Mrs Fiddlesticks
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we collected our bee hives today!Look!! 
they're reconditioned ones and we'll need to buy frames and a queen excluder for them but it makes getting our bees a reality now (we've also ordered and paid for our first nucleus of bees)
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bernie-woman
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Nice - how exciting although it appears the cat doesn't feel the same way 
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Mrs Fiddlesticks
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| bernie-woman wrote: | | Nice - how exciting although it appears the cat doesn't feel the same way |
she's inspecting them  (they needed a good sniff apparently - I can still detect a whiff of beeswax about them which is lovely)
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Jamanda
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Wow! Everyone's getting bees! When will the occupants arrive?
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Mrs Fiddlesticks
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| Jamanda wrote: | | Wow! Everyone's getting bees! When will the occupants arrive? |
we were talking to the guy that we got the hives from about this - we went on a bee keeping course at his farm last Sept and he'll be supplying the bees too. Its going to depend on the weather to some extent. In theory if we have the sunshine like we had today then in a few weeks time but if we have a cold snap again (which at this time of year is a possibility) then it'll be later. Average is April/May but it could be as late as June if we get a cold spring (which sort of happened last year didn't it?)
We've some more equipment to get (we have bee suits and gloves already) like a smoker and frames etc and hope to get to Thornes in Windsor in the next fortnight to get those things. We're going to try and make a careful list and I'll probably post it on here to check I've not forgotten anything.
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bernie-woman
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Are you putting them in the garden Julie or down the allotment 
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Mrs Fiddlesticks
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| bernie-woman wrote: | | Are you putting them in the garden Julie or down the allotment |
Neither. We've arranged to borrow a corner of a field from a local farmer which is completely off the beaten track so they won't bother anyone. Wouldn't mind one on the plot but the site is bordered by a public footpath and I don't want any liability issues. 
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Mr BlueSky
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Oh, excellent!
Well done.
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Penny
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Brilliant, can't wait to come and meet them - having you started thinking of names.
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Mr BlueSky
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| Penny wrote: | | Brilliant, can't wait to come and meet them - having you started thinking of names. |
What! for three million bees?
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Mrs Fiddlesticks
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| Penny wrote: | | Brilliant, can't wait to come and meet them - having you started thinking of names. |
I wasn't thinking of naming them individually..... but the Queen will be named, yes. Working on ideas for that.
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Penny
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Well they are a sort of collective, so I suppose they could have a collective name, like Bob, or Colin; like mattresses - they all have the same name.
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Jamanda
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| Penny wrote: | | Well they are a sort of collective, so I suppose they could have a collective name, like Bob, or Colin; like mattresses - they all have the same name. |
What You have names for your mattresses?
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wellington womble
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They are the wrong colour. You'll need to add white paint to your list, MrsF. Beehives should be white, like in Winnie the Pooh. Honestly, if you're not going to do these things properly! 
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Jamanda
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| wellington womble wrote: | | They are the wrong colour. You'll need to add white paint to your list, MrsF. Beehives should be white, like in Winnie the Pooh. Honestly, if you're not going to do these things properly! |
Maybe being white would help them stay cool in the Summer too.
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alison
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White pah!
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Chez
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Dead exciting! Re kit, I was told that local associations are often a very good place to get second hand bits and bobs and also sometimes have shared things like extractors.
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Mrs Fiddlesticks
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but you and me know Alison, that bee hives these days aren't usually white
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Anna-marie
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Well done, Mrs F,
You must be really excited!!
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Penny
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| Jamanda wrote: | | Penny wrote: | | Well they are a sort of collective, so I suppose they could have a collective name, like Bob, or Colin; like mattresses - they all have the same name. |
What You have names for your mattresses? |
Mattresses are all called Zem
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sean
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| Mrs Fiddlesticks wrote: |
but you and me know Alison, that bee hives these days aren't usually white |
Why not though?
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Mrs Fiddlesticks
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| sean wrote: | | Mrs Fiddlesticks wrote: |
but you and me know Alison, that bee hives these days aren't usually white |
Why not though? |
good question. A quick look up in my books and it seems to be partly to do with what the hives are made of. A good quality cedar one shouldn't be painted so that the wood can disipate moisture so a preservative stain is used instead.
I can't find anything that says they can't be painted white but none of the pictures in my books show anything other than wood stained hives in either natural wood or colours. My gut feeling is that they therefore blend in to the landscape more and are less of a target for vandals and 'honey rustlers' -which do exist.
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alison
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I think it is also to do with the preservative too. A lot of them have insecticides in, so there are only wood coloured ones approved by the BBKA.
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