| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Behemoth |
Urban Beeshttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8184655.stm |
| Tavascarow |
At £465 for the hive without bees the beehaus is a tad to expensive for me.
Especially as it's just a small dartington which you can buy the cedar equivelant for half the money. I suppose it is made by omlet so I shouldn't be suprised. Build a Top Bar Hive & save yourself a fortune & have happier more natural bees. Good that english nature are promoting urban beekeeping though. With the rise of more intensive chemical dependant agriculture & horticulture the towns & cities could become the only refuge for bees. 
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| jocorless |
I don't like the idea of putting my bee's in plastic boxes  - What purpose does it serve?
I'd much rather my girls were in cedar and at that price I'll be sticking to wooden hives for a long time - going to start building Warre's over winter - Hoping that my plans for an out-apiary site will come to fruition and I can put the Warre's on there |
| Behemoth |
Agreed. We'll have an accessible flat roof at our new house, I'm tempted to give it a go. Allotment Widow has always said she'd like to keep bees, which is code for me to sort it out. |
| Effie |
I think sadly that in some urban areas there could be some potential resistance to people keeping bees in proximity to their neighbours.
I know exactly what would happen if I did - my weird-y neighbour would complain right away about having bees going in his garden. I can imagine the rediculous conversation now. |
| hedgehogpie |
I feel very cynical about the new omlet bee house, it seems like rather expensive tosh cashing in on public concern to me. |
| VM |
We are soon going to have bees at our allotment site. Here in Manchester the Co-op is funding a project to get bees onto allotments and city parks, with training, buying a couple of colonies for each site. I've been on the initial two-day training. Probably won't get the bees now til the spring.
See more about the Manchester project, which I think they hope can spread to other places, at: http://www.beetowns.com All very new still, but people getting excited! |
| VM |
You will see that in one park they are trying out one of the Omlet Haus things, but otherwise hives will be wood - we've all practiced making them at the training sessions! |
| hedgehogpie |
Is this the same Manchester project that I've been hearing about on radio 4? It sounds great & I'm a bit envious that you've got such a great launch into beekeeping. I wish our local authority was half as supportive & enthusiastic. |
| VM |
Didn't hear it on radio, but quite possibly the same - Co-op putting quite a bit of money into bees, I think.
Yes, it is timely and lucky to be able to start off as a group and with training on offer etc. However, it is only very recently that Manchester city council was dead set against bees on allotments. They've done a very rapid about-turn because, I suspect, they like to be seen to be doing whatever is the fashionable, right-on thing (call me an old cynic if you like, but I have lived here a while). With other things, like their Farmers Markets, it means they don't do them very well - no idea how 'farmers' work, too expensive, badly promoted etc etc. So I suspect this will work well to begin with, while the Co-op is supporting it. The training is being organised by a guy called Paul Peacock, who seems also to be the person doing Home Farmer magazine - and with input from the local beekeepers association. However, if it is ever down to the council to run this entirely, then it will be something they want lots of publicity for, while spending no money on it and putting people in charge who know nothing... But yes, at the moment it is great!
Old Cynic |