and inside a magnetic rod.
I was getting quite fast and a bit too cocky
Needless to say the thing slipped and the tube chopped it's way through my thumb nail at one side and took out a nice plug of flesh as well
I sometimes still use one but now the thumb is well out of the way

[Neils]

Forums can be slow to build from scratch, as this one was in some respects, it's far from the busiest forum for sure, but it does now have a 'critical mass' of posters and I feel that it is growing slowly but surely. I also feel that it would be nicer if there were more new beekeepers using here to ask questions, but I think the local associations and SBA itself has a role to play in that. For all its Faults the BBKA has been heavily pushing its website and in some respects forum recently so it is perhaps not too surprising to see people sticking a toe in the water there recently.

Rightly or wrongly I don't feel like the SBA as a whole is too fussed about pushing this little corner of its web presence that much through avenues like the Scottish Beekeeper and the local associations in Scotland are perhaps less tightly bound to the SBA as the English branches are to the BBKA and maybe therefore somewhat less inclined to promote an SBA resource over perhaps a more local offering?

[Dark Bee]

One must not confuse quality with quantity for they are two very different entities :) . There are a number of other fora dealing with beekeeping, on the web and many of them are excellent. Being busy does not equate to being best or indeed to being good and in fact it would be impossible to ascribe "best" to any forum as each occupies a different niche and has it's own focus, so finding the proverbial level playing field would be impossible.
A forum is known by the company it keeps!

[chris]

A forum is known by the company it keeps!

Enter Groucho Marx.................

[GRIZZLY]

Friend of mine forgot a) his wellies & b) that bees climb upwards.
Saw the same thing on Sunday where a young lady remembered the wellies but forgot to tuck the legs of her bee suit into them.
Needless to say the bees took advantage. The hopping up and down obviously got taken for a rain dance as the heavens then opened and we all got wet.

[Dark Bee]

Enter Groucho Marx.................

Now there will be none of them Marx men here, one of them it was that wrote a book on communism. Wrote it in three pieces so that it would be big enough. The local Parish Priest was right ( he was always right) to call him a Godless Russian. Highgate hill here we come.

[Jon]

The local Parish Priest was right ( he was always right) to call him a Godless Russian.

Apart from the fact the he was German!

[The Drone Ranger]

I would like the people to seize the means of production and nationalise all strategically important industries for the good of the population as a whole
Does that make me a Tory or one o' Dem Libs ?

By the way Jon how did you find out the parish priest was a German ?

[Jon]

They have been hiding out all around Ireland since the end of WW2. Poor man's Argentina.

[Dark Bee]

[QUOTE=The Drone Ranger;19605]I would like the people to seize the means of production and nationalise all strategically important industries for the good of the population as a whole.

Workers of all lands should unite, - they have nothing to loose but their chains.
What is a strategically important industry ? Is that another name for beekeeping?

[The Drone Ranger]

[QUOTE=The Drone Ranger;19605]I would like the people to seize the means of production and nationalise all strategically important industries for the good of the population as a whole.

Workers of all lands should unite, - they have nothing to loose but their chains.
What is a strategically important industry ? Is that another name for beekeeping?

Coal, oil, gas, electricity, water, telephone, trains , beer, airports, importers, banks, dentists, opticians that's a start anyway
Nationalise the lot
Dissenters to be shot
Survivors shot again

Seems fairly reasonable when you see it in print maybe I am going a bit soft in my old age
Oh and every tenth politician of all houses made redundant (decimation Roman style that should sharpen them up )

[Dark Bee]

.................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ...................

Oh and every tenth politician of all houses made redundant (decimation Roman style that should sharpen them up )


I digress, but an ancestor is alleged to have tried something like that once, far from these shores.
It did have an effect.

[The Drone Ranger]

I digress, but an ancestor is alleged to have tried something like that once, far from these shores.
It did have an effect.

I'm not going to be able to guess this one :)

best guess Cromwell

[fatshark]

Che Guevara?

[Rosco]

Hi
If you are reading this and you haven't registered yet why not give it a go.
Tell us what you are doing with your bees.
The more the merrier
So folks on lets hear what you are up to or planning
Have you got bees? are you waiting for bees?
Been stung somewhere painful?
Climbed a tree for a swarm?

Still listening to Uriah Heep , wondering who Uriah Heep are? your in the right place :)

I am responding to your appeal for action! Been lurking for a while now, reading and learning. I'm a beginner and afraid to ask questions on the other forum. Maybe I'll have the courage to ask some on here!

[drumgerry]

You'll find we're a friendlier bunch around here Rosco! Welcome to the forum!

[Dark Bee]

I am responding to your appeal for action! Been lurking for a while now, reading and learning. I'm a beginner and afraid to ask questions on the other forum. Maybe I'll have the courage to ask some on here!

Rosco,
Yours is a splendid response; not you to let the call to arms from Captn. Fatshark and Col. Drone go unanswered.:)
Please feel free to ask any questions you wish, but in any event let us know how you are getting on.

[fatshark]

I'll second, actually third, the welcome ... ask away, any questions except about waspkeeping. It's clear from a previous thread that we're not qualified to answer queries about that.

[Bridget]

Friend of mine forgot a) his wellies & b) that bees climb upwards.
Saw the same thing on Sunday where a young lady remembered the wellies but forgot to tuck the legs of her bee suit into them.
Needless to say the bees took advantage. The hopping up and down obviously got taken for a rain dance as the heavens then opened and we all got wet.
Ha ha Grizzly, this not so young lady should have swallowed her pride and taken the sting out straight away. Devilish itchy, red as a beetroot and still looks like elephantitas

[The Drone Ranger]

I am responding to your appeal for action! Been lurking for a while now, reading and learning. I'm a beginner and afraid to ask questions on the other forum. Maybe I'll have the courage to ask some on here!

Hi Rosco and welcome

How has your beekeeping been going so far this year

[drumgerry]

And there was me thinking tucking your suit into your wellies was optional! Lots of people I know don't and haven't suffered. I however am a definite tucker. ;)

[Neils]

I am responding to your appeal for action! Been lurking for a while now, reading and learning. I'm a beginner and afraid to ask questions on the other forum. Maybe I'll have the courage to ask some on here!

Rosco, welcome to the forum and ask away, we don't bite (much) and certainly not if you ask in the "starting out" forum which, as its it's name suggests, is for Beekeepers new to the craft. Please ask anything you want, no one is going to point and laugh or think its a stupid question. We were all new Beekeepers once, some of us more recently than others :). In my alternate role as a motivational speaker ;) I'd just say "the only stupid question is the one you don't ask." :D

[Rosco]

Cheers folks. Wasn't meaning to sound disparaging towards any other forum, it's just my fear of it being a daft question that stop me asking questions usually!

Have three colonies at the moment, one local swarm I was given and two not so local colonies that I purchased. Medium term goal is to overwinter another 1 or 2 nucs headed by a local (either bred from my local bees or bought in from somewhere) queen. Reason for wanting the extra colonies is to give me more flexibility next year and maybe even a chance at some honey! I have the feeling this is a bit ambitious for a beginner though!

[GRIZZLY]

Ha ha Grizzly, this not so young lady should have swallowed her pride and taken the sting out straight away. Devilish itchy, red as a beetroot and still looks like elephantitas

Good course tho' wasn't it. Think we all learned a lot.

[The Drone Ranger]

Cheers folks. Wasn't meaning to sound disparaging towards any other forum, it's just my fear of it being a daft question that stop me asking questions usually!

Have three colonies at the moment, one local swarm I was given and two not so local colonies that I purchased. Medium term goal is to overwinter another 1 or 2 nucs headed by a local (either bred from my local bees or bought in from somewhere) queen. Reason for wanting the extra colonies is to give me more flexibility next year and maybe even a chance at some honey! I have the feeling this is a bit ambitious for a beginner though!

Rosco
What type of hives are your bees in at the moment ?

[gavin]

Welcome to the forum Rosco! In my experience most beginners hit problems in year 2 around May or June when the colonies are large, sometimes queenless (and swarmed) already and definitely tetchy, and there is a sudden need for several spare boxes. Many experienced beekeepers have problems then too ;). There is a lot to be said for getting to know your bees before building up numbers and over-stretching yourself.

And, if some honey is your goal, you really should be able to at least aspire to a late-season crop of honey this year if your bees are near heather or Himalayan balsam.

Bear in mind that the colonies that failed overwinter were very often the small ones. Get your Varroa control right, make sure there are a few frames of young bees being raised in September, and feed unless they have largely filled a brood box after that brood raising, and your three will still be alive next spring. Then, when your bees get reproductive next year, you will have no problem tripling your stock plus having some strong ones for honey production if you want to ..... and if your site has good bee forage.

G.

[gavin]

Good course tho' wasn't it. Think we all learned a lot.

Any pictures? And not just of Bridget's discomfort!

[Jon]

Have three colonies at the moment, one local swarm I was given and two not so local colonies that I purchased.

You will need to think carefully about how you make increase if you have a mix local and non local bees, especially if they are different bee sub species.
If you have queens produced by random crosses you could well end up with something very unpleasant to handle.
There are a lot of threads on the bee forums about aggressive bees and beekeepers not being able to mow the lawn or use the garden.
You might get lucky, but it is pretty much down to chance. Are you in your local association yet as you might be able to link up with a few local beekeepers who are interested in bee improvement.

[The Drone Ranger]

Hi Jon
You need a recruitment poster like the Kitchener one

"Crossed bees are wild dervishes"

Most of mine are OK :)

[Jon]

You don't buy in bees though DR.
I don't doubt that most of yours are ok but depending on the bees and the neighbours, a beekeeper might need a remote site to remove a difficult colony.
Might never happen but it is as well to be aware of potential issues down the line.

[Rosco]

They are all in nationals at the moment, all with frames of undrawn foundation to spare (one with supers below to try to get them drawn). I have ordered some more boxes and was aiming to all onto either double brood or brood and a half for overwintering but I have no experience of how fast they can build up, or whether that much space is necessary/advisable.

Gavin, you have touched on my biggest fear: losing the bees over winter. This is one of the reasons I wanted to make increase. But if that would be counterproductive (I.e. Reduce the chances of my existing colonies surviving) then I wouldn't bother at this stage.

I have been attending the local association meetings since last autumn and am now good friends with some of the members. My local bees are nice and dark and I had thought that they would be a good start for queen rearing/making increase. Another thought was to buy in queens as from reading many posts on this forum it seems AMM may be best suited to my location. But there are so many commercial colonies round here I will never successfully breed a certain strain. Not that I have any problem with that as I regard someone's livelihood as taking precedence over over my hobby any day.

Perhaps queen rearing is a long way off for this ambitious beginner anyway!
Sent from my OMNIA7 using Board Express

[Jon]

Perhaps queen rearing is a long way off for this ambitious beginner anyway!
Sent from my OMNIA7 using Board Express

On the contrary! I think everyone should have a go. It is not half as complicated as some people would have you believe and if you work with a few other local beekeepers it can be great craic.

[madasafish]

Cheers folks. Wasn't meaning to sound disparaging towards any other forum, it's just my fear of it being a daft question that stop me asking questions usually!

Have three colonies at the moment, one local swarm I was given and two not so local colonies that I purchased. Medium term goal is to overwinter another 1 or 2 nucs headed by a local (either bred from my local bees or bought in from somewhere) queen. Reason for wanting the extra colonies is to give me more flexibility next year and maybe even a chance at some honey! I have the feeling this is a bit ambitious for a beginner though!

Rosco

I started keeping bees 3 years ago. Overwintered nucs are a must in my view - to replace dead colonies/queens. And make a few £s to offset costs.!:-) Started nucs 2 years ago.

Started queen rearing in earnest this year. Would have last but weather too bad. Miller method : can't graft due to poor eyesight and delerium tremens - sorry old age - affecting steadiness of hand...

Highly recommend a simple method like Miller for starters...

[GRIZZLY]

Any pictures? And not just of Bridget's discomfort!

I recon Bridget took a load of pictures . Perhaps we can encourage her to post a few. Mine aren't good enough i'm afraid.

[The Drone Ranger]

Hi Rosco
I'm on the wrong coast to really be able to advise
Over here the rape is finishing and I would be concentrating on getting the wax drawn out
I can be slow getting wax drawn

Bees like to go up so you are better with two broodboxes each with 6 frames and wide spacers at either side
Putting the frames of foundation above the broodnest where its warm suits them best
Unless there is a nectar flow they may not work foundation at the sides of a single broodbox
I wouldn't put a super below the brood box myself as I don't think they will draw wax in that position

[Dark Bee]

Hi Rosco
.................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ....
I wouldn't put a super below the brood box myself as I don't think they will draw wax in that position


I thought perhaps he had been advised to put the BB over the other box, to get the brood frames well drawn down to the bottom bars. He has mentioned the one and a half box system and that maneuver would not be unknown there. I wonder how adequate and how constant is the nectar flow in his area? It might be helpful to feed a small quantitty of 1:1, if the nectar flow is small or irregular.
I thrust you will not deem it impertinent of me to say so, but your advice was excellent.

[The Drone Ranger]

That's very kind of you Dark Bee :)

[Mellifera Crofter]

Any pictures? And not just of Bridget's discomfort!

I was too engrossed in listening and learning, and forgot to take pictures. The one I took does nobody justice. I enjoyed the course despite the weather.
Kitta