Bee's

[aczlan]

Very nice looking apiary you have there. You must be located in the north using those double brood boxes.

IIRC most people in upstate NY use 2 deep supers and 1-3 shallow supers in the summer and 2 deep supers + (sometimes) 1 shallow in the winter.

Aaron Z

 

[HarryVanderpool]

Well, you know over here in Oregon, we sometimes run out of equipment and grab whatever is on hand:

This one took all day to move in!!!

Work safe.
Work Smart.
Have fun!!

 

[LBrown59]

Where do bumble bees make their nest?

 

[Matt_Jr]

Where do bumble bees make their nest?

Usually in holes in the ground or in walls or evacuated birds nests. You don't see them because there are only a couple hundred per nest.

 

[Ridgewalker]

You guys have me wondering if I could start a hive on my place as a hobby.
I have 44 acres in the middle of a big plot of national forest. Their isn't much in the way of crops for miles. I do have about 2 acres that I am slowing turning into a food plot.

I am thinking I need to get more pollen producing plants going before I try to start a hive but I was wondering if it's at all feasible...how much care is required? I am an absentee owner who makes to the farm every other weekend or so.

TIA

 

[HarryVanderpool]

I'm guessing that you have more than enough forage in your area.
What we all need when getting started is good experienced help. (free!)
Here is a link to your state beekeepers association.
Find your local association and attend their next meeting.
It's fun!

AR Beekeepers Local Associations

 

[6thgpSF]

my neighabor down the road raises bees,he showed me once this queen bee he 'd just got in the mail.it was in a little cage and the hole was plugged with a piece of candy,he said you place the cage between two hives that the workers will eat the candy thus releasing the queen.he said about 100.00 will get you started.not to change the subject but has anyone ever been nailed by carptner bees?they are white and black and about bumblebee size.I was digging out a stump once and hit a nest of em.I was chased by a group of em for more than 150ft.three of them nailed me all on the face and ear.wound up burning the stump.

 

[sunspot]

Ridgewalker

Check out Dadant and Sons and Brushy Mountain Bee Farm

They are very good people.

 

[dmccarty]

You guys have me wondering if I could start a hive on my place as a hobby.
I have 44 acres in the middle of a big plot of national forest. Their isn't much in the way of crops for miles. I do have about 2 acres that I am slowing turning into a food plot.
...
TIA

Check with your county extension service. They should be able to help you and get in contact with local Bee Keepers. Either the state or our county, forget which, just had a program to give away bees/hives to people. I heard about the program too late to do it. Still would like too set up a hive or two but just wonder about having the time.

I did notice real honey bees in the garden this year. Have not really seen them that much over the last few years.

Later,
Dan

 

[txdon]

Sunspot, here is an updated photo on my bee hive. A&M never came out and the nest keeps getting bigger. I hope they survive the winter again.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Intersting stuff.... Harry, wish you had been around last year. We had a hive in a tree, wanted to remove the tree and did not want to loose the hive. Saddly, the hive died out over the winter and we decided to not loose the tree. I would love to start a hive, but we are not around enough to do the maintenance.

A good friend of mine is an expert on Bees. His doctorate was on killer and now he is doing research on hive death. I read some article that said that the death is now being related to caffeine in a fertilizer (man, it sounds so whacky writing this I need to find out if that is true).

Anyway.. How hard is it to keep those bees Harry, love to hear more.

 

[HarryVanderpool]

Woodland, before we go any farther, and because this is the safety forum I MUST warn you about "beekeepers disease".
Some folks never catch it.
They have a hive or two in their back yard, make a little honey, go to fun beekeepers meetings; they do very well.
Then there are the others like myself that just barely get into beekeeping and !!BAM!! ...

...they are hit right between the eyes with "beekeepers disease.

Here are some symptoms and how the disease progresses:
You start with 2 hives and in the next year increase to 4.
"Wow! those 4 hives sure made a lot of honey! I'll bet 8 would sure make a lot!" Then you take all of the money that you made (of course you turned a blind eye to expenses) from the 8 hives and crank up another 8.
Now in your 4th year with 16 hives, one of your friends from the local bee association who is a commercial beekeeper asks you if you want to rent them out for a few weeks at $45.00 each.
That leaves you foaming at the mouth all winter building boxes so that next spring you will have 50 hives!
Next year 100....
...250...500...1250......

Thats beekeepers disease.

 

[sunspot]

Txdon.
That hive has sure gotten big. It's bigger than the one I once hived and said "never again". That is good to hear that they are giving you some pollination services.

Harry. Tell woodlandfarms what your honey house costs to equip. That'll shock him.

How many frames does your extractor hold? I worked with a guy that had 250 colonies and he used a 72 frame extractor.

I use a 4 frame that I have to reverse the frames.

I just went online to Weavers Bee's in TX. They get $110 for 3 pounds of bee's and a queen. The last time I bought some in GA they were $50.