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I'm looking for a hive for the bottom of the back garden, having made some space down there, what are current realistic prices for decent hives, I recently missed out on a brand new Freecycle one, (curses) ..also as an eco burglar deterrent

As we live in "rapey country" (crops) the result is going to be pretty bland, so not looking to cane it for honey, just to help critters.

Any good deals you could highlight appreciated.

Never built one MR Gus but at the other place they used to say the top bar bee hive was very bee friendly and plans online are easy to make ?

Moxi

What exactly are you looking for? Hive? Hive with colony? Timber? Poly?

PM me with details and we may be able to arrange a deal.

Mr Gus wrote: ↑Sat May 07, 2022 10:48 am I'm looking for a hive for the bottom of the back garden, having made some space down there, what are current realistic prices for decent hives, I recently missed out on a brand new Freecycle one, (curses) ..also as an eco burglar deterrent

As we live in "rapey country" (crops) the result is going to be pretty bland, so not looking to cane it for honey, just to help critters.
Any good deals you could highlight appreciated.

I would think twice before getting in, and go to a local association or buddy up with a mentor to for a while to see how you get on first. This will help you see different hives and get an idea of which are easiest to manage. If you like it, put out a bait hive and see if you get a swarm for free!

[Honey] Bees are definitely not a garden decoration, or a "fit and forget" feature. You have to manage them to prevent swarming - if you want to avoid antagonising neighbours and the inconvenience of retrieving them or them going into other people's buildings or chimneys Some people do try "natural" beekeeping but it's not compatible with most gardens, and not keeping on top of varroa infestation will mean losing the colony to disease.

OSR is a pain too: it gives a heavy crop which the bees will go to whether you like it or not, but it sets in the comb before you can extract it. One way is to melt it out, comb and all, but if it is in the broodbox as stores the bees can't use it effectively. They will suck the fructose syrup out of it but have to carry the crystallised glucose out to dump it.
I'm sure somebody will put the other point of view...
A

Would just echo the above comments on joining your local society and taking a course with them. A hive needs regular checks and maintenance and you’ll want to do that yourself I expect.

Alternatively, someone at you local society would likely love to have somewhere to put extra hives and could take care of them for you.

AE-NMidlands wrote: ↑Sat May 07, 2022 1:44 pm

Mr Gus wrote: ↑Sat May 07, 2022 10:48 am I'm looking for a hive for the bottom of the back garden, having made some space down there, what are current realistic prices for decent hives, I recently missed out on a brand new Freecycle one, (curses) ..also as an eco burglar deterrent

As we live in "rapey country" (crops) the result is going to be pretty bland, so not looking to cane it for honey, just to help critters.
Any good deals you could highlight appreciated.

I would think twice before getting in, and go to a local association or buddy up with a mentor to for a while to see how you get on first. This will help you see different hives and get an idea of which are easiest to manage. If you like it, put out a bait hive and see if you get a swarm for free!

[Honey] Bees are definitely not a garden decoration, or a "fit and forget" feature. You have to manage them to prevent swarming - if you want to avoid antagonising neighbours and the inconvenience of retrieving them or them going into other people's buildings or chimneys Some people do try "natural" beekeeping but it's not compatible with most gardens, and not keeping on top of varroa infestation will mean losing the colony to disease.

OSR is a pain too: it gives a heavy crop which the bees will go to whether you like it or not, but it sets in the comb before you can extract it. One way is to melt it out, comb and all, but if it is in the broodbox as stores the bees can't use it effectively. They will suck the fructose syrup out of it but have to carry the crystallised glucose out to dump it.
I'm sure somebody will put the other point of view...
A

I 100% agree with the above.

The other benefit to an association apart from training and mentorship is that usually you have people retiring from the hobby (we certainly do here too) and you can normally get a well looked after and well mannered colony for not a lot of money (as the person retiring normally wants it to go to a good home too).

We also run a swarm list where association members can put their name down for a free swarm as later in the year it can be difficult to find homes for swarms (As it is not as great for getting any honey harvest - which from what you say is not your primary focus anyway).

Also looks like there are a few bee keepers on this forum so I am sure plenty of advice if you ask for it

I've always been envious of you bee keepers, I talked to someone in Spain some years ago as he keeps bees and was telling me all about it including taking swarms away. Sounds too much hassle for me but today I was down the bottom of the garden where I have a few bee tube things from garden centres, and there were bees everywhere.

So maybe I do keep bees after all.

This is one I've had for years and actually comes apart but I've never wanted to take it apart as I don't want to harm them.


This one I only left on the decking less than a week ago and already it has two fully filled.

Mason Bees ?

You can build a top-bar hive pretty easily from cheap timber. National hives are cheap enough too. The fun is building NUCs and positioning them in local woodland to capture wild/escaped swarms…

Hello again Gus.
I am afraid my earlier post might have been a bit discouraging.

If you are tempted, then do follow it up. It is an amazing, absorbing hobby that can be followed in many, many directions... However my dad, a brilliant bloke in almost all other ways, just couldn't get on top of it and gave up after maybe 5 years. I suppose you either get it or you don't!

I spent some of this afternoon putting home-wired home-made foundation into frames cleaned-up from a previous year, getting them ready to use for either simple comb changes or when I expand or do swarm-control on some colonies. All the time my (home-made) solar wax extractor was quietly reclaiming another pound or two of wax from redundant or scruffy frames - eventually to be turned into another batch of foundation. Circular production(?) / self sufficiency is very satisfying, even if some of us can't do it in the power arena!

I am definitely mostly "conventional" in my beekeeping but I think that there were let-alone / "natural" beekeepers in the old place, though no-one has surfaced or put their head above the parapet here yet.
I am tempted to have a go with a top-bar hive just for the fun of it, but I haven't got a round tuit yet... One day someone will give me one and I shall have no excuse then! I suspect it's not something to learn on unless you have an experienced mentor on hand, as the people being shown how to use them in Africa have.

Just don't believe all you read on the internet, or see on Youtube!
best wishes
A