National Homebrew Club Ireland

Hi lads, has anyone any experience of bee keeping? I've always had idea of getting into it, a mate has a roof that's contained a swarm for a few years but the flat roof now needs replacing, if the bees are in the way, they will probably be 'terminated' but if it is possible to 'move' them to a hive, then it's win win!! Anyone know if this is possible?

Thanks guys

I have 8 hives in 2 apiaries and run with 3 others Roundwood beekeepers.
Join you local Fibka association which is the best starting place.
http://www.irishbeekeeping.ie/federation/affassoc.html
If you thought brewing was expensive...

Thanks Ciderhead - will take a look there - just that its always been in my mind, and there are bees there in the way, just gonna see if its something that i could do :)

As I know a few bee keepers on this forum I thought this post from my MadModders forum would be (!!) intersting:

http://madmodder.net/index.php/topic,11595.msg137682.html#msg137682

Cheers Will

BTW: Chief Honey Bunny (aka CH) I still have your polycarb in the car!!

Quote from: Ciderhead on July 15, 2013, 08:24:31 AM
I have 8 hives in 2 apiaries and run with 3 others Roundwood beekeepers.
Join you local Fibka association which is the best starting place.
http://www.irishbeekeeping.ie/federation/affassoc.html
If you thought brewing was expensive...

CH, how would you describe the flavour differences between the two hives, if any?

Why is it so expensive?? Couple of hives, free bees, bob's your uncle... ;)

Some one i know wanted to get into beekeeping. They went down to the local pet shop to buy a hive and some bees, the man in the pet shop said no problem and gave my friend a jar with 10 bees inside. On counting the bees my friend said "excuse me but there are 11 bees in here" . The pet shop owner said "Yes that ones a free bee".

Why is it so expensive?? Couple of hives, free bees, bob's your uncle... ;)

[/quote]

A few random stats on bees :
There are between 40 and 60 thousand bees and in a Hive an the peak of the summer. 4-6 thousand in the winter
The Queen lays 1200 eggs per day on the summer.
It takes 30 pounds (average jar) of nectar to make 1 pound of honey.
A hive of bees must fly 55,000 miles to produce a pound of honey.
It takes 12 bees their whole life  to make a teaspoon of honey.
It would take approximately 1 ounce of honey to fuel a bee's flight around the world.

I have bees too and I would consider it no more labor intensive than Brewing. If you have an hour spare per week from April to October you have the time to keep bees. As CH said join a local club and most clubs run beginner courses in early spring which will give you the basics and the local network for support direction and help.

Danny, Moving bees from an established location can be problematic with out full access, basically you have to find the the queen. it is possible..... but find a local beekeeper to help. That said ,this time of year it will be even harder as they wont' have time to establish themselves in their new home and may well die out through the winter.

What he said :D
Make sure they are bees, I have been called out several times to wasps or bumbles!
trying to remove bees from roof space or fascia board is a nightmare.

Flavour profiles are all down to what is being collected.
Oil seed Rape is bitter
Clover is best
Heather Honey which is what I did a couple of weeks ago with a pal is ultra rich and impossible to spin out of comb so eaten wax an all.

Just to clarify if you thought brewing was expensive...
Apart from the obvious it is very therapeutic watching other people work and these are insects that have evolved over millions of years, have their own agenda and work on their schedule not yours and why I am not a beekeeper but a keeper of bees.

Heres a couple of vids I did years ago, interesting colour of pollen on the legs, if you feel the urge to swat maybe beekeepings not for you ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KffP9r-xJhw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-x4adiyMZo

I'm doing the Fingal course in Portmarnock in February / March

Quote from: CH on October 06, 2016, 10:06:34 AM
if you thought brewing was expensive...

Could you give an outline of typical costs?

a grand

I'm joking cheapest probably including a nuc of bees maybe 250-300
Most clubs have schemes to get newbies up and running and is part of your training on how to keep them.
My advice is research for a year get yourself a suit and shadow a mate to see whats involved before you pull the plug and buy a nuc.
Very similar to brewing get involved with you local club, lots of horse trading and sharing of extractors selling of hives.

edit upping my estimate 300-350 just seen current prices of hives ???

Where's the CH mead!

Foxtrot Oscar, complete waste of honey

Quote from: CH on October 06, 2016, 07:21:56 PM
Foxtrot Oscar, complete waste of honey

I don't get this, I've read varying opinions on using good honey vs bog standard supermarket honey for making mead. Surely you want to use the best possible honey for mead.

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Mind you I'm lucky. The father-in-law has on average 14 hives so supply isn't an issue. All in different areas, all different flavors. Moved 4 hives down to the river this year, there was a wild flower that had white pollen growing all around, the honey is like nothing I've ever tasted.

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It's a waste as the best possible benefit from honey is to consume it raw, not pasteurised or in an alcohol!
For colours it's the following, alder probably

http://www.sheffieldbeekeepers.org.uk/tools/pollen-chart/

Amazing what colour variation you get.

But how to get Snowdrop pollen into the bees in winter?

Quote from: googoomuck on October 06, 2016, 09:03:48 PM
Mind you I'm lucky. The father-in-law has on average 14 hives so supply isn't an issue. All in different areas, all different flavors. Moved 4 hives down to the river this year, there was a wild flower that had white pollen growing all around, the honey is like nothing I've ever tasted.

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Ahem, any going spare?

Did the flower look like a big white poppy, or have 5 fingered leaves and little flowers or look like a coco plant 8) 8)

Quote from: googoomuck on October 06, 2016, 09:03:48 PM
Mind you I'm lucky. The father-in-law has on average 14 hives so supply isn't an issue. All in different areas, all different flavors. Moved 4 hives down to the river this year, there was a wild flower that had white pollen growing all around, the honey is like nothing I've ever tasted.

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himalayan balsam

Rough cost for you simon
Course 110
A hive 350-400, you really need 2, but in first year would prob get away with 1,
Suit n gloves 120
Smoker and hive tool 50
This gets you up and running, then from here other stuff to buy are frames, foundation, supers, queen marking equipment, honey extraction equipment, the list goes on.
YOUR GOING TO NEED A BIGGER SHED😂😂😂😂😂😂

Course! We don't don't charge in Roundwood
You forgot bees!

Quote from: CH on October 08, 2016, 12:28:19 PM
Course! We don't don't charge in Roundwood
You forgot bees!

Free up these parts.  Then when you are up and running in a few years you give back to noobs like Simon.  It's a win win