The Project has started

Its going to be a little while before the bees arrive next year at Strawberry Grove
but I wanted to make a 'statement of intent' so thought I could sort out the hives in advance of them arriving next April.

Its generally accepted its best to have at least two hives in an apiary. This gives you a degree of safety so that if one colony is struggling its possible to use material from the other hive to help it out.
Therefore we have agreed that we will aim to start with two hives.
Initially we discussed getting swarms but this isn't a reliable source - this year I had very few calls about collecting swarms.  Also, swarms normally don't produce any honey in their first year.

We aren't trying to compete with Rouse, but it would be nice to be able produce some honey next year for Sam's and Fliss' customers.
So, the plan is to move one of my colonies from Ravensden/Scald End and also to have what is known as an over wintered nuc.
This is a small colony created this year and gets through the winter and will produce honey next year. I have one on order.
Hopefully next year SG's customers will see something like this,

I put together a hive from bits I already had and made a floor and roof. This will house the nuc that has half the normal number of frames a full size hive has, but it will expand as the colony grows.
Initially the nuc is put on top of the full hive to gives the bees some time to sort themselves out and then the frames are transferred from the nuc into the full hive.

Lifting heavy brood boxes/supers can be hard work so I usually put a hive on a table made from a pallet with  legs made from a fence post.. This raises the hive to a more manageable level.
Luckily I have an arrangement with a company in Bedford who let me have as many pallets as I want and two hive tables were made.

Traditionally bee hives are dull - either green or brown.
I have seen photos of hives in South America and some Mediterranean countries that are brightly coloured so I have painted parts of my hives different colours and the Strawberry Grove hive is also multicoloured.


We took the hives and tables to SG today and set it up.
There is a bit of gardening to do around the tables but I will do this another time. Its just an excuse to pay another visit.

At Strawberry Grove you haven't really arrived until you have your own sign.
The goats have one so do the chickens and turkeys.
Even the worms in the wormery have their own sign.

And so do the bees.

Fliss and Sam are helped by local volunteers and it would be nice if we had some helpers for the bees. I can provide suits and gloves and training in dealing with the bees.
If anyone is interested they can contact Fliss or myself.