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Thread: Absolute beginner :p

  1. #11
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    Hi Trog. Originally I had ordered bees from Thornes - but given the varroa situation here in Lochaber, I agreed to cancel the order and just bide my time and wait until local bees were available from Lochaber Beekeepers. I got my bees on the 29th June, so still very new to me, but most welcome. [Thanks again Kate ] I'm not sure I would skirt the hive as it has trees on 3 sides anyway and would probably then start worrying that they haven't got enough ventilation to circulate through. I will strap them securely down mind you, given the gales we tend to get on this coast, as I'm sure you are only too aware of living on Mull. We were there the other week having a peek at the Sea -Eagles at Killiechronan - spectacular birds !
    Last edited by marion.orca; 24-07-2011 at 06:23 PM.

  2. #12

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    Marion if I was buying bees I would buy them in a sturdy nucleus hive As to the cost per frame it can be around £25 but next year when your bees have built up to a full size colony that Nuc hive will be invaluable for making a split or collecting a swarm.
    Then you will be able to sell the nuc hive with bees to another beginner
    That helps someone else get started and you will recover all the cost of your bees and the nuc
    So really the bees cost you nothing in the long run

    When it comes to buying a hive though that isn't cheap, but by buying a strong cedar hive as you have, you will get many years of service from it
    There are quite good instructions for making a varroa floor on the SBA website downloads and you will be starting with one which is halfway made already
    Good luck

  3. #13
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    Thanks for the advice Drone. I actually bought 2 hives [ but only one basic kit ] before the VAT hike, so I've sort of saved anyway. Father Christmas [ is it really getting near that time again ? ] will be taking care of a nuc box for me - providing I'm a good girl ! My bees were kindly given to me, so I only had to cover the cost of the frames - pretty amazing. It's something I'd like to do myself, but that will be somewhere in the future. For now I'm just enjoying and caring for my new additions.

  4. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by marion.orca View Post
    Thanks for the advice Drone. I actually bought 2 hives [ but only one basic kit ] before the VAT hike, so I've sort of saved anyway. Father Christmas [ is it really getting near that time again ? ] will be taking care of a nuc box for me - providing I'm a good girl ! My bees were kindly given to me, so I only had to cover the cost of the frames - pretty amazing. It's something I'd like to do myself, but that will be somewhere in the future. For now I'm just enjoying and caring for my new additions.
    Thats really great hope you have a lot of fun with them

  5. #15
    Senior Member Mellifera Crofter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dingus Magee View Post
    ... I'm about to join the Moray Beekeepers and attend their Intro course in August ...
    Quote Originally Posted by Dingus Magee View Post
    I would also hope to contact someone who would be willing to act as a mentor for me, and may manage this through the Moray group...anyone out there interested...?

    I was intrigued to read of 'top bar' hives and, whilst I am unsure whether they would provide sufficient protection for the colony given our harsh winters in NE Scotland, wondered whether anyone had had any experience of them. I was particularly interested in this type of hive as it would be easier to lug up onto the braes o' Bennachie than some of the other hives on the market. ...
    Hi Dingus,

    At the risk of telling you the obvious: Aberdeenshire has a beekeepers association (http://http://www.aberdeenbeekeepers.com) and they run beginners' courses. Isn't Aberdeen nearer to you than Elgin?

    If you're interested in top-bar hive beekeeping, Biobees will be running a course in Aberdeen. Details here (near the bottom of the page). I have no experience of top-bar hives (or about the course) but, like others have said, I think once you have chosen a site for your TBH, you should preferably not move it again. I think the combs are more fragile than combs contained in frames.

    Kitta

  6. #16
    Junior Member Dingus Magee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mellifera Crofter View Post
    Hi Dingus,

    At the risk of telling you the obvious: Aberdeenshire has a beekeepers association (http://http://www.aberdeenbeekeepers.com) and they run beginners' courses. Isn't Aberdeen nearer to you than Elgin?

    If you're interested in top-bar hive beekeeping, Biobees will be running a course in Aberdeen. Details here (near the bottom of the page). I have no experience of top-bar hives (or about the course) but, like others have said, I think once you have chosen a site for your TBH, you should preferably not move it again. I think the combs are more fragile than combs contained in frames.

    Kitta
    Hi Kitta

    Nothing wrong with stating the obvious...all suggestions and advice gratefully accepted As I said in my opening to this thread, I have been wanting to become involved in beekeeping for years and, over the past four years, had e-mailed the Aberdeen beekeepers on a number of occassions, but received no reply. When I looked at their site, it seemed that there wasn't much going on until the winter and, being the type of fella that I am (ie impatient), I decided to 'shop around' for another group; perversely, after having made enquiries to the Moray group and receiving a prompt and informative response from them, I noticed that the Aberdeen group's website had been updated, so I am now swithering as to which would be the best group to link up with. (To be fair, I may previously have been using an out-of-date link to Aberdeen group, as my last visit was via a link on this site) The Moray group may well be further from me, but not by far...at any rate, I will attend their beginner course later this month and may, or may not, decide to join that group.

    But thanks for your response, and I will definitely look into the Biobees link It is early days for me, as yet, as I have still to prepare a site and it will be next year before I make a final decision on hive type...Gavin told of someone who had TBH's and was considering cutting the legs down to make the hives into planters!

    Cheers for now

    DM

  7. #17
    Administrator gavin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dingus Magee View Post
    ..... so I am now swithering as to which would be the best group to link up with.
    That's easy. Both! Some folk around here join Fife and the East of Scotland, Stirling/Dunblane and Fife, Fortingall and East of Scotland. And don't forget the SBA too.

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