Bee Keeping

[Chaffinch]

I've booked myself onto a beekeeping course for next weekend, as I'd love to keep a hive.

Does anyone keep bees, and can you tell me what to expect.

Thanks

[redman41]

Last week on TV 'Great British Food Revival', Ainsley Harriott was promoting Honey and visited a Specialist Honey shop in Wandsworth S.London which I passed last Xmas on a visit to London. They had Battersea Honey, Wandsworth Honey etc in stock, so it may prove a worth while past time /Hobby for you. Going on a course would be advisable before startinga venture like this.
Good Luck !

[Chaffinch]

Thanks redman, its the last course this year until winter, so I just hope I'm not too late for this year.

We have a lot of fields round here growing Borrage, so yum yum, it all goes well.

[EcclesCake]

If you are serious about getting a colony of your own do get in touch with your local bee keeping society.

The courses that are run are very top level and generic but do give you enough information to decide if bee keeping is for you.

Our nucleus and hive are to be delivered in the next couple of weeks, I'll keep you posted.

[Chaffinch]

Thanks Eccles, thats exactly what I've done joined my local beekepers association, and its their course I'm doing, I've been to a couple of talks, but was thinking I may be a bit late for this year, but if yours are'nt been delivered for a few weeks I may be OK for this year, but we'll see.

Do keep me posted as I'd love to know how you get on, and all the pro's n con's etc.

[Clanad]

I've kept bees for years here in the western U.S. It's not a difficult hobby, but it can be demanding if you aren't careful of the diseases and mites that can infect the hives. One learns how to watch for potential decimation. Additionally, our harsh winters demand that the bees be fed through the winter. This, again, isn't difficult but can be time consuming.
I keep 4 supers and it's not often that the bees produce enough honey to be harvested for other than our own use. You may liive in area that can produce more out of fewer bees, since ours have to travel distance to find th epollen.

You may wish to read about the world wide decimation of bee hives (called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)). Our County Extension Agent believes the scientists are getting a handle on it... but serious, nonetheless.
Have rheumatoid arthritis? It's often helped greatly by bee stings. In fact I have an elderly neighbor that comes to the bee yard about once a month and waits for bee stings. He's gotten so he can move the bees to his hands, where the symptoms are the worst. He swears by it...
At any rate, good luck!