Just a small point. If you are prepared to put up with perhaps a little inconvenience in order have the sheer satisfaction of ‘nursing’ some bees and enjoying their produce, then there is nothing against placing the hive(s) at some distance inland where better forage and calm will ensure that they are happier than being blown about and little or nothing to feed upon. Providing you can get ready access, there shouldn’t be a problem having an “out apiary” if you care enough to get bitten by this wonderful bug. Wind really does upset the critters, just as it does those of us who do not winsurf or whatever. Just a thought. Locals will definitely have the best available advice on this particular aspect and joining the local association is a must.

Hugh

Since moving to Denbighshire I have discovered that in some areas in Wales the local beekeepers cooperate together to try to keep bees that are racially compatible and acclimatised to the area. I am not sure if that is happening in your area but I think it’s important that you persevere with your attempts to contact the local association to see what their policy is.

Jon mentioned your choice of 14 x 12 brood boxes. My view is that if you have a prolific bee, whether its a pure race or mongrel, a large box is better than 2 small ones. However, if you end up with a non-prolific bee then you would be better off with a standard national.

You might be too short of forage for a large surplus from lots of hives but I would be surprised if one or two hives of local bees in your garden would struggle. At worst you may have to feed them occasionally.

As for wind, I would try to erect some sort of temporary wind break against the prevailing wind. Your bamboo should do the trick but might take a while to thicken sufficiently. Native type bees are said to have heavier thoraxes than other races and cope better with the wind and I suspect that whatever bee your locals use will share this trait. They also have smaller nests and less brood so cope better during periods when the weather is too bad to fly or when there are few flowers secreting nectar.

There is a bee farmer near Aberystwyth, whose name escapes me at the moment, (I’m sure someone will chip in with his contact details) who keeps successful local bees so it might be an idea to trace him in addition to talking to association members. Between them they should be able to advise you better than anyone who doesn’t have direct experience of your district.

I hope that helps.

Steve

Jon

I am concerned about the location – close to the sea. Local beekeepers could give good advice I expect.

Another thing you will need is some spare equipment. Bees will swarm so spares are necessary. Maybe not if you buy a small colony this year (A nuc – nucleus colony) but in the future you will need more stuff.

Adam

There really is so much to learn but I’m glad you have taken some time to read up a bit before plunging in but the real learning curve comes with your first hive.

Before I answer you questions can you tell us where you are getting your bees and how many there will be i.e. will it be a nuc hive you are getting from a loacal beekeeper? I have written extensively about not importing bees to this country and contacting your local beekeepers association to try and obtain local bees…this also builds up your info/expertise network. Also I wouldn’t buy a brand new hive if you can get a second hand one for cheap locally. Obviously if doing this use a blow torch to scorch hive interior and kill of any bugs etc.

To answer your queries, yes you are definitely on the right track! I would advise you go for the standard national, get frames with foundation (you can get a mixture of wired and non-wired…..the non wired is for producing comb honey).

Just go for everything standard for your first hive! If you are getting nuc hive you wont need any supers for the first year as the hive will be too small and will probably (depends on the size of the nuc really) only need the brood box to operate. Also if you are getting a nuc hive and you area is kinda plant barron then you will have to feed your bees. For spring and summer feeding mix one kilo of sugar with one litre of water (1lb:1 Pint). Also see this page.

Your bees will fly for a few miles to forage. If your area is still lifeless within three miles you are 1. going to have to feed your bees a lot and 2. start planting for the bees in your area.

If there is a strong wind coming from the see fairly constantly I would face the hive entrance away from this and create a windbreak with bushes and shrubs at the back. If the wind is strong a lot of the time this probably isn’t ideal for the bees as they will need to fly back with full pollen/nectar loads against the wind to return to the hive. This could mean you have a high turnover of foragers?? I cant be certain of this but would seem logical, however I don’t think this would be a reason not to keep them in your garden. Suck it and see dude, if the hive is failing you will probably have to look to its position as the answer.

Well I hope Ive helped and good luck with your bees.

Welcome. We have TBHs due inland of you on the border. I also know Borth a bit (played a wedding ceilidh there a few years back). I’d think a bit about forage…quite a few golf courses, caravan sites etc nearby, quite a lot of salt spray (anyone know how much this might be an issue?). What’s within three or four miles?

Had a look at your blog. TBH have lots of advantages, cost is just one of them. Building their own comb is much better as you don’t know the provenance of bought foundation and the bees can build as intended.

Good luck.
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Welsh Sustainable Beekeepers group http://beekeeper.webs.com/

Coastal situations are not ideal for bees:
There are no flowers on the sea, so the area available to the bees is halved.
The onshore winds tend to limit flying opportunities for honeybees (bumbles are less affected).

Is there a sheltered spot a mile or two inland that you could use?

Gareth