Beekeeping chit chat

bpmurray · 21-08-2016 3:40pm

scheister wrote: »

What book wud be recommend for someone looking to read up on beekeeping b4 seeing weather to go further with it

Probably the easiest to get to grips with is the Haynes Bee Manual (by the same folk who do the car manuals). There are other books that are more thorough but they're also much more difficult to understand unless you have access to bees. Haynes is also focused on UK/Ireland beekeeping practices while books like Beekeeping for Dummies is more American.

Something else you should consider is contacting your nearest Beekeeping Association. They often have an apiary where beginners can experience bees first hand without committing themselves, much as you appear to want to do.

Edit: I forgot to mention that there's a beekeeping thing on for Heritage Week in Castletown House in Celbridge.

scheister · 21-08-2016 3:56pm

bpmurray wrote: »

Probably the easiest to get to grips with is the Haynes Bee Manual (by the same folk who do the car manuals). There are other books that are more thorough but they're also much more difficult to understand unless you have access to bees. Haynes is also focused on UK/Ireland beekeeping practices while books like Beekeeping for Dummies is more American.

Something else you should consider is contacting your nearest Beekeeping Association. They often have an apiary where beginners can experience bees first hand without committing themselves, much as you appear to want to do.

Edit: I forgot to mention that there's a beekeeping thing on for Heritage Week in Castletown House in Celbridge.

Thanks will have a look for that book. Was actually at the exhibition in Castletown house that's what twigged my interesting. Been thinking about a while and today pushed me off the fence

Loveinapril · 02-09-2016 8:31pm

bpmurray wrote: »

Probably the easiest to get to grips with is the Haynes Bee Manual (by the same folk who do the car manuals). There are other books that are more thorough but they're also much more difficult to understand unless you have access to bees. Haynes is also focused on UK/Ireland beekeeping practices.

Thanks for the recommendation. I got this the other day and feel so overwhelmed with it. I hope to study it intensely so I am well prepared for my course in Feb.

scheister · 03-09-2016 8:19am

bpmurray wrote: »

Probably the easiest to get to grips with is the Haynes Bee Manual (by the same folk who do the car manuals). There are other books that are more thorough but they're also much more difficult to understand unless you have access to bees. Haynes is also focused on UK/Ireland beekeeping practices while books like Beekeeping for Dummies is more American.

Something else you should consider is contacting your nearest Beekeeping Association. They often have an apiary where beginners can experience bees first hand without committing themselves, much as you appear to want to do.

Edit: I forgot to mention that there's a beekeeping thing on for Heritage Week in Castletown House in Celbridge.

thanks just in the middle of reading the book at the moment and its a great read. Have contacted my local bee group as well to see about joining and doing a starter class

CianW5 · 16-01-2017 6:47pm

How does beekeeping work?

Knowall Macduff · 16-01-2017 7:04pm

It doesn't

Mod note..... Either post something constructive or don't post at all. Thanks. GC

Effects · 24-01-2017 11:36am

CianW5 wrote: »

How does beekeeping work?

You join an association, do a course, get a hive, buy a nuc of bees.
Read, read, look at your bees. Learn.

Knowall Macduff · 25-01-2017 7:47pm

Knowall Macduff wrote: »

It doesn't

Mod note..... Either post something constructive or don't post at all. Thanks. GC

a but this is constructive. If he takes that statement he could save himself a fortune. I started beekeeping with the hopes of a few pounds profit to be made from an enjoyable hobby. so got my first hive and suit and equipment, then another hive because you should have two to cover emergencies then for swarm control another couple of hundred worth of hives and equipment, then with the hopes of a honey crop extractor ,wax melter and spent money doing up a shed as a honey house. Now after ten or so years I still don't make money, I spend most of what used to be my spare time at bees, honey, meetings,talking bees til I bore the crap out of anyone that comes near me and I even dream about bees. I now realise that it has become an addiction and that it was easier to quit smoking than to cut down on bees. then on the other side from starting the beekeeping course about 60% drop away in the first two years, money down the tubes.

wexfordman2 · 25-01-2017 8:16pm

Knowall Macduff wrote: »

a but this is constructive. If he takes that statement he could save himself a fortune. I started beekeeping with the hopes of a few pounds profit to be made from an enjoyable hobby. so got my first hive and suit and equipment, then another hive because you should have two to cover emergencies then for swarm control another couple of hundred worth of hives and equipment, then with the hopes of a honey crop extractor ,wax melter and spent money doing up a shed as a honey house. Now after ten or so years I still don't make money, I spend most of what used to be my spare time at bees, honey, meetings,talking bees til I bore the crap out of anyone that comes near me and I even dream about bees. I now realise that it has become an addiction and that it was easier to quit smoking than to cut down on bees. then on the other side from starting the beekeeping course about 60% drop away in the first two years, money down the tubes.

Is the problem perhaps then more related to your expectations of "profit" ?

Genghis Cant · 25-01-2017 8:59pm

Knowall Macduff wrote: »

a but this is constructive. If he takes that statement he could save himself a fortune. I started beekeeping with the hopes of a few pounds profit to be made from an enjoyable hobby. so got my first hive and suit and equipment, then another hive because you should have two to cover emergencies then for swarm control another couple of hundred worth of hives and equipment, then with the hopes of a honey crop extractor ,wax melter and spent money doing up a shed as a honey house. Now after ten or so years I still don't make money, I spend most of what used to be my spare time at bees, honey, meetings,talking bees til I bore the crap out of anyone that comes near me and I even dream about bees. I now realise that it has become an addiction and that it was easier to quit smoking than to cut down on bees. then on the other side from starting the beekeeping course about 60% drop away in the first two years, money down the tubes.

Context is everything.
As you fleshed out the bones of the story it has become relevant.
Your two word reply didn't come across quite as well.
Thanks for the constructive reply.

Knowall Macduff · 25-01-2017 9:28pm

wexfordman2 wrote: »

Is the problem perhaps then more related to your expectations of "profit" ?

actually I said"hopes" of profit, expectation of honey. I would never expect to make money from a hobby, but When I said beekeeping doesn't work I had to set some parameters. If Cian W5 had said he would love to try beekeeping how would he go about starting my answer would have been join an association and do the beginners course and get some hands on experience before committing himself financially to what can be an expensive hobby, or if he had asked was it a good way of making a living, that it would have to be on a large scale and was very weather dependent etc.

Effects · 27-01-2017 12:22am

I must be doing it wrong. I make more than it costs me. That said, I don't include the cost of my time.

tmg52 · 30-01-2017 12:16pm

Melting wax

Is this the place to post this to me it's chit chat.

Has anyone come up with clever, easy & cheap ways to melt wax.
I tried solar melters not great unless we have lots of sun and when it does shine it's great.
Melting in a pot of the cooker is not ideal that if you are allowed by your partner etc. Not to speak of associated dangers with hot molten wax and the risk of fire in your house etc. Much safer to do it outdoors if you can.

I have been thinking about using steam generated via a steam wallpaper stripper, seen some on youtube that look cool.
Has anyone tried this I would be interested to know.

Satriale · 30-01-2017 3:53pm

The Rose hive guy has an interesting steam set up on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wzkxq7qGqxQ

Effects · 31-01-2017 5:39pm

Dangers from hot molten wax? Are you getting your five year old child to do it?
Surely the dangers of cooking everyday outweigh the dangers of melting wax once a year. You haven't given up cooking have you?

yosemitesam1 · 28-04-2017 3:06pm

Stuck in my first lot of grafts today, not really ideal conditions and hand was a bit shakey so not too sure what to expect

Tírghrá · 12-07-2017 9:15pm

Hi Guys,

I have an issue and wondering can anyone help. I have a hive of black bees, they were transported about 85km to there new site. I have put on a super as space was tight and put in 2 new brood frames. It has been nearly 2 weeks and they seem to be ignoring the super and the 3 new brood frames. There is a queen excluder in between the super and brood also. Just getting worried they aren't ever gonna take it.

First hive FYI

brianmc · 13-07-2017 7:58am

yosemitesam1 wrote: »

Stuck in my first lot of grafts today, not really ideal conditions and hand was a bit shakey so not too sure what to expect

How did the grafts go?

brianmc · 13-07-2017 8:10am

Tírghrá wrote: »

Hi Guys,

I have an issue and wondering can anyone help. I have a hive of black bees, they were transported about 85km to there new site. I have put on a super as space was tight and put in 2 new brood frames. It has been nearly 2 weeks and they seem to be ignoring the super and the 3 new brood frames. There is a queen excluder in between the super and brood also. Just getting worried they aren't ever gonna take it.

First hive FYI

How tight was space really? When you say you added two new brood frames? They are just foundation, they're not drawn out yet?

How many frames have brood on them? Is it a new queen from this year or one from last year? Is it a nuc that was recently made up or is it an established colony?

I suspect that maybe they weren't as stuck for space as you thought. Is there much new brood emerging? We're just past the peak of the season for the amount of eggs that a queen will lay each day - there's more brood to come but it will be starting to slow down now.

Also, they can be a bit reluctant to move up through the queen excluder to start drawing out the first super. You could try removing the queen excluder for a while until they move up.

Your super may not be necessary just yet.

For a colony that's not filling supers at this time of year, my main concern would be getting them as strong as possible before the winter so that next year will be good.

If they're a recently put together nuc then it might be worth feeding them to help them build up.

A bit of history of the colony would help and a photo of the open brood box.

Reesy · 16-09-2017 9:15pm

Hi,

I made a solar extractor to my design here http://simonrees.com/2012/01/solar-wax-extractor/ and it works well to melt wax on summer days in Dublin.

yosemitesam1 · 22-09-2017 10:39am

brianmc wrote: »

How did the grafts go?

Sorry only saw this now, first lot this year had a poor take. I think it was 50-60% but it was very cold when they went in. Went up to 85%+ when it warmed up.
Had to get my queens finished up with early this year so only had about 50-60% of queens get mated due to the bad weather around the start of June.

Tírghrá · 26-09-2017 9:49pm

brianmc wrote: »

How tight was space really? When you say you added two new brood frames? They are just foundation, they're not drawn out yet?

How many frames have brood on them? Is it a new queen from this year or one from last year? Is it a nuc that was recently made up or is it an established colony?

I suspect that maybe they weren't as stuck for space as you thought. Is there much new brood emerging? We're just past the peak of the season for the amount of eggs that a queen will lay each day - there's more brood to come but it will be starting to slow down now.

Also, they can be a bit reluctant to move up through the queen excluder to start drawing out the first super. You could try removing the queen excluder for a while until they move up.

Your super may not be necessary just yet.

For a colony that's not filling supers at this time of year, my main concern would be getting them as strong as possible before the winter so that next year will be good.

If they're a recently put together nuc then it might be worth feeding them to help them build up.

A bit of history of the colony would help and a photo of the open brood box.

Hi Brian,

Thanks for getting back to me.
So it was tight in the sense that too many bees and not enough space when it was just brood box. When I say I added 2 frames I also detracted 2 frames because they were bad frames. I have since put in a 3rd and detracted a 3rd FYI.
I Would say approx 4 frames have brood as of 2 weeks ago. The queen is young queen, of 2017 I am told by the seller.
It was a newly formed nuc hence the young queen, mid May 2017.
As of now yes. There is much new brood emerging even this late in the season. I recently inspected it only Sunday 2 weeks ago and my colony is flourishing.
I was advised by a beekeeper to take away the super like you suggested and it has done wonders. I suppose I was naive and thought they would use the super but in fact they were putting propolis over the excluder, so that was that. Since I have done that I have stronger brood numbers and heavier frames due to honey production. We had a stint of bad weather here in cork bout month ago so I had to feed them before I went on holidays to NY. Gave them bout 2 gallon of feed. Currently they are on there first treatment of apiguard with that 2 week period due to end this Sunday and then onto the 6 week cycle.

Let me know if I am making sense. Im very new to this so taking info from everywhere I can. Its much appreciated. I can send on a pic to your reply or after next inspection Sunday coming.

Cheers.

Buford T. Justice XIX · 01-10-2017 2:54pm

A new bee species found in Ireland, the Tree Bumblebee...

http://www.biodiversityireland.ie/record-biodiversity/surveys/bumblebee-monitoring-scheme/news-events/

05-10-2017 6:22pm

Can anybody help with identifying pollen?

For the past three weeks or so my bees have been bringing in large amounts of yellow pollen. I assume its Ragworth as theres quite a bit of that around.

Some are also bringing a grey or offwhite pollen these days. Not only is the pollen on their legs but its all over their bodies, especially on the tops of the thorax, giving them an almost grey appearance (like after sugar shake but less pronounced). Any idea what plant they might be feeding on?

yosemitesam1 · 06-10-2017 10:42am

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Can anybody help with identifying pollen?

For the past three weeks or so my bees have been bringing in large amounts of yellow pollen. I assume its Ragworth as theres quite a bit of that around.

Some are also bringing a grey or offwhite pollen these days. Not only is the pollen on their legs but its all over their bodies, especially on the tops of the thorax, giving them an almost grey appearance (like after sugar shake but less pronounced). Any idea what plant they might be feeding on?

Yellow pollen is ivy and the white is Himalayan balsam

06-10-2017 2:30pm

yosemitesam1 wrote: »

Yellow pollen is ivy and the white is Himalayan balsam

I think you're spot on with Himalayan Balsam. Theres a river and wet ground nearby so it makes sense.

However they've been bringing in the yellow pollen since early/mid september (lots of it) and as far as I can see, the ivy is just about to flower here... thats why i thought ragworth.

yosemitesam1 · 06-10-2017 8:12pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I think you're spot on with Himalayan Balsam. Theres a river and wet ground nearby so it makes sense.

However they've been bringing in the yellow pollen since early/mid september (lots of it) and as far as I can see, the ivy is just about to flower here... thats why i thought ragworth.

I'm not sure what ragwort pollen looks like but lots of yellow pollen in September sounds like ivy. Was there an ivy smell from the hives?

23-12-2017 4:14pm

Guys, just been out looking at my hive and was surprised to see the bees bringing in pollen, today 23rd December! Still some drones around too.

Any ideas if this just means that the weather is mild or might it indicate that the colony is short of pollen/protein?

yosemitesam1 · 24-12-2017 1:26pm

They'll collect pollen all year as long as it's available and weather's suitable

solargain · 02-01-2018 7:40am

Usually when there are drones around at this time of year there is a problem . They will be looking to get rid of the queen fairly soon in spring or you have a drone laying queen in the stock. There is nothing you can do but keep an eye on it

Beekeeping chit chat

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