Bee keeping...

Efour

Efour

Efour

Caporegime
Joined
8 Sep 2005
Posts
30,487
Location
Norrbotten, Sweden.
Is this the latest fad/trend?

I know they are needing a bit of help but it seems a lot of my unrelated,FB peers have suddenly taken a shine to boxes of buzzing things.

Is this this the latest middle age life crisis thing to do?

I'm not dissing it just find it odd that it's getting popular in my UK circles...
 
Need more than just a "bit" of help..

Quote FotE:

"But since 1900 the UK has lost around 13 species of bee. A further 35 are considered under threat of extinction."
 
It's creating a real buzz isn't it

More the better! Have wild flowers in garden now and going to get some mini buddleia for butterflys and bees
 
Would love to keep bees myself even if just for the honeycomb. Pretty sure theres a forum member whos just started keeping them.


On the note of honeycomb i mentioned bee keeping to the missus for honey and honey comb and she said no as she "dont like crunchys" had to laugh.
 
I've been a bee keeper for at least 7 years, the wife and I keep them I. The garden and often get 20 kilos of honey a year from 3 to 4 hives.

The risk to bee species though is about habitat loss for solitary and bumble bees. The honey bee is bouncing back. The number of bee keepers has over doubled in the last 10 years with new entrants mostly middle class Tom and Barbra types like myself. It doesn't really pay for you time but does pay for running costs and is quite rewarding.
 
Efour said:
Is this the latest fad/trend?

I know they are needing a bit of help but it seems a lot of my unrelated,FB peers have suddenly taken a shine to boxes of buzzing things.

Is this this the latest middle age life crisis thing to do?

I'm not dissing it just find it odd that it's getting popular in my UK circles...
Click to expand...

Have they recently become vegan too?

Is the bee keeping done in a 'vegan friendly' manner?
 
Parents have a few hives, helped out now and again, didn't really appeal that much though. Think you need to feed them in the winter, risk of swarms and disease also.
 
PlacidCasual said:
I've been a bee keeper for at least 7 years, the wife and I keep them I. The garden and often get 20 kilos of honey a year from 3 to 4 hives.

The risk to bee species though is about habitat loss for solitary and bumble bees. The honey bee is bouncing back. The number of bee keepers has over doubled in the last 10 years with new entrants mostly middle class Tom and Barbra types like myself. It doesn't really pay for you time but does pay for running costs and is quite rewarding.
Click to expand...

Sadly I'm old enough to understand the 'Tom and Barbra' bit. I'd imagine it's lost on most here!
 
MissChief said:
Sadly I'm old enough to understand the 'Tom and Barbra' bit. I'd imagine it's lost on most here!
Click to expand...

Nothing to bee sad about, at least those of us that got the reference got to see what it's referring to :D

Mmmmm, flashbacks.

There's some bush at other end of street from where I am & always worried that council will cut it away any time they go around & do their trimming of anything & everything, but so far it's escaped unscathed.
This year (last few weeks especially) there's a constant buzz of Bees emanating from within the bush & plenty of Bees buzzing to & from it :cool:
 
Ah, the good life. Bees are amazing insects. I used to live in South Africa as a child and I was once stung by a bee. My leg swelled up and was painful for days. The moral of the story...don't sit on them lol.
 
I was once talking to a "professional" bee keeper (as in, it was his job rather than a hobby) and he said one of the biggest issues threatening bees is amateur bee keepers. Whether this is because it was damaging to the commercial aspect or damaging to bee populations, I'll never know, but it is something to think about when people do things because it's a trend or fad.
 
I've noticed lots more dead bumble bees this year on paths and things from my mile walk to and from work. I always try and help the little guys out if they are struggling though. 2 spoonfuls of sugar mixed with 1 spoonful of water will get them going again most of the time. :cool:

Not sure i'd keep a box of them in the garden though. :D:eek:
 
FL630 said:
I was once talking to a "professional" bee keeper (as in, it was his job rather than a hobby) and he said one of the biggest issues threatening bees is amateur bee keepers. Whether this is because it was damaging to the commercial aspect or damaging to bee populations, I'll never know, but it is something to think about when people do things because it's a trend or fad.
Click to expand...

He's probably talking about bad practice causing disease to spread, European Foul Brood, American Foul Brood, Nosema, various different mites of which Varroa is the most prevalent. Also hobbyists may not identify the diseases accurately and so fail to tell the Bee Inspectors so proper recording can take place. I don't know how many genuinely "professional" bee keepers there are the in the UK but most associations will be mostly hobbyists. In other countries particularly the US some professional beekeeping is a disgrace and definitely causing problems. Honey importers are also often considered a source of disease risk because bad handling practices of Honey containers allows disease to spread to local bees.
 
bees are awesome and I would love to have a couple of bee hives and then make mead as well as honey ice cream.
I would expect hobbies like this to increase as people work less and get more time at home until the next time economy collapses and we all have to do a shed ton off over time and no disposable income.
 
I have been trying to promote Bee presence through selection of plants in my garden but you don't see as many as you used to. Sadly if I kept a hive in my garden the neighbours might object.. Although it could be fun.
 
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