Hello.......

[gavin]

Here's Gavin's tip for the day. Give long-cuffed nitriles a try. These thin gloves are no worse for stings getting through than leather (with or without latex on top). I'll be insisting that all visitors wear them at the association apiary today (or go bare-handed if they prefer) and, if you like, I'll report back on how many stings got through. Most likely none going from previous experience.

I reckon that it is the most effective thing people can do to improve their beekeeping, to jetison their gauntlets. The bees will not try to sting you (nearly as much!), you will handle them more sympathetically, there will be less strife between beekeeper and bees, and, with a bit of practice, you will be able to pick up individual bees (particularly the queen, obviously). For us, the main reason originally was the risk of spreading disease, but now I'd never go back. The apiary with the yellow painted road outside somewhere near Longforgan is a leather glove-free zone.

If the bees locally tend to the aggressive, work towards reducing that. Select the calmest stocks for raising new queens. In stocks about to make (or starting to make) queen cells, give them a frame of eggs, cut through 2/3 of the way down and with every third cell opened out a little, from a calm colony (yours or someone else's) and use those Q cells in other colonies too. Buy a couple of Apideas. Try grafting (visit someone who does if it is daunting).

That's two tips and perhaps three. Couldn't help myself.

[prakel]

I haven't finished my book yet (fifty years amongst the bees) and so much googling and lurking on forums to do!

Maybee

These old books often have some great snippets, but I haven't read that one.

http://www.soilandhealth.org/03sov/0...0408miller.pdf

Nice to see you de-lurking!

G.

It's an excellent book with lots of really useful 'snippets' -I posted one on Little_John's thread 'Does foundation cause disease?' last week (a simple solution to an issue which still seems to stress a lot of people). BUT, much as I love the book I would definitely also invest in something up to date, Gavin mentioned the usual suspects earlier to which I'd personally add Donald Sims' 'Sixty Years With Bees'.

[Maybee]

Thank you every one, feel quite welcomed, this is my first forum adventure - it is daunting posting on a forum for the first time when you're not sure of forum etiquette etc.... so thank you all - I was just on amazon looking up sixty years with bees and there were so many dvds and books not sure what to buy as titles and reviews, make books look like a must buy. Beginning to feel overwhelmed again :-)

[prakel]

Oh, one more thing which may divide opinion somewhat, try to take two colonies/nucs into winter because the people who feel winter losses the hardest (apart from certain bee farmers) are the ones who loose their only colony. Sure, you could lose both but with two the odds favour you. Just tap into your local knowledge and make sure that they're both strong (in the 'healthy' sense).

[prakel]

I was just on amazon looking up sixty years with bees and there were so many dvds and books not sure what to buy as titles and reviews, make books look like a must buy. Beginning to feel overwhelmed again :-)

Northern Bee Books Is a good place to start window shopping (usually cheaper than elsewhere too).

[Rosie]

I reckon that it is the most effective thing people can do to improve their beekeeping, to jetison their gauntlets. The bees will not try to sting you (nearly as much!), you will handle them more sympathetically, there will be less strife between beekeeper and bees, and, with a bit of practice, you will be able to pick up individual bees (particularly the queen, obviously).

I have to endorse Gavin's point. I start beginners off with marigolds and then encourage them to switch to nitriles and then gloveless. If I feel afraid to inspect any of mine without gloves they get requeened. Friendly bees and gentle handing is the key to enjoying your beekeeping in my opinion.

[snimmo243]

In terms of books I read Hooper's guide to bees and honey before I took the plunge when I started out and have recently re-read it. In my opinion it covers everything for a beginner from siting an apiary to artificial swarms and extracting honey, in fact I've got it in my piece bag on my way to work just now! I've got a bb wear full suit, which I've had for five years without any problems

Steven

Sent from my C5303 using Tapatalk

[HJBee]

I have to endorse Gavin's point. I start beginners off with marigolds and then encourage them to switch to nitriles and then gloveless. If I feel afraid to inspect any of mine without gloves they get requeened. Friendly bees and gentle handing is the key to enjoying your beekeeping in my opinion.

I may try nitriles, to test this out. I have small hands, small gloves and dexterity is not really the issue, my bees are generally well behaved, but the most important thing to me is to feel bee tight and safe and therefore confident.

[Rosie]

HJBee, I don't believe in heroics and used to go gloveless for the first half of the season until the colonies got bigger and stroppier. Now I hardly ever resort to gloves at all and never for a normal inspection. After a while without gloves they seem such a pain to even bother with. When I do use gloves I use the long cuffed nitriles that Gavin recommends but object to paying for them as they are a lot dearer than normal disposables.

[Maybee]

Thanks HJbee for your bee chat today - much appreciated, going to have a look at bee suits :-) and the Haynes bee manual.
Thinking again about not being ever stung by a bee - wondering how you go about getting a bee sting ? (just one )