Baker's Fondant

[Jenxy]

Well I don't have ponies, so I will be o there.... as for the other error... I am still trying to get to grips with the names of the components that make up a hive, let alone how it all goes together. I have heard that a lot of beginners will perhaps lose their first colony. Is it very common?

 

[Hombre]

A single colony will restrict your options. Similarly ownership of more than one computer. When something goes wrong, a second can be used for comparison and as an aid to fixing the first. I think that lot's of people will lose A colony in their first year, given that we are talking overwintering as well. The problem in perspective is that the bee keeper with 10 hives loses 1 and it's a 10% loss. if you only have 1 hive, then it is a 100% loss.and likely to be more of a personal concern to the bee keeper concerned.
Be positive, listen to the advice given by your mentor and work methodically and dilligently. Hoping for the best isn't good enough, be positive in what you do, don't overhandle the bees as they settle down for winter and don't skimp on feeding them properly. Plan for success and world domination, it's the only way.
The more you read the more things make sense and you see your own personal path becoming mapped out (sort of) through the rich tapestry of personal opinions and techniques. Until you get to recognise what you feel is right for you, rely on the advice given by your mentor.

Hombre

 

[Frisbee]

That, Hombre is excellent advice.............



Frisbee

 

[Jenxy]

Thankyou for that, I will surely take it on board. How much space around it does a hive need? I ask because I am sure I only have room in my garden for one, so maybe should look for another place to host one.

 

[BKF Admin]

they only need enough space that is confortable for you to manipulate the hive to inspect.

I have nown beekeepers who have put hives in a narow passage,the bees will just rise up as soon as they meet an obsticle,just remember they will need good sunlight if possible.

 

[Jenxy]

Is it right that they get a bit grumpy if they are not in the sunshine???

 

[Hombre]

Thanks for your kind comment Frisby. I am still pre-bee, but working on it and getting my head sorted.

Jenxy, I have a relatively small garden and had hoped to be able to put two hives down by the garage, but I have watched the shadows and patches of sunlight over the last six weeks and have come to the conclusion that I have a 3.5m x 7m patch that might have been very convenient for me, but will be absolutely no use to the bees, being cold and probably damp in the winter. So they will have to be located 7m nearer to the house in full sunlight.
I am fortunate in having only two neighbours, one with a garden water feature/pool, so I will need to ensure I have a convenient water source to minimise the number of bees choosing to water at my neighbour's facilities. No children, but as long as they don't decide to sit out with honey sandwiches and beer in the summer I should be able to get away with it OK. I will be looking to establish, in principle at least, a couple of out apiariy sites so that I can plan on modest expansion, which will cause a single colony loss to be less catastrophic and to render the expense of extraction equipment more viable. The cost spread over, say, 5 years divided by the quantity of honey extracted during that period. Obviously a notional extraction cost per pound of honey could be attributed in this manner and coupled with the convenience might just allow you to convince your other half that "it could pay for itself in no time".

Admin, your comment about the passage is interesting, Was there a reasonable lack of sun in the passage, and how did that affect the timing of daily foraging etc? I'm sure that we are all interested in this as it might make all the difference to what some of us consider to be an otherwise unsuitable location.

If I was to raise a hive to about 4ft, I could use part of my 3.5m x 7m dead space as it would then be adequately illuminated. Food for thought, but I don't want to find that I need to move a hive 4m because of initial poor placement.

Hombre
(because I'm a violinist)

 

[VEG]

The hive doesnt need to be in direct sunlight all day. This can be a bad thing as they can overheat. My bees only get direct sunlight on them from about 12pm onwards. They get a lie in the morning but go like hell in the afternoon. .
There are not many hive sites that are perfect. Most have some sort of compromise. The bees tend to make do.

 

[BKF Admin]

Hobre partial sunlight is fine,you have to think about winter more than summer due to damp and cold.

My bees get the sun after about 11am,this is good for me as I often inspect around 4pm when the big girls are out in the fields.

You also have to think about the very low angle of the winter sun on the hives rather than the summer hight.

 

[Jenxy]

Now I am a little more concerned... The site I had in mind is easy to gate off so the grandchildren don't go wandering where they shouldn't, but in the summer, it gets hot over there.... am wondering if there is a way I can cool it a little...
Hombre, it sounds lie you have spent a lot of time doing your research. I would say I am at about the same stage... I felt a little overwhelmed with all the information, but I think you are right about making your own path and you can only fail so many times before you eventually get it right... can't you??

 

[BKF Admin]

Personally I dont think heat is a problem as they will fan away heat if its to hot.

I have a picture here of a colony in africa that lived in an oil drum in full sun,the only hole was the 3 inch bung in the top.

 

[Hombre]

Jenxy, I just hope that I am reading and absorbing enough. I regularly have some confusion about where I read various details, on a forum or in the Ted Hooper book.

Each source of course has a slightly different weighting. I do wonder how difficult it would have been 20 years ago to access such a wealth of information that is at our finger-tips and freely available today. Previously books were available but expensive and libraries would have a limited number and longer wait. Magazines would be the only up-to-date comment and even then the authorship would be fairly restricted.

Today everyone is an author, for better or worse, able to ask and tell as required. It is very instructive and frequently very entertaining.
There appear to be some real live wires around; powerhouses of information and opinion too, but they make for a lot of reading each day.

 

[Jenxy]

From what I can gather, 20 years ago beekeeping was a lot less complicated... no imports, no mite, not so many pesticides... so I am sure there would not have been so much information to take on board.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Jenxy, twenty years ago beekeeping was much the same,but instead of varroa we had more acarine problems.
As for importing queens/bee's,we have been doing that since Victorian times,and at certain periods in history,like when most of our bee's were wiped out by acarine and there associated viruses,we imported on a bigger scale than now.

 

[Finman]

From what I can gather, 20 years ago beekeeping was a lot less complicated... no imports, no mite, not so many pesticides... so I am sure there would not have been so much information to take on board.

Over 20 years ago beekeeping was much more difficult than today. The biggest reason was feral and non breeded German Black bees which were quite wild animals.

Just 22 years ago varroa came to my district and killed those "national bees".

In these foorums beekeeping is very complicated because folks invent their own ideas what to do and they have no rational background.

At least honey yield have rised all the time in my hives during 40 years.

 

[Jenxy]

Wow Finman... 40 years! That really is a life's work. You could probably write your own book on the subject.

 

[marcros]

Fondant

Has anybody sourced fondant recently. I have just been quoted £13.23 from Bako which seemed a bit steep.

It seems that wholesale suppliers in the North are a bit limited.

 

[Eyeman]

I bought 4 boxes of ?12.5KG fondant from bako through our local bakery/deli - they receive regular deliveries. I paid £8.25 per box. This was 5 months ago. Check if its cheaper though a local retailer. Are you ordering the right stuff as there were a few different types when I last looked.
I can get the package details from my order if needed.

 

[hedgerow pete]

eyeman i have just looked at the beko web site which type did you order

 

[Eyeman]

Hi
I'm sure it was this:
http://orders.bakonorthern.co.uk/gb/product/__202770__/