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Thread: Swarms or bees

  1. #11

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    Unfortunately there is no need to attend any type of training or beginners course to keep bees, so whilst the recent publicity around the plight of bees has led to an upsurge in interest in beekeeping, it has also put pressure upon those running classes and hightened the demand for colonies.
    I attended the EMBa beginners course in 2009 and luckily got a nuc that year, as documented in other posts I had a disaster this year but am now the happy owner of bees once more, however with 4 years experience I most certainly consider myself still to be a beginner, and only felt able to sit the basic beemaster this year.
    Knowing what I know now (and as a beginner that isn't a massive amount) there is no way anyone should contemplate keeping bees without having taken part in some form of formal training - it is not fair on other beekeepers (bringing and potential spreading of disease), it is not fair on the bees, and could even negatively impact public perception of bees/beekeepers
    i don't know how this can be remedied, short of some bureaucratic licencing system which I don't know if I support

    Steven

  2. #12

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    Hi Steven - not sure about the beginners courses being a must. I think the quality of them and hence the value gained can vary widely. What I do think beginners don't do enough of is read. Ted Hooper's book got me through my first few years without too many disasters and without much contact with other beekeepers. If beginners properly read that book I think a lot of problems and panics could be avoided.

    But maybe this isn't the place to be debating the ins and outs of beekeeper training.

  3. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by snimmo243 View Post
    am now the happy owner of bees once more,

    Steven
    Hi Snimmo
    Have you decided on a queen raising method yet ?
    how are the new bees are they good temper brood pattern etc

  4. #14
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    It's always tempting to legislate but then you have to allow for beekeepers who are so remote the costs of attending courses would be prohibitive, thus perhaps removing folk who could be very good at the craft. I can think of several in this category. Likewise I can think of 'experienced' beekeepers who are absolutely hopeless and give useless advice to beginners. I feel personally that the best approach is that of the RYA (Royal Yachting Assoc) who encourage folk to attend courses, both practical and theory, but have so far been against compulsory licensing and testing. Again, you will get the idiots who get behind the wheel of a power boat and drive it like a car until they run out of fuel or hit rocks and call out the lifeboat, but mostly you have folk who learn partly from mentors, partly from courses, and largely from experience. No amount of theory can make up for what you learn by actually doing - whatever the discipline.

  5. #15
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    Hello Dave
    You seem to be very enthusiastic about setting up an apiary and starting up your beekeeping. You will have already found out that if you ask a question on this forum someone will usually come up with a helpful answer. I think your reply to Dark Bee was a bit harsh as he was only offering good advice. I’ve kept bees for more than 30 years and in that time I’ve made plenty of mistakes so I’m still learning. If you were to slow down and read a few good beekeeping books you wouldn’t have to come on this forum to ask very basic questions about drones and queen mating. Hopefully by this time next year you’ll be a little bit wiser. Keep calm and carry on beekeeping.
    Last edited by lindsay s; 23-07-2013 at 10:31 PM.

  6. #16

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    When I started I was lucky to have 12 lessons all Sundays through a summer plus lots of backup (I didn't have bees till nearly the end)
    also have done SBA microscopy course and SAC disease identification training 2 days

    I have started some other people in becoming beekeepers now I find myself learning stuff from them
    To sum it up in Star Wars terms

    Darth Vader: I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again, at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner; now *I* am the master.
    Last edited by The Drone Ranger; 23-07-2013 at 11:35 PM.

  7. #17
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    I have kept bees for a number of years and find that you are still learning. Yesterday I came across a situation that was new to me. I had a virgin queen in a 5 frame nuc box that I had left to get mated while I was on holiday. I inspected yesterday to find the mating was succesfull, however the new mated queen had also made queen cells and then swarmed. According to the books this should not happen!

  8. #18

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    Hi Jimbo

    When I tried moving some bad tempered bees with their brood and queen to another nearby site
    I expected the flyers to go back to the original site and put some young brood there for the flyers
    There should have been plenty bees with the queen and the brood but a couple of days later the brood and queen were practically deserted
    At least I could find the queen easily
    Last edited by The Drone Ranger; 24-07-2013 at 08:59 AM.

  9. #19
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    Hi DR,

    The absconding new queen is no great problem but just annoying. I am back to the situation about what to do with the depleted nuc. I think I will just leave it as see what happens. There may be a new hatched queen in there as there was some open queen cells. If not then it is back to using the good old broadsheet method.
    To get back on post no amount of training on a beginners course or reading of books can cover every situation but does help to get the basics.

  10. #20
    Senior Member Mellifera Crofter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimbo View Post
    ... To get back on post no amount of training on a beginners course or reading of books can cover every situation but does help to get the basics.
    Possible mistakes are endless. A couple of days ago I found Queen Spud, my only queen marked with a white dot, in a nucleus hive - a daughter hive from Queen Spud's neighbour. I must have forgotten that I put her and the frame she was on, in the empty nucleus box for safe-keeping, and then I filled the box with frames and a queen cell from the neighbouring hive. The young queen has hatched, but there's no sign of her. Queen Spud is now safely back in her old hive.
    Kitta

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