New to Beekeeping

[Aramoro]

Hello all,

I just thought I should introduce myself. I'm not actually a bee keeper yet but I plan to be in the future hopefully. I live just outside of Edinburgh in a small town near a country park and I'm very keen to keep bees in my garden.

So far I've read a lot and been to a couple of talks so now I guess I need to go and do some classes. Does anyone have any classes they would recommend in the Midlothian area at all?

[gavin]

Excellent choice of hobby!

The Edinburgh & Midlothian Beekeepers Association (http://www.edinburghbeekeepers.org.uk/)is full of good people and so I imagine that the classes they run in early spring are good. In fact, knowing some of the people in EMBA they should be amongst the best in Scotland.

Bear in mind that beekeeping is probably:

- harder than you imagine (takes many years to master it properly, losses of beginner's bees in winter 1 are not infrequent)
- more dangerous than you imagine (anaphylaxis in particular)
- more expensive than you imagine (hives, frames, equipment, bees, feed, treatment ... )
- less productive than you imagine (some go years without a crop)

... but once you get that sorted it must be one of the best hobbies in the world!

G.

[fatshark]

Excellent choice of forum ... SBAi, the thinking (wo)mans beekeeping discussion board.

And just in case Gavin hasn't put you off for good ... beekeeping can also be a whole lot more engrossing than you could possibly imagine at the start. That's a good thing.

Buy a bigger shed/garage now. You're going to need it.
Welcome.

[Aramoro]

I'm fairly prepared for the fact that I may lose some bees as I learn, I mean hopefully not but sometimes things happen. I'm also getting into it because I love bees so I'm not that bothered if they ever produce anything so I'm not concerned about their productivity as long as they can sustain themselves anything else is a bonus. I have been stung by bees in the past so I know I'm not allergic though it has been recommend I go and get stung again just to be sure. So far I think I've costed out all the equipment I need but that's where the lessons will really help to show me all the things I need. I've contacted the EMBA and just waiting for them to get back to me as obviously they'll be a great source of information and will be able to really recommend the bees which suit the climate here.

I'm a keen gardener though my garden is small in a residential area there is a country park 50m away with a lot of flowering trees in it so I'm really hopeful that bees would be happy there.

Thanks for the welcome, this seems like a great forum to bore with my beginner questions and my successes (and bemoan my failures)

[Calum]

Hi
I recommend you start with 3 (or at least 2) colonies, and try to overwinter 5 in the first year.
that way you can afford to lose one or two.
I wouldn't buy colonies at the end of the season, not comparible in value to a colony that has proven its stock through having overwintered!
there is no more engrossing hobby that i can imagine!