HOW WE CAN HELP
We’re a small beekeeping club but with a huge amount of experience and knowledge amassed amongst us; consequently, we're more intimate and less formalised than most larger groups.
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We run a new “Borrow a Colony” scheme. Any new member can borrow a viable colony for a couple of years. In that time, with the guidance of one of our senior members, they will breed two new colonies – one to keep, and the other to pay off their debt. They will need to obtain their own hives (British Nationals are recommended though some may prefer a Smith’s), bee suit and other equipment, and will also need somewhere to keep their bees.
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We opened a club teaching apiary in 2022, and we also offer experience in our own apiaries where possible.
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We have regular meets which are a great opportunity to share knowledge, experience, and stories of recent beekeeping activity, and we are always welcome at other local BKAs' meetings, as they are at ours. It’s a great way to extend your experience.
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New beekeepers are encouraged to make informed decisions before they start keeping bees themselves so they can make the commitment needed to care for the bees well. Please come and speak to us if you are interested in becoming a beekeeper - we're always happy to help.
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Some people may feel more comfortable with additional formalised training and we are happy to support that too. There are some great training programmes in central Scotland, such as
GETTING STARTED
The number one rule of the novice beekeeper; always ask for help.
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The second rule of beekeeping; beekeeping is local.
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The third rule of beekeeping; bees don’t read the same books that we read.
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The fourth rule of beekeeping; One question, ten beekeepers, one hundred answers.
GETTING BEES
We suggest getting bees locally rather than importing them. Local bees will be better adapted to the local climate, and getting bees locally reduces the bio-security risks of importing bees from abroad.
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There are different types of bees; Buckfast, Carnolian, Ligustica, Caucasian, the Native Black Bee (Amm), and others, as well as mongrels. Different beekeepers will advocate the different qualities of them all. However, opinion varies widely and you will hear a lot of myth. There is a growing body of scientific evidence that concludes local bees are the best bees. We advocate using either Amm or local mongrel/hybridised bees, but will support all beekeepers no matter what bees they have.
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Most beekeepers get their bees in a 'nuc' (a nucleus colony with a queen, workers, food, brood and comb). We can help you source a nuc to get started. Prices vary but a ballpark is c£250-£300 including the nuc box. The National Bee Unit provides a useful leaflet which describes a standard nuc - click here.
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Once you have your colony hived in your apiary you should register on Beebase.
GETTING A HIVE
You probably want to use the same type of hive as your local beekeepers use so that you can exchange resources.
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Most common in our area are Smith hives and National hives. Smith frames and National frames are the same size except that the lugs on a National frame are longer so Smith frames can be used in a National hive but not the other way around without cutting the ends off the lugs (especially difficult and impractical if the frame has bees on it!) There is also the Jumbo National with a deeper brood box. Smith and National frames will both fit in this and the bees will draw comb to fill the extra depth of the jumbo brood box. Jumbo frames are not backwards compatible with the regular National or the Smith hive (without chopping lots of bits off!!!)
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Other hives that you may want to consider are the WBC, the Commercial hive and the Langstroth hive. There are other hives such as the Dadant hive, the Glen Hive, the Zest hive, the Warre hive, the Layens hive, they Drayton hive, the Top Bar hive, and many others but these are generally not advised for beginners. Additionally, it is possible to stack poly nuc components to create a hive, but again, this is not recommended for beginners.
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Wood or poly? The bees will do well in both and different beekeepers will make different cases for both. The main considerations might be environmental, claims that bees winter better in poly hives, perceived increased durability of wood hive, exchangeability of resources with fellow beekeepers (hygiene practices followed), and cost.
Where to buy from? Caddon Hives is local and based in Walkerburn. There are some great online stores too such as Maisemore Apiaries, Paynes Bee Farm, EH Thornes, Simon the beekeeper, and others.
BEWARE of using second hand or inherited equipment without properly sterilising it first – BeeBase has some good literature to advise how to sterilise hives and equipment - click here.
FINDING AN APIARY SITE
Having an apiary at home is a great option if you have the space. It means you can observe the bees more closely and potentially learn faster. However, bees poo a yellow/orange poo that can stain neighbours' laundry as it dries on the washing line. Additionally, some neighbours may perceive the bees to be a hazard.
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Many local farmers or landowners are usually more than happy to host an apiary on their land. If you ask around there will be someone.
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Alternatively you could ask on the West Linton Facebook page. It may also be the case that the Association Secretary or its members know of land that people may want to offer.
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There is a lot of literature on what makes a suitable apiary site but the main considerations would be ease of access, proximity to people or livestock, availability of forage (nectar/honeydew, pollen, resin, water), shelter, sunshine, risk of vandalism.
VARROA MANAGEMENT
All new beekeepers will need to manage Varroa levels in their hives. They will need to know how to monitor the Varroa levels and when to take action. There are a number of treatments available such as Api Bioxal, MAQS, Apivar, Apistan, and Oxybee. Each treatment needs to be recorded on the Veterinary Medicines form and the record kept for at least 5 years.
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As a beginner it is better to start beekeeping by practising Varroa Management. Colonies that are not treated for Varroa are not likely to survive long. There is a growing movement of beekeepers who advocate Natural or Darwinian beekeeping, the aim of which is to allow bees to develop their own resistance/tolerance to Varroa, and remove the need for chemical treatment.
Image courtesy of CSIRO
PODCASTS
The following are links to the podcast websites, however, it may be easier to subscribe and listen to the podcasts using a podcast app such as Castbox.
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OTHER
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* Please note that content from US beekeepers may not be relevant in the UK - remember, beekeeping is local.