To all prospective Beekeepers -
something to think about!
We get many emails daily regarding Beekeeping - courses available, joining our association or just finding out how to go about keeping bees. Please read through this first as it might answer some of your questions.
There are 6 key points – without wishing to depress your enthusiasm.
1) It is expensive
Not much change out of £600.00 just to set up, then there are all the additions once you start. Also, do not expect much honey for the first two years, you are looking after them for that time!
2) Any site for bees has to be sensible
They will over-fly neighbours’ gardens and it is wise to get agreement from neighbours before you start, and nowhere near a footpath or public place (playing fields, schools etc). Also, they do need a certain amount of shade - they are woodland creatures but can take some sun.
3) They are time consuming
In the spring/summer, which is their active season. Like all living animals, they need looking after - and at a time to suit them! A simple explanation is that you need to look through the boxes in which we keep them, right down to the brood nest and they keep the brood nest at 30C, which means you cannot say you will check them every Wednesday evening, it may be too cold and they will have to be looked at at the week-end, or whenever. You are doing this to examine them for health, and to try to stop them swarming - if you don't do it every week there is increased chance that they may swarm.
4) They are a long-term commitment and there is an enormous amount to learn!
We recommend 2 books, Bees at the Bottom of my Garden and David Cramp's "A Practical Manual of Beekeeping", but there are masses of others on the market - plus some training course such as those that John Hamer runs at Black Horse Apiaries, Woking, or we shall be running a course in the spring.
5) You need somewhere to store equipment
A shed or garage is ideal.
6) It is heavy work.
A honey super can weigh 40lbs (18kgs) when really full and hopefully you will have many of these. A brood box even heavier when full of stores. So if you have a back problem, this needs thinking about.
Courses
We run 2 courses, parallel to John Hamer’s.
1) Theory course – starting in February (click for details)
2) Practical course – starting in April
Joining our association
Our new subscription year starts at the end of September. We also have an associate membership, which would keep you in touch with Farnham beekeepers and what is going on.
The full membership costs approx £40.00 and includes:
1) Beecraft – an excellent monthly magazine (which takes up most of the subscription)
2) British Beekeepers Association membership (to which we are all affiliated) and that includes Public Indemnity and insurance in case of destruction for disease (which is rare)
3) Small amount in fees goes to the Surrey Beekeepers Association – which Farnham is a division of.
If you have any further queries please contact Anne Buckingham:
Email: info@farnhambeekeepers.org.uk