…or ‘bee-not-keeping’ really

Say you wanted to have a beehive with bees in it….

like this

…. but you didn’t want to do any bee-keeping apart form establish the hive /colony in the first place,

Would the bees just be?

Would they get on an look after themselves happily and healthily and sustainably without any intervention? Or is that nature of that kind of have such that they need to be looked after and maintained, honey harvested and so on?

Ayr bee keeping society are your friends….

OP – just doing it for the buzz, like?

**** ’em they’re only bees.

Google it for the full joke…

If they live in it they will be fine, however don’t ever expect a drop of honey unless you manage it from the start

In bee keeping you effectively steal the winter provisions from the hive (the honey). You then have to “feed” your bees over winter by providing them with a sugar/water solution. Most of them die anyway as the queen has laid down all the new brood ready for them to hatch in spring. Not harvesting the honey just means you won’t have to feed them over winter. They will be just fine if left alone

You could, of course, start with ‘arf a bee. Philosophically.

Find a beekeeper that wants places to keep hives, particularly easy if your garden/area suits their requirements. We have 2-4 hives in our yard at work. In return, we get honey, without the effort.

If they live in it they will be fine, however don’t ever expect a drop of honey unless you manage it from the start

Sounds perfect. I’m proposing one for a project but I don’t want the client to be put off by worrying about upkeep. So if they can be ignored and thats not neglect thats spot on.

Hopefully no badger setts nearby though. 😀

They’ll swarm if left to their own devices. May or may not be a problem for you. After a few years the queen will ‘wear out’ and the colony may die.

As Ewan says. Bee’s will grow the colony to the point that they think it can split. The queen will lay some eggs that will turn out to be queen bees when hatched, she’ll then bugger off with some of the hive as a swarm to find a new nest, leaving the new queen bee to grow up and continue in the original hive. ( A swarm is cool to watch form and fly off )

This generally happens whether the hive is managed or not.
Beyond that, they should look after themselves for the most part if you’re not wanting any honey off them.
There isn’t much to see though with a hive like that. You’ll see the bees come and go and thats about it.

As an aside, there is a parasitic mite that is currently affecting bee populations throughout the UK. ( Varroa ) Its a consideration that would likely affect any hive on the mainland these days.

Great project and something I’d look into given the time and space. I quizzed an elderly bee keeper about the commitments and he claimed a day or two per year. Unpasteurised local honey and comb, what a treat!

ITs going to be more than a day or two per year realistically. IIRC if you were looking to take honey from it, then it;d more likely weekly checks during the summer, and regular feeding during the winter. Plus the time it takes to extract the honey from the combs.

But you’re right, fresh honey direct from the comb is unbeatable.

Thanks for all the feed back. Its a little pie in the sky at the moment as its just an initial pitch. If they take the bait enough for me to work up the proposals I might bee back to bother you all.

A guy on the next road “leases” space for 6 hives.

In the 10+ years I’ve been here, I’ve seen the bee keeper here twice. (He’s actually an eco/hobby farmer by trade, I see him at farmers markets regularly)

Payment is made in honey/cheese/milk/vegetables/etc. Which is all really nice.

Pretty much everything from above. Except I’d recommend getting a book on bees and hive management even if you won’t be doing any managing yourself – they’re fascinating creatures. The Haynes manual is good