When you make your own winter patties, do you put Honey Bee Healthy in them?

I've heard good things about that stuff, but at least one member--even on here, I think--did not like using it.

Any thoughts?

Yes, this!

Wow, I just looked back at the start of this thread.

So many interested people who posted often, who have dropped off the map and not posted anywhere on the forum for a couple of years.

Hoping they're okay.

Thanks Frank!  

I had been hanging out in Homestead for a few years.  Back then it was called something else and included food and cooking.  I could not recall seeing any beekeeping threads, so after I got a year of bees under my belt and gained a little confidence, I thought it would be a good fit.  I had enjoyed so much here on the forum, but had not contributed threads of my own very often.

I'm glad if it's a help to somebody.  I still think I need to start a version II, let this one archive and link to it, but I thought I would get an index done by now, so people could go straight to what they want to read about instead of reading a 100 page thread.    Still have the index in the plans.

Welcome, quiet_student!

So glad you're here, and I do hope you get to add your photos and show us your bees.  We will enjoy hearing about your progress.

Snork!

Have y'all tried the different "shapes" on the front of the hive to help the bees orient to their own hive?

I tried that for a couple of years.  Honestly I could not see that it made much difference in the drift of worker bees to the easternmost hive. (which was what I was seeing before I tried the wood cutout shapes)  I did paint each a different color.

ETA: Meant to say, Dux, she's a pretty queen. Is she one you raised?

Yes, it's a better idea to move the hive to handle worker drift.

This different shape/different color wood pieces was an idea I'd heard at a bee school somewhere, and decided I would try it to avoid having to shift the entire hives around.

NOW when I go back into it, I'll go there knowing that I need to be able to move those hives back and forth, because drift happens.   I'm still searching for a way to avoid drift in a bee yard with multiple hives.  I like your circle idea, but hate giving up the "back of hive" approach when I just want to go down and have a quick look.

@Quiet_Student

I think you have enough experience with bees (or enough good mentors) to know about foulbrood, and how to check for it, and the nasty smell that goes with it, but I would be remiss if I did not at least mention that here since you brought up that smell.

More for new people reading through, than for you, probably.

For any new people, if your hive stinks, something is wrong.

Interesting.  How big will your "u" shape be?  I mean how far apart will the hives be front to front?

You must have seen a yard set up that way and liked it I'm guessing.

Glad for anytime you want to post.  

I agree.  That smell, when you put your face up against the back of a happy, healthy working hive...there is nothing else like that.

I think if that could be bottled, it would be an amazing antidepressant.

Oh that's MUCH further apart than I had imagined.    Wish I could visit your bee yard someday and learn from what you are doing.

I kept a notebook with sections separated for each hive, so I could make notes on each one.

I always kept the Date adn time of day, weather conditions, state of the hive at the time and whether it was better worse or same as last inspection, my observations on number of bees, brood, stores, etc, and what I am doing in the hive that day.  You think you will remember what you did and when you did it, but you will not.  Especially as the number of hives increases.

ETA:  I kept a note of the "mood" of the bees.

If they were pissy, or pissier than usual, that was important, especially if the trend continued, because it would mean something was wrong.

With the weather, I made a note of barometric pressure because bees are so sensitive to that.

At one point I noticed that my bees were ALWAYS pissy, then I looked back and I had been checking, every time, when the pressure was dropping. I switched that up, and ta-da! My bees were fine.

The lemongrass is extremely useful as a bait in swarm traps.

I would be careful using it for other purposes.

The more you get into beekeeping, the more you will value that scent for trapping swarms.   Swarms are the BEST way to expand your apiary.

There are a number of posts on that earlier in the thread.  We are trying to index the thread so that's easier to find, but that's not done yet.  (sorry).

There are a number of bee supply houses, and I've ordered mainly from three of them.

Other folks may well have a different take on it, but I found the following in my experience:

Walter T Kelley has great woodenware for the money.  But I can drive there and pick it up, so that saves a lot on shipping.  They also have great frame building/wiring tools, some of which are unique to them.  There are always extra fasteners included.

I have liked everything I ordered from Dadant.--This has been mostly feeders, hive tools, jackets/veils, marking pens, queen catchers--that sort of equipment.

I like Brushy Mountains wax because at the time, they were offering small cell wax, which was a little hard to find. (Small Cell use is a method of mite control, and I've talked about it at length in this thread.  Some folks swear by it, others not, much like all of beekeeping--so dont' let this discussion of THAT distract you.)  I'm just saying I ordered more of the foundation products, etc, from them.   I may be alone in not loving their woodenware.  A lot of it was cedar, but I needed pipe clamps to straighten it to get it to fit together, and had I not had those tools,  I would have had a real problem.  I'll take the pine, paint it carefully, and have it straight out of the box, over the better quality wood with less careful milling.  HOWEVER THAT WAS ONLY ONE PERSON's experience.  Brushy Mountain is a good company, and their service on the phone has been the best of any company I've seen.

There are other companies out there.  Maybe some of the folks here will chime in with what they like best.  Several folk make their own frames/hive bodies, etc.  It's not actually hard, if you work with wood.  You just have to be really careful with the sizing.  Bee Space is a very important concept, which you will learn about, and you need to take care very precise measurements to maintain that.

If you've got somebody helping you, it pays to let them help you and follow their lead, at least at first.

Two things are far more important than any choice of equipment or where you get it:

1-A local beekeeping club/association--take part regularly and learn.  There are bee schools from January-May.  Go to them.  They are cheap and you will learn a head full, and form a network of helpful people.

2-A beekeeping mentor--You will get this by forming friendships within the beekeeping circles.  This person will take you on your first swarm collection so you can watch him/her do a cutout.  They'll meet you when you get your first call for a swarm of bees you need to capture out of a tree.   They''ll loan you equipment.  They might even give you extra swarms, if they've got plenty and/or feel generous.  You will learn from them, and will remember this learning for the rest of your life.

Beekeeping science can be learned from a book.   But the art of it--the skill of it--is still most often passed one beekeeper to another.  The best beekeepers learn from other beekeepers, and in particular, ones in your area/region, will have details you'll need to know.  Every microclimate is a little different for bees, same as for plants.

Hope you'll share your journey with us here!

Bees be like, CHOW TIME!!!!!!!

It does seem that way, and it is a HUGE body of knowledge.

But don't be afraid.  The thing you need to know is that you need to order bees NOW to get a package this spring in time to get a good start.  Find out from your friend where the locals get their bees.  If he's willing to help out, use his knowledge.  There are lots of places to order bees.  But find out where the successful beekeepers in your area get theirs.

Then place your order for two three-pound packages if you can.  Two hives is better to start with.  I know it's double the money, but if you can swing it, do that.  If you lose one, you'll likely still have the second and it's not as discouraging.  You will lose bees eventually, even if it's not the first year.  Every beekeeper does.  So don't let that stop you.

They will arrive in early-mid spring.  You need to have your equipment put together and painted and ready before they arrive.  The bee school you attend should have a class on hive installation, which you should attend. If not, ask for tutorials at one of the meetings, or one of the upcoming meetings might even be on installation.  Beekeeping clubs try to do orientation type classes during the winter to help new folks get started.