Hi started bee keeping back July 2020 bough a 6 frame Nuc already made a hive as there wasn’t any courses to learn how to keep bees mainly used utube and bought Haynes bee keeping manual so far so good would be good to do a course but don’t think this will happen soon, was wondering if there is anyone local to my bees would like to mentor me ? Location is Thame Oxfordshire and they are kept on a allotment right by a pond
Hi Paul
Exciting times to start out indeed!
I know my local BBKA Division at least is running a beginners course via Zoom from now and has opened it up to anyone anywhere who wishes to enrol. Pm me if interested. Other associations have probably done the same. Physical in person mentoring I suspect is out for the foreseeable.
By all means put up any queries or issues in the beginners part of the Forum and you should get plenty of help.
You’ve obviously done fine so far between online vids and the Haynes book. If I was you, I would focus next on swarm control, with a single hive its probably the single biggest part of management to get your head round. You might not get swarming this year but assume you will and then you will be prepared if they try. Don’t assume because it’s your first full year it can’t happen yet surely ..