HOW TO DO IT
1 Install
Install in your garden any time of the year, just follow the instructions included with the hive. The Gardeners Beehive is this big because bees need an area for honey and for babies. It's for honey bees, this is not for the 300+ types of bumble / solitary / masonry bee.
2 Announce a new home
When you get your hive, you will have everything you need to get started. The instructions will explain a good location to set your hive up . Then spray with lure and announce you are ready, to all passing bees.
3 Swarm moves in
Then , the exciting part, How quick before you get bees and what are your chances in the first year?? Well if you have bees in your garden you have a very good chance of getting bees. My urban customers last year, had a 70% to 80% hit rate and rural areas even higher, so I say, "It will take two weeks to two years until bees move in."
4 Then what?
Then bees move in. What then? Well then nothing! You then effectively have a tree stump with a nest of bees. They are quite adept at looking after themselves. For many years to come.
5 Share the big news
Tell the world, there is a new hive in town, and it is more genteel.
Your friends and family will be amazed!!
6 Honey? Honey!
A very unique way to harvest honey! Now not everyone wants honey, some like me just want the satisfaction of having and helping "Bees For Bees Sake" But taking honey using the “ nook and cranny honey harvesting system “ this has no impact on your bees winter stock of honey! Its a system that was developed by me and is completely unique to my system and is the only completely self regulating system in the world! It's a quirk, and we are the only system that take advantage of this.
So to get honey, in spring put “honey boxes ” on, then in autumn take them off. If it was a good summer they will be full, 6 to 8 jars of honey! If it was not a good summer then only a little or none, but the honey you do get is amazing!
About Us
We Truly Care
Yes about the environment and people. Yes this is to help honey bees but not to the detriment of others. So all the wood we use is certified from ethical harvesting. All wood is A graded and to BS standard. Screws and studs are made in Germany and Italy. The roof is ply wood and has a felt covering. I could go on but you get my picture.
Customer Satisfaction
Yes this is a little rough and ready, that is the idea. It is built tough and simple, but clever. There are lots of design aspects and features built into this hive to mimic a honey bees natural environment. I try to dispatch as soon as possible and keep everyone informed with tracking numbers. I love speaking to our customers so if you have any queries, want more information or just want to have a chat about the bees, please drop me a line. For payments I use Pay Pal as they are world renowned, not cheap to me but safe for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions & Answers
Where is the best place to put it?
There is only one "must have" and that is:
There has to be an open area in front of the hive of 3 to 5 metres (16 feet) before any hedges or big bushes.
Then there are a number of "nice to haves" this is more to encourage them to move in, and these are:
1: South facing , well from East round to West but South aspect.
2: Think tree-stump not beehive, so under a tree or in a hedge or bush.
3: Winter sun and summer shade, under a deciduous trees will give you this.
4: As they are they are not frost tolerant, so if they are going to get frost or snow, you will require the Fiberglass roof.
5: Having a bird bath with fresh water is also welcomed.
6: In not to exposed an area, so protected from wind and driving rain.
7: not facing prevailing wind.
That is all really , then its just a matter of luck, leave for January till Jun in one spot, then turn it 20 degrees or move over a few feet, every month until bees move in or end of swarm season , the end of August.
Loads of purple flowers in the vicinity will encourage forging bees as well as scout bees.
Is it well made?
Built tough to last for many, many years.
The roof is now covered with a felt, with a 5 to 10 year life.
The hive body is 2 X as thick as normal hives, and only A graded timber is used, screwed AND glued.
All the screws are made in Germany
Hive body is raw (it has to be) the legs are pressure treated.
Why so big? : This is natural beekeeping the ideal size from my researc. The bees need enough space to store Honey for winter (top) and space to make babies (Bottom).
What does it cost? : Gardeners Beehives are £235.00 + p&p £32.00 This is for everything to get started. (we have £50.00 off at the moment with code: GBH18 )
Compared to:
Omelet at £595.00 + £ bees
Flow Hive at £404.00 + £ bees
Top bar Hive be very careful when buying as there are a lot of very cheap and nasty products out there TBH £300.00 + £bees
Do I have to get honey? : NO you don't. In the second year you can install “honey boxes” these attach to the sides and that is how we collect the honey, only if you want to.
How many honey boxes do I need? : You only need if you would like honey, and you can put one, two or three on.
When is the best time to put one in? : Anytime of the year, because it ideally needs to weather in a little, to be more appealing.
How long will it take to get bees? : two weeks to two years.
How big must my garden be? : From a balcony in London ,or a terrace garden to a stately home (The only prerequisite is a clearing of 3 to 5 metres in front of the Hive.)
How much honey will I get? : This is the only completely self-regulating hive system.So sometimes a few jars, other years nothing.
Can I buy one directly from you without carriage charge? : Yes, you can pick up just call first. 0127 9814 301 we are in Stansted in Essex.
Who is concerned about bees?
3:Scarlet Johanson
4:Steve Vai is best known for his guitar work and associations with artists and bands like Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth, and Whitesnake
5:Morgan Freeman
6:Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers
7: the Queen of England
8: Leonardo DiCaprio
9: YOU??
What are you buying?
What you get when you BUY a Gardeners Beehive?
Saving the Honey bee by simply giving them a home.
YOU ARE NOT BUYING A BEEHIVE.
Bee's face many challenges, from climate changed , mono cropping, pesticides and herbicides, to name a few.
But one of the ezzest problems we can all help fix, is "extermination though deprivation of habitat". Bees live in TREE STUMPS not beehives. Give them a MOCK TREE-STUMP, give them a GARDENERS BEEHIVE
So consider the picture above:
Here we have a Gardeners Beehive and a tree stump. and a comparison.
This is what you get when you buy a Gardeners Beehive:
1: You Get a "Gardeners Beehive"
2: You get the live Biomass that is put in the bottom.
3: Lure to entice the bees into your Gardeners Beehive
Lastly: comprehensive instruction on what is the best location, how to set it up and how to manage your bees once they have moved in, and some other interesting tit-bits, just for fun and interest.
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4: Once you have bees move into your Gardeners Beehive you can then consider the HONEY BOXES if you would like a little honey. This is the only completely self regulating honey harvesting system in the world, we take advantage a quirk that honey bees have in that they squirrel honey in all the little side cavities, in our case the "honey boxes" and this has no affect on their winter stock. You can buy one , two or three per Gardeners Beehive.
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5: Then lastly you can buy a fiberglass roof to provide extra protection from the cold in winter, from frost and snow.
Learn More
A: Roof
B: Live Biomass
C: Honey for winter
D: Comb where babies bee grow
E: Entrance
F: Honey Box (side cavity)
G: Buffer honey stock
H: Small entrance to nook and crany
I: Tree Stump