Bee keeping anyone?

GlasweJen

I was wondering if anyone on the board kept bees in any way?

Two reasons, the first is that I am considering keeping bees at some point though I realise it's probably too late to start this year it's something that's interested me for a few years now and I'd like to get everything ready to start next year.

The second is that I may consider writing about bee-keeping and the environmental aspects of bee populations for a uni project.

The information I need is,

how much does it cost to start a hive?
how much time would I need to dedicate to the bees?
can anyone recommend a course I could go on to learn how to keep bees properly (in Glasgow)
what do you get out of bee-keeping (can be anything from financial to well-being reasons).

vaksam

Hi Jen,

I'm currently a novice beekeeper in the North West. I did a weekend course through my local association and am continuing training through apiary meetings held at a teaching apiary each week. I'm not in a position to get hives of my own currently as I live in a flat, although as I have started learning I've decided that this is no bad thing - there is so much to learn, I'd like to have a couple of seasons helping out at the teaching apiary before I take the plunge and get my own!:D

I'd start out by contacting your local beekeeping association - http://www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk/contacts/html/local.html to see if they run any courses that you could go on. Most courses tend to take place during Spring/Early Summer although there is such high demand now that some associations do courses in autumn now too. They should also be able to provide you with any information that you need.

As I said, I don't yet keep my own bees so can't answer all your questions, but here goes -

how much does it cost to start a hive?

Not sure on this one. Expect to pay £100+ though for a nucleus of bees to start off each hive

how much time would I need to dedicate to the bees?

We've been advised, an hour or so per hive per week during the summer, then not so much in the winter as it's generally best to leave well alone in the colder weather.

can anyone recommend a course I could go on to learn how to keep bees properly (in Glasgow)

Contact your local association. If they don't run anything, they may well know who do.

what do you get out of bee-keeping (can be anything from financial to well-being reasons).

I'm loving learning something entirely new and very different from anything I've done before. I actually find it really relaxing, and given that I'm stuck in an office for 40+ hours a week, having a night when I HAVE to leave the office on time and spend the evening outside is doing wonders for my stress levels!

Hope this helps, and if you do decide to take it up (or even just write about it) let us know how you get on

GlasweJen

thanks Vaksam, you're a star. Looked up an association for glasgow area and one of the guys on the committee lives around the corner - how weird is that?!

vaksam

That's more or less what happened to me! I'd thought about taking up beekeeping for years, and then once I looked into it I found out that the teaching apiary was a 10 minute drive from my house!