having beehives

[BrianDT]

I have a small cabinet that I plan to try to turn into a home for Bees in the spring. Each summer I have a new swarm appear, so I assume I have a full hive close by. I hope to use an attractant to get them in. I have been reading, but not to many people want to have a bee hive and not take the honey. I just want to watch them and know where they are. Maybe help them along a little.

 

[forgeblast]

You can use lemongrass oil as an attractant.

 

[troutsqueezer]

I have a small cabinet that I plan to try to turn into a home for Bees in the spring. Each summer I have a new swarm appear, so I assume I have a full hive close by. I hope to use an attractant to get them in. I have been reading, but not to many people want to have a bee hive and not take the honey. I just want to watch them and know where they are. Maybe help them along a little.

Don't know where you're living but many states/counties have laws that require you to maintain your beehives properly if you are to keep them. That means regular inspection, upkeep, disease prevention, etc. A simple box will not do. It needs to be something that will entice the bees to draw the comb properly, it can be top bar, Langstroth or similar, but not just a box. Ventilation is important as well. Chances are if the box does not meet basic requirements, the bees will not stay anyway.

Pheromones are available at your local bee store. Most of the time they don't work but occasionally you luck out, very occasionally, like once every ten years.

In other words, you can't go into it willy-nilly.

 

[forgeblast]

In Pa you must be able to remove the combs to do an inspection. I can get around that using a top bar warre by addding side pieces that go down 1/2 the height of the box to make the comb more rigid.
Beekeeping with the Warré hive -- Home

 

[JRobyn]

I can second the various recommendations to seek out other local beekeepers or clubs. From what I have seen, many beekeepers are very willing to help out a newbie. Any chance you have other family close by that are also interested and can share the work?

My BIL has kept bees as a hobby for years. FIL, like you, thought he might be interested in keeping a hive or two also. Now after a few years, he dabbles a bit, keeping up water and sugar during dry spells and keeping an eye on things, but if there are any problems, or when it's time to rob, his son comes over and "helps" (does most of it). FIL gets a gallon or so of the honey (way more than he needs for personal use), and son gets some extra to sell. Works out good for everybody.

 

[BrianDT]

Don't know where you're living but many states/counties have laws that require you to maintain your beehives properly if you are to keep them. That means regular inspection, upkeep, disease prevention, etc. A simple box will not do. It needs to be something that will entice the bees to draw the comb properly, it can be top bar, Langstroth or similar, but not just a box. Ventilation is important as well. Chances are if the box does not meet basic requirements, the bees will not stay anyway.

Pheromones are available at your local bee store. Most of the time they don't work but occasionally you luck out, very occasionally, like once every ten years.

In other words, you can't go into it willy-nilly.

So your saying I should just buy the box and hive together thats already started and let them go. I do not want to check them or take honey, just have them around. Its that do-able?

 

[forgeblast]

Brian look at then keeping a low maintaince hive. Warre is very low work, and little to no intrusions. Biobees.com is a good site for more info.
If you have them in a small box and do nothing they will swarm every year and leave.

 

[bcjmmac]

If all you want is to have a hive, or 2, on your property; talk to local bee keepers. They quite often are looking for spots to site some hives & might be willing to put some on your property if the site is suitable (water, "food", etc). Best of both worlds if it works out - you can enjoy watching the bees, have the benefit of them being there, & won't have any work associated with keeping them.

good luck

 

[ajamesshaw]

If all you want is to have a hive, or 2, on your property; talk to local bee keepers. They quite often are looking for spots to site some hives & might be willing to put some on your property if the site is suitable (water, "food", etc). Best of both worlds if it works out - you can enjoy watching the bees, have the benefit of them being there, & won't have any work associated with keeping them.

good luck

What would be the potential payback? Would it just supply me with honey or something more? What's the typical rent? I have a nice creekside/hillside forest that has a active paper hornet nest, so I guess it's a somewhat suitable environment.

I don't want to manage bees, but wouldn't mind them being around for the ecological benefits.

 

[troutsqueezer]

t

What would be the potential payback? Would it just supply me with honey or something more? What's the typical rent? I have a nice creekside/hillside forest that has a active paper hornet nest, so I guess it's a somewhat suitable environment.

I don't want to manage bees, but wouldn't mind them being around for the ecological benefits.

It would increase pollination of whatever plants you have growing in your vincinity that the bees might like. Other than that, about all that you could expect might be a quart jar of honey from the beekeeper if the hives produce. There would not be any "rent" involved for a residential placement.

That said, forest land is not ideal for apiary placement. Desirable locations include agricultural fields foremost followed by residential areas where many yards contain a variety of flowering plants.

 

[troutsqueezer]

So your saying I should just buy the box and hive together thats already started and let them go. I do not want to check them or take honey, just have them around. Its that do-able?

Definetely not saying that. In fact, just the opposite. If the laws I mentioned exist, you should not just leave them alone. You are obligated to take care of them. Kind of like a puppy.

 

[Pete Judd]

Ajamessaw. they will help spread pollen around your garden, and your fruit trees. No payback needed from the beekeeper. Maybe you will get some some honey, but a lot of farmers pay to have hives delivered to them not cheap, I am looking at putting in a couple, high up front cost, but having a few thousand workers workers is cheap compared to going out with a paint brush and doing it your self.

 

[bcjmmac]

In my area there are mainly 2 types of bee keepers. Those that primarily keep the bees for honey, & those that primarily rent the hives out for pollination. The ones that keep bees for honey need to spread their hives out so that there is enough pollen for each hive. If there are lots of agricultural fields/crops (& owners that don't use a lot of pesticides) adjacent to your property a bee keeper that wants honey, especially one in expansion mode, might be interested in using your property to site several hives. The edges of woodlands are good for sheltering the hives so if there are lots of pollen sources in the area your property might be a good bet. This sort of arrangement is generally free for the landowner - in my area at least.
We have 3 hives of our own & some commercial growers still ask if they can put some hives on our back 40 (we have ~60 acres cleared land - pasture/wild flower areas). We're not interested as we don't want to attract any bears - there are a few around & the back is close to a large "wildlife area"/swamp.

 

[scaredychicken]

We have about 40 hives (last count). the yield is good this year according to my wife who is the apiarist. She does the work with relatives, I sell the honey. We are almost sold out and the extracting is just beginning. currently the bees are happily busy on a quarter section, but for the winter months they will be kept on our property. I joined the TBN forum because the plan is to buy raw acreage, and of course tractors and a forklift will be required in short order. great hobby, and extra income = the sweet life. cheers.

we have bears on our property, but the electric fence and the dog (12 lb jack russell) have been effective at keeping the wildlife away from the bees, chickens etc. we are getting a second dog, as the neighbour's dog recently moved away, and our puppy is pretty pooped after treeing the bear for a few hours at a time.

ps - $800 for equipment may be reasonable, but that would also buy a lot of honey...

 

[Eyecatcher]

Would definately like to have a couple of stands of bees, but not sure if there's enough feed for them in the area. We have a commercial outfit about 30 miles south, I see them hauling truckloads of hives around so they must be renting them out. Gonna have to research a cover crop that I could plant here on my 10 acres that would provide something for the bees. don't know what will grow in N Florida that will blossom enough for them.

 

[ajamesshaw]

I should have said hillside forested creek corridor in corn country (Illinois). The hornets paper nest is closer to the edge of the creek than the fields edge at the top of the hillside, so I thought that is where they must like it. Not a real forest.

Neighbor has a 15 acre prairie restoration and I have 21 of corn, so lots of plant life/flowers are near.

I will look into offering room to a beekeeper, thanks everybody for the inspiration!

t

It would increase pollination of whatever plants you have growing in your vincinity that the bees might like. Other than that, about all that you could expect might be a quart jar of honey from the beekeeper if the hives produce. There would not be any "rent" involved for a residential placement.

That said, forest land is not ideal for apiary placement. Desirable locations include agricultural fields foremost followed by residential areas where many yards contain a variety of flowering plants.

 

[Pete Judd]

I have been hoarding the last quart of a dead friends blackberry honey. She had a couple of hives behind her house. I have been looking at hive plans, and will build a couple this winter. Need them for the garden, I have provided lots homes for mason bees, to do the early pollen thing, I think it is a win win thing.

 

[troutsqueezer]

Would definately like to have a couple of stands of bees, but not sure if there's enough feed for them in the area. We have a commercial outfit about 30 miles south, I see them hauling truckloads of hives around so they must be renting them out. Gonna have to research a cover crop that I could plant here on my 10 acres that would provide something for the bees. don't know what will grow in N Florida that will blossom enough for them.

Bees will forage to a five mile radius. Of course, the closer the nectar the more trips they can make on a given day.

 

[ddb123]

Bees will forage to a five mile radius. Of course, the closer the nectar the more trips they can make on a given day.

Everything I have read has said two miles and that they favor particularly strong sources to nearby ones. I have bees and rarely see them in my garden or on my flowers. Lots of honey anyway.

 

[k4vb]

I am a second generation, lifer in beekeeping. I keep around 100 hives. I do recommend that anyone start with at least 2 hives. With more than one hive, you have a reference for comparison so you can call for help if they appear different. I agree that splits are the best way to start but that too has its downsides so get them from a reputable beekeeper and or make sure they have been state inspected. Try and get splits with at least 3 frames of brood.

I strongly recommend locating a beekeeping association and join. Most associations have loaner extractors for members. Langstroth hives are considered standard and will be a must for using loaner extractors. In many states, any other “box” is illegal because removable frames are required for state inspections. Check with your state inspector regarding ‘Top Bar” or other hives designs.

Don’t worry about planting any particular crop for them unless you want a specific nectar sourced honey. In most locations, the bees will find a nectar source. Be careful with agricultural crops, lots of potential for insecticide and other problems. Wooded areas are great. Swampy areas are great but beware of flooding. Old established subdivisions are great but if in a city or community, keep a continuous supply of water. Bees generally prefer swimming pools over other water sources. Bees in swimming pools and dog water are the biggest single complaint from near neighbors.

Once you are established and the word is out, your honey sales will most likely far exceed your supply. If you use or sell “comb honey” (not extracted), store in a deep freeze for 24 hours before selling it to prevent it containing lesser wax moth larvae.

Enticing bee swarms to move into your boxes is tricky. I have a slide presentation on my WebPages (www.k4vb.com) that reflect my experience in that area.

Just a few tips from the school of hard knocks! Happy Beekeeping!