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Author Topic: Hello from Australia :)  (Read 5416 times)

Offline brydie

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Hello from Australia :)
« on: December 10, 2006, 11:24:26 pm »
Hello from Australia!  I am new to beekeeping and just wanted to say hi!  I hope to enjoy this site and learn from more experienced keepers.

I purchased my first hive 3 weeks ago.  I opened it yesterday for inspection.  I was a bit nervous but all seemed to go fairly well.  I got stung a few times  :)

Hey does anyone know about people who are "immune" to bee stings?  I remember being stung a few times when I was young and it hurt like crazy and was swollen for a few days after.  But the stings I got yesterday hardly hurt at all (got a couple through cotton gloves and one on the bare skin of my shoulder after a bee managed to get in my overalls).  Felt a bit like an accupuncture needle with no pain afterwards.  When I checked the sting sites after getting out of my gear, I couldn't see any of the stings on my hands and the one on my shoulder was slightly raised and red (could even see the stingers hanging out of my skin but not swollen).  I was amazed, after about 20 mins you couldn't even tell I had been stung.  Perhaps I'm a lucky???

Anyhow must "buzz" (you guys probably get that all the time...hahaha)  Take care hope to chat soon!

Best wishes - Brydie  :)

Offline Cindi

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Re: Hello from Australia :)
« Reply #1 on: December 11, 2006, 12:35:38 am »
Brydie
Ha, you are one of the luckier ones with the sting stuff.  I don't know, maybe the bees were younger ones and did not have as much venom as when they are older.  That could be it.  I have had some doozies.  Especially when I tried to get a small swarm out of a tree with the branch breaking and the bees falling on my face.  Eeeks!!  I got a few on my face and looked kind of funny for awhile.  someone said that they were docile when they swarm, huh!!!  Well, they probably are, they were just a little bit annoyed with their cluster fallen apart.  But I managed to save these girls and give them a good home.  I don't get very affected by bee stings anymore, barely even know that it occurs, just that little hot poker and thats it.  Great day, enjoy your new bees.  Cindi.
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline buzzbee

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Re: Hello from Australia :)
« Reply #2 on: December 11, 2006, 06:56:26 am »
Brydie,
Hello and welcome to the Beemaster forum. We have two other members from Australia. They are Geoff and Mick. They have set up Ventrilo which you can find in the voice chat forum two forums below the greetings forum. We have had great conversation with them!
You have came to a great place to search and ask questions about beekeeping or many other topics that may come to mind as you can see by the variety of posts in the different sections.
Mick and Geoff have seen and smelled the smoke from the fires.I hope none of you are in any immediate danger at this time.Our best wishes are with all of you.

Have a great day and welcome aboard!    Cheers :lol:                     Ken

Offline Geoff

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Re: Hello from Australia :)
« Reply #3 on: December 11, 2006, 06:57:42 am »
G'day Brydie,
                  Welcome to another Aussie. Hope you find this forum as helpful as I have and enjoy the relationships with some wonderful people.
                  I recently copped a good dose of stings on one ankle which is related in the general forum. If you have a mike to connect to your computer the program that John (Beemaster) has installed for us all is a great way to communicate. It is not a big program and installs easily.
                  However enjoy the benefits of this forum like I have, I generally read the latest posts before I catch up with all the other world news.

           Geoff. Yinnar Victoria.
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Offline brydie

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Re: Hello from Australia :)
« Reply #4 on: December 13, 2006, 10:30:45 pm »
Thanks guys, unfortunately I do not have a mike to set up for voice chat, maybe something to look at in the future.

The fires down south are terrible, I really feel for all those who have lost homes and possessions.  I am located in Cairns, North Queensland so far we haven't had any bushfires come through up here.  It is coming into wet season and has been raining quite regularly here.  My best wishes also go out to those involved in the fires.

Thanks for making me welcome, hope to chat again soon!  Kind regards Brydie  :)

Offline buzzbee

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Re: Hello from Australia :)
« Reply #5 on: December 13, 2006, 10:39:56 pm »
If you wish you could use the text portion of ventrilo.Others have a text to speech option which allows them to hear what you type or they can read along in the text chat window.Cheers, Ken

Offline mick

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Re: Hello from Australia :)
« Reply #6 on: December 14, 2006, 02:49:44 am »
Hiya Byrdie and welcome aboard TOOT TOOT!.

You will find everything you need to know about bees in here and some fanastic people only too keen to help. "Theres no such thing as a dumb question here".

I am a bit like you, got stung a few times over the years, and now they dont have much of an effect on me. Perhaps its the immune system, perhaps its just the type of bees.

I started just over a year ago with a swarm and now I have honey galore.

Look forward to you posting. Also check out the Ventrillo chat bizzo, its easy to install and use and is a great way to meet other beekeepers from all over the world.

Where in Oz are ya?

Offline brydie

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Re: Hello from Australia :)
« Reply #7 on: December 15, 2006, 01:07:46 am »
Hi Mick, thanks for the welcome! 

I am located in Cairns QLD, have recently moved from Shellharbour NSW (about 2 hours south of Sydney), to Townsville QLD (got new job), then 3 weeks ago moved to Cairns (transfer with work), so have been flat out moving! My husband is still in NSW and will be up here after New Year.  We are planning to settle in Cairns (hence the bees!).

I have always wanted to get into beekeeping, and since we are renting a house on an acre I decided now was a good time to start up.  I have been reading "the bee book" Peter Warhurst - it is fantastic, and I've printed off heaps of info from the beemaster site - I really love the Tai-Chi of beekeeping article, I hope to approach my beekeeping and inspections from this angle.

I am also into herpetology and have been keeping and breeding Australian pythons for about 8 years.  I sold my collection and all my gear about a year ago to facilitate our big move north.  I hope to return to my snakes on a smaller scale in the future, perhaps just 1 python as a pet (as opposed to the 30 odd snakes we had living with us previously!  :-X).

I also have a dog, a female boxer named Nara, and a tank full of barramundi.

Well, hope all is well down south!!  Take care!

Regards Brydie  :)

Offline mick

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Re: Hello from Australia :)
« Reply #8 on: December 15, 2006, 04:51:48 am »
Ahh geeze FNQ is such a great place, its like another country altogether. Picture perfect isolated beaches, well up a bit from the mudflats that they dont tell ya about till you get there! Then theres the hinterland and the rainforests. I was lucky enough to go up past cooktown before the roads were made. Nothin but crocs and nothin up there then.

I admire you relocating and I am sure your bees will be working 24/7 up there.

Offline beemaster

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Re: Hello from Australia :)
« Reply #9 on: December 15, 2006, 08:17:50 am »
Brydie:

Sorry I'm a little slow welcoming you to the forums, been sick here but doing better now. Glad you find my beekeeping sections helpful and the Tai-Chi is a great way to get relaxed around the hive. Being prepared really puts your bees in a mindset to be worked, and it gives you a fluidity that makes the whole experience more interactive that it could likely be if you choose to go in there without a smooth and meditative plan.

Glad you have found local company and the International audience of members we all are so lucky to interact with here - it is a pleasure to be a part of this growing family, again glad you joined in the forums and I know you'll find plenty to talk about on so many topics here.

G'Day!!!
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Offline brydie

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Re: Hello from Australia :)
« Reply #10 on: December 17, 2006, 11:35:07 pm »
Hi John

Thanks for your welcome, hope you are feeling better!!  Had a good weekend with the bees!

Had a bit of a panic as I came home from shopping to find the bottom and one side of the hive absolutely covered in bees!  I have never seen this type of thing before so as you can imagine I was worried (I thought they were preparing to swarm).  I went and got my neighbour (who used to keep hundreds of hives), and he came for a look...luckily they were just hot (phew!) and were trying to cool down.  We opened the top of the hive and propped the lid with a bit of timber to allow air to get in.  I closed the hive late afternoon.

Well, that was a good learning experience!  I also noted that the hive smelt great!  Must be working hard in there!  Anyhow take care!

Regards Brydie  :)

Offline beemaster

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Re: Hello from Australia :)
« Reply #11 on: December 17, 2006, 11:55:19 pm »
IT is interesting how the temperature in the hive seems to be opposite of a daily temperature change. During the day, the bees are either away or inside (not bearding) because the temp has cooled down over night. As the day heats up, the viscous honey slowly heats up and by time night falls, the internal temps reach their all time high for the day forcing the bees outside to keep the internal temps low enough to satisfy egg and larva needs.

It is easy to imagine bearding during the heat of the day, but with fanning and lower bee count (due to foragers being away from the hive) day-time inner hive temps are often as cool as it gets. It becomes a BTU (British Thermal Unit) issue - it takes one BTU of heat to raise one pound of water 1 degree fahrenheit - the numbers relative to honey temps escapes me, but the principle is the same. Lots of energy is required to CHANGE honey temps and the lag surely confuses us all.

Nice talking :)
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Online Kathyp

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Re: Hello from Australia :)
« Reply #12 on: December 17, 2006, 11:59:18 pm »
Quote
and the Tai-Chi is a great way to get relaxed around the hive.

oh great.....now when i go to the hive, i'll picture myself standing on one leg doing the "crane" or something!!   :-P

if i fall into the hive, it's going to be the fault of you guys for putting that picture there!

welcome aboard brydie.  my sister was just visiting your neighborhood and she loved it.  brought back some great pictures.  she now lives in england, but i think she'd relocate to Australia in a heartbeat!  

Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline Cindi

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Re: Hello from Australia :)
« Reply #13 on: December 18, 2006, 12:09:44 am »
Ha Kathy!!!  Sometimes the things that you post make me laugh.  It is a good thing to be able to spread this wonderful gift that makes our faces contort from a calm look to something like the mouth hanging open, laughing.  Great day, Kathy.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Kirk-o

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Re: Hello from Australia :)
« Reply #14 on: January 09, 2007, 09:50:30 am »
Welcome and good luck
kirko
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