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I'd been interested in bee-keeping for some years, and three years into our first allotment plot - it was looking good and working well - seemed a good time to do something about it.   I completed a short course with the Leeds Beekeepers' Association.   A fascinating, if only brief, insight into the world of bees, and how they manage their "keepers"!

Sadly, a prolonged period of vandalism made it unwise to go the next step, and start a hive - but we've now moved to another allotment site, where there is already a beekeeper.   So - I get to start!   Possibly later this year?

For the moment, I have only a couple of links which might be of interest, and a few hints for anybody thinking of adding this hobby to their allotment plot.

And the hints?

  • Courtesy - ask first!   A silly thing to mention?
    • Check with the landowner and/or the allotment committee.   Many allotment sites will not allow beekeeping at all - although some may be persuadable, if you handle it right and can give some reassurance?
    • Make sure your fellow plot-holders are at ease with the idea!   Yes, we all depend on bees pollinating our vegetables, but some of us are allergic, or just plain terrified at the thought of 50,000 venomous stings on the plot next door!
  • Reassurance for the folks around you - if, like me, you are a beginner at beekeeping.
    • Complete a course in beekeeping!
    • Join your local Beekeepers' Association - their affiliation to the BBKA includes "Third Party Insurance for £5,000,000, also covering your bees, honey and other products."
    • Your allotment association may also have to increase their Third Party Insurance cover - go on, offer that extra contribution (on our new site, it's an extra £15 a year).
    • Get advice from an experienced beekeeper on siting your hive(s), so that the bees' flight line doesn't disturb other gardeners.
    • You may find it advisable to take on a second plot, alongside your first; this gives you more space to manage your bees' flight lines.
    • Know about stings!
    • Be prepared to deal with everybody else's bee and wasp questions and problems!   Simply asking fellow plot-holders how they felt about the idea of me keeping bees led to - "Do Bumble Bees sting?"   "What are these bees nesting in my compost heap/potato bed?"   "Can you get rid of this wasps' nest for me?"   That's before I've even started!