I RATHER LIKE THE IDEA OF KEEPING BEES
Introduction
Many of us quite fancy the idea of keeping bees
but few of us actually do anything about it. So join us, be covered by
insurance and benefit from our experience. Now read on.
1.
STARTING
In the beginning you have to decide where you
might keep your bees, what hives you will use and how to acquire the bees
themselves.
1.1. Location
It is much more convenient to keep bees at your
home because it is easier to look after them. Is your home a suitable place for
1 hive or more? If you are in doubt, we can help you. If not, then we might be
able to help you to find somewhere else to keep them. But remember, you will
have to be prepared to travel regularly to look after your bees.
1.2. Hives
I found a local beekeeper who was giving up
because his back was giving out and hives full of honey are heavy. I also
bought from our own auctions, where members reduce their own stocks of
equipment. And then there is eBay! If you buy used equipment, you will probably
need to buy wax foundation. For a brood box and 2 supers, this will cost about
£20 and you will probably have to buy a little more each year.
1.3. Bees
Here you have to rely on local beekeepers and
there are 3 possibilities: a complete colony, a nucleus and a swarm.
Commercially a nucleus will cost about £110. You might be lucky enough to buy a
colony from a fellow member for about the same. But a swarm is free. The first
2 should be in good health and settled but the swarm may have attendant
dangers, being an unknown quantity.
I started with a nucleus and then helped to
collect a swarm, which promptly flew away. That was replaced eventually by a
second swarm which made its home with us.
1.4. Equipment
Finally you need protection and that means a
jacket with veil and boiler suit/trousers. The former will cost around £40 and
you can pick up the latter in the market or workwear
shop for £10. You need wellies, which you probably have already, and gloves. I
find that household rubber gloves are a good compromise between protection and
the sense of touch. And you will need a smoker (around £30 new) and a hive tool
(£9).
2. WORKING
THE BEES
Beekeeping is mainly a summer occupation, since
the bees spend the winter quietly in their hives.
2.1. Preparing for winter
Bees do not hibernate but maintain a more or less
constant temperature throughout the year. In the winter they cluster and burn
up their stores to maintain that temperature. So your last activity is to
ensure that they have sufficient stores to see them through the winter. This is
usually done through feeding sugar syrup, so you have to buy a few bags of
sugar. There are different feeders on the market for £3-4 but we started with
an inverted honey jar with pierced lid.
You will also need some medication at £3-4 per
hive.
2.2. Spring/Summer
Your bees have come through your first winter and need
another treatment (£3-4 per hive).
You have to check their condition and development.
Hopefully they are doing well. You now need to check them every week. This is
most important as the swarming season approaches and you do not want to lose
half your stock.
2.3. Summer/Autumn
In your first year, you will probably not have
much honey – unless you started early with a full colony – so you will perhaps
take a little honey for yourself and leave the rest for the bees.
However, in later years you will have to extract
the honey and you can hire the association extractor for just £2. You will need
some storage tubs and your local deli will probably throw away several each
week and be only too glad to give them away. Then comes the
bottling. Honey jars with metal lids cost about £27 per gross, say 19p
each. Standard labels with your own details will cost about £5 per 100.
Each jar of honey sells for at least £3, more if
you sell privately. So, once you have bought your equipment, you can start to
build up savings to expand your apiary!
Do you want an
application form?
Contact: Martin Robinson martin@halifaxbeekeepers.co.uk