Farmers keeping beehives

[Larel]

Filtering honey and running the filtered honey into a bottling tank.

 

[Danllan]

Resurrecting this thread...

@bovrill and others, Mrs Danllan has done some beekeeping courses, has experience helping others, and is very keen to start properly in the coming year. We have several resident colonies and so there are regular swarms, one of which she would like to take and start off with. So far so good.

I want to get her the proper set-up, and outfit her to do the necessary, and I'd like it to be a surprise, so the big question is... what type of hive? I've been looking and the obvious choice is between a National, a WBC, a Langstroth and a Commercial. I have learnt that a good qualiy cedar is the best buy, but - to my astonishment - have seen very positive reviews of some 'Poly' hives, despite their looking hideously ugly.

I don't mind forking out for good stuff that will last her well, so please, anyone with a decent knowledge, advise me of the pros and cons.*

Thanks in advance.




*It's just occurred to me that asking beekeepers which is the best hive, may be about as likely to get a simple and unified a response as asking farmers which is the best breed of whatever...

 

[Treecreeper]

Resurrecting this thread...

@bovrill and others, Mrs Danllan has done some beekeeping courses, has experience helping others, and is very keen to start properly in the coming year. We have several resident colonies and so there are regular swarms, one of which she would like to take and start off with. So far so good.

I want to get her the proper set-up, and outfit her to do the necessary, and I'd like it to be a surprise, so the big question is... what type of hive? I've been looking and the obvious choice is between a National, a WBC, a Langstroth and a Commercial. I have learnt that a good qualiy cedar is the best buy, but - to my astonishment - have seen very positive reviews of some 'Poly' hives, despite their looking hideously ugly.

I don't mind forking out for good stuff that will last her well, so please, anyone with a decent knowledge, advise me of the pros and cons.*

Thanks in advance.




*It's just occurred to me that asking beekeepers which is the best hive, may be about as likely to get a simple and unified a response as asking farmers which is the best breed of whatever...

I've not had bees for a few years

Resurrecting this thread...

@bovrill and others, Mrs Danllan has done some beekeeping courses, has experience helping others, and is very keen to start properly in the coming year. We have several resident colonies and so there are regular swarms, one of which she would like to take and start off with. So far so good.

I want to get her the proper set-up, and outfit her to do the necessary, and I'd like it to be a surprise, so the big question is... what type of hive? I've been looking and the obvious choice is between a National, a WBC, a Langstroth and a Commercial. I have learnt that a good qualiy cedar is the best buy, but - to my astonishment - have seen very positive reviews of some 'Poly' hives, despite their looking hideously ugly.

I don't mind forking out for good stuff that will last her well, so please, anyone with a decent knowledge, advise me of the pros and cons.*

Thanks in advance.




*It's just occurred to me that asking beekeepers which is the best hive, may be about as likely to get a simple and unified a response as asking farmers which is the best breed of whatever...

Resurrecting this thread...

@bovrill and others, Mrs Danllan has done some beekeeping courses, has experience helping others, and is very keen to start properly in the coming year. We have several resident colonies and so there are regular swarms, one of which she would like to take and start off with. So far so good.

I want to get her the proper set-up, and outfit her to do the necessary, and I'd like it to be a surprise, so the big question is... what type of hive? I've been looking and the obvious choice is between a National, a WBC, a Langstroth and a Commercial. I have learnt that a good qualiy cedar is the best buy, but - to my astonishment - have seen very positive reviews of some 'Poly' hives, despite their looking hideously ugly.

I don't mind forking out for good stuff that will last her well, so please, anyone with a decent knowledge, advise me of the pros and cons.*

Thanks in advance.




*It's just occurred to me that asking beekeepers which is the best hive, may be about as likely to get a simple and unified a response as asking farmers which is the best breed of whatever...

I've not kept bees for a few years and had a mix of WBC and National. I always found that Nationals were easier to work with and move when necessary.
Hoping to get back into it this year.

 

[ImLost]

Resurrecting this thread...

@bovrill and others, Mrs Danllan has done some beekeeping courses, has experience helping others, and is very keen to start properly in the coming year. We have several resident colonies and so there are regular swarms, one of which she would like to take and start off with. So far so good.

I want to get her the proper set-up, and outfit her to do the necessary, and I'd like it to be a surprise, so the big question is... what type of hive? I've been looking and the obvious choice is between a National, a WBC, a Langstroth and a Commercial. I have learnt that a good qualiy cedar is the best buy, but - to my astonishment - have seen very positive reviews of some 'Poly' hives, despite their looking hideously ugly.

I don't mind forking out for good stuff that will last her well, so please, anyone with a decent knowledge, advise me of the pros and cons.*

Thanks in advance.




*It's just occurred to me that asking beekeepers which is the best hive, may be about as likely to get a simple and unified a response as asking farmers which is the best breed of whatever...

I would probably reccomend a cedar national hive for someone starting out.

With experience, all beekeepers pick up their little preferences about what hives and equipment they use, but a national is a good starting point as they are one of the most commonly available and relatively simple conventional hives to work with.

 

[clod hopper]

Dodgy old game up here in upper North lsland NZ. Bit of a "Wild West" heaps of big companies competing and smaller ones. Lot of jealousy and shananigans going on.
Each year you hear on the news that there's not enough food for bees and they are dieing - it's down to too many hives!!!!

 

[ImLost]

Dodgy old game up here in upper North lsland NZ. Bit of a "Wild West" heaps of big companies competing and smaller ones. Lot of jealousy and shananigans going on.
Each year you hear on the news that there's not enough food for bees and they are dieing - it's down to too many hives!!!!

Everyone raving over Manuka doesn't help that!

 

[renewablejohn]

Have a look through the e h thorne website. They do starter packs. Would also suggest sticking to a national for a beginner as if you buy in a nucleus there very likely be on national frames. Personally I prefer a Dadant as in my cold climate they seem to over winter better and less likely to swarm as the brood box is larger. the downside is there very heavy to work with when full of honey.

 

[Boso]

I keep 20 colonies in zest hive like contraptions (3/4 size of zest hive and use frames which are common where I live) Cheap, easy to diy, very easy care beekeeping. No treatments, let them swarm and catch the swarms in swarm traps.
Put them in a designated area and leave the particular hive at that location for ever moving bees.

 

[JohnGalway]

A venom collection unit will hugely raise your profits if you can find a venom buyer.
If you do find a company, PM me at your earliest convenience
For me it is merely a hobby with lots of benefits pollination, health, being the main ones before profit.

Just had a conversation about this with my girlfriend. It began with her saying "Wouldn't you have to kill them..........?", and ended with "When we started going out, there wasn't a situation vacant for my conscience".

Thanks Pete

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Just had a conversation about this with my girlfriend. It began with her saying "Wouldn't you have to kill them..........?", and ended with "When we started going out, there wasn't a situation vacant for my conscience".

Thanks Pete

That has made my day cheers John

 

[Hard Graft]

We ran a home made National with an extra broad frame and a lot of double broads and dadant and we are doing away with the National slowly and going dadant

also don’t bother with one hive as it is far harder to keep one going if you have a problem compared to having 3 or more

 

[Still Farming]

Sarah Beeny bought a 220 acre farm and buying bees.

 

[renewablejohn]

We ran a home made National with an extra broad frame and a lot of double broads and dadant and we are doing away with the National slowly and going dadant

also don’t bother with one hive as it is far harder to keep one going if you have a problem compared to having 3 or more

I also run with an empty capture hive. Bees may be busy but there lazy as well. Why make a fresh hive when they can moveinto a ready made hive.

 

[bovrill]

Resurrecting this thread...

@bovrill and others, Mrs Danllan has done some beekeeping courses, has experience helping others, and is very keen to start properly in the coming year. We have several resident colonies and so there are regular swarms, one of which she would like to take and start off with. So far so good.

I want to get her the proper set-up, and outfit her to do the necessary, and I'd like it to be a surprise, so the big question is... what type of hive? I've been looking and the obvious choice is between a National, a WBC, a Langstroth and a Commercial. I have learnt that a good qualiy cedar is the best buy, but - to my astonishment - have seen very positive reviews of some 'Poly' hives, despite their looking hideously ugly.

I don't mind forking out for good stuff that will last her well, so please, anyone with a decent knowledge, advise me of the pros and cons.*

Thanks in advance.




*It's just occurred to me that asking beekeepers which is the best hive, may be about as likely to get a simple and unified a response as asking farmers which is the best breed of whatever...

A cedar National.

The bees don't care, and the availability of everything you need to do with Nationals is in another league compared with everything else. If you shop around all the different suppliers it's amazing how cheap you can get set up, especially if you're happy to assemble second quality flat pack stuff yourself.
I've bought a huge amount from Bee Equipment in Kent over the years, and had good deals from Easibee, as alternatives to the usual Thornes/Maismore/Simon/Paynes.

I got a couple of poly nucs last year, and while I'll stick with cedar mostly, I can see the advantages with the polystyrene for stuff that needs moving around a lot.

 

[bovrill]

We have several resident colonies and so there are regular swarms, one of which she would like to take and start off with.

Get a decent beesuit.
Caught swarms tend to be a bit feistier than bought in colonies. You could always change the queen for a gentler one, but I prefer the thought of proven local genetics, and have a 'stingproof' suit from Old Castle Farm.
Gentle bees lull you into a false sense of security, and can catch you out on a bad day, where-as I know my caught swarms want to kill me every day, so I dress accordingly!

 

[renewablejohn]

Just on the bee suit why are mice attracted to nylon suits but not cotton.