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Okay, so they can cost anywhere from £40 for a days course or over a £100 for a 10 week course, but are beekeeping courses worth it?

As many of you who follow this blog know, I initially thought that beekeepers were a certain breed of people and I was a little unsure about joining the party. I felt I would suddenly put on a few inches around the waist, be forced to grow a beard, drink ale (or occasionly cider) and have to start morris dancing as another hobby. I was pleasently surprised by the course I attended in that none of the above was mandatory and so I attended with vigor. What did I learn? Read the rest of this entry »

A little bit of confidence restored today. I went to my beekeeping practical with the Reigate Beekeepers and got my hands dirty once more. I have to say it is really uplifting to be around other beekeepers (and what with the blog comments and twitter comments I have received) who all state it is quite common to abandon a hive visit at times. Some, by the sound of it have had it a lot worse that me. Read the rest of this entry »

I was once told a story by an experienced beekeeper over a beer. I thought it was like an initiation story (click here to read the original blog) with the aim of putting the frighteners on a naïve beginner beekeeper. “I once saw a beekeeper get stung in the eye” he said while I sat cowering round my pint. I left a little bit more fearful but came to the conclusion that he must have been making it up and was just saying that. I felt it was the equivalent of a builder telling an apprentice to go and buy an “air hook” or a senior lifeguard telling a newbie to go and get the “left handed broom” (yes, I fell for both of them). However, Tom was telling the truth as I found out tonight. Read the rest of this entry »

Well what an interesting evening. Tonight I attended the “Big Buzz” event hosted by the Organic people at Abel and Cole deemed an “eccentric bunch” by the founder Keith Abel. Eccentric they may be considering hosting an event about beekeeping with the constant threat of beekeepers actually being present but I have to say the pulled it off exceptionally well.

Now considering my usual Wednesday evening activities of meeting up with the Reigate Beekeepers this was something quite different. Usually I meet up with a group of about 50 beekeepers, an average age of about 55, most having beards, most with a slightly rounded belly and all definitely having a slight reddening of the cheeks which may (or may not) suggest a penchant for the odd tipple. In fact talking of tipples, after these sessions a short trip to the local is called upon and discussions about particular breweries ensues with occasional polite references to cider. Wine is distinctly off the menu as stories are shared and experiences recounted. Tonight was something totally different. Read the rest of this entry »

I have just finished the practical session today with my local association and I have to say it was the best session yet. We discovered our new queen which was great to see. It was good to see one quite clearly different to the rest of the bees with her pointed abdomen. It has given me the confidence that I should also be able to spot one relatively easily (I say that now but just wait till I get my own bees!)

There were also several other points of note this week; almost everyone else has got their bees except me, I am struggling to think about holding a bee and I have lined myself up for a swarm. Read the rest of this entry »

I felt that I needed to sit down and reflect on last nights activities while my memory was still intact. It turns out that if

Lots of people at the session

you are a member of an association of beekeepers they will also mentor you through your lifetime on the practical elements  of the role. At our local association it is all included in your annual membership, I think I paid £45 for the year (which also includes insurance)

I think this is fabulous and a great way to a/ meet other beekeepers in a similar situation and b/ actually learn the rather scary art of handling bees. I hate to think what mistakes I would make if I went at it on my own! So this was held at the local apiary like the frame building day earlier in the year and it wasn’t raining, unbelievable given the last few weeks. Read the rest of this entry »

Feeling quite overwhelmed today after an amazing day. After the negatives of Wednesday where I missed my first possible bee meeting today I went to a frame building day – I am sure it is simply a way to get new members building frames for the old members! – which involved about 30 new, slightly rough around the edges, theoretical beekeepers keen to hone their skills and become more practical ones. It morphed into something completely unexpected however…. Read the rest of this entry »

I have to say, Britain is a pretty miserable place to be when the weather is foul, and it has been for about 3 months now! However, today was an exception, it was stunning and it is amazing what a little bit of sunshine does for you. Today was great for many reasons and it all started with…….. Read the rest of this entry »

Its coming up to midnight and I have just got settled in fornt of the computer after an evening of corporate life. I feel exhausted and it couldn’t have been further from my evening yesterday spent sowing sweet peas and chilli peppers. Which did I prefer I wonder?! Having spent the evening talking and incentivising I feel quite tired now and ready for a rather cold bed (she who must be obeyed is staying at the mother in laws tonight along with Sebastian) but I cannot wait for my head to hit the pillow. Its funny when you are tired, the words just don’t want to come out particularly fluently…. Read the rest of this entry »

So there I was, at work, logging on to my twitter account as usual (I use it a lot in my corporate world much amusement of my colleagues who hear me “tweeting” all day long!) and settling down to my cup of coffee, catching up on the news and information that is flying past my eyes on the computer screen. Suddenly a message popped up from @richardfreeman, someone I had been conversing with in the past and a relatively local beekeeper. I realised this could be the moment my beekeeping life kicked of and became real………

It read: Read the rest of this entry »