DS would like us to have some bees. I am tempted.

[SolidGoldBrass]

We were at the Lambeth Country Show and there were a couple of stalls promoting beekeeping, and DS was enthralled. Obviously the stallholders were very encouraging, and gave us lots of leaflets about learning beekeeping. I do quite like the idea of having bees, but just how much will the neighbours hate us?

I've thought about it, but decided my neighbours would hate me as the gardens not that big and bees do have thier flight plans and occasionaly swarming habit. I have a small garden and have neighbours on both sides and behind too. The gardens here were originally 90 foot long but my house had its garden sold and it built in before I moved in

if I didn't have the neigbours behind (and therefore also a long garden) I'd have gone for it without doubt

I know someone who kept bees for years and bloody loved them.

But one year they got into her bee suit and stung her to fuck

Put her off for life.

There is something earthy about the thought of keeping them, but you can be stung and be OK one time, and the next time go into anaphylactic whatsit, which happened to my dad. Very scary.

They need some help though don't they at the min, I would say sewing some bee friendly seeds/getting him a book from the library etc would probably be a less expensive route

Get them! It's a wonderful hobby, but please go on a training course (the BBKA run lots) and you don't need to buy anything before you've been on the course and are sure.

As for neighbours, chances are someone has bees already and you don't know about it