I am 13 years old and I would love to start bee keeping I went on holiday to my nanny's in Czech Republic and her neighbour had bees and I helped him with him for a couple days.
Just starting out and found your videos. Retired nurse always been interested in keeping bees and now have time for this fabulous hobby. Helped out at our local apiary so had a little bit of hands in, but very keen to make sure I learn the foundations first to get this right. Thanks for your videos they look really interesting and informative.
Hi my name is Christine. A friend and myself are newbies! Anxious to learn as much as we can to navigate our way through setting up and managing a couple of hives.
My name is Annette. I am 63 years old I took a course and completed last yet . Helped out with local Bee keeper for experience and really enjoyed it . Did not have a suitable place for Bees , it’s my goal to do so. However I still need reassurance and will go over your TH-cam program with a view to fulfilling my goal
Hi Annette, I'm glad you found someone to buddy up with and experience the beekeeping. Beekeeping is all about building confidence and experience so if you can help out another beekeeper until you're able to set up your own hive it would be great experience. Stewart
Hi Stewart. My name is James Price I'm 63 years old, married with 2 children and 2 grandchildren. I've had a varied work life more recently as a specialist nurse working in Greater Manchester. Having had cancer 3 times, my last cancer being 2 years ago I finally hung my Nursing hat up and took early retirement. My wife and I live in a little place called High Compton which is in Shaw near Oldham, approximately 7 miles from Manchester City centre. Beekeeping has fascinated me for many years, but I've never had the opportunity to pursue my interest. My local mayor Jenny has contacts within Oldham, unbeknown to me she was able to pass my details onto the local bee club, all 4 of them. 😆 So on Sunday 23rd of May (yesterday) I met all four of the members for the very first time. It was fascinating getting hands on experience of hive inspections and management. Particularly given this year has been exceptionally cold and how the group have dealt with this. The group are headed funnily enough by a lady called Cath, the rest of the group are her 18 year old son luke, and friends Les and George. They are a lovely group and it appears I fit in so they tell me. So I'm hoping to be learning lots about bees in the months and years to come. Your Utube clips were recommended by Cath as a great source of information, so I'm all ears and look forward to watching your other utube videos with intrigue. Thank you James Price
I am a retired Firefighter in my seventies I live in Halifax Nova Scotia Canada. Raised red wriggler worm for ten years retired my worms and now starting my very first beekeeping this year. Received my first two nucs on May 15, 2021, five days ago. I have a poly hive ten frame hive with a frame feeder. The hives are side by side but in different colours.
Hi There, I'm 57 living in Tassie NW coast new to bee keeping, recently joining the Tassie Bee keeping association, putting a hive together and keen to learn more so looking forward to your TH-cam series 🙂
Hi Stewart. My name is Richard aged 67 and living in rural Gloucestershire. I have been fortunate enough to attract a bee colony placing a bait hive in the garden some 6 months ago. A local bee keeper has been so supportive and I am just feeding off his love of bees as indeed I have gleamed from you, Stewart, watching your excellent introduction video - thank you. I am enjoying to my baptism of fire but still need to sell this new found interest to my wife ! Thank you for all your efforts in putting together all your lectures which I will enjoy working through.
Hi Richard, Many thanks for your message. It's been a fairly decent year for most beekeepers here in the UK I think, I'm already looking forward to next season. Best regards Stewart
Hi Stuart, I'm Jamie I've just turned 50 and after a few years of thinking about keeping bees I've decided to jump in and give it a go, it also helped that I'm lucky enough to come across a local guy who keeps bees on my friends land and he's kindly agreed to show me how things work. I'm a Norfolk boy too, living in a village southwest of Great Yarmouth. I'm a full time carer for my wife but also suffer from back problems which saw an end to my working offshore. I came across these videos via your website when I was looking for online beekeeping courses and local beekeeping clubs. At the time of writing this I've just watched your first 6 videos in Getting Started in Beekeeping series and so far have found them very interesting and informative. I also like the fact they're short and not an overload of info all in one go. Anyway, I am eager to continue and look forward to watching the rest of the series and then moving on to the other topics you are covering. Keep up the good work and you never know our paths may well cross someday, lucky you 😉
Thank you for making this series! I'm 16 from northeastern USA and for the past couple months I've been researching beekeeping. Me and my girlfriend find it extremely interesting and both want to pursue it as a hobby and then hopefully as a career. I wanted to say that your videos are extremely helpful and are my number one source of info due to the simple yet easy to absorb interface coupled with great presentation skills. Awesome job with the channel! - Mauro
Hello, I consider myself lucky to have come across your channel while researching about beekeeping. When I was little, we had bees in our village and I was helping my family. Now I want to do this as a hobby. Do you think I can do beekeeping on a small scale as a hobby in the garden of my house in London? What do you think?
Hello Stewart, my name is Carrie. I am just fascinated with bees and have had a desire for a long time to study beekeeping and have my own hives. I just acquired 20 acres of land in the Sonoran desert outside of Tucson, AZ. I am going to learn as much as I can before attempting setting up for hives so your videos will fortify my knowledge. I look forward to all you have to teach on the subject of bees. Thank you for offering your free videos it's greatly appreciated!
Hi, I am on the South Coast. Just placed an order for my first two hives. Don't know anything yet but have joined the local group and will aim to learn as much as I possibly can before getting my own bees. Fingers crossed and all that! The hives were a present and I am super excited!
Hi I'm Paul from Bath England I'm 52 now and have had a interest in bee's for many years have gone along to a few talks about bee keeping but not knowing anyone who is a bee keeping found it a bit overwhelmed. A couple of years ago I was talking to a guy who I found out is a bee keeper went a long to Bath beekeepers club saw there hives enjoyed being around the bee's and one weeks ago got my self some bee's from one of the members from the club. Now there sitting in there new hive on a farm not far from where I live.
Thank you Stuart. My father was an avid beekeeper and last year, for my 50th birthday, I was gifted a (requested) hive and nuc. Loving it. I thought I knew enough to keep bees. Little did I know that I knew very little ;-). Ruth
Hi Ruth, Fantastic that you've started beekeeping. Good luck with your beekeeping season. Join me on www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney for more than 500 videos, my podcast and monthly zoom meetings. Regards Stewart
this series sounds ideal for me. Thanks for your help the other evening. All. I had some questions and Stewart was quick to reply with clear, easy to understand answers.
Hi, Stewart. My name is Hannah, and my daughter Samantha is very interested in starting beekeeping. She just watched this video with me. She is 9 years old, and we live in Maine, USA. We don't know anything about beekeeping yet, but we're looking forward to learning lots of things from you. We do know two men and a teenager locally who are beekeepers. Thanks so much for making these videos for us to learn from.
Hi Hannah and Samantha, Thank you for getting in touch. I'm delighted that Samantha is so interested in beekeeping, we need more young beekeepers! Keep learning all about bees and see if there is a local beekeeping group that you can visit to see some bees. I'm sure any club would welcome you with open arms. Good luck with your beekeeping journey. Stewart
Thank you for taking time to make videos on this wonderful subject. As a family we are looking forward to bee keeping 🐝, we are at the very start of the process so we will shall carry on watching your videos. Thank you
My name is Lewis, I’m from the north east of Scotland and work as a vet nurse. I’m looking to keep bees on my allotment and looking forward to keeping these wonderful creatures!!!!
Hello! Am 21 over in North Wales and am wanting to get a hive for the farm. Currently, we are trying to move to more regenerative farming practices, over intensive farming, so are wanting to add honey bees to the farm to pollinate the herbal leys we are beginning to seed. Exciting times!
Hi Stewart, I am a73 year old man in Epsom Surrey, interested In forming a small colony of perhaps 2 hives in my local park which has a secure daylily garden where we plant to site our hives. Initially we are purchasing one national which is being placed in my garden for the autumn and winter and the plan is to resite into the park for next year. Have taken a theory and practical course over the winter and spring of last year with Epsom Beekeepers Association and joined up with one of the course members to maintain the colony and have a mentor to guide us. Looking forward to watching your series to give added knowledge and confidence.
Dear Stewart, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. I’m Sofi, 33 y.o., I live in the North Cotswolds and have just joined the BBKA. I have no bees as of yet, but I still have much to learn from my fellow beekeepers before I inaugurate my first beehive. Next year hopefully. Thank you again!
Hi Sofi, Great to hear you are getting into beekeeping by doing all the right things, soaking up information and hanging out with other beekeepers. Do stay in touch and let me know how your beekeeping journey progresses. Stewart
Hi We’re Jane and John and live in Shetland. Our 3 grown up boys gifted us a flowhive for our recent 60th birthdays and we are currently constructing the hive. So we are extreme beginners. Have started on your course and thank you for all the information
My name is Frances I started taking care of bees in 2014 I decided to do this because I had a beautiful garden and no vegetables because there was no bees. I have found that it is a very costly hobby, I started with 1 hive and she is still kicking, I now have 11 with 10 more coming I want to get to 20 hives so I can sell some honey there is a lot of people with alageries here I sold the first batch of honey in 1 day so that made me want more and more bees. so I keep buying bees to get the numbers up, and the mail looses them and they die or this year I lost 4 during the winter so far, I really injoy taking care or bees I think u are a great teacher the videos are great you take your time and decuss every thing u see and do, and u show it to us. and I am learning a lot. I want to become self efficient like u are, and not have to buy bees any more. I have been spending 1000.00 every spring on bees so far since I got started and that is just on new bees . I buy from different companies different breeds I have Itatians, russians, and I have carnies coming this April. I do not know what does good here where I live In virginia, and I studied about the difference in the bee breads so I would know what to expect and how to care for them, so far Here in Virginia Itatians do the best. All the hives I lost this past winter has been the Russian they were very strong hives to it was a surprise to find them dead. Any way I think u are great and thanks for the time u are giving up to share and teach about bees
Thanks for all that great info Frances. You really don't need to be spending a fortune on buying in bees. Plan a bee breeding program and select from your best hives, invest in nuc boxes and build up lots of stocks of nucs over the summer and then overwinter them. Sounds like you have a great plan and I'm sure you can make it work. Don't worry about what race the bees are, just select your best colonies that best suit your conditions and breed from them. Stewart
Mate, G'Day from Australia, A work colleague and I are getting into beekeeping. It's a hobby i have always found interesting after and wanted to get into for a while, and now is that time. Your videos are the best out there for beekeeping. Know we are different sides of the world but your vids are very informative. Will keep you posted on our progress as we go. Pick up our first hive next week, preparing his property this week.
Hi Nathan, Thanks for the the message and congratulations on getting started in beekeeping. You must be very excited at the prospect. Good luck with it and have fun. Stewart
Hi Stewart, your video was very informative and helpful. My mum and I are looking into bee keeping and starting our own hive so we will be watching many of your videos and hopefully learning a lot about bee's before we undertake our own hive. I am 19 and my mum is 58 and we live in Kent. Thanks for making these videos to help newcomers like us :)
Hi Im Susanna. Originally from Finland but been living near London for twenty odd years. We are moving to Wiltshire and have a nice big garden. I’ve never kept bees, but I’m drawn to bee keeping due to them being so interlinked with Mother Nature. You’re there just as a part observer, part enabler. I love the idea of the swarm being like one organism, just like say cells that form our liver are a swarm of similar cells. I’m now 43, got a MSc in chemistry and a nursing degree. I work in medical research. I’m currently doing a third Uni degree - a business degree :) As you can tell I love learning. Looking forward to this series!!
Came across your page, as considering looking after bees in our back garden. I am in my 40's looking for a new hobby and bees have always interested me. I feel that this is a great way to support them and the environment. I live in Somerset, England. I hope that with your guidance and of others this will be a positive adventure.
My name is Kerri, I currently live in Minnesota, USA. I'm in the process of trying to expatriate to France where I hope to start a small holding to become more autonomous and part of that is to have an apiary! So I'm just trying to begin by learning what I can where I'm at now! Thank you for creating this wonderful series!
Hi Stewart, I'm from Liverpool and have had a hive in my garden last few weeks, I'll be learning as I go along. I've been interested in it for years but there is no BBA here in Liverpool and no mentors. I'm so glad that I found your channel, it is so interesting and informative. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Steward. So glad to of found you. Im 63 not had bees before but always wanted to, a passion my grandfather had. I have a mentor my friend. I have been watching your videos and had a few visits with mentor at her hives. Its late in the year i suppose but the way things have worked with getting local bees theres been a few problems. However tomorrow is the day i am collecting nuc box colony. Very excited. I am west coast scotland Aultbea. Thankyou for sharing your wisdom. Linda
Thanks for this: I've been toying with the idea of keeping bees for a while, but am concerned my back pain and arthritis might be a problem. I'm in a suburb of York with quite a small garden, but assume the gardens around me will provide well for bees: last year's tomatoes (new venture for me) seemed to attract lots of them as do my lavenders... Looking forward to finding out lots more from the rest of your videos. Thanks again, Peter
Thanks Stuart first time I’ve watched your videos and enjoyed them. Very informative and interesting, an easy way to understand thank you. I’m a new beekeeper in Grimsby this is my second year. Enjoying every minute of this fascinating hobby. A friend helped me successfully split my hive so I now have two busy hives. The girls have worked hard and I have extracted 64lbs of beautiful honey so I’m over the moon. I’m hoping to double up next year, can’t get enough of these lovely creatures. Thanks again for the great videos I shall keep watching and learning Chris
Hi Stewart! Just about to order my first hives in a couple of days, i've been watching beekeeping and related videos almost daily since november, where i saw one by accident and got hooked on bees. I just can't wait anymore to get them finally, rented here a neglected garden with around ten old fruit/nut trees and berry bushes and i hope it will be ok for the bees to start with while me and my wife do some gardening and bring it back to life. This series is just an icing on a cake i dare to feel, so thank you very much for this! Regards from Germany!
Hi Stewart, thanks for making these videos. For those of us just starting out there is a huge amount to learn and these films are great at explaining it all.
From southwestern Norway. Trying to soak up as much info as possible before I venture into beekeeping myself. Your channel seems to have the best balance of detailed info, consistent uploads, and similar climate to mine of all the beekeeping youtubers, will keep watching.
Maybe, but not very likely as I've just finished university (in northern Norway) and need to find a job back home before anything concerning bees can be determined. I'll probably start building my own hives next year, though, as I don't quite like the look of the ones bought via the beekeepers association. Can't wait!
Perhaps try to go along to a local beekeepers apiary and get a feel for keeping bees before you launch into getting your own. That's what I did and the beekeeper gave me my first colony of bees to get started. It is very exciting and when you get your very first crop of honey it tastes like nothing you've ever had before. Stewart
I do plan on attending some classes with the local chapter of the Norwegian Beekeepers association. They also have a mentor arrangement, which I guess will come in handy.
So glad I found your channel, I'm a norfolk lad and I'm very keen to get into beekeeping ASAP. I have been reading a lot and I'm almost ready to take the plunge.
I'm in Devon UK, Iv been interested in bees for years. partner gave me the push I needed late last year. as a kid my dad found a hornet nest not realizing what it was we investigated and then running. stuck with me for life I guess. Iv been reading and watching for about 4/5 months now... desperate for some hands on. love the channel
Playing around with a hornet's nest is not to be recommended! It won't be long before the Spring finally arrives and then you can really get cracking. Stewart
Hello, I’ve looking into bee keeping several times over the years, now finally I hope to start bee keeping, I’m printing a hex bee hive so it going to be a while before it’s ready. I live in Cantley Norfolk, Uk.
Hi Stewart, my name is also Stewart and I am based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. I’ll be getting my first colony of bee’s this April and unfortunately due to the current COVID situation, haven’t managed to have any hands on experience yet. So your videos are very much appreciated. Looking forward to watching more.
I am in Leigh-on-sea in Essex. I am a beginner. I have wanted to be a beekeeper for 17 years but I used to live next door to someone with a garden office and a bee phobia. I have now moved house and have bees.
I hope next year I can start beekeeping, in the garden. Currently I am trying to learn from internet as much as I can. I remember my childhood area (I from Poland), my neighbor was an old man he had a lots of honeybees. In July every year there was a lot of bees in the linden trees along of the street, I remember this sound from above. Sometimes he given us some of honey. So my memories and experience from childhood led me to willing to have my own honeybees. (I would like to start bee keeping in north the of England)
Hello Stuart, I was looking for some info on beekeeping and just came across this video. Thank you for doing this series, it will be of great help to a lot of people and it is great to have this given in a simple, easy to follow, clear manner. I am from Northampton and after half a century on this beautiful planet have come to see more care is needed to keep things running smoothly! I work full-time along with running a household and I am looking to become more sustainable, growing more food, etc and bee-keeping is something I would like to do. I have no previous knowledge and would be looking to have a small hive in my back garden. Thanks again for the videos and I am continuing to watch the series! Best wishes Tina.
Hi Tina, Beekeeping is a very rewarding hobby and it's really simple to get started. I have lots more resources on my website www.norfolk-honey.co.uk and www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney Also, if you do decide to get started I have a more in-depth, online, beginners course via my website. Be warned though, beekeeping is quite an addiction and one "small" hive grows very rapidly in several hives! Stewart
Beekeeping very interesting. I am not in a position to keep bees at the moment. Maybe in the future. For now I just like to inform myself about beekiping in the UK. I understand every country has got different rules to follow to enable the bees to survive and thrive. Very good easy to follow informative video. 👍👍
Hello Stewart, greetings from New Jersey, USA. Been a follower for a while now. Thank you for taking the time to pass on your knowledge to us all. Your videos have been a great help. Started learning about Beekeeping May 2016. I have been preparing ever since for two Nucs in the Spring of 2017. Taken classes, building equipment, apiary set up, ect. I look forward to this and your other channels. Thanks again, Jerry
Hi Jerry, Thanks for your comments. You must be getting very excited about starting with your two nucs by now. We've just put our bees to bed for the Winter and I'm already "buzzing" about what I have planned for next year. Thanks for sticking with the videos, lots more information to come. Stewart
hi Stewart I am from Devon and took redundancy last year from Natural England (Defra) after 25 years. I am using the time to learn more about wildlife etc. than they would teach me (!). I have spent the last year improving 3 allotment plots with wildlife in mind, and beekeeping is going to be a major piece of that puzzle. I nearly took a Biology Course but decided it was too expensive for what was on offer, and am finding help form people like yourself to bee invaluable.
Hello Stewart, Thanks for your video i am glad i stumbled across your Chanel and i subscribed right away. I live in Strabane Northern Ireland and i bought 2 hives this year and some bees.The queen swarmed in my absence and because she was clipped she could not get away so she clime up the hollow blocks i had the hive on, and started a colony under the hive in the blocks. i had to get the beekeeper out to help me, he dug here out put her in a nuke with some brood from the old hive , there was a lot of buzzing about and confusion for days, i know now i should have fed them, i fed them lately to give them a help through the winter , the two of them are not great in number but maybe with a little luck. thanks again for your channel it will be a great help to me
Hi John, Thanks for the comments. We all make mistakes with our beekeeping adn it is a constant learning curve. Sounds like you got it sorted in the end, always good to have someone you can call on to help out. Good luck with them. Stewart
Hello Stewart Good Evening I live in the southwest and have been recommended your on line you Tube lessons to get me started as I will be keeping these wonderful creatures very soon
Hi Stewart, Thanks for taking the time to sharenyour love and knowledge of bees and keeping. I'm Neil from Newcastle getting support from NEBKA I'm starting to put the necessary kit together to start my apiary early 2021. Any advice on 'WHAT BEGINNER'S ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE IS REQUIRED TO KEEP BEES?
Hi Stuart, I'm just starting out at 26 looking to start helping out with (and hopefully one day managing) one of the bee colonies on one of the Cardiff Metropolitan University campuses :)
Hi! My names Teresa and I’m in Devon ☺️ I joined my local beekeeping association course this year but with everything that’s going on at the moment I’ve missed the last sessions and I’m sure to miss a few more. So I thought I’d scout around for more information and found your fabulous videos! I shall be working my way through them as I hope to set up my first hive this year.
Hi there, I've been wanting to start Beekeeping for a while and now during Lockdown Britain 2020 it feels like a good time to start. As my local Beekeeping Association is currently suspended until the Covid19 outbreak has subsided, I was worried that I may need to postpone getting started. But fingers crossed, by the time I finish this series of videos I may feel that I know enough to give my first colony a good chance of being happy.
hey Stewart, Steve here, I live in the Bucks countryside in the UK, looking to start out for my year one in the spring. So really looking forward to watching the series with you.
Hi Steve, Thanks for commenting and good luck with your beekeeping adventure. You might like to check out the facebook group, Stewart's Beekeeping Basics for like-minded, beginner beekeepers and also sign up for my regular emails. I'm about to launch a beginner beekeeper's online course too so keep an eye open for that, launch date is Friday 2nd February. Details on my website, www.norfolk-honey.co.uk Stewart
Hi Your site and videos was recommended to me by one of your members. I am 50 only recently got interested in Bee Keeping. I live in Worcestershire and I’m a member of the BBKA. I’m currently doing a hands on course with Gloucestershire branch of the BBKA. My mother tried to keep Bees although hers have absconded recently so she is currently looking for a colony. She lives in Gloucestershire so hence the reason for joining Gloucestershire branch. I’m not sure how this new hobby will fit in with my already busy schedule and not sure that I’ll be able to have any colony’s where we are currently living.
Hi Stewart. My names Mark . I live in Cambridgeshire and I'm new to Bee keeping I look forward to watching your videos and learning a bit about the bees
Hi Stewart from CT in the USA. I love your videos. I have two nucs I'm picking up this Saturday. I'm very excited! Thanks for all your great teaching. You are much appreciated.
Hi John, Thanks for commenting. I'm very excited for you, starting out on your beekeeping journey. Good luck for this season, if you want more videos, the latest podcast and other content check out my Patreon page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney You can also sign up for my fortnightly newsletter via my website www.norfolk-honey.co.uk Stewart
Hi Stewart, i live in Jersey , Channel Islands, we have a Beekeeping group here, i was booked on a course with them, but covid-19 put pay to that, but i would still like to get started, a friend of ours told me to come & have a look at her hives, when she opened them, i found it very interesting. We have a garden, we get lots of bees in the summer, we have a variety of plants, Bottle brush, Buddleia & others, fruit trees, to name a few, i have picked an area in the garden, it's near a wall & fence, i have heard the hives are best facing a wall, so the bees have to go up, when they leave the hive. A friend of mine put me on to this site, he has just started with beekeeping. Regards Mark.
Hello Stewart Greeting from Cleveland, Ohio(USA) Great intro. I'm planning to start my new hive this coming season. I have already put a deposit down on two nucs to be picked up in may. I have been studying a lot and asking questions but I just ran across your channel recently and it looks promising. I plan to watch EVERY video. Excellent intro. Keep up the good work.
Hello Sadiq, Thanks for commenting. Good luck with your beekeeping in the new year, I guess you must be quite excited about it, I can remember that feeling of anticipation when I first started beekeeping. Stewart
Hi Stewart. Thank you very much for this wonderful combination of practical tips underscored by solid scientific knowledge - which I really like. Your in depth expertise is understated but still very evident, which as a new Bee Keeper I find very reassuring. My bees and I live in beautiful Flinders, a small fishing village on the bottom of Australia facing Bass Strait and Tasmania. We have a large garden and although I have always been a keen organic gardener, my awareness (now thinking from a bee's point of view) of what is flowering and when, is skyrocketing! And I am getting quite good at reversing the seasons! With much appreciation. Kind regards, Esther
Hi Stuart. I have just found your channel after inheriting 36 colonies from my dad. I have not got a clue but my 14 year old son had been helping his grandfather for about 4 years so has been picking up bits and pieces. I think I am going to have to skip a few of your videos as the last thing my dad told me was to take the honey off in September but he didn't say when in September as we thought he'd still be with us! I'm looking at getting on a beginners class with a local club in January but wished I'd cashed in on the knowledge that my dad had as he too was a bee inspector and knew so much. Thanks again for the video's.
Hi Taffy, Welcome to the world of beekeeping, better late than never. Where abouts do you live, that will make a big difference on the timing of removing honey but I would get it off now so that you have toime to treat colonies for varroa if needed and feed before it gets too cold. Good luck with the beekeeping. Stewart
Hi Taffy, Sorry that your introduction into beekeeping has been via the passing of your father. Varroa treatments come in many forms if you are using a thymol based treatment you are looking at a treatment period of possibly 4 weeks, if you leave it until September feeding then becomes an issue. I always remove my honey at the end of July, treat through August and feed late August/September. Stewart
i'm in early 40's. I have love for reptiles and invertebrates. I keep ant colonies and tarantulas. Not allowed to keep reptiles yet (need to convince my wife). I have an opportunity to move out to a rural location, so I think that beekeeping would be a perfect hobby/side job. I know 0 about the hobby, so I am excited to start learning.
Hi Hawken14, Welcome to the channel, if you're just starting maybe take a look at my "soon to be released" online beekeeping course. www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/online-courses/ Stewart
Hi Stewart, I do not know a great deal about beekeeping but I would like to learn about it and start keeping bees. I am in my 60s and retired, I live near Durham in the North East of England.
Hi Stewart, i know that this video is for a long time ago but i just saw it, and as you asked to introduce ourselves i do so . my name is Amir Hossein Atabak and i'm from Iran ,unfortunately the country that is not so well known around the world and of course i'm not so happy with living here , also i have just got a B.Sc degree in animal science and my field of study is animal nutrition and i hope that i can continue my next levels abroad. but i'm intrested in beekeeping very very much (i'm thinking about leaving nutrition :) ). and i'm glad to know you , and i really enjoy watching your videos and i'v learned lots of things from you and at the end i'm 23 and sorry if my english isn't very well maybe ,and also for being so talkative in comment :) . wish you the best and good lock.
I own a woodland and have decided to keep bees there. We didn't buy the woods to make money, just for a hobby. I have bought a uk langstroth and an Australian flow to compare results. I have one hive active at the moment and am looking to carry out a split next year.
Hi Paul, That woodland sounds very cool. I have had bees in woodlands here in the UK and they have never been very productive. There is an old beekeeping saying here in the UK "Bees in wood, do no good". It certainly was the case for me but I know of others who have very successful colonies in woodland. Those flow hives look very interesting, not sure they would work for me here as a lot of my honey sets in the frame before I can extract it. You should make you own video of it in action to share :) Stewart
The Norfolk Honey Company I know there are a lot of sceptics re flow so once operating I will do just that. re the woods. we are boarded on 3 side by fields so that's what we are banking on. again, I will let you know. My current hive is in my garden at home and seems to be doing well. I am looking forward to more of your basic vids.
Hi Paul, Let the bees have a little sunlight and blue skies and I think they will do fantastically well. I look forward to you posting some videos. I think the flow hive will work brilliantly in the right conditions, those guys have put a lot of work into it so I wish them well and hope it is a huge success story. Always good when someone makes it work. There are too many sceptics and negative people out there just wanting it to fail, mostly driven by jealousy I suspect!!! Stewart
Hi Stewart, hello from Auckland. Have managed to do 2 splits on my first hive so far this spring. Very much enjoying my bees and look forward to more of your videos. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Regards Mark.
Hi Mark, Thanks for stopping to add a comment. I'm envious that you are just into your Spring, can't wait for mine to roll around again. Keep me posted on how your season goes, always love to hear how other beekeepers are getting on. Stewart
Hey Stewart, my names josh! Im 17 and living in New Zealand, just about to move from the capital down to Christchurch meaning i will now have the chance to get a bee hive which I have wanted to do for the last couple of years. I don't really have any special talents or am particularly good at anything so i would like to see if i could turn bee keeping which is something im interested in into a possible career path. my ideal situation would be to run an apiary & Meadary in the future. Looking forward to learning through your videos!
Hi Josh, Thanks for your comment and introducing yourself. You find yourself in a great situation and you have lots of time to learn beekeeping. There are many opportunities for learning about beekeeping in New Zealand and you have some excellent beekeepers over there. Take it one step at a time, learn the basics, find out if you really really enjoy beekeeping, and if it feels right, just go for it. The world needs excited, young beekeepers and if you find it suits you I'm sure you will become a very successful beekeeper in your own right. Listen, watch, read, question, think, eat, sleep and beekeep! If I can be of any help just shout. Stewart
Dia Duit Stewart, How's thing's? My things are fine. I've just watched 19 of your videos and they are simply terrific. I am from Galway in Ireland and a member of FIBKA and NIHBS. I started Beekeeping about 3 years ago after I joined an association. I think I am always going to be a student. I'm 45 (feckin' ancient!) and have three children, an adult and two teens and so as you can imagine I escape out into the garden as often as I can. I have three Apis Mellifera Mellifera and one Buckfast (I shouldn't have bought them, but I was green and niave). The Beast from the East has arrived and Winter is very long, I have just fed the girls fondant last Thursday and blocked their entrances with cut Sponge to keep them warm. Keep up your videos, they are mighty! Go raibh maith agat agus slán go foil.
Good morning Tuath, Thanks for commenting, I'm sat looking out at several inches of snow today, the Beast from the East finally arrived in force! I'm glad to see you've joined beekeeping associations, I'm a fan of the native honeybee myself but really struggle with imports in my local area. I think we're all lifelong students with beekeeping so just keep soaking it up. I'm 55 so even more "feckin' ancient" than you so don't let that hold you back! I'm sure there will be lots of good advice from the NIHBS about what to do with the "Buckfast". I'm sure your colonies will be fine, A.m.m. will know exactly what to do in those conditions. Finally, I hope google translate is working correctly, slán abhaile Stewart
I live in Ontario, Canada and I am 67. I am thinking about starting with a hive next spring. This course seems to be just what I need to be able to make a decision to do this or not. Thank you.
Greetings from Italy. I love what you're doing here. Keep those videos coming ;) I'm not keeping bees yet, but I'm planing to set up an apiary. Not here though, but in the Philippines where I'll be moving in a few months. I have access to a coconut plantation there which seems perfect since coconut keeps blooming year round (what do you think?) When I was a kid I was helping my grandfather in his apiary, and now i'm digesting books, the guide to bees and honey included, of course, so I suppose I'm not totally green, but I do appreciate all the knowledge you can share. Keep up the great work. Patrick
Hi Patrick, Thanks for stopping and commenting. I just read an article about coconuts in the Philippines and it appears they could do with all the beekeepers they can get to increase the yield of the existing coconut plantations. Sounds like you'll do very well keeping honeybees there. Unfortunately, coconuts don't grow particularly well here in Norfolk UK! Yes, read, read and read some more! it all helps. Glad you're enjoying the videos. Stewart
Hi Stewart I do hope you are well? I started watching your videos about a year or so ago when I did I bee keeping course in South Yorkshire where I am from. Unfortunately due to work and other commitments I never took the plunge and got any bees. I am now living in Poland and have some spare time on my hands so I am going to give it a go and get some bees. I have purchased some hives and equipment and have found a local bee keeper willing to sell me some bees. I will now start to watch your videos again from the beginning and also keep my head in books as I have a lot to learn to try to ensure my bees stay healthy and I keep myself educated. I haven’t purchased any bees yet and I want to know if you think it is too late now for me to get some? The main reasons for me wanting bees is obviously for honey but also for the pollination side of things and also because they fascinate me. I know when I get some that I won’t get honey straight away and tbh I would much rather let them build their colony and home before I even think about taking their food. Regards Paul
Hi Theo, Thanks for commenting. Glad you're enjoying the videos. I suspect the weather in Greece is lovely compared to the frosty morning I just woke up to! How many beehives do you have? Stewart
Yes, it's early November and the weather is good, these days we get lots of sunshine and the bees are working well. I started in May with 2 nucs and after splitting them late August i now have 5 good and healthy beehives. Cheers! s22.postimg.org/ldro87jqp/20161008_145045.jpg
Hi Theo, Those hives look fantastic, such bright colours, we tend to go for very conservative colours natural wood, greens and browns here in the UK. I look forward to hearing more about them. Stewart
Hi Stewart, your beehives in the UK look nice too, each place has its own character and yours look more traditional too which i like. Here in Greece we mainly use the 10-frame Langstroth beehive while the Dadant is infrequent. It seems that the Langstroth fits better to our climatic conditions or it's just tradition thaty we tend to follow. The fact that the broodbox and supers are the same size gives us more options in terms of hive management. Regarding colours, i have chosen bright colours with large variety to help bees find their own beehive easier. But the main reason as you would suspect, is aesthetics... I hope i used English language fairly good...
Fantastic, I think if I tried to lift a Langstroth Box full of honey I would do more damage to my back again, thank goodness for shallow supers! I'm going to try some interesting brood box options next season involving smaller super boxes so keep an eye out for that. Your English is excellent Theo. I look forward to hearing more of your beekeeping in the coming months and years. Stewart
Am I too late for this introduction? Ah what the hell, let's do it. I'm Dom, come from austria and I'm some call me the biking viking. Basically, I ride a Harley and I'm very intrested in anything viking. And mead is why I considered, taking beekeeping as a hobby. I love things "home made" and not "store bought". My idea is not to exploit the bees for their produce, but to help nature (every beekeeper is a plus, I heard) and take the surplus of the honey, and make some 'seasonal, exquisite, limited edition' mead.
@@riddlydiddlyimawantedmanin4442 Hey Dan, Sadly, no. Never came around to actually start it. I did meet a beekeeper and a professional wine maker and we are actually producing some quality mead.
Hi stewart I have bought a 3 quarters of an acre meadow in south devon I would like to keep bees as soon as I learn all I need to before hand. Mainly I am interested in warre or rose hives for natural bee keeping. I am hoping to learn a lot from you. Elaine Devon
Hi Elaine, Thanks for commenting and telling me a little about your setup. Out of the two choices I would go with the Rose hive as you will be more easily able to inspect the bees and learn about the way the colony is made up and how it works. Stewart
I'm in Virginia USA. This is my first year. Started with a bought nuc and a small swarm back in may. They both did very well this year. The nuc is a queened with a production hybrid and this colony built up extremely fast with a lot of honey production. They are very aggressive. The swarm hive is still going strong, hasn't built up as fast as the hybrid colony. These too are aggressive. They look to be Italians. I just did my first harvest of 8 shallow frames and ended up with 16 pint jars. I'm very concerned with them coming through the winter. I understand that's the tough part of bee keeping.
Hi Rabbit, Thanks for sharing that info. I have always found the aggressive ones can produce a heap of honey but who likes being stung????? I would look to introduce new queens next season from a known supplier locally maybe. Getting them through Winter is no problem at all if they have been fed and treated properly prior to Winter setting in, fingers crossed for you. Stewart
Hi Stewart. My name is Niall I am a 23 year old nurse from Sheffield. I have just bought a house with my girlfriend and am thinking of taking up bee keeping for the first time with no previous experience. Around my house there is a woods and a large wildflower medow all within a couple of yards. I appreciate you taking your time to put a series like this together also I have just ordered my first beekeeping book from Amazon. How hard did you find setting your first colony up? Thanks Niall
Hi Niall, thanks for your comments. I hope my videos have been of use. The basics of beekeeping are straightforward and as you inspect your bees you will build experience. Try to visit another beekeeper local to you to see what it's like before jumping in. Setting up my first colony was simple because I had someone to help and guide me. Check out my video series showing how to install a nuc and the first year with that colony. Might I also suggest checking out my crowdfunding page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney where you will find lots more helpful videos. Good luck with your beekeeping. Stewart
Hi, I'm Mark, a HGV mechanic, in Jersey, I was booked on a coarse with our local beekeepers, but Covid stopped it, a friend of mine started beekeeping, be gave me the link to your page.
I am 13 years old and I would love to start bee keeping I went on holiday to my nanny's in Czech Republic and her neighbour had bees and I helped him with him for a couple days.
I advise you to start with a course and watch lot of videos on youtube
Hope you become a beekeeper. You could do a channel on your progress. Would be great to watch. Best of luck to you!
Just starting out and found your videos. Retired nurse always been interested in keeping bees and now have time for this fabulous hobby. Helped out at our local apiary so had a little bit of hands in, but very keen to make sure I learn the foundations first to get this right. Thanks for your videos they look really interesting and informative.
Hi there,
Welcome to the wonderful world of beekeeping. I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun.
Stewart
Hi my name is Christine. A friend and myself are newbies! Anxious to learn as much as we can to navigate our way through setting up and managing a couple of hives.
Welcome aboard!
My name is Annette. I am 63 years old I took a course and completed last yet . Helped out with local
Bee keeper for experience and really enjoyed it . Did not have a suitable place for Bees , it’s my goal to do so. However I still need reassurance and will go over your TH-cam program with a view to fulfilling my goal
Hi Annette,
I'm glad you found someone to buddy up with and experience the beekeeping. Beekeeping is all about building confidence and experience so if you can help out another beekeeper until you're able to set up your own hive it would be great experience.
Stewart
Hi Stewart.
My name is James Price
I'm 63 years old, married with 2 children and 2 grandchildren. I've had a varied work life more recently as a specialist nurse working in Greater Manchester.
Having had cancer 3 times, my last cancer being 2 years ago I finally hung my Nursing hat up and took early retirement.
My wife and I live in a little place called High Compton which is in Shaw near Oldham, approximately 7 miles from Manchester City centre.
Beekeeping has fascinated me for many years, but I've never had the opportunity to pursue my interest.
My local mayor Jenny has contacts within Oldham, unbeknown to me she was able to pass my details onto the local bee club, all 4 of them. 😆
So on Sunday 23rd of May (yesterday) I met all four of the members for the very first time. It was fascinating getting hands on experience of hive inspections and management. Particularly given this year has been exceptionally cold and how the group have dealt with this.
The group are headed funnily enough by a lady called Cath, the rest of the group are her 18 year old son luke, and friends Les and George. They are a lovely group and it appears I fit in so they tell me.
So I'm hoping to be learning lots about bees in the months and years to come.
Your Utube clips were recommended by Cath as a great source of information, so I'm all ears and look forward to watching your other utube videos with intrigue.
Thank you James Price
I am a retired Firefighter in my seventies I live in Halifax Nova Scotia Canada. Raised red wriggler worm for ten years retired my worms and now starting my very first beekeeping this year. Received my first two nucs on May 15, 2021, five days ago. I have a poly hive ten frame hive with a frame feeder. The hives are side by side but in different colours.
My plan is get a bungalow and get me some bees😅 I'm 18 and i love them so much☺
Hi There, I'm 57 living in Tassie NW coast new to bee keeping, recently joining the Tassie Bee keeping association, putting a hive together and keen to learn more so looking forward to your TH-cam series 🙂
Good luck with your beekeeping Mick.
Regards
Stewart
Hi Stewart. My name is Richard aged 67 and living in rural Gloucestershire. I have been fortunate enough to attract a bee colony placing a bait hive in the garden some 6 months ago. A local bee keeper has been so supportive and I am just feeding off his love of bees as indeed I have gleamed from you, Stewart, watching your excellent introduction video - thank you. I am enjoying to my baptism of fire but still need to sell
this new found interest to my wife ! Thank you for all your efforts in putting together all your lectures which I will enjoy working through.
Hi Richard,
Many thanks for your message. It's been a fairly decent year for most beekeepers here in the UK I think, I'm already looking forward to next season.
Best regards
Stewart
Hi Stuart, I'm Jamie I've just turned 50 and after a few years of thinking about keeping bees I've decided to jump in and give it a go, it also helped that I'm lucky enough to come across a local guy who keeps bees on my friends land and he's kindly agreed to show me how things work. I'm a Norfolk boy too, living in a village southwest of Great Yarmouth. I'm a full time carer for my wife but also suffer from back problems which saw an end to my working offshore.
I came across these videos via your website when I was looking for online beekeeping courses and local beekeeping clubs. At the time of writing this I've just watched your first 6 videos in Getting Started in Beekeeping series and so far have found them very interesting and informative. I also like the fact they're short and not an overload of info all in one go. Anyway, I am eager to continue and look forward to watching the rest of the series and then moving on to the other topics you are covering. Keep up the good work and you never know our paths may well cross someday, lucky you 😉
Hi Jamie,
Thanks for taking the time to message me.
I hope you get a chance to start your beekeeping journey.
Good luck with it.
Stewart
Wow! Every day is a school day so they say. I’m going to enjoy this series. Thank you.
Thank you for making this series! I'm 16 from northeastern USA and for the past couple months I've been researching beekeeping. Me and my girlfriend find it extremely interesting and both want to pursue it as a hobby and then hopefully as a career. I wanted to say that your videos are extremely helpful and are my number one source of info due to the simple yet easy to absorb interface coupled with great presentation skills. Awesome job with the channel!
- Mauro
Hi Mauro,
Thank you for commenting. I'm glad you are both enjoying the videos and good luck with beekeeping as both a hobby and career.
Stewart
I guess I'm kinda randomly asking but does anyone know of a good place to watch newly released series online ?
Hello, I consider myself lucky to have come across your channel while researching about beekeeping. When I was little, we had bees in our village and I was helping my family. Now I want to do this as a hobby. Do you think I can do beekeeping on a small scale as a hobby in the garden of my house in London? What do you think?
1st time thinking about beekeeping, following your vids,... having local help to make the right decisions.
Hello Stewart, my name is Carrie. I am just fascinated with bees and have had a desire for a long time to study beekeeping and have my own hives. I just acquired 20 acres of land in the Sonoran desert outside
of Tucson, AZ. I am going to learn as much as I can before attempting setting up for hives so your
videos will fortify my knowledge. I look forward to all you have to teach on the subject of bees. Thank you for offering your free videos it's greatly appreciated!
I'm in Sheffield and ever had any experience in bee keeping but its something I would love to do
Hi, I am on the South Coast. Just placed an order for my first two hives. Don't know anything yet but have joined the local group and will aim to learn as much as I possibly can before getting my own bees. Fingers crossed and all that! The hives were a present and I am super excited!
Hi there. Noticed this comment was a year ago. Did you have success?
I would love to see an equiptment list for beekeeping ! :)
Hi I'm Paul from Bath England I'm 52 now and have had a interest in bee's for many years have gone along to a few talks about bee keeping but not knowing anyone who is a bee keeping found it a bit overwhelmed. A couple of years ago I was talking to a guy who I found out is a bee keeper went a long to Bath beekeepers club saw there hives enjoyed being around the bee's and one weeks ago got my self some bee's from one of the members from the club. Now there sitting in there new hive on a farm not far from where I live.
Hi Paul,
Congrats.
Have a great beekeeping season.
Stewart
Thank you Stuart. My father was an avid beekeeper and last year, for my 50th birthday, I was gifted a (requested) hive and nuc. Loving it. I thought I knew enough to keep bees. Little did I know that I knew very little ;-). Ruth
Hi Ruth,
Fantastic that you've started beekeeping. Good luck with your beekeeping season.
Join me on www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney for more than 500 videos, my podcast and monthly zoom meetings.
Regards
Stewart
this series sounds ideal for me. Thanks for your help the other evening. All. I had some questions and Stewart was quick to reply with clear, easy to understand answers.
You're very welcome, if I can help in any way just shout.
Stewart
Hi, Stewart. My name is Hannah, and my daughter Samantha is very interested in starting beekeeping. She just watched this video with me. She is 9 years old, and we live in Maine, USA. We don't know anything about beekeeping yet, but we're looking forward to learning lots of things from you. We do know two men and a teenager locally who are beekeepers. Thanks so much for making these videos for us to learn from.
Hi Hannah and Samantha,
Thank you for getting in touch. I'm delighted that Samantha is so interested in beekeeping, we need more young beekeepers!
Keep learning all about bees and see if there is a local beekeeping group that you can visit to see some bees. I'm sure any club would welcome you with open arms.
Good luck with your beekeeping journey.
Stewart
Thank you for taking time to make videos on this wonderful subject. As a family we are looking forward to bee keeping 🐝, we are at the very start of the process so we will shall carry on watching your videos. Thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Stewart
My name is Lewis, I’m from the north east of Scotland and work as a vet nurse. I’m looking to keep bees on my allotment and looking forward to keeping these wonderful creatures!!!!
Hello! Am 21 over in North Wales and am wanting to get a hive for the farm. Currently, we are trying to move to more regenerative farming practices, over intensive farming, so are wanting to add honey bees to the farm to pollinate the herbal leys we are beginning to seed. Exciting times!
Moving to West Norfolk/Cambridgeshire border in a couple of months, so researching beekeeping with a view to starting in the Spring of 2024.
Hi Stewart,
I am a73 year old man in Epsom Surrey, interested In forming a small colony of perhaps 2 hives in my local park which has a secure daylily garden where we plant to site our hives. Initially we are purchasing one national which is being placed in my garden for the autumn and winter and the plan is to resite into the park for next year. Have taken a theory and practical course over the winter and spring of last year with Epsom Beekeepers Association and joined up with one of the course members to maintain the colony and have a mentor to guide us. Looking forward to watching your series to give added knowledge and confidence.
Dear Stewart, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. I’m Sofi, 33 y.o., I live in the North Cotswolds and have just joined the BBKA. I have no bees as of yet, but I still have much to learn from my fellow beekeepers before I inaugurate my first beehive. Next year hopefully. Thank you again!
Hi Sofi,
Great to hear you are getting into beekeeping by doing all the right things, soaking up information and hanging out with other beekeepers. Do stay in touch and let me know how your beekeeping journey progresses.
Stewart
Hi We’re Jane and John and live in Shetland. Our 3 grown up boys gifted us a flowhive for our recent 60th birthdays and we are currently constructing the hive. So we are extreme beginners. Have started on your course and thank you for all the information
My name is Frances I started taking care of bees in 2014 I decided to do this because I had a beautiful garden and no vegetables because there was no bees. I have found that it is a very costly hobby, I started with 1 hive and she is still kicking, I now have 11 with 10 more coming I want to get to 20 hives so I can sell some honey there is a lot of people with alageries here I sold the first batch of honey in 1 day so that made me want more and more bees. so I keep buying bees to get the numbers up, and the mail looses them and they die or this year I lost 4 during the winter so far, I really injoy taking care or bees I think u are a great teacher the videos are great you take your time and decuss every thing u see and do, and u show it to us. and I am learning a lot. I want to become self efficient like u are, and not have to buy bees any more. I have been spending 1000.00 every spring on bees so far since I got started and that is just on new bees . I buy from different companies different breeds I have Itatians, russians, and I have carnies coming this April. I do not know what does good here where I live In virginia, and I studied about the difference in the bee breads so I would know what to expect and how to care for them, so far Here in Virginia Itatians do the best. All the hives I lost this past winter has been the Russian they were very strong hives to it was a surprise to find them dead. Any way I think u are great and thanks for the time u are giving up to share and teach about bees
Thanks for all that great info Frances.
You really don't need to be spending a fortune on buying in bees. Plan a bee breeding program and select from your best hives, invest in nuc boxes and build up lots of stocks of nucs over the summer and then overwinter them. Sounds like you have a great plan and I'm sure you can make it work. Don't worry about what race the bees are, just select your best colonies that best suit your conditions and breed from them.
Stewart
Mate, G'Day from Australia,
A work colleague and I are getting into beekeeping.
It's a hobby i have always found interesting after and wanted to get into for a while, and now is that time.
Your videos are the best out there for beekeeping.
Know we are different sides of the world but your vids are very informative. Will keep you posted on our progress as we go.
Pick up our first hive next week, preparing his property this week.
Hi Nathan,
Thanks for the the message and congratulations on getting started in beekeeping. You must be very excited at the prospect.
Good luck with it and have fun.
Stewart
Hi Stewart, your video was very informative and helpful. My mum and I are looking into bee keeping and starting our own hive so we will be watching many of your videos and hopefully learning a lot about bee's before we undertake our own hive. I am 19 and my mum is 58 and we live in Kent. Thanks for making these videos to help newcomers like us :)
Hi Im Susanna. Originally from Finland but been living near London for twenty odd years. We are moving to Wiltshire and have a nice big garden. I’ve never kept bees, but I’m drawn to bee keeping due to them being so interlinked with Mother Nature. You’re there just as a part observer, part enabler. I love the idea of the swarm being like one organism, just like say cells that form our liver are a swarm of similar cells. I’m now 43, got a MSc in chemistry and a nursing degree. I work in medical research. I’m currently doing a third Uni degree - a business degree :) As you can tell I love learning. Looking forward to this series!!
Came across your page, as considering looking after bees in our back garden. I am in my 40's looking for a new hobby and bees have always interested me. I feel that this is a great way to support them and the environment. I live in Somerset, England. I hope that with your guidance and of others this will be a positive adventure.
Hi David,
It is a most rewarding hobby so good luck with it if you decide to go ahead.
Stewart
My name is Kerri, I currently live in Minnesota, USA. I'm in the process of trying to expatriate to France where I hope to start a small holding to become more autonomous and part of that is to have an apiary! So I'm just trying to begin by learning what I can where I'm at now! Thank you for creating this wonderful series!
Hi Stewart, I'm from Liverpool and have had a hive in my garden last few weeks, I'll be learning as I go along. I've been interested in it for years but there is no BBA here in Liverpool and no mentors. I'm so glad that I found your channel, it is so interesting and informative. Thank you for sharing.
Hi webvole,
Thanks for your comments and congratulations for getting started in beekeeping, I'm sure you're going to have a lot of fun.
Stewart
I'm sure there should be a local Lancashire branch for you nearby
Hi Steward. So glad to of found you.
Im 63 not had bees before but always wanted to, a passion my grandfather had. I have a mentor my friend. I have been watching your videos and had a few visits with mentor at her hives. Its late in the year i suppose but the way things have worked with getting local bees theres been a few problems. However tomorrow is the day i am collecting nuc box colony. Very excited.
I am west coast scotland Aultbea.
Thankyou for sharing your wisdom. Linda
Thanks for this: I've been toying with the idea of keeping bees for a while, but am concerned my back pain and arthritis might be a problem. I'm in a suburb of York with quite a small garden, but assume the gardens around me will provide well for bees: last year's tomatoes (new venture for me) seemed to attract lots of them as do my lavenders... Looking forward to finding out lots more from the rest of your videos. Thanks again, Peter
Thanks Stuart first time I’ve watched your videos and enjoyed them. Very informative and interesting, an easy way to understand thank you. I’m a new beekeeper in Grimsby this is my second year. Enjoying every minute of this fascinating hobby. A friend helped me successfully split my hive so I now have two busy hives. The girls have worked hard and I have extracted 64lbs of beautiful honey so I’m over the moon. I’m hoping to double up next year, can’t get enough of these lovely creatures.
Thanks again for the great videos I shall keep watching and learning
Chris
Fantastic stuff. Thank you!
Hi Stewart! Just about to order my first hives in a couple of days, i've been watching beekeeping and related videos almost daily since november, where i saw one by accident and got hooked on bees. I just can't wait anymore to get them finally, rented here a neglected garden with around ten old fruit/nut trees and berry bushes and i hope it will be ok for the bees to start with while me and my wife do some gardening and bring it back to life.
This series is just an icing on a cake i dare to feel, so thank you very much for this!
Regards from Germany!
Hi Dav O Rin,
Thanks for your comments.
Good luck with your beekeeping.
Stewart
Hi Stewart, thanks for making these videos. For those of us just starting out there is a huge amount to learn and these films are great at explaining it all.
Hi Marius,
Thanks for the comments, I'm glad the videos are of use to you.
Stewart
They’re very useful, I’m all set up and about to start my first hive. I’m hoping to keep native bees.
From southwestern Norway. Trying to soak up as much info as possible before I venture into beekeeping myself. Your channel seems to have the best balance of detailed info, consistent uploads, and similar climate to mine of all the beekeeping youtubers, will keep watching.
Great, bees next Spring???
Maybe, but not very likely as I've just finished university (in northern Norway) and need to find a job back home before anything concerning bees can be determined. I'll probably start building my own hives next year, though, as I don't quite like the look of the ones bought via the beekeepers association. Can't wait!
Perhaps try to go along to a local beekeepers apiary and get a feel for keeping bees before you launch into getting your own. That's what I did and the beekeeper gave me my first colony of bees to get started.
It is very exciting and when you get your very first crop of honey it tastes like nothing you've ever had before.
Stewart
I do plan on attending some classes with the local chapter of the Norwegian Beekeepers association. They also have a mentor arrangement, which I guess will come in handy.
So glad I found your channel, I'm a norfolk lad and I'm very keen to get into beekeeping ASAP. I have been reading a lot and I'm almost ready to take the plunge.
I'm in Devon UK, Iv been interested in bees for years. partner gave me the push I needed late last year. as a kid my dad found a hornet nest not realizing what it was we investigated and then running. stuck with me for life I guess. Iv been reading and watching for about 4/5 months now... desperate for some hands on. love the channel
Playing around with a hornet's nest is not to be recommended!
It won't be long before the Spring finally arrives and then you can really get cracking.
Stewart
Hello, I’ve looking into bee keeping several times over the years, now finally I hope to start bee keeping, I’m printing a hex bee hive so it going to be a while before it’s ready. I live in Cantley Norfolk, Uk.
Hi Simon,
Small world! Good luck with your beekeeping this Summer.
Stewart
Hi Stewart, my name is also Stewart and I am based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. I’ll be getting my first colony of bee’s this April and unfortunately due to the current COVID situation, haven’t managed to have any hands on experience yet. So your videos are very much appreciated. Looking forward to watching more.
I am in Leigh-on-sea in Essex. I am a beginner. I have wanted to be a beekeeper for 17 years but I used to live next door to someone with a garden office and a bee phobia. I have now moved house and have bees.
Hi Moira. We are in Rochford and I want to purchase bees. Did you get success with your bees along with these videos?
I hope next year I can start beekeeping, in the garden. Currently I am trying to learn from internet as much as I can. I remember my childhood area (I from Poland), my neighbor was an old man he had a lots of honeybees. In July every year there was a lot of bees in the linden trees along of the street, I remember this sound from above. Sometimes he given us some of honey. So my memories and experience from childhood led me to willing to have my own honeybees. (I would like to start bee keeping in north the of England)
Hello Stuart, I was looking for some info on beekeeping and just came across this video. Thank you for doing this series, it will be of great help to a lot of people and it is great to have this given in a simple, easy to follow, clear manner. I am from Northampton and after half a century on this beautiful planet have come to see more care is needed to keep things running smoothly! I work full-time along with running a household and I am looking to become more sustainable, growing more food, etc and bee-keeping is something I would like to do. I have no previous knowledge and would be looking to have a small hive in my back garden. Thanks again for the videos and I am continuing to watch the series! Best wishes Tina.
Hi Tina,
Beekeeping is a very rewarding hobby and it's really simple to get started. I have lots more resources on my website www.norfolk-honey.co.uk and www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney
Also, if you do decide to get started I have a more in-depth, online, beginners course via my website.
Be warned though, beekeeping is quite an addiction and one "small" hive grows very rapidly in several hives!
Stewart
Beekeeping very interesting. I am not in a position to keep bees at the moment. Maybe in the future.
For now I just like to inform myself about beekiping in the UK. I understand every country has got different rules to follow to enable the bees to survive and thrive.
Very good easy to follow informative video. 👍👍
that is another fascinating side of beekeeping, it varies from one region to another
Hello Stewart, greetings from New Jersey, USA. Been a follower for a while now.
Thank you for taking the time to pass on your knowledge to us all. Your videos
have been a great help. Started learning about Beekeeping May 2016. I have been
preparing ever since for two Nucs in the Spring of 2017. Taken classes, building
equipment, apiary set up, ect. I look forward to this and your other channels.
Thanks again, Jerry
Hi Jerry,
Thanks for your comments. You must be getting very excited about starting with your two nucs by now. We've just put our bees to bed for the Winter and I'm already "buzzing" about what I have planned for next year.
Thanks for sticking with the videos, lots more information to come.
Stewart
hi Stewart I am from Devon and took redundancy last year from Natural England (Defra) after 25 years. I am using the time to learn more about wildlife etc. than they would teach me (!). I have spent the last year improving 3 allotment plots with wildlife in mind, and beekeeping is going to be a major piece of that puzzle. I nearly took a Biology Course but decided it was too expensive for what was on offer, and am finding help form people like yourself to bee invaluable.
Hello Stewart, Thanks for your video i am glad i stumbled across your Chanel and i subscribed right away. I live in Strabane Northern Ireland and i bought 2 hives this year and some bees.The queen swarmed in my absence and because she was clipped she could not get away so she clime up the hollow blocks i had the hive on, and started a colony under the hive in the blocks. i had to get the beekeeper out to help me, he dug here out put her in a nuke with some brood from the old hive , there was a lot of buzzing about and confusion for days, i know now i should have fed them, i fed them lately to give them a help through the winter , the two of them are not great in number but maybe with a little luck. thanks again for your channel it will be a great help to me
Hi John,
Thanks for the comments.
We all make mistakes with our beekeeping adn it is a constant learning curve.
Sounds like you got it sorted in the end, always good to have someone you can call on to help out.
Good luck with them.
Stewart
Hello Stewart Good Evening I live in the southwest and have been recommended your on line you Tube lessons to get me started as I will be keeping these wonderful creatures very soon
Hi Stewart, Thanks for taking the time to sharenyour love and knowledge of bees and keeping. I'm Neil from Newcastle getting support from NEBKA
I'm starting to put the necessary kit together to start my apiary early 2021. Any advice on 'WHAT BEGINNER'S ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE IS REQUIRED TO KEEP BEES?
Hi Stuart, I'm just starting out at 26 looking to start helping out with (and hopefully one day managing) one of the bee colonies on one of the Cardiff Metropolitan University campuses :)
Hi! My names Teresa and I’m in Devon ☺️ I joined my local beekeeping association course this year but with everything that’s going on at the moment I’ve missed the last sessions and I’m sure to miss a few more. So I thought I’d scout around for more information and found your fabulous videos! I shall be working my way through them as I hope to set up my first hive this year.
Hi there, I've been wanting to start Beekeeping for a while and now during Lockdown Britain 2020 it feels like a good time to start. As my local Beekeeping Association is currently suspended until the Covid19 outbreak has subsided, I was worried that I may need to postpone getting started. But fingers crossed, by the time I finish this series of videos I may feel that I know enough to give my first colony a good chance of being happy.
hey Stewart, Steve here, I live in the Bucks countryside in the UK, looking to start out for my year one in the spring. So really looking forward to watching the series with you.
Hi Steve,
Thanks for commenting and good luck with your beekeeping adventure. You might like to check out the facebook group, Stewart's Beekeeping Basics for like-minded, beginner beekeepers and also sign up for my regular emails. I'm about to launch a beginner beekeeper's online course too so keep an eye open for that, launch date is Friday 2nd February. Details on my website, www.norfolk-honey.co.uk
Stewart
Hi
Your site and videos was recommended to me by one of your members.
I am 50 only recently got interested in Bee Keeping. I live in Worcestershire and I’m a member of the BBKA. I’m currently doing a hands on course with Gloucestershire branch of the BBKA. My mother tried to keep Bees although hers have absconded recently so she is currently looking for a colony. She lives in Gloucestershire so hence the reason for joining Gloucestershire branch. I’m not sure how this new hobby will fit in with my already busy schedule and not sure that I’ll be able to have any colony’s where we are currently living.
Hi stewart i am just starting to look at keeping bees myself. i hope to learn as much as i can from you
Hi Sam,
Fantastic, good luck with getting some bees and starting your beekeeping journey.
Stewart
Thanks, getting some today.
Hi Stewart. My names Mark . I live in Cambridgeshire and I'm new to Bee keeping I look forward to watching your videos and learning a bit about the bees
I'm also in Norfolk near Norwich, I was looking at the Flow Hive and have wanted to keep bees for years.
Hi Stewart from CT in the USA. I love your videos. I have two nucs I'm picking up this Saturday. I'm very excited! Thanks for all your great teaching. You are much appreciated.
Hi John,
Thanks for commenting. I'm very excited for you, starting out on your beekeeping journey. Good luck for this season, if you want more videos, the latest podcast and other content check out my Patreon page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney
You can also sign up for my fortnightly newsletter via my website www.norfolk-honey.co.uk
Stewart
Hi Stewart, i live in Jersey , Channel Islands, we have a Beekeeping group here, i was booked on a course with them, but covid-19 put pay to that, but i would still like to get started, a friend of ours told me to come & have a look at her hives, when she opened them, i found it very interesting.
We have a garden, we get lots of bees in the summer, we have a variety of plants, Bottle brush, Buddleia & others, fruit trees, to name a few, i have picked an area in the garden, it's near a wall & fence, i have heard the hives are best facing a wall, so the bees have to go up, when they leave the hive.
A friend of mine put me on to this site, he has just started with beekeeping.
Regards
Mark.
Hello Stewart
Greeting from Cleveland, Ohio(USA)
Great intro. I'm planning to start my new hive this coming season. I have already put a deposit down on two nucs to be picked up in may. I have been studying a lot and asking questions but I just ran across your channel recently and it looks promising. I plan to watch EVERY video. Excellent intro. Keep up the good work.
Hello Sadiq,
Thanks for commenting. Good luck with your beekeeping in the new year, I guess you must be quite excited about it, I can remember that feeling of anticipation when I first started beekeeping.
Stewart
Hi Stewart, I just wanted to say your videos are fantastic. Perfect introduction into beekeeping!
Hi Farhan,
Thanks for those comments.
Stewart
Confirmed on this post
Hi Stewart. Thank you very much for this wonderful combination of practical tips underscored by solid scientific knowledge - which I really like. Your in depth expertise is understated but still very evident, which as a new Bee Keeper I find very reassuring. My bees and I live in beautiful Flinders, a small fishing village on the bottom of Australia facing Bass Strait and Tasmania. We have a large garden and although I have always been a keen organic gardener, my awareness (now thinking from a bee's point of view) of what is flowering and when, is skyrocketing! And I am getting quite good at reversing the seasons! With much appreciation. Kind regards, Esther
Hi Stuart. I have just found your channel after inheriting 36 colonies from my dad. I have not got a clue but my 14 year old son had been helping his grandfather for about 4 years so has been picking up bits and pieces. I think I am going to have to skip a few of your videos as the last thing my dad told me was to take the honey off in September but he didn't say when in September as we thought he'd still be with us! I'm looking at getting on a beginners class with a local club in January but wished I'd cashed in on the knowledge that my dad had as he too was a bee inspector and knew so much. Thanks again for the video's.
Hi Taffy,
Welcome to the world of beekeeping, better late than never. Where abouts do you live, that will make a big difference on the timing of removing honey but I would get it off now so that you have toime to treat colonies for varroa if needed and feed before it gets too cold.
Good luck with the beekeeping.
Stewart
Hi Stuart. I am in Bridgend, UK. Dad always took it off in September so I guess it will be the beginning of the month to allow time for treatment.
Hi Taffy,
Sorry that your introduction into beekeeping has been via the passing of your father. Varroa treatments come in many forms if you are using a thymol based treatment you are looking at a treatment period of possibly 4 weeks, if you leave it until September feeding then becomes an issue. I always remove my honey at the end of July, treat through August and feed late August/September.
Stewart
Thanks, Stewart. Looking forward to the series.
Hi Iceman,
thanks for commenting, where are you from? Are you currently beekeeping?
Stewart
i'm in early 40's. I have love for reptiles and invertebrates. I keep ant colonies and tarantulas. Not allowed to keep reptiles yet (need to convince my wife). I have an opportunity to move out to a rural location, so I think that beekeeping would be a perfect hobby/side job. I know 0 about the hobby, so I am excited to start learning.
Hey Frank from Meath Ireland. Have two national hives. No bees yet! Just starting
Just what I've been looking for
Just what I've been looking for. Starting up with two colony's this spring. in IL. USA.
Thanks
Hi Hawken14,
Welcome to the channel, if you're just starting maybe take a look at my "soon to be released" online beekeeping course.
www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/online-courses/
Stewart
Hi Stewart, I do not know a great deal about beekeeping but I would like to learn about it and start keeping bees. I am in my 60s and retired, I live near Durham in the North East of England.
Hi Stewart, i know that this video is for a long time ago but i just saw it, and as you asked to introduce ourselves i do so .
my name is Amir Hossein Atabak and i'm from Iran ,unfortunately the country that is not so well known around the world and of course i'm not so happy with living here , also i have just got a B.Sc degree in animal science and my field of study is animal nutrition and i hope that i can continue my next levels abroad.
but i'm intrested in beekeeping very very much (i'm thinking about leaving nutrition :) ). and i'm glad to know you , and i really enjoy watching your videos and i'v learned lots of things from you and at the end i'm 23 and sorry if my english isn't very well maybe ,and also for being so talkative in comment :) . wish you the best and good lock.
Hi Amir,
Thanks for taking the time to tell me about yourself. I'm glad you are enjoying the videos and they are useful to you.
Stewart
I own a woodland and have decided to keep bees there. We didn't buy the woods to make money, just for a hobby. I have bought a uk langstroth and an Australian flow to compare results. I have one hive active at the moment and am looking to carry out a split next year.
Hi Paul,
That woodland sounds very cool. I have had bees in woodlands here in the UK and they have never been very productive. There is an old beekeeping saying here in the UK "Bees in wood, do no good". It certainly was the case for me but I know of others who have very successful colonies in woodland.
Those flow hives look very interesting, not sure they would work for me here as a lot of my honey sets in the frame before I can extract it. You should make you own video of it in action to share :)
Stewart
The Norfolk Honey Company I know there are a lot of sceptics re flow so once operating I will do just that. re the woods. we are boarded on 3 side by fields so that's what we are banking on. again, I will let you know. My current hive is in my garden at home and seems to be doing well. I am looking forward to more of your basic vids.
Hi Paul,
Let the bees have a little sunlight and blue skies and I think they will do fantastically well. I look forward to you posting some videos.
I think the flow hive will work brilliantly in the right conditions, those guys have put a lot of work into it so I wish them well and hope it is a huge success story. Always good when someone makes it work. There are too many sceptics and negative people out there just wanting it to fail, mostly driven by jealousy I suspect!!!
Stewart
Hi Stewart, hello from Auckland. Have managed to do 2 splits on my first hive so far this spring. Very much enjoying my bees and look forward to more of your videos. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Regards Mark.
Hi Mark,
Thanks for stopping to add a comment. I'm envious that you are just into your Spring, can't wait for mine to roll around again. Keep me posted on how your season goes, always love to hear how other beekeepers are getting on.
Stewart
Hey Stewart, my names josh! Im 17 and living in New Zealand, just about to move from the capital down to Christchurch meaning i will now have the chance to get a bee hive which I have wanted to do for the last couple of years. I don't really have any special talents or am particularly good at anything so i would like to see if i could turn bee keeping which is something im interested in into a possible career path. my ideal situation would be to run an apiary & Meadary in the future. Looking forward to learning through your videos!
Hi Josh,
Thanks for your comment and introducing yourself. You find yourself in a great situation and you have lots of time to learn beekeeping. There are many opportunities for learning about beekeeping in New Zealand and you have some excellent beekeepers over there. Take it one step at a time, learn the basics, find out if you really really enjoy beekeeping, and if it feels right, just go for it. The world needs excited, young beekeepers and if you find it suits you I'm sure you will become a very successful beekeeper in your own right. Listen, watch, read, question, think, eat, sleep and beekeep!
If I can be of any help just shout.
Stewart
Hi Watching this series from Ontario Canada - looking forward to the rest of the series. I am just getting into the hobby. I need to learn a lot :).
Hi Chris,
welcome to our little community of beekeepers, if there is anything I can video to help just ask.
Stewart
Dia Duit Stewart, How's thing's? My things are fine. I've just watched 19 of your videos and they are simply terrific. I am from Galway in Ireland and a member of FIBKA and NIHBS. I started Beekeeping about 3 years ago after I joined an association. I think I am always going to be a student. I'm 45 (feckin' ancient!) and have three children, an adult and two teens and so as you can imagine I escape out into the garden as often as I can. I have three Apis Mellifera Mellifera and one Buckfast (I shouldn't have bought them, but I was green and niave). The Beast from the East has arrived and Winter is very long, I have just fed the girls fondant last Thursday and blocked their entrances with cut Sponge to keep them warm. Keep up your videos, they are mighty! Go raibh maith agat agus slán go foil.
P.S. I did leave a gap of about 2 bees width in the sponge for their restroom break, I should have mentioned that.
Good morning Tuath,
Thanks for commenting, I'm sat looking out at several inches of snow today, the Beast from the East finally arrived in force! I'm glad to see you've joined beekeeping associations, I'm a fan of the native honeybee myself but really struggle with imports in my local area. I think we're all lifelong students with beekeeping so just keep soaking it up. I'm 55 so even more "feckin' ancient" than you so don't let that hold you back! I'm sure there will be lots of good advice from the NIHBS about what to do with the "Buckfast". I'm sure your colonies will be fine, A.m.m. will know exactly what to do in those conditions.
Finally, I hope google translate is working correctly,
slán abhaile
Stewart
I live in Ontario, Canada and I am 67. I am thinking about starting with a hive next spring. This course seems to be just what I need to be able to make a decision to do this or not.
Thank you.
Thank you. Great intro
Greetings from Italy.
I love what you're doing here. Keep those videos coming ;)
I'm not keeping bees yet, but I'm planing to set up an apiary. Not here though, but in the Philippines where I'll be moving in a few months. I have access to a coconut plantation there which seems perfect since coconut keeps blooming year round (what do you think?)
When I was a kid I was helping my grandfather in his apiary, and now i'm digesting books, the guide to bees and honey included, of course, so I suppose I'm not totally green, but I do appreciate all the knowledge you can share.
Keep up the great work.
Patrick
Hi Patrick,
Thanks for stopping and commenting. I just read an article about coconuts in the Philippines and it appears they could do with all the beekeepers they can get to increase the yield of the existing coconut plantations. Sounds like you'll do very well keeping honeybees there. Unfortunately, coconuts don't grow particularly well here in Norfolk UK!
Yes, read, read and read some more! it all helps.
Glad you're enjoying the videos.
Stewart
thinking starting next season going learn a little first :)
Hi Stewart
I do hope you are well? I started watching your videos about a year or so ago when I did I bee keeping course in South Yorkshire where I am from. Unfortunately due to work and other commitments I never took the plunge and got any bees.
I am now living in Poland and have some spare time on my hands so I am going to give it a go and get some bees.
I have purchased some hives and equipment and have found a local bee keeper willing to sell me some bees.
I will now start to watch your videos again from the beginning and also keep my head in books as I have a lot to learn to try to ensure my bees stay healthy and I keep myself educated.
I haven’t purchased any bees yet and I want to know if you think it is too late now for me to get some?
The main reasons for me wanting bees is obviously for honey but also for the pollination side of things and also because they fascinate me. I know when I get some that I won’t get honey straight away and tbh I would much rather let them build their colony and home before I even think about taking their food.
Regards
Paul
Hi Stewart, greetings from Greece!
Following your channel for a while now, really enjoying your videos.
Keep it coming!
Hi Theo,
Thanks for commenting. Glad you're enjoying the videos.
I suspect the weather in Greece is lovely compared to the frosty morning I just woke up to!
How many beehives do you have?
Stewart
Yes, it's early November and the weather is good, these days we get lots of sunshine and the bees are working well. I started in May with 2 nucs and after splitting them late August i now have 5 good and healthy beehives. Cheers!
s22.postimg.org/ldro87jqp/20161008_145045.jpg
Hi Theo,
Those hives look fantastic, such bright colours, we tend to go for very conservative colours natural wood, greens and browns here in the UK.
I look forward to hearing more about them.
Stewart
Hi Stewart,
your beehives in the UK look nice too, each place has its own character and yours look more traditional too which i like. Here in Greece we mainly use the 10-frame Langstroth beehive while the Dadant is infrequent. It seems that the Langstroth fits better to our climatic conditions or it's just tradition thaty we tend to follow. The fact that the broodbox and supers are the same size gives us more options in terms of hive management.
Regarding colours, i have chosen bright colours with large variety to help bees find their own beehive easier. But the main reason as you would suspect, is aesthetics...
I hope i used English language fairly good...
Fantastic,
I think if I tried to lift a Langstroth Box full of honey I would do more damage to my back again, thank goodness for shallow supers!
I'm going to try some interesting brood box options next season involving smaller super boxes so keep an eye out for that.
Your English is excellent Theo.
I look forward to hearing more of your beekeeping in the coming months and years.
Stewart
Am I too late for this introduction? Ah what the hell, let's do it.
I'm Dom, come from austria and I'm some call me the biking viking. Basically, I ride a Harley and I'm very intrested in anything viking.
And mead is why I considered, taking beekeeping as a hobby. I love things "home made" and not "store bought".
My idea is not to exploit the bees for their produce, but to help nature (every beekeeper is a plus, I heard) and take the surplus of the honey, and make some 'seasonal, exquisite, limited edition' mead.
hey Dom Im Dan, im just getting into beekeeping too and have an outlook the same as you. How is it going? did you ever get a hive going?
@@riddlydiddlyimawantedmanin4442
Hey Dan,
Sadly, no. Never came around to actually start it.
I did meet a beekeeper and a professional wine maker and we are actually producing some quality mead.
thanks for video. very nice. i want to start
Totally new to this topic trying to figure out if I think I’ll be any good at it all so I’m currently just at the research stage
I'd love to start bee keeping....and I'm from Norfolk !!!
Hi stewart I have bought a 3 quarters of an acre meadow in south devon I would like to keep bees as soon as I learn all I need to before hand. Mainly I am interested in warre or rose hives for natural bee keeping. I am hoping to learn a lot from you. Elaine Devon
Hi Elaine,
Thanks for commenting and telling me a little about your setup.
Out of the two choices I would go with the Rose hive as you will be more easily able to inspect the bees and learn about the way the colony is made up and how it works.
Stewart
At last, what a fantastic video. Thank you so much.
Hi D.D.,
Thanks for your comments.
Stewart
I'm in Virginia USA. This is my first year. Started with a bought nuc and a small swarm back in may. They both did very well this year. The nuc is a queened with a production hybrid and this colony built up extremely fast with a lot of honey production. They are very aggressive. The swarm hive is still going strong, hasn't built up as fast as the hybrid colony. These too are aggressive. They look to be Italians. I just did my first harvest of 8 shallow frames and ended up with 16 pint jars.
I'm very concerned with them coming through the winter. I understand that's the tough part of bee keeping.
Hi Rabbit,
Thanks for sharing that info. I have always found the aggressive ones can produce a heap of honey but who likes being stung?????
I would look to introduce new queens next season from a known supplier locally maybe.
Getting them through Winter is no problem at all if they have been fed and treated properly prior to Winter setting in, fingers crossed for you.
Stewart
I'm trying to go without treating. Some in this area are going that route. I'll give it a go but I'm willing to do whatever it takes too.
HI Stewart, love your videos, thanks for making them. I hope you've gotten a beautiful frame for your degree!
Hi Mimi,
Thanks for your comments, the certificate is still in its postal envelope, I really should put it in a frame!
Stewart
Hi Stewart. My name is Niall I am a 23 year old nurse from Sheffield. I have just bought a house with my girlfriend and am thinking of taking up bee keeping for the first time with no previous experience. Around my house there is a woods and a large wildflower medow all within a couple of yards. I appreciate you taking your time to put a series like this together also I have just ordered my first beekeeping book from Amazon. How hard did you find setting your first colony up? Thanks Niall
Hi Niall,
thanks for your comments. I hope my videos have been of use. The basics of beekeeping are straightforward and as you inspect your bees you will build experience. Try to visit another beekeeper local to you to see what it's like before jumping in. Setting up my first colony was simple because I had someone to help and guide me. Check out my video series showing how to install a nuc and the first year with that colony. Might I also suggest checking out my crowdfunding page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney where you will find lots more helpful videos.
Good luck with your beekeeping.
Stewart
Very much enjoyed! Thanks
Hi, I'm Mark, a HGV mechanic, in Jersey, I was booked on a coarse with our local beekeepers, but Covid stopped it, a friend of mine started beekeeping, be gave me the link to your page.
Hi Stewart looking at it as a hobby as have a small farm in N Ireland.Enjoyed the video
Hi Michael,
Thanks for commenting. I hope the videos are of use and good luck with the beekeeping.
Stewart