Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

MEMBER BULLETIN BOARD => GREETINGS/TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF => Topic started by: Stromnessbees on February 12, 2013, 01:25:41 pm

Title: Hi from Scotland!
Post by: Stromnessbees on February 12, 2013, 01:25:41 pm

At the moment I keep 15 colonies and a few nucs, haven't seen them flying yet this year though as it's still very wintry up here in the far North of Scotland.

Looking forward to exchanging lots of ideas with you, and also planning a trip down-under in the hopefully not so distant future.

Cheers, D

 :)

Title: Re: Hi from Scotland!
Post by: Vance G on February 12, 2013, 01:40:02 pm

Welcome to the forum from a mostly Scot in the USA.  I think Scotland would sink if we all came back.  What kind of bees do you have?

Title: Re: Hi from Scotland!
Post by: Stromnessbees on February 12, 2013, 01:46:24 pm

Thanks for the welcome!

My bees are the dark native type, we call them Amm.

That's the only ones that can handle our rough climate here.
The colonies don't grow huge, but will still get you a bit of a honeycrop in a good season.
Tough little beasts, braving the wind and often even flying out in the rain.

Not too bad for stinging either.  ;)

Title: Re: Hi from Scotland!
Post by: hardwood on February 12, 2013, 02:26:22 pm

Welcome!

Scott

Title: Re: Hi from Scotland!
Post by: Joe D on February 12, 2013, 03:05:23 pm

Welcome to the forum, D.  Good luck to you and your bees




Joe

Title: Re: Hi from Scotland!
Post by: edward on February 12, 2013, 05:17:46 pm

Welcome, what part of Scotland are you from, how big are your harvests, and what are your main honey flows?


mvh edward  :-P

Title: Re: Hi from Scotland!
Post by: Stromnessbees on February 12, 2013, 08:41:02 pm

I'm on the Orkney Islands.

We don't have varroa (yet), but our honey harvests are very limited due to long winters and low summer temperatures which are rarely above 20 degrees C.

Spring buildup on willow and flowering currant, then dandelion and sycamore.
Usually, white clover is the only crop that we harvest, but some of us are lucky and get some heather honey.

Harvests per colony vary a lot with locations, I think the most I have heard of was about 50 kg per year.

I don't recommend anybody should keep bees here commercially, but it's still a great hobby.

 

Title: Re: Hi from Scotland!
Post by: AllenF on February 12, 2013, 09:24:20 pm

Welcome to the forum.

Title: Re: Hi from Scotland!
Post by: Lone on February 13, 2013, 10:17:33 am

Hello, D.

My scottish friend Jimmy went back a couple of years ago and brought back a scot with him, Davey.  Taffy said, "Typical scot.  Most people return with a souvenir".  Recently he found Big Willie somewhere to drive him round.  He's about to head off to the home country again, so watch out for a banjo picking old bloke or you might end up coming down here sooner than you'd planned  :)

I suppose you have tough bees down there to withstand the adverse conditions.

Lone

Title: Re: Hi from Scotland!
Post by: Stromnessbees on February 13, 2013, 01:11:03 pm

Thanks again for the welcome, and I must say that I would quite like some nice banjo music.

But I hope you are not too disappointed when I tell you that I'm not Scottish by birth, I'm Austrian, but have been living in Orkney for nearly 20 years now - and I am still not used to all the wind and rain we get here. Today is one of the most horrible days we have had in a long time, driving freezing rain in force 6 winds.  :-x

Luckily the hives are all secured with straps and fed to last them till April/May.

Title: Re: Hi from Scotland!
Post by: edward on February 13, 2013, 02:45:55 pm

Where ever you go , there you are  :-D

I was born in Aberdeen and have been here and there and have found my own piece of mind on the coast of the Baltic in Sweden, but I still miss the fresh sea air from salt water oceans .

36 more days to the spring Equinox 20march  :-D above the cloud the sun is shining  :rainbowflower:


mvh edward  :-P