Beekeeping chit chat

€8 per 330g jar.in Dublin you should be able to get a little more

Deleted User wrote: »

The problem is that the apidea is coming under continual attack from wasps,... Anything else i can do?

1) Move it to where wasps are not a problem, or
2) Have not tried this myself -- Close the entrance completely, and slide out the floor to leave a small hole at the bottom (use an empty Apidea first to see how far the floor needs to be opened). Make it so the bees can use the hole at the bottom to enter and leave. The theory here is that wasps do not see the entrance and also are at a disadvantage if they have to land on an Apidea and walk to the hidden entrance.

bogman_bass wrote: »

I'm not a Bee guy. Just wondering how the season was for bee keepers? I presume the weather was favourable or did it get too hot?

I think it was a good year. Bees like the hot weather. One issue was the lack of rain which may have reduced the quantity of flowers and consequently of nectar, but to say for sure we would need a botanist's investigation.

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Heres a pic of a wasp that i caught today. Just posting it because it seems unusual to me, tho i do believe its a normal irish wasp. Perhaps its worn out at the end of the season. It was quite large and attracted my attention by a loud buzzing.

There are a bunch of wasp species here, I believe. I’ve never got into identifying them.

It looks pretty “normal” to me too though.

There will be a lot of large queen wasps looking around for places to hibernate at this time of year. They can be much bigger than the workers which kind of draws your attention!

Hello folks...

Have various bits of hives in the loft from when there was bees here years ago... am sure I could out at least one if not two hives together out of it all...
So I have all the gear...

But unsure what to do to get started to get a few bees...

When I was young, ‘wild’ swarms were a thing... Are they still?
If I put my hives together and put them out, in say April - could I expect to attract a swarm of bees?

Reesy wrote: »

Hi Dinlee, the best thing is to get in touch with your local beekeeping association, they may sell you a colony. Many associations offer beginners' courses, too. You might look here http://irishbeekeeping.ie. There are other associations not on this site, so maybe google '<insert county> beekeepers'.

If you leave a hive out (especially about 10ft off the ground) in spring, you may catch a swarm. Look up 'bait hive' for more info.

Thank you Reesy...

I did one of those courses a long while back... And not that I’d be against contacting any beepkeepers, i’d like to see if I could ‘catch’ a swarm myself, for some reason... awkwardness I guess

10ft off the ground is a bit of a distance for a hive... do many lads do this? I assume people use scaffolding?

Reesy wrote: »

Hiya,

I put my bait hives on flat roofs. Bees prefer their new home to be high up, but I've caught swarms in hives at ground level too.

You might be waiting a long time to catch a swarm - sod's law suggests if you want one you won't get one! Are there other beekeepers nearby? That would increase the chances of a swarm...

Yeah - I hear you... and then the week after I get one from someone, there will be one outside the back door...

I am not sure if there are beekeepers nearby, I don’t believe so... Which would lessen the chances of a swarm all right I imagine...

I’ll try to get the hives put together over winter anyways, they are only gathering dust in the loft...
Around when should I put them out do you think?

And am I right in saying the hives, even though they are old, are better left as is, as in not cleaned?
They have been in a dusty loft for years... I think I read somewhere, sometime that anything more than a bit of a dust and you might be only putting bees off moving in?

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

I am not sure if there are beekeepers nearby, I don’t believe so..

I would be very surprised if there wasn't a beekeeper within a couple of miles of you. There are places in Ireland like that, but they are very, very rare. You can find your local BKA here. It sounds like you don't really know much about keeping bees, so I very strongly suggest that you do the beginners course with your local association. Looking after bees has become quite awkward since the arrival of Varroa.

Around when should I put them out do you think?

Put out bait hives starting in late April/early May.

And am I right in saying the hives, even though they are old, are better left as is, as in not cleaned?
They have been in a dusty loft for years... I think I read somewhere, sometime that anything more than a bit of a dust and you might be only putting bees off moving in?

Bees find them attractive if they already smell of bees. The ideal size is 40l, or the brood box of a hive, so don't be tempted to add any extra boxes. Cleaning of hives is actually quite a specific thing - it involves using a blow torch and potentially bleach. However, you don't need to do that. Any old frames in them have probably been eaten by wax moths, so there isn't any wax left. A really good swarm attractant is lemongrass oil - one drop (yes, one only) inside the hive - you can add another drop avery week, but don't overdo it.

_Brian wrote: »

So I couldn’t see a thread for “please answer my stupid bee related question”

I’ll ask here.

How about holidays, if I had two hives and we usually holiday away from the farm for three weeks in August, I’m presuming not checking for three weeks in August would be a bust ??

How do ye manage ?

That's not a problem. It's after swarming season.

In August the harvest is usually done, unless you have heather around you. You'll probably be treating with Apiguard or something else - being away for 3 weeks means you'll probably have to use MAQS which can be quite harsh. You could put a super on top, or even a broodbox filled with foundation - it's always nice to have drawn comb when you need it.

Mellifera wrote: »

Hi, can anyone give me a guide on the price of a nuc/hive swarm this year please? Thanks

Are you selling or buying?

Mellifera wrote: »

Hi. I'm buying. I've been offered a hive for 200 or a nuc for 170. Nuc price seems a bit high? Just wanted to get a view on the going rates. Thanks

It depends on the real and the perceived quality of the colony. I have seen (last year) a 5-frame nuc with two frames of brood, little stores and two frames with the undrawn foundation bought by a beginner. That was not a quality nuc, as you can understand. It would need very careful nurturing, and in that case the beginner lost the colony.

Now if you have a supplier who makes quality nucs, for example who follows the recommendations laid out in http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/downloadDocument.cfm?id=630 , then I would expect €200 to be a fair price for the nuc, probably €250 together with a cheap poly nuc.

A good nuc should be ready to be put into a hive after 1-2 weeks of buying. It should have no less than 3 frames of brood (>30% coverage) and one full frame of stores, with bees covering 4 frames . No sign of any disease (though the UK recommendations allow for some chalk brood).

magicbastarder wrote: »

is the course on in gormanston in august the only beekeeping course this side of the new year? I read somewhere that most of the courses start in january.

we've a decent size suburban garden in dublin, 80 foot long, and we reckon the houses behind have 100 foot gardens, so probably OK for a hive?

I don't know of any association who run their beginners course before the new year. However Gormanston gives you an opportunity to be taught by some of the best beekeepers in the country, and there you'll meet folk from all over the country and, beekeepers being beekeepers, the folk on the course will remain contacts for the future, and the experienced folk there will give you plenty of their time

THe courses run by local associations typically run over a number of weeks, rather than over four days as is the case in Gormanston. Even if you do the course in Gormanston, you should join your local association, not only for the magazine and the insurance, but also for the local support you will need at some point.

Your garden is fine for keeping bees. However, to make sure the bees don't annoy anyone, don't site them near any paths or roads, and it's good to force them up with a high hedge or fence - I use 7ft fence sections to ensure they fly high over the garden (after my wife was twice stung in the head by low-flying bees). You should have somewhere to move them quickly if they happen to turn nasty - bad tempered bees in an urban setting are not a good idea.

BTW, if you're doing the course in Gormanston, ask early to purchase the bees used in the exam. THat way, you'll get a nucleus hive that should be ready to get you honey next year.