BeeKeeping

widefat · Oct 25, 2016

I attended a BeeKeeping class this weekend.
Great class - the instructor has been a keeper for around 45 years.
I'm making plans now for my first two hives next spring.

Deere Dude · Oct 25, 2016

A few months ago I had 3 friends went to a beekeeping forum and really enjoyed it, one of them said. They each ordered a few pounds of bees, which is a lot by the way, along with a queen.

One friend said he paid attention and set the queen in the hive with all the worker bees and all was going good, until the next day when they all just flew away. Never came back. I hope yours don't do that.

XSFMED18D · Oct 25, 2016

I've been keeping bees for about 7 or 8 years now. Up to about 30 to 40 hives depending on time of year. I would recommend purchasing a local 5 frame nuc rather than package bees. Both packages and nucs start getting sold off here in the next few months so reserve yours early. Find a mentor locally who can guide you thru some of the problems new beekeepers encounter. Good luck!

widefat · Oct 25, 2016

XSFMED18D said:
I've been keeping bees for about 7 or 8 years now. Up to about 30 to 40 hives depending on time of year. I would recommend purchasing a local 5 frame nuc rather than package bees. Both packages and nucs start getting sold off here in the next few months so reserve yours early. Find a mentor locally who can guide you thru some of the problems new beekeepers encounter. Good luck!

What races do you keep?

widefat · Oct 25, 2016

Deere Dude said:
A few months ago I had 3 friends went to a beekeeping forum and really enjoyed it, one of them said. They each ordered a few pounds of bees, which is a lot by the way, along with a queen.

One friend said he paid attention and set the queen in the hive with all the worker bees and all was going good, until the next day when they all just flew away. Never came back. I hope yours don't do that.

Ouch - that hurts. But, it is a risk.

XSFMED18D · Oct 25, 2016

I have all of the 3 major races: Italians, Carniolians and some Russians. After a year though the new queens open mate with the drones of other races so in the end they all become mutts. I am not convinced there is genetic purity in the races as some people advertise. In the end I still recommend finding some locally adapted bees in the form of a nuc. They'll be mutts most likely.

newbury · Oct 25, 2016

widefat said:
I attended a BeeKeeping class this weekend.
Great class - the instructor has been a keeper for around 45 years.
I'm making plans now for my first two hives next spring.

Did they have anything to say about how zika may be affecting the bee population? I'm thinking with all the spraying for mosquitoes the populations in some areas might be wiped out.

Do you have supplies? There's a fairly nice small "1 man shop", Virginia Bee Supply, just north of Culpeper.

Have you gotten stung recently?

It might be a good idea to get stung to test your sensitivity to the sting. People change with age and it's a shame to be invested in a hobby only to find your going to swell up like a basketball if you get stung.

I've been trying to get back into beekeeping for two years (I've got 3 empty hives) but family responsibilities have resulted in my being 800 miles away from my retirement farm each spring.

RobA · Oct 25, 2016

+1 on the local nucs and finding a mentor. Local beekeeping clubs are a big help as well. Beesource.com has a message forum that has a tremendous amount of information.

NorTracNY · Oct 25, 2016

XSFMED18D and RobA are spot on. A single class will only go so far. You definitely should go with nucs and not packages. Going local is a major plus, and a mentor is key. Did you decide on 8 or 10 frame? Did the class review location? If you have neighbors with a pool, you need to understand the water source for your bees. I've been keeping bees for several years now, but even a beekeeper of 30+ years will tell you they learn new stuff every year.

widefat · Oct 25, 2016

newbury said:
Did they have anything to say about how zika may be affecting the bee population? I'm thinking with all the spraying for mosquitoes the populations in some areas might be wiped out.

Do you have supplies? There's a fairly nice small "1 man shop", Virginia Bee Supply, just north of Culpeper.

Have you gotten stung recently?

It might be a good idea to get stung to test your sensitivity to the sting. People change with age and it's a shame to be invested in a hobby only to find your going to swell up like a basketball if you get stung.

I've been trying to get back into beekeeping for two years (I've got 3 empty hives) but family responsibilities have resulted in my being 800 miles away from my retirement farm each spring.