New beekeeper has her piggin bees! YAY!

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New beekeeper has her piggin bees! YAY!
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Mrs Baggins

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Posts: 837
Location: West Kent

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 09 2:52 pm Post subject: New beekeeper has her piggin bees! YAY!

Ok. I have abandoned the search for nucs for the following reasons:

1)They are in such short supply and
a) I don't fancy a 10 hour round trip to pick them up or
b) Having them sent in the post. THAT would be one damaged parcel I would NOT like to receive, thank you.

2) They are insanely expensive and I need 2. After buying two new hives, the kit to go with and a Sherriff bee suit - I am truly SKINT.

3) I have no bugger prepared to come with me to check 'em out.

As such I have decided to put my name on the list for a swarm and if it turns out to be a bit feral - I'll re-queen it.

My question is: how do I find the list of swarm catchers in the SE? I checked the BBKA website, but either I have gone blind (wouldn't be surprised) or I'm looking in the wrong place (wouldn't be surprised).

Anyone know where this holy grail of a document can be found?

Many thanks in advance.

Last edited by Mrs Baggins on Mon May 04, 09 10:51 am; edited 1 time in total

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 09 2:57 pm Post subject:
we just let the local beekeeping assoc know that we wanted bees and got several calls in short order once swarm season started, that was a few years back, so there may well be more demand this year, but was the usual route at the time

Mrs Baggins

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Posts: 837
Location: West Kent

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 09 3:31 pm Post subject:
Thx Sally, I have done that already but was warned to get my name on other lists as they apparently have a long list which I am at the bottom of and they said they may be able to get me a swarm next year at the earliest. Time will tell.

cassy

Joined: 04 Feb 2008
Posts: 1047
Location: South West Scotland

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 09 3:40 pm Post subject:

Oh no, best of luck getting some.

We were in a similar position last year. Despite having our name on our local association list to buy a nuc, we only managed to get bees by being 'adopted' by an experienced beekeeper who kindly gave us a nuc, as he got started himself by being given his first bees. It was very kind and a tradition I will carry on.

I know I new beekeeper near us who put their name on the contact list for local people who wanted to have a swarm removed. He managed to get his first colony that way, but I must admit to being a bit daunted by that myself!

Hope you manage to get some. Being keen but unable to really get started is exasperating!

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 09 4:43 pm Post subject:
Each individual BKA will have their own swarm catchers - Ours is on the NDBKA website. However - I think you'll find there's plenty of other people after those swarms too - your best bet is to be an active member of the society I reckon.

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 09 5:02 pm Post subject:

Contact environmental health at your local council, the local constabulary & your local pest control firms.
All or some of the above will keep a list of beekeepers who will collect swarms.
If you get a call try & get a contact number for the persons who own the land or reported the swarm so you can get some details before setting out.
Don't take on anything to tricky.
Its better to pass on a swarm rather than fall out of a tall tree or make a hole in someones flat roof to get at some bees!!
Make sure you are actually dealing with honey bees.
I once got called out to a bumble bee nest that some idiot had disturbed whilst mowing his garden.
First time I collected a swarm they where in a hedge about 8 ft from the ground. I didn't take a step ladder so parked my van under the swarm & climbed on the roof.
Knocked the swarm in a box & turned to get down, hooked my foot in the roof rack & tripped chucking bees all over the roof.
Taught me a valuable (& painful) lesson & made sure I had steps. skep, sheet & secatuers ready for the next one.

Mrs Baggins

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Posts: 837
Location: West Kent

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 09 5:44 pm Post subject:

Tavascarow wrote:

Knocked the swarm in a box & turned to get down, hooked my foot in the roof rack & tripped chucking bees all over the roof.
Taught me a valuable (& painful) lesson & made sure I had steps. skep, sheet & secatuers ready for the next one.

Sorry I did chuckle at this...

Thx everyone. I am doing pretty much what everyone has suggested with the exceptions of Tav's local constabulary and pest control ideas.

Seems like bees are in such short supply and beekeepers tend to be looking after their own when it comes to swarms. Can't say I blame them for that, but it does make it more difficult for new beekeepers like me to get started.

I will keep trying tho and let you know how I get on. Thx everyone!

Mrs Baggins

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Posts: 837
Location: West Kent

Posted: Tue Mar 31, 09 9:28 pm Post subject:
Half me hives have arrived and are with my tutor... me new beesuit is on it's way after a prompting phone cal to Sherriff... and I am on the list of four swarm catchers and one more to confirm. Fingers toes and eyes crossed for me please 'cos I just wanna get on with it! LOL.

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Tue Mar 31, 09 9:46 pm Post subject:
When does swam season start?

Mrs Baggins

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Posts: 837
Location: West Kent

Posted: Tue Mar 31, 09 9:54 pm Post subject:
Richard - They may get smth at the and of April but they all expect the real action to be in May.

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Tue Mar 31, 09 9:55 pm Post subject:

Mrs Baggins wrote:

Richard - They may get smth at the and of April but they all expect the real action to be in May.

It surely wasn't the last two years!

Mrs Baggins

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Posts: 837
Location: West Kent

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 09 9:35 pm Post subject:

Well... I ordered my hives forever ago and they are still not here.

I made the mistake of clubbing together with my tutor and a few other students to place an order and now the place we ordered from is swamped and can't deliver until the end of the month at the earliest.

I'm glad I never did order those nucs now!

Jamanda - Maybe the scarcity of swarms is a good thing. Otherwise I may end up housing mine in my laundry basket.

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 09 9:53 pm Post subject:
Picking my hive number two and spare supers tomorrow - also a bee suit for Ben - so you can have your kid's one back at the weekend Ali. I decided to play safe and get another national in the end - I'll play about with TBH when I know what I'm doing.

Mrs Baggins

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Posts: 837
Location: West Kent

Posted: Tue Apr 14, 09 7:27 am Post subject:

Jamanda wrote:

Picking my hive number two and spare supers tomorrow -

I might have mine by Xmas... sigh... enjoy your new stuff *sniff*

Mrs Baggins

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Posts: 837
Location: West Kent

Posted: Sun Apr 26, 09 7:35 pm Post subject:

I finished my beekeeping course today!

Absolutely thrilled I did it and even more thrilled to have my Sunday mornings back.

My hives STILL haven't arrived.

Hoping to get the brood boxes and everything else I ordered by the end of this week and the supers are to follow.

It's a long story as to why this has happened... it is a right mess tbh...

Cannot WAIT to have my own bees... in my own garden... and just get going!

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