Beekeeping

[MaryN]

Not sure if this belongs in livestock or food production...

As part of my grand plan to get myself (and OH) a sustainable garden, I plan to start keeping bees. I've done a nice little course on it - very interesting - all I need now is some recommendations for reading. Do any of you keep bees? I fancy the topbar hives because they seem to be a little less labour intensive, but some info would be useful.

And it's not just for honey, but I need bees to keep my crops well pollinated. Last summer was a bust and the low level of bees flying because of all the rain made a huge difference to the pollination levels of my fruit crops.

[Highlander]

Mary Bee keeping is a great idea,..and not as labour intensive as you might think,.. now I admit that I know little about keeping bees,.. but I remember my dad was a great bee keeper, owning about seven or eight hives, I seem to remember that once the bees were in they were allowed to get on with it, only going in then to check now and then and later to harvest the honey

You will probably want a separator that way if we get a good summer, you may be able to take two harvests

Honey is a really valuable commodity great flavor, great medically, and a great barter item,.... and possible great protectors,..after all who will be wanting to snoop around active bee hives

[Metroyeti]

If I had land I would have bees. Is there anyone near you that would let you get hands on expierence? some county shows have bee keeping demonstrations.

[NorthernRaider]

AL keeps bees as well as being good with radio kit, wish the git would write some articles and stuck em on a flash drive, he could send em to me and I could post them

[MaryN]

There are several beekeepers round here who would be pleased to help, and I will be heading in their direction, but I do absorb knowledge well from books and I like to be well-read on topics that matter to me.

Highlander, I had thought of the protection aspect of bees. They don't frighten me at all, but you never know they could be useful. Actually, geese are pretty good at that as well - doesn't one of the distilleries in Scotland keep a flock of geese as a sort of feathery burglar alarm??

[Highlander]

If they do,... I dont know which one,.. I agree geese are the best protectors going, providing at least one is a male,..[ I think ]

[MaryN]

and of course you get to eat your Christmas dinner as well.

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I've been chased round a field by an angry gander. It wasn't a pleasant experience.

[Metroyeti]

Raf used to keep gaurd geese not sure if they still do

[MaryN]

They make such a racket at the slightest disturbance. I wanted to get a couple to keep in our little orchard just to frighten off the foxes but OH isn't keen (yet).

[T-oddity]

If you wish to keep bees and not cost you a fortune check out this site

http://www.biobees.com/index.php

most main stream bee keepers will poo poo Phils approach, but it works for me, got three hives at the moment, just waiting to see how many make it throught the winter, after a very poor summer last year.