Okay I'll start the beekeeping thread (Page 5 of 154)
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Okay, FYI, I'd burn that old comb when I got the chance. I dunno if small hive beetle is in your area, but leaving any comb around the bee yard or nearby is a bad idea. It harbors disease and pests. SHB and wax moths in particular.
Be warned though, honeycomb burns HOT. It'll be a bigger blaze and a hotter one than you anticipate. Do it at night when no bees are on it. If they have most of the honey out of it it's not doing them any good one way or the other, so best to just get rid of it––fire is the way to do that. Then they can get busy paying attention to your sugar syrup and fixing up their new home. ETA: I should say that some folks would melt the wax down and use it or sell it of course, but once it's set out––in rain or weather, it's quite likely ruined. That's why I suggested burning. The main point is to not have any comb scraps lying around, since that attracts the pests that can infect or invade your hive. Kitties |
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Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
| Yes, it has been warm and sunny all week, the snow has been melting off and some things are in bloom, so, my bees have been quite active the past few days. Expecting snow this weekend, so, they again huddle up inside the hive to wait out the cold. Nice to see the girls come out and do their thing though. We'll see if the hive survives during the winter. |
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dogfacepappy, do you have only one hive?
I went into the winter with two. That's down from nine a year ago last fall. 
We will see if I'm still a beekeeper come spring. 
Kitties |
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit.
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
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Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs:
dogfacepappy, do you have only one hive? I went into the winter with two. That's down from nine a year ago last fall.
We will see if I'm still a beekeeper come spring.
Kitties Only one at my house. I have a few others I have situated "down the hill" some many miles away at some year 'round farms. It rained last night, must have pissed my girls off, they are out and about working their butts off gathering. I'm still not feeding, I might start feeding next month if the snow gets bad like it did last month. Come time before everything blooms, I have to move this hive, neighbor keeps bitching to code enforcement about my bees, My lot does not meet their half acre requirement, never mind that behind my house is miles and miles of national forest. And they wonder why our county has very few beekeepers left in it. |
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The PATRIOT ACT: Turning citizens into suspects since 2001.
Freedom is LINUX, Linux is free.
The PATRIOT ACT: Turning citizens into suspects since 2001.
Freedom is LINUX, Linux is free.
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Got into my top bar hive for my first spring inspection. They had gone through most of their honey stores. I went ahead and harvested some of the hold honeycomb in preparation for attempting to move the girls into a bigger hive next weekend. There was a LOT of nice looking capped brood. They're definitely ready for spring!! It's already warming up here nicely - it looks like they have already found some nectar flowing somewhere as there were some fresh honey stores being started. Bees were for the most part calm with a handful of irritated ones buzzing me during the inspection. I have a serious hive beetle problem. :( I sucked up a LOT of them with the mini aspirator I had. The larva had been through a good bit of the honey stores. I need to figure out a better way to deal with the SBH. And, finally, after nearly a year, I finally found my queen!!  |
There is a guy.. a NAKED GUY WITH .. with.. with.. WITH A SPIDER ON HIS DICK!! There are PANTIES WITH SPIDERS CRAWLING OUT OF... THERE IS A SPIDER ON A ROLL OF TOILET PAPER!!-DrFrige
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Ok I'll play, didn't have time to read the whole thread but looks crazy cool. I'm planning on buying some land in the next 2-3 years unless something CRAZY awesome gets dropped in my lap before hand. Land will be in northern texas either west or east of Dallas/FtWorth. I wont be living on the land for the first few years, but will be driving up to it maybe once a month. Assuming its around 100 acres, and half is pasture land (which I will make sure of) how plausible is the following: Having one or a few bee hives, a small orchard and renting out the same pasture to someone with cattle? The hives and orchard would be gated off together, but in the same pasture with the cows, and as I said I would be there maybe once a month for a day or two. Sorry if the questions and statements are a little rushed, I'm about to leave work. Does having a set of fruit trees or flowering plants make a big difference in their honey production/survivability? Do they react badly to cows within 20-50 yrds of their hive? |
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I opened my hive today.
There are only a few stragglers left. The hive froze in place. I'll clean it boxes up, and prepare it for a bee package. This will give me the chance to relocate the box to another spot out back. I've got some wire panels to set up around the two hives, that should keep the annual two or three bovines away from the hives? Can I install two bee packages at the same time, with the boxes seven feet apart? Also, I'm planning on using the full frames to feed the package bees later. I'll lay them in the hive top feeder. Is that a good idea? Or, replace the foundation and toss the full foundation? Great thread. Thanks everyone. M |
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I've got 6 hives spread around the Austin area. All are doing well: all have bees coming back with pollen baskets full. The rain we just got will help tremendously. I did a cut out of a log two weeks ago, we'll see how they wind up doing.
I've got another cut out to do tomorrow. Should be relatively simple. I'll take some pics for you guys. |
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Originally Posted By memyselfandi:
Ok I'll play, didn't have time to read the whole thread but looks crazy cool. I'm planning on buying some land in the next 2-3 years unless something CRAZY awesome gets dropped in my lap before hand. Land will be in northern texas either west or east of Dallas/FtWorth. I wont be living on the land for the first few years, but will be driving up to it maybe once a month. Assuming its around 100 acres, and half is pasture land (which I will make sure of) how plausible is the following: Having one or a few bee hives, a small orchard and renting out the same pasture to someone with cattle? The hives and orchard would be gated off together, but in the same pasture with the cows, and as I said I would be there maybe once a month for a day or two. Sorry if the questions and statements are a little rushed, I'm about to leave work. Does having a set of fruit trees or flowering plants make a big difference in their honey production/survivability? Do they react badly to cows within 20-50 yrds of their hive? What part of Texas? Cows will only be a problem if they rub up against the hives. I use cattle panels held by t-posts around my hives to keep this from happening. Being near a large amount of flower (like a cotton field) is an advantage, but not a necessity. Believe me, if it's out there, they will find it. One of the beautiful things about bees is that they don't care about fences or roads. They'll fly right over them. |
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The land would be either east or west of dallas. Gah you guys make this stuff sound so easy. Dont you need a suit and smoke can and all that jazz to do this stuff? Is bee keeping a full time job or does it take little to accomplish? Do most of ya'll do it for free honey or to see the honey. |
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Originally Posted By memyselfandi:
The land would be either east or west of dallas. Gah you guys make this stuff sound so easy. Dont you need a suit and smoke can and all that jazz to do this stuff? Is bee keeping a full time job or does it take little to accomplish? Do most of ya'll do it for free honey or to see the honey. Figure about half an hour per hive per month on average, once you get a hive established (that's actually on site, working the hive). A smoker is a necessity, as is a veil. The rest depends on how comfortable with exposing parts of your body to the bees. I know some people that work in a long sleeve shirt and no gloves. I'm not that comfortable yet. What you'll find is that there is no right way of doing it, just what works for you. The fun part is finding out what that is. |
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Was doing a shakedown on my top bar hive to move my bees into a larger hive. During the process, the spider that was living under one of the edges to the top of the hive caught themselves a snack!  |
There is a guy.. a NAKED GUY WITH .. with.. with.. WITH A SPIDER ON HIS DICK!! There are PANTIES WITH SPIDERS CRAWLING OUT OF... THERE IS A SPIDER ON A ROLL OF TOILET PAPER!!-DrFrige
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Originally Posted By Torqued:
Was doing a shakedown on my top bar hive to move my bees into a larger hive. During the process, the spider that was living under one of the edges to the top of the hive caught themselves a snack! http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r253/Torqued713/bees/shakedown-spider.jpg you realize this would be PERFECT bait for DrFrige? Label the thread, "Hey DrFrige, are you afraid of honeybees too? pic inside..." |
"Focus on the front sight.....Smooth on the trigger..."
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When they come to take your guns, give them up. One round at a time.
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Armalite 20 inch - or nothing.
When they come to take your guns, give them up. One round at a time.
America is not at war.The Military is at war. America is at the mall.
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Originally Posted By FordGuy: Originally Posted By Torqued: Was doing a shakedown on my top bar hive to move my bees into a larger hive. During the process, the spider that was living under one of the edges to the top of the hive caught themselves a snack! http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r253/Torqued713/bees/shakedown-spider.jpg you realize this would be PERFECT bait for DrFrige? Label the thread, "Hey DrFrige, are you afraid of honeybees too? pic inside..." http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=848278  edited to add: dammit! DrFrige's inbox is full! |
There is a guy.. a NAKED GUY WITH .. with.. with.. WITH A SPIDER ON HIS DICK!! There are PANTIES WITH SPIDERS CRAWLING OUT OF... THERE IS A SPIDER ON A ROLL OF TOILET PAPER!!-DrFrige
Cockatoo that's great! Uxb told me you were getting bees and I said, "where's he gonna put BEES?" Glad you're trying it. Give those hive bodies a couple of good coats of acrylic paint on the outside. Kitties |
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit.
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
|
Originally Posted By memyselfandi: Ok I'll play, didn't have time to read the whole thread but looks crazy cool. I'm planning on buying some land in the next 2-3 years unless something CRAZY awesome gets dropped in my lap before hand. Land will be in northern texas either west or east of Dallas/FtWorth. I wont be living on the land for the first few years, but will be driving up to it maybe once a month. Assuming its around 100 acres, and half is pasture land (which I will make sure of) how plausible is the following: Having one or a few bee hives, a small orchard and renting out the same pasture to someone with cattle? The hives and orchard would be gated off together, but in the same pasture with the cows, and as I said I would be there maybe once a month for a day or two. Sorry if the questions and statements are a little rushed, I'm about to leave work. Does having a set of fruit trees or flowering plants make a big difference in their honey production/survivability? Do they react badly to cows within 20-50 yrds of their hive? You'll have to fence off your hives from the cattle, as you've said. The cattle will knock over the hives. You need to include some skunk guards, quite likely, on your hives. (I assume you have skunks down there) because you'll be visiting the hives so infrequently. Skunks are murder on beehives when they're not watched closely. If you don't know how to make skunk guards, holler and I'll tell. |
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit.
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
|
Originally Posted By MDS: I opened my hive today. There are only a few stragglers left. The hive froze in place. I'll clean it boxes up, and prepare it for a bee package. This will give me the chance to relocate the box to another spot out back. I've got some wire panels to set up around the two hives, that should keep the annual two or three bovines away from the hives? Can I install two bee packages at the same time, with the boxes seven feet apart? Also, I'm planning on using the full frames to feed the package bees later. I'll lay them in the hive top feeder. Is that a good idea? Or, replace the foundation and toss the full foundation? Great thread. Thanks everyone. M Oh, so sorry about your hive, MDS. It happens. Sad that you have to start all over. If you haven't cleaned the box, do it as quickly as possible so you can salvage it from wax moths. May be too late though. If it's set at all empty, the wax moths will likely have devoured it. Yes, of course you can install two packages at the same time. Just plan on a few hours to get everything set. Seven feet apart is a good distance. Mine are not that far apart, but I think the further they are, the less they drift. Mine have constantly drifted to the hive on the east side of the bee yard. Now that's the only one I have left (a couple of queen failures, some swarms that left the hives weak, and then wax moths). Ah well. I have to move it somewhere else anyhow, so right now I have one very strong hive that I can either split or move as a whole down to the neighbor's farm––and hope I'll have some success actually working the bees when they're not in my backyard. I don't know about your bovines. Do you mean free-ranging cows? I have no experience with those cuz they're not around here. Some of the Texas beekeepers will likely be able to help with that problem. I don't know what it takes to keep wild hogs out of something either. I know they're strong animals if they're anything like meat hogs. I think an electric fence would be your BEST bet, but again, that's just a guess. Do you have bears in your part of the state? Around here, we use electric fences to control cattle and in the eastern part of the state, bears. But that's pastured cattle. If they're not fenced out with electric fence (the cheapest way around here) they'll break through and rub up against the hives and knock them over. Okay, clarify what you mean "I'm planning to use the full frames to feed....." Do you mean the honey you have left from the old hive? |
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit.
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
|
Originally Posted By goldtop: I've got 6 hives spread around the Austin area. All are doing well: all have bees coming back with pollen baskets full. The rain we just got will help tremendously. I did a cut out of a log two weeks ago, we'll see how they wind up doing. I've got another cut out to do tomorrow. Should be relatively simple. I'll take some pics for you guys. Oh, that would be awesome! As far as I can remember, there are no pics of harvesting a wild swarm in this thread. Glad your bees are doing well! Will look forward to the pics. Kitties |
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit.
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
|
Originally Posted By memyselfandi: The land would be either east or west of dallas. Gah you guys make this stuff sound so easy. Dont you need a suit and smoke can and all that jazz to do this stuff? Is bee keeping a full time job or does it take little to accomplish? Do most of ya'll do it for free honey or to see the honey. Yes, you need a suit and the gear to handle the bees. The hard part, once you get over the awkwardness, is knowing WHAT to do. The tasks themselves are not that difficult. You just have to get past the awkwardness, the heebie jeebies of having a gazillion bees pissed off and swarming all around you, and learn how to handle the bees and the frames––slowly, methodically, and gently––no knocking stuff around. They don't like to get knocked around or jolted. The learning is never-ending. You will have some successes and some failures and learn from both. It's not "easy" but it's not hard either. The best thing you could do would be make friends with some experienced beekeepers, get yourself a bee suit and follow those guys around their bee yards a few times. STay with them and help. Hold stuff, pass stuff to them, ask questions, let them show you stuff. You'll learn more in a day than you will in a month of reading. I don't think I'd start with bees without some mentors to help me, but that's just me. |
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit.
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
|
Originally Posted By goldtop: Originally Posted By memyselfandi: The land would be either east or west of dallas. Gah you guys make this stuff sound so easy. Dont you need a suit and smoke can and all that jazz to do this stuff? Is bee keeping a full time job or does it take little to accomplish? Do most of ya'll do it for free honey or to see the honey. Figure about half an hour per hive per month on average, once you get a hive established (that's actually on site, working the hive). A smoker is a necessity, as is a veil. The rest depends on how comfortable with exposing parts of your body to the bees. I know some people that work in a long sleeve shirt and no gloves. I'm not that comfortable yet. What you'll find is that there is no right way of doing it, just what works for you. The fun part is finding out what that is. I agree this is probably pretty good as an estimate. BUT some months it will be just a few minutes. Opening, looking in, seeing if you need to add a super, whatever. Other months the work is really intensive and takes days. And the work to setting up bees is front-loaded. Building the equipment, getting ready to install the bees, etc. Like building a house, most of the work is on the front end. Before you can move them in, then there's only LOTS of work a couple times per year. Beyond that it's just like goldtop said. A few minutes now and then. |
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit.
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
|
Originally Posted By Torqued: Was doing a shakedown on my top bar hive to move my bees into a larger hive. During the process, the spider that was living under one of the edges to the top of the hive caught themselves a snack! http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r253/Torqued713/bees/shakedown-spider.jpg Every hive has ( had ) a couple of these in it in our bee yard. They get HUGE. Uxb kept saying, "they're not eating the bees I'm sure of it. ) I was like, WHEN have you seen a jumping spider the size of godzilla? Those spiders are munching on our bees!"  I got nuthin aginst jumping spiders, but they need to go hunt like any other jumping spider, and stop living on welfare in my beehives.
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Born with a low tolerance for bullshit.
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
|
Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: Torqued, is that a pic of your hive? That's a gorgeous queen and a nice brood pattern. Go you! Kitties Yes it is! those are my girls!  |
There is a guy.. a NAKED GUY WITH .. with.. with.. WITH A SPIDER ON HIS DICK!! There are PANTIES WITH SPIDERS CRAWLING OUT OF... THERE IS A SPIDER ON A ROLL OF TOILET PAPER!!-DrFrige
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Bump for any progress reports: How are everyone's bees doing as it starts to warm up? Our one strong hive is working like crazy, been bringing in pollen for a few weeks now, and starting to bring in nectar. I'm actually worried about a swarm. I may lose them if I don't get in there and divide or put on supers. Kitties |
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit.
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
|
Doing pretty good. I posted about it in a separate post title "MY SHTF sugar supply ... :)"
Here is the queen that I saw the other day. 
She is my favorite. These are the most gentle bees I have (never been stung by them once). And all of my bees are swarm bees so you never know what you're going to get. |
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Originally Posted By thebeekeeper1:
Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs:
Originally Posted By Waldo:
Pretty sure you have to have hives inspected in this state. That's not a bad thing. The state apiarists are usually great guys––helpful––make suggestions, and can help you ward off disease and notice things you might not. I almost wish we had required annual inspections here, because it would keep beekeepers from abusing pesticides and building up immunity in the pests, which causes untold problems. But I know a lot of people would consider that intrusive. From my experience though, this kind of thing is not an intrusive 'gubmint out ta git ya' thing. It's helpful and friendly. They want to encourage beekeeping, not discourage it. And inspections here, if you request them, are done at no charge. Kitties Absolutely. I was dead-set against having "the government in my business" when I first started. I later learned you WANT to register your colonies and have them inspected regularly. Most of the inspectors are GREAT guys and have tons of experience––which they are eager to share. They will teach you how to spot foul brood (and other diseases/parasites) and will teach you more in a couple of hours than you can learn by reading and your own experience in several years. One other VERY IMPORTANT aspect of having your colonies registered is the ever-present threat of spraying insecticides. It is the responsiblity of sprayers to notify you and take action to protect your bees. They can't do this if you aren't registered. If you are registered and your bees are harmed, they are responsible for making it right. If not, you are SOL. Great looking hives! This guy acts like he know about keeping bees or something!
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Originally Posted By metoo: Dang you people !! I just spent 3 hours browsing different sites about bee keeping. Should have never looked at this thread. Brought back memories of my grandfather, who used to bring us a big dishpan full of honeycomb. . . straight from the hive ! Well, welcome to the thread!  |
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit.
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
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Originally Posted By SigOwner_P229: Looks like they're bringing in the honey.Doing pretty good. I posted about it in a separate post title "MY SHTF sugar supply ... :)" Here is the queen that I saw the other day. http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~colchimd/pictures/queen.jpg She is my favorite. These are the most gentle bees I have (never been stung by them once). And all of my bees are swarm bees so you never know what you're going to get. That's awesome that all your bees are wild bees. Cheapest way to run a bee yard. I haven't been able to manage that. My wild swarms haven't fared so well.  Do you re-queen or let them make their own? Kitties |
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit.
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
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Originally Posted By DUX4LIFE:
How critical is it to make hive boxes with finger joints? I have a stack of new pine already cut to length but have no way to make the joints. I was thinking of just using a simple lap joint with glue and nails. WOOPS, THIS IS KITTIES, NOT UXB––FORGOT TO LOG HIM OUT. It's not critical as far as the bees are concerned. It's just about the life of the boxes. Fingerjointed boxes seem to last a little longer. Some of the bee supply companies sell boxes that are not fingerjointed. It's okay. If you have the boxes cut, glue them up good and nail or (even better) screw them together. Get going with your bees that way, and when you want to buy fingerjoint boxes or get the jig to make your own joints, so much the better. Two coats, minimum, of WATER-BASED paint––acrylic, not oil based––on the outsides of the boxes and you'll be good to go. Don't forget to cut the lip at the top of the box for the frames to hang on. Kitties |
"I've yet to master my inner idiot." - jkstexas2001
"Every night I burn, dreaming the crow-black dream."
"Every night I burn, dreaming the crow-black dream."
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Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs:
Originally Posted By SigOwner_P229:
Looks like they're bringing in the honey.
Doing pretty good. I posted about it in a separate post title "MY SHTF sugar supply ... :)" Here is the queen that I saw the other day. http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~colchimd/pictures/queen.jpg She is my favorite. These are the most gentle bees I have (never been stung by them once). And all of my bees are swarm bees so you never know what you're going to get. That's awesome that all your bees are wild bees. Cheapest way to run a bee yard. I haven't been able to manage that. My wild swarms haven't fared so well.
Do you re-queen or let them make their own? Kitties They may be bringing some in, but I can't figure out where it is coming from. I'm sure they're finding it somewhere though. They are all the original queens. But this year I am going to requeen my hottest hive with a queen spawned from my favorite one (in the picture). So far they're doing pretty well but that could change quickly given the right conditions. |
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Originally Posted By SigOwner_P229: They may be bringing some in, but I can't figure out where it is coming from. I'm sure they're finding it somewhere though. They are all the original queens. But this year I am going to requeen my hottest hive with a queen spawned from my favorite one (in the picture). So far they're doing pretty well but that could change quickly given the right conditions. Down here they're working redbuds like crazy (they've just begun to open) and hyacinths and other spring bulbs. They've been working dandelions and the spring weeds, like chickweed and such––for a while now. Just four weeks ago they were only bringing in pollen and glue from the tree buds. How far north are you? Don't y'all have anything blooming up there yet? |
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit.
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
|
Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs:
Originally Posted By SigOwner_P229:
They may be bringing some in, but I can't figure out where it is coming from. I'm sure they're finding it somewhere though. They are all the original queens. But this year I am going to requeen my hottest hive with a queen spawned from my favorite one (in the picture). So far they're doing pretty well but that could change quickly given the right conditions. Down here they're working redbuds like crazy (they've just begun to open) and hyacinths and other spring bulbs. They've been working dandelions and the spring weeds, like chickweed and such––for a while now. Just four weeks ago they were only bringing in pollen and glue from the tree buds. How far north are you? Don't y'all have anything blooming up there yet? Not much in the way of nectar producers blooming that I am aware of. Our first flow is normally dandelions and they haven't bloomed yet. I would expected them to bloom in the next week or so though (hopefully). My bees are near Brazil, IN. There may be other small producers that I'm just not aware of though. Like I said, they may be bringing it in, I just don't know where its coming from. |
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Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs:
Originally Posted By MDS:
I opened my hive today. There are only a few stragglers left. The hive froze in place. I'll clean it boxes up, and prepare it for a bee package. This will give me the chance to relocate the box to another spot out back. I've got some wire panels to set up around the two hives, that should keep the annual two or three bovines away from the hives? Can I install two bee packages at the same time, with the boxes seven feet apart? Also, I'm planning on using the full frames to feed the package bees later. I'll lay them in the hive top feeder. Is that a good idea? Or, replace the foundation and toss the full foundation? Great thread. Thanks everyone. M Oh, so sorry about your hive, MDS.
It happens. Sad that you have to start all over. If you haven't cleaned the box, do it as quickly as possible so you can salvage it from wax moths. May be too late though. If it's set at all empty, the wax moths will likely have devoured it. Yes, of course you can install two packages at the same time. Just plan on a few hours to get everything set. Seven feet apart is a good distance. Mine are not that far apart, but I think the further they are, the less they drift. Mine have constantly drifted to the hive on the east side of the bee yard. Now that's the only one I have left (a couple of queen failures, some swarms that left the hives weak, and then wax moths). Ah well. I have to move it somewhere else anyhow, so right now I have one very strong hive that I can either split or move as a whole down to the neighbor's farm––and hope I'll have some success actually working the bees when they're not in my backyard.
I don't know about your bovines. Do you mean free-ranging cows? I have no experience with those cuz they're not around here. Some of the Texas beekeepers will likely be able to help with that problem. I don't know what it takes to keep wild hogs out of something either. I know they're strong animals if they're anything like meat hogs. I think an electric fence would be your BEST bet, but again, that's just a guess. Do you have bears in your part of the state? Around here, we use electric fences to control cattle and in the eastern part of the state, bears. But that's pastured cattle. If they're not fenced out with electric fence (the cheapest way around here) they'll break through and rub up against the hives and knock them over.
Okay, clarify what you mean "I'm planning to use the full frames to feed....." Do you mean the honey you have left from the old hive? Yep, this is open range. My place is fenced, but I leave the gate open often. Yes I have several full frames of honey. No moths or other pests yet. Thanks for your continued input, and support. M |
"Use of Deadly Force Authorized"
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Hello everyone,
This is a great thread, I have gotten lots of ideas, and info from it. I have been considering starting my own hive, we recently planted lots of different fruit plants and trees here, and I was wondering if it's too late in the season to get a "package of bees" and try and establish a hive this year, or if I should wait till next year and start earlier in the spring. I have a friend that I spoke to yesterday thats in his second year with a hive and he said I would be cutting it close, by the time I got everything set up, and the package order, but also said he wasn't 100% positive if it would be too late. So what do you all think? Too late, or just in time for this season? |
I do not kill with my gun;
He who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father.
I kill with my heart
He who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father.
I kill with my heart
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Originally Posted By ka-tetof1:
Hello everyone, This is a great thread, I have gotten lots of ideas, and info from it. I have been considering starting my own hive, we recently planted lots of different fruit plants and trees here, and I was wondering if it's too late in the season to get a "package of bees" and try and establish a hive this year, or if I should wait till next year and start earlier in the spring. I have a friend that I spoke to yesterday thats in his second year with a hive and he said I would be cutting it close, by the time I got everything set up, and the package order, but also said he wasn't 100% positive if it would be too late. So what do you all think? Too late, or just in time for this season? I would think that there's still time to get a package? To me it's more weather related than anything. Temps here can still be in the low 30s into May. I've ordered my packages for the first week in May. I'll be all set up to accept them. HTH M |
"Use of Deadly Force Authorized"
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If you can get your stuff built and painted and dry by the time the packages arrive, it's not too late, but they're right. You're JUSTon the border. Any later, and you'd probably need to buy a starter hive or a nucleus colony from an established beekeeper. If you decide to do this second option, be CERTAIN the beekeeper has been inspected and that you are not buying disease (you won't know how to tell, because you're inexerienced). Or make friends with a master beekeeper and have him/her go with you to look at the hives you're buying. So if you have a couple of weeks to work on building equipment, and can get it shipped ot you FAST––AND you can get somebody to ship you some bees this late, go for it. But you have to have everything set and ready when the bees arrive. That means equipment ordered, assembled, painted, and frames built and wax or foundation in place for the colony. You also need somebody experienced to either let you watch them install a colony so you can see how to do it, or who will come and help you install yours when it arrives. It's kind of a hairy thing to do if you've never worked with bees before. An established beekeeper will tell you "it's no big deal." And it's not. TO ME––or to an ESTABLISHED beekeeper––somebody who has successfully done it. To a brand new person, it's not so straightforward. If you have any doubt that you can make all this happen within about two weeks, you need to hold off, find a local beekeeping association or club, attend meetings, go to a bee school or two this spring and summer, and learn. I spent a year learning before I got my bees. That was not too much time. Other people jump right in and do okay. The most important thing you can have is a support network of beekeepers around you so you can ask questions and get information or help when you need it. Reading helps, but no amount of reading will prepare you for how it feels when there are 20,000 bees swarming around your head and you're trying to be calm, not get stung, and not injure or damage them or the queen while you install or work the hive. Experience––and I mean other people's experience––is the best teacher here. Also be aware that by making friends with beekeepers, who are, as a rule, a generous lot, you may find that you can get your equipment, get everything ready, and sometime during the summer you'll get a call from your beekeeping mentor that goes something like, "hey, ketetof1, I just got a call and there's a swam in an old house out on Highway_______. Do you want it?" You: "Well, YEAH, I want it, and I have my stuf ready, but I don't know how to catch a swarm." Beekeeper: "WEll, can youmet me at ________ and we'll go out there and I'll help you catch it, then we'll take it to your house and put it in your hive. Now, it may not stay––they may all leave on you in the morning, but from what they said there's a good-size ball of bees in there...." blah blah blah. And ta-da! You're a beekeeper. With free bees. Now, this might not happen, but you see that knowing other beekeepers is a really good thing. And once you're experienced, you'll do the same for another new beekeeper some years down the road. Hope this helps. Kitties |
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit.
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
| Thank you for your suggestions, and for sharing a bit of what you have learnt from your own experiences. I will take a serious look at what you have presented me and go from there. Thanks very much. |
I do not kill with my gun;
He who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father.
I kill with my heart
He who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father.
I kill with my heart
Well I have 6 deep boxes built along with the 3 bottoms and tops. I ordered 60 frames/foundations and 3 inner covers. I'm just waiting for some swarm calls now . I have been away from beekeeping for so long I want to jump in really deep. Thinking about going with 10 hives to start but I probably need to slow down. 3 for the first year would be my best bet.
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Dux4life, that's great that you're getting back into it! What renewed your interest? I have not heard of a lot of swarms in our area yet, but I suppose they could be happening. The bees start early. Still...we're having nights down in the upper 30s, which is a tad cool for the bees. Kitties |
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit.
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
Loosely connected to UXB.
Wait. That's an oxymoron.
Well-behaved women rarely make history--Marilyn Monroe
| Just got a call here at work today (911) about a swarm that was a city block long. She said there are bee's everywhere I cant even get out of my car. We called all the beekeepers on our list and no one wanted to go out and try and get it. I dont know if I would have tried it or not but I have sure read alot about the process. I havent started on my equipment yet either and think I may wait until next year to try and start my hives. |