Doing is the best practice

It was May 2009.  After seeing a white suited man tending his bees in Herne I immediately started to watch bee keeping video’s on You Tube and bought ‘The Dummies Guide to Beekeeping’. 

I was brought up to understand that Granddad had always said, “There’s not time lost in reconnaissance”.

Reconnaissance involved not just watching a few short films on the internet and flicking through the plates throughout the Dummies Guide, I also signed up with my local branch of the British Beekeeping Association.

The leader of the group is called Trevor Tong and he is one of the nicest and most enthusiastic beekeepers I have ever met.  He is a real joy to be near when discussing the subject.  There is nothing about bees he does not know and I have had lots of advice from his wife over the telephone.

Armed with a new pair of marigolds and wellington boots, I went along to my first meeting of the branch at Honey Hill.  During this sunny afternoon and for the first time, I held a frame and spotted the queen.  I was hooked and raring to get started.

I spoke to all the people there about my plan to keep bees in the centre of town.  Most were generally enthusiastic, but suggested I practice for a year by coming along to the club. 

Within the week I had ripped the corrugated plastic from atop my lean-to at the back of the house and replaced it with plywood, which I could stand on.  I had my beekeeping stage set.

I bought a ‘National’ hive kit from the Blue Bell Apiaries in Gillingham and having put that together in the garage of my lost loves parent’s house, I was prepared to house and keep a colony of bees.

Doing is the best practice and I was keen to start being a practising beekeeper as soon as I could.

This article is duplicated on the new Gullbad Nogbee platform:

HERE where you can better follow my adventures.