I've been busy.  :)

Ammo is too expensive so...


More info here:
BEES AND GARDEN

WOW DURANDA!!!!

This is Kitties--NOT UXB--but I can't remember my login.

I'm so sorry I dropped off the face of the earth.  Life kinda kicked me in the teeth last year and everything except basic survival got dropped.

Those hives are BEAUTIFUL and I'm so proud and excited that you're going for it.

I can't believe this thread is even still around!  

I have about 100 stings in my hands from today--even through my gloves--all swollen knuckles....

Just part of it when you neglect your hives for a year and a half.  They don't know who I am.  I'm finally getting the time to get back to some of the things that make life worthwhile.  

Kitties

ETA:  Looks like you're going for Illinois bodies.  Good for you.  If I had it to do over (this is my fourth year--that's what I'd do.  ALTHOUGH--last year cannot be counted because I did nothing.  N.O.T.H.I.N.G. with my bees.)

Hey KWS and UXB!
I'm gonna get me a hive or two!
A local friend is gonna assist me in learning to maintain them.

I used to be into beekeeping when I was a kid about 35 years ago (I'm now 44).  I still have my extractor.  I would like to get back into it.  It's a 2 deep or 4 shalllow hand crank extractor.  Where could I get a replacement barrel for it.  It was getting bad 20 years ago and I had the drain valve rewelded once.  I suspect it needs to be replaced after being stored this long.  I should have all my veils/smokers/tools but need to build boxes and get a pair of swarms.  I haven't seen a wild swarm here in southern Ill in several years.  It's nice when there free like that.  Does this state still make you register them?

I gor real lucky and found this thread.
 
I live out in the sticks, and have quite a few acres.  Like most places we have assorted old equipment around that for one reason or another doesn't get thrown away.  I was out mowing some acreage up in the front, and there was an old overturned wheelbarrow that had a hole rusted in the side.  I bumped it a little with the mower and a cloud of bees came out of it.  They were honeybees not hornets.  Anyway, I didn't damage it as far as I can tell.  This has been at least 2 months ago, and it seems that the bees are all ok.
 
I would like to transfer them to a box, but don't know how.  I looked around and the closest beekeeper organization that I could find, was in Houston.  That is about 100 miles away.

Could someone give me some advice on what to do?

Thanks,

John  

Hey John.  Follow Frozenny's lead and build a top bar hive.  I think there are plans at www.beesource.com

It's pretty easy and mostly free.  You will need gloves, a veil, and a smoker.  After you buy those three items, and build your top bar set up, you can enjoy!  The difference with top bar is you normally use crush and strain to get your honey...which is also free!

Originally Posted By FordGuy: Hey John.  Follow Frozenny's lead and build a top bar hive.  I think there are plans at www.beesource.com It's pretty easy and mostly free.  You will need gloves, a veil, and a smoker.  After you buy those three items, and build your top bar set up, you can enjoy!  The difference with top bar is you normally use crush and strain to get your honey...which is also free!

Here's a post I made over in the Survival Discussion forum re: my top bar hive:

Originally Posted By MDS: Originally Posted By HomeSlice: How much do you have invested in this so far? +1 M

Ok. I'll tell you how much I have invested, but with the caveat that you don't have to spend that much $$.  I had intended to build my own hive but was short on time due to illnesses this winter that got me WAY behind on my yard work/prep for spring.

$295 - hive
$125 - beekeeping stuff (veil, smoker, hive tool, etc.)
$ 90 - bees
-------
$510

You can do this on the cheap. Top bar hives can be built with scrap wood you may have lying around.

The place I ordered my hive from (www.backyardhive.com/) actually will let you download their hive plans free. You can find the hive plans here:

www.backyardhive.com/weblinks/Build_a_Topbar_Beehive/

You can also google for top bar hive plans and get a lot of sites that will tell you how to build 'em:

www.bushfarms.com/beestopbarhives.htm

topbarbees.wordpress.com/about/design/ (this site shows how you can build 2 of his hives out of one 8x4 sheet of plywood)

www.biobees.com/ has a link at the top of their page for a few different ways to download/view plans for building a top bar hive.

You can get "free" bees if you're willing to capture a feral swarm:

www.backyardhive.com/kb/How_do_I_go_about_getting_bees_to_put_into_my_Backyard_Hive?/

After you get your first hive established, you can easily "split" the bees to populate new hives.

I've been getting most of my top bar hive education on these sites:

www.biobees.com/

www.beesource.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=254

Natural and Organic Beekeeping Methods at Beemaster

I did a quick look on Google and found that organic honey is often being sold for $10+ per lb. That's for 1 lb packages. You can get it for less if you're buying in bulk. But if I wanted to take some of my honey to our local farmer's market, I could get away with selling it for $10+ per lb.

At backyardhive.com, they detail harvesting the honey from a single top bar and indicated that out of a 6.5 lb comb, they harvested 6.3 lbs of honey. That 6.3 lbs of honey from the comb from 1 top bar filled a 1.5 quart jar.

I had to get into the hive last night because a bar had gotten pushed back somehow and there was enough of an opening that bees were trying to build comb on the inside of the roof. I saw that the extra bar I added to the back of the hive 3 weeks ago had been about 90+% built out and was full of honey! I need to get back in there for an inspection this weekend, so hopefully will have more pics and another update.

I've only been stung twice so far.

338winmag said:

Could someone give me some advice on what to do?

I would definitely find a beekeeper near you to help you catch this swarm.  Catching a swarm is not something I would want to do as a first time thing with bees--it's kind of intimidating for one thing, and there's a lot to know--how to retrieve the wild comb and brood (how to recognize honey from brood for one thing) and place it in frames for a hive--that's something you learn from watching an experienced beekeeper do it.

Even though the closest beekeeping association may be far away, your county extension agent will know who keeps bees near you, and that beekeeper is likely to be willing to help a new person get started. (I've never met a beekeeper who was NOT willing, however I'm sure there's one out there and he/she will be the exception to the rule.)

I recommend Beesource.com as a good site--you can download plans for all your woodenware there if you want to build.  If you want to buy the hive and frames and foundation (a good thing for a first-timer if you want to get going right away) there are lots of sources.  Dadant, Better Bee, Walter T Kelley, Brushy Mountain Bee Supply....the list goes on.  

Anyhow, there is a lot to know about beekeeping, and it's a great hobby.  

But no way would I  suggest trying to start, knowing nothing, by catching a wild swarm.  I'm sure there are those who have done it and done it successfully.  People survive shark attacks too--but I wouldn't go there on purpose, ya know?  Especially when I would be money that there is help fairly close by in the form of a local beekeeper.

Let us know if we can be of help.  Just reading through this thread a few times will give you a lot of info, and some different views of how to do things.  

Kitties

Originally Posted By Cockatoo: Hey KWS and UXB! I'm gonna get me a hive or two! A local friend is gonna assist me in learning to maintain them.

AWESOME!

Are you gonna keep your bees at your house?  

We're having some neighbor relations difficulties right now because of our bees.

Kitties

Originally Posted By DUX4LIFE: I still have my extractor.  I would like to get back into it.  It's a 2 deep or 4 shalllow hand crank extractor.  Where could I get a replacement barrel for it.  It was getting bad 20 years ago and I had the drain valve rewelded once.  I suspect it needs to be replaced after being stored this long.

I know you can get replacement "innards" for older extractors if the drum itself is still solid.  But I wonder if you might want to look for another one somewhere--a used one from somewhere or a new one for the following reasons:

I'm betting that your old extractor held the frames so that the comb faced the inside and outside of the drum--in other words, kind of parallel to the drum itself.  Now the extractors hold more frames and hold them perpendicular to the sides of the drum--so they're like spokes on a wheel--and this results in less comb collapse when you spin the extractor.  Also, the designs have improved significantly in the past 20 years or so--and if you're needing to replace the drum itself--you'd be just as well off buying a whole new extractor.  You CAN get the new innards as I said--innards that do the "wheel spoke" thing with the frames--and these innards fit right into the old drum if your old drum is still good, and I think it's cheaper than buying a whole new extractor.

I borrow an extractor from my beekeeping mentor, so I don't own one of my own.  OR the other choice for me is that a local beekeepers association has a huge "uncap, extract, strain, and bottle" piece of equipment--many thousands of dollars--they got from the state--and they take it around the region once a year and if you set it up on that day, you can take your frames (all harvested at once, and that's the problem) and they'll extract FOR you.  This extraction setup was purchased with a grant from Kentucky for ag diversification (tobacco diversification dollars) to help small ag producers who want to get started producing honey but can't afford the investment in the extraction equipment (a significant sum).  

I don't know if there is such a program near you, but it would be worth checking with your county agent.

I haven't seen a wild swarm here in southern Ill in several years. It's nice when there free like that. Does this state still make you register them?

There were a ton of swarms here two years ago (Southern KY) but I haven't seen ANY this year.  I know others have caught some swarms though.  I think the CCD is catching up with us this year in the reduction in number of swarms.    This registration is another question for the county agent.  We are not required to register ours, but if we choose to do so it helps the ag lobby at the state level, and it allows us to qualify for stuff like state supported crop insurance and all that stuff.  I choose to report my hive numbers yearly because it gives beekeepers a stronger voice with the state.  Most people don't think of honeybees as an agricultural entity.  Or at least they didn't until the mainstream media decided to start publicizing the difficulties we have keeping the bees alive.  If anything good comes of CCD, maybe that'll be the one good thing--awareness.

Kitties

Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: 338winmag said: Could someone give me some advice on what to do? Snip Kitties

Thanks for the advice.  I know there are people around local, because I see hives down the road from me.  So I am going to ask at the county extension office.  

I was down getting the mail the other day, and walked by the hive.  There are quite a few bees buzzing around the opening.  I got close, and you could hear them inside.  You don't know how bad I want to lift up that wheelbarrow and see how big it is.  Anyway, I am glad they are there.  I saw a bunch of them on the cucumbers and watermelon blooms yesterday.  

Originally Posted By 338winmag: You don't know how bad I want to lift up that wheelbarrow and see how big it is.

Don't do it.

Nothing like a bunch of pissed-off honeybees.

Your introduction to beekeeping would not be pleasant.  

And think of waiting as an altruistic act of patience....you're saving the lives of all those little ladies who would sting the sh*t out of you--and then die--to save their hive.

You need those ladies when you get the hive in place.  

DON'T DO IT.  

Call a beekeeper.

Kitties

I got the name of a guy who has bees from a woman at work.  She told him what I have, and he is willing to  help me transfer them.  This ought to be interesting.  

As a side note, I planted 4 hills of cucumbers this year in the garden.  They must have been some type of super seeds, because they promptly took over about half of the garden.  I am the only person in Texas with triple canopy cucumbers.   I was down there picking cucumbers this morning, and there was a constant hum of honey bees.  There are thousands of blooms down there, and plenty of happy bees.  

Excellent!

Take pics if you can, and keep us posted on the results!


Our trees had maybe one apple--maybe two at most, per tree--until we got honeybees.  Now we have to thin the fruit.

Unfortunately, honeybees don't really work tomatoes but melons and cucumbers really benefit from having a hive of bees around.

I'll be interested to hear how the bee move goes.

Also be aware that if you're going to keep the bees on your property you'll need to learn a bit about beekeeping.  It's not something you can install and just walk away--at least if you want to harvest honey and keep a healthy hive going.  Your local beekeeper might be willing to tend your bees in exchange for the honey.  But he might not want to.  So you'll need to consider whether you want to become an active beekeeper or not.

Kitties

Hey, I did not know a beekeeping thread existed here. I am a migratory beekeeper out of Arkansas. I started as a hobbyist in 1991. I went on a health kick and was buying local pollen and then one day I had the bright idea of trapping my own. So, I bought a couple of hives from a local guy and now it is a full time business. I keep an average of 10,000 colonies give or take from year to year.  I start in November, after the fall honey crop, getting stuff ready for almond pollination in california, which is in march. From there to Texas  and Louisianna for the Talo flow. and early splits of course. From there to Wisconsin to pollinate Cranberries, Which is where I am right now. then to North Dakota for Alphalpha. And back to Arkansas for Cotton and soybean Honey. I will post a couple of pictures from california for ya. If you have any questions feel free to send an email if you wish  [email protected]

That's a really nice-looking bunch of bees.  

Is that a mite strip in the middle there?

It may be bad news for our bees, as we are having neighbor relations problems because of them.  

Four years without problems, and now the neighbors have decided to pick a fight about our bees.

Kitties

Originally Posted By 338winmag: I got the name of a guy who has bees from a woman at work.  She told him what I have, and he is willing to  help me transfer them.  This ought to be interesting.   As a side note, I planted 4 hills of cucumbers this year in the garden.  They must have been some type of super seeds, because they promptly took over about half of the garden.  I am the only person in Texas with triple canopy cucumbers.   I was down there picking cucumbers this morning, and there was a constant hum of honey bees.  There are thousands of blooms down there, and plenty of happy bees.

Bees like basil as well.  A dense few rows of basil will always be filled with bees.

Bump !

Cause I got bees !!!

Originally Posted By KG5S: Bump ! Cause I got bees !!!

Awesome!

Pics when you can!

Kitties

Originally Posted By Feral: Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: It may be bad news for our bees, as we are having neighbor relations problems because of them.   Four years without problems, and now the neighbors have decided to pick a fight about our bees. What's their complaint?

Well, I was working hives one day when the neighbor's daughter came over to mow her mom's yard (neighbor is a little old lady).  I was about to open the biggest hive when she comes driving up on her riding mower about five feet from the bees.  So I wait.  I wait until she finished the back and I motioned to her to find out if it was okay to go ahead and open the hive.  She said (thumbs up) yes.

Well, I opened, she quit mowing, then about fifteen minutes later, here comes a roofer, and she starts mowing again, and the neighbor and the roofer all come over to the fence and stand and watch us work the big hive (has about six supers on it, so it took a long time to get in there, and it HAD to be done).  So of course the bees got pissed, and the little lady got stung three times.  We took over sting ease (once we got the hive together--we didn't know until later that she'd been stung), and it stopped the pain immediately for her, but then her son has started pestering us about it.

No amount of explanation of how bees work, no amount of saying, "they're not a problem as long as we can coordinate when we open the hive so we work around your schedule"--no amount of anything will do.  They won't bother to cooperate, so the chances are high that we'll open those hives and they'll do something stupid--like stand and watch (and yes, we've made every attempt to educate them about bees and bee behavior.)  She's had three swarms in her aluminum siding since we got bees, so she blames us (not our bees--did not come from our hives).  
It just goes on.

I've run out of energy to deal with it.  She doesn't know her property line and frequently talks to the neighbor behind us about getting his permission for her to cut a tree on the line that actually belongs to us.  She comes into my yard and pulls weeds and trims around my trees.    She may well wander right into the beehives one day.  And that would be a real serious problem.

I've been mowing her back yard for a couple of months now.  I don't mind doing that at all.  But that's not going to solve the problem.  It's her yard.  She has ar right to be in it.  It's a yard full of white clover, and bees fly.  Can't fence 'em in, ya know?  Plus, if she comes in our yard and gets hurt, it's our liability regardless of where she is.  Courts do not understand bees.  They'll hear "bees" and assume a killer bee attack.

We've tried to be good neighbors, but they're not returning the courtesy.  They make nice, but no effort at cooperation, so like I said, I've just run out of energy.

Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: .....She comes into my yard and pulls weeds and trims around my trees.

1 warning for trespassing, then arrest.  Yes, have the police arrest her.
You have to have a paper trail showing she continually comes on your property in case, as you pointed out she comes on your land and gets hurt, even non bee related.

Yes, have the police arrest her.

Well, this is a little problematic.  Not nearly as simple as it seems.

First, I'd have to be here when she does it, and I'm not always.

She's already done that once--She fell off our back porch step and got a sprained....something....can't remember now...arm related.  I took her to the ER.  Her kids came to meet me there.  Once I knew she was okay, I came home, but I was the one who insisted she go.  Short of building a six foot fence, which I honestly cannot afford to do, I don't know how to keep her out of my yard.

I have thousands of dollars invested in these bees, and I was really enjoying being a beekeeper.  That I have to give them up because of her and her weirdo kids makes me really sad.

But honestly, there's only so much you can get by with in a community if you want to be a part of it.  Having a little 80-something year-old lady (many-year resident of this community, while I've been here for only seven or eight) arrested for coming into my yard--that wouldn't go far toward making me a part of it.  And unless you have unlimited funds, and many, many acres surrounding you, you need the neighbors at times.  I'd hate to alienate the entire community by doing something like that.

Plus, I have not told her to stay out of my yard.  That would be the first step I think.  And honestly this goes against my nature.  Telling her would not do any good, since she does not know where the property line is, but it would make me serious enemies in her son and daughter.  

If my dogs escape their kennel and go into her yard for whatever reason (sniffing around, whatever--they're not aggressive), they're liable to lie and say they were bitten.  That's the kind of people they are.  Vindictive.

I don't understand this way of being, but I do understand that this is the way THEY are.

Kitties

And the irony of it is....her son has his degree in agriculture.

He calls himself an agriculturist.  He has a farm (farmette, as Feral would call it), cattle, horses, hay....

And he doesn't want bees here.

Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: ........ I don't understand this way of being, but I do understand that this is the way THEY are. Kitties

I understand.  It's darned unfortunate.  I wish you luck.

Thanks.

I haven't moved the hives yet because it's so involved.  And I'm stalling.

I hate to see them go.

I know Bee-keepers some times rent out their bees to farmers.  Would it be possible to work a deal with a local farmer where you are allowed to keep your bees there for an extended time and he doesn't pay the fee you'd normally charge?  Win - win, or more trouble than it is worth?

My bees survived Hurricane Ike!!

I have been so curious about beekeeping for years as a hobby, I have spent as many years reading various forums on the subject, maybe it would seem odd to some, I've always loved bees. They come to my humming bird feeders in all day long to where I put out more humming bird feeders just to feed the bees. I was reading this thread and found more guys here that were just going to do it that it inspired me to call a local bee keeper to ask questions of him. This guy was great, he was very understanding of my curiosity and asked me if I would be interested in helping him with some of his beekeeping chores and offered to help me establish my own hives.

I am fortunate to live in the mountains where my back yard consists of national forest and a stream with lots of various wild flowers that grow in the meadow during the spring. This is fairly exciting.

Originally Posted By Det0nate: I know Bee-keepers some times rent out their bees to farmers.  Would it be possible to work a deal with a local farmer where you are allowed to keep your bees there for an extended time and he doesn't pay the fee you'd normally charge?  Win - win, or more trouble than it is worth?

Actually I do have permission from a friend with more land to move my bees to his acreage.  His daddy was a beekeeper so he understands their value.

My only trouble is the belief that--as hard as it is for me to get the bees worked when they should be HERE with them only a few hundred feet from the house--that I won't EVER get the work done if they're down the road a bit.

I just don't know.  I'll probably move them there at least temporarily....but moving a big hive is HARD. I don't have the equipment to do it.  They're HEAVY.

Will post updates though.  maybe I can work it out to keep the bees somehow--just not here.

Originally Posted By Torqued: My bees survived Hurricane Ike!!

Most EXCELLENT.  Flooding is the thing that will do bees in for certain.  Glad yours made it.  Very sad to see them drown in floods.

c

Originally Posted By dogfacepappy: I have been so curious about beekeeping for years as a hobby, I have spent as many years reading various forums on the subject, maybe it would seem odd to some, I've always loved bees. They come to my humming bird feeders in all day long to where I put out more humming bird feeders just to feed the bees. I was reading this thread and found more guys here that were just going to do it that it inspired me to call a local bee keeper to ask questions of him. This guy was great, he was very understanding of my curiosity and asked me if I would be interested in helping him with some of his beekeeping chores and offered to help me establish my own hives. I am fortunate to live in the mountains where my back yard consists of national forest and a stream with lots of various wild flowers that grow in the meadow during the spring. This is fairly exciting.

Excellent.  Most beekeepers are like this--glad to share their knowledge and help.

I hope you get into it.  On a small scale it makes a great hobby.  

Feral said:

I've had a few nightmares (literally) over the neighbors who're zoned residential going to the zoning board and demanding we be re-zoned

Can I ask WHY these people want the open area around them rezoned residential so that it can be crammed with houses, streets and cars?  I mean, do they have some reason or complaint against you having a farm there?

This is about the stupidest thing ever.  Most of the people I know wish for more open area around them--would like it to be more "rural" in their neighborhoods.  

What's up with this crazyness?  Do your neighbors have a disease or something?  

Sheesh.  These are the sorts of things that make me think there's no hope for the world.

Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: Originally Posted By Torqued: My bees survived Hurricane Ike!! Most EXCELLENT.  Flooding is the thing that will do bees in for certain.  Glad yours made it.  Very sad to see them drown in floods. c

My hive is a top bar hive. It sits on cinderblocks stacked 2 high.. I put 3 cinderblocks on top of the hive to keep the top on.

That is great.  I always like seeing bees in my garden going from flower to flower.  They are amazing creatures!

Kitties,

Here's an idea that would 1. Promote beekeeping amongst the membership, 2. Provide a permanent spot for the beeks that are here already to discuss. How about asking Ed and Goatboy for a Beekeeping subforum off the survival forum here and you could moderate it.

And while I am at it, I did manage to get started. I have 1 hive in my backyard (requeening tomorrow) and a few hives located at an organic produce farm. As you can see, I've been "buzzy". ;) (All of these bees are from cutouts of feral bees, thus, FREE bees!)

Originally Posted By Det0nate: I know Bee-keepers some times rent out their bees to farmers.  Would it be possible to work a deal with a local farmer where you are allowed to keep your bees there for an extended time and he doesn't pay the fee you'd normally charge?  Win - win, or more trouble than it is worth?

Oh yeah! Farmers LOVE/NEED bees and I have found very warm welcomes from farms wanting a beekeeper to rent them hives on a month to month basis, providing you a place for your bees and some cash to offset fuel costs, and, the honey is YOURS. Of course, kick down a few jars to the farmers as good show of appreciation to your "customers". Win-Win!

Originally Posted By dogfacepappy: Kitties, Here's an idea that would 1. Promote beekeeping amongst the membership, 2. Provide a permanent spot for the beeks that are here already to discuss. How about asking Ed and Goatboy for a Beekeeping subforum off the survival forum here and you could moderate it. And while I am at it, I did manage to get started. I have 1 hive in my backyard (requeening tomorrow) and a few hives located at an organic produce farm. As you can see, I've been "buzzy". ;) (All of these bees are from cutouts of feral bees, thus, FREE bees!)

Hey, congrats on getting started!  Very cool that you have some hives going.  


FYI on the pollination use of bees:  As far as setting up hives for local farmers, the thing is that if you're moving them for short periods for pollination, you won't make hardly any honey.  You have to get enough cash from the combined pollination contracts to support the venture and to also feed the bees heavily all year long.  As a rule the hives used for pollination will end up kind of weak, because the constant moving is stressful for the hive and they lose  significant numbers of field workers every time they're moved.  So they take a lot more intensive managment, tend to be weaker, more susceptible ot pests and diseases, and they don't make much honey-not enough to take any as a rule--you end up having to leave most of it for them to survive on and still have to supplement feed.

Lots of beekeepers make a living pollinating of course, as is evidenced by one of the beekeepers in this thread, but most beekeepers EITHER pollinate or make honey.  If they do both, they have hives they transport to use for pollination, and hives they use for honey crops (and they don't move those).    

If you were gonna just set up your hives in an orchard or something and let the bees stay there all the time-if that was okay with the farmer, the bees would pollinate and also make a honey crop.  But most farmers don't want the bees to sit there in the way during the rest of the season, so you end up having to move them.  There are some exceptions of course.

As to the subforum.....

Well, that's a great idea actually, but I dunno if there's enough interest to support a subforum for beekeepers.  ???  Also, I'm a little worried that if I have to be away for a few days that it might get neglected or something.  I doubt a lot of fights would break out on the beekeeping subforum, but ya never know.  Beekeepers can be an opinionated bunch. Seriously, although this thread has a lot of posts, not too awfully many people participating.  

I'm not unwilling, but I'm just not sure there's that much interest.  Do you think we'd be duplicating info that's available on places like BeeSource?  

Kitties  

Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: *snip* I'm not unwilling, but I'm just not sure there's that much interest.  Do you think we'd be duplicating info that's available on places like BeeSource?   Kitties

No more than beemaster, There's a gun crowd that might just benefit from beekeeping, but, if you consider beemaster or beesource, not much of a gun following there. The thought is creating more of a place for gunfolks to talk beekeeping. What say you?

As far as the forum going ape-shit when you're nto available, just find yourself another person to co-moderate it with you.

Originally Posted By Det0nate: I know Bee-keepers some times rent out their bees to farmers.  Would it be possible to work a deal with a local farmer where you are allowed to keep your bees there for an extended time and he doesn't pay the fee you'd normally charge?  Win - win, or more trouble than it is worth?

where he ALLOWED you to keep your bees there?  you got that backwards and you obviously are confused about the value of bees.

Farmers with certain crops that require bees to pollinate must pay.  It is more trouble than it is worth otherwise. They spray stuff that kills your bees, you may or may not make a honey crop (squash = no honey) and with fuel cost, transporting, checking, picking them up, etc.

If you need a bee yard, then maybe work something out where the farmer gives you some produce but certainly don't do it for free.  there are guys doing pollination for a living and whether you find that offensive or not, they depend on that to feed their family.  pollination is a valuable service.

Originally Posted By FordGuy: Originally Posted By Det0nate: I know Bee-keepers some times rent out their bees to farmers.  Would it be possible to work a deal with a local farmer where you are allowed to keep your bees there for an extended time and he doesn't pay the fee you'd normally charge?  Win - win, or more trouble than it is worth? where he ALLOWED you to keep your bees there?  you got that backwards and you obviously are confused about the value of bees. Farmers with certain crops that require bees to pollinate must pay.  It is more trouble than it is worth otherwise. They spray stuff that kills your bees, you may or may not make a honey crop (squash = no honey) and with fuel cost, transporting, checking, picking them up, etc. If you need a bee yard, then maybe work something out where the farmer gives you some produce but certainly don't do it for free.  there are guys doing pollination for a living and whether you find that offensive or not, they depend on that to feed their family.  pollination is a valuable service.

Well, I think it might be a little different if you don't have a place for bees of your own, and the farmer doesn't need the pollination services.  It's a fair trade for the farmer to give up the space (which you would normally have to rent) for any side benefit--say, he has a few apple trees or for his garden or something--or it can be that he just appreciates bees and has the extra space.  But he's having to mow around them (or not mow around them when he otherwise would) and give up the land use for whatever other purpose he might have.  Even if it's a fencerow, when he goes in front of it with his tractor, it becomes a little more of a hassle if there's beehives there.

And then, there's the liability he takes on by having a beehive on his property.  You know...if somebody gets stung.

People who need pollination should CERTAINLY pay for it because you often don't make much or any honey.  But I'm about to make a deal with a guy down the road to just set my hives on a piece of his land.  He doesn't raise a cash crop and doesn't need the pollination for that reason, but he has fruit trees in his yard and I need a place for my bees so it's a good trade.   Better than giving up my bees.  The only downfall is I fear I won't work them if they're not right here at the house.

Worth a try I guess.

Kitties

Originally Posted By FordGuy: Originally Posted By Det0nate: I know Bee-keepers some times rent out their bees to farmers.  Would it be possible to work a deal with a local farmer where you are allowed to keep your bees there for an extended time and he doesn't pay the fee you'd normally charge?  Win - win, or more trouble than it is worth? where he ALLOWED you to keep your bees there?  you got that backwards and you obviously are confused about the value of bees. Farmers with certain crops that require bees to pollinate must pay.  It is more trouble than it is worth otherwise. They spray stuff that kills your bees, you may or may not make a honey crop (squash = no honey) and with fuel cost, transporting, checking, picking them up, etc. If you need a bee yard, then maybe work something out where the farmer gives you some produce but certainly don't do it for free.  there are guys doing pollination for a living and whether you find that offensive or not, they depend on that to feed their family.  pollination is a valuable service.

Chill bro, really.  I fully understand the value a bee-keeper brings to a farmer.  That's why my very first line read "I know Bee-keepers some times rent out their bees to farmers." RIF my friend R I F.

My "allow" statement was due to the fact that the OP needed a longer term place as her neighbor was giving her grief over her bees.  My statement was perhaps the farmer would allow her longer term storage space during non-growing seasons.  Sheeeze cool your jets, howabout we NOT turn this thread into a flame fest.

Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: Well, I think it might be a little different if you don't have a place for bees of your own, and the farmer doesn't need the pollination services.  It's a fair trade for the farmer to give up the space (which you would normally have to rent) for any side benefit--say, he has a few apple trees or for his garden or something--or it can be that he just appreciates bees and has the extra space.

Exactly.

Great posts folks.
My bee adventure came to a head this year. I have hived the bees, who took over my tool shed. They seem to be doing well, but never moved up to the top box? I put another hive on top, I did that when seven of the frames in the lower hive were full, and feed them syrup at the same time. I checked today and the syrup is still there.
I'm trying to order a package, but no one has returned my emails, or calls.
I have a brand new hive set up waiting for them:)
When I have the time to post pix, I'll give it a shot.
This has been a great learning experience for me, and I'm glad that I went through the time and expense to make it happen.
M

I'd really like a BEEK forum

Oh yeah. I'm looking for plants, and trees for my bees.
So far I'm looking for Russian Sage, and possible Russian Olive? Both supposedly do well in the desert.
I also have filled two water troughs for them to use. I put a board in there, that they can alight on the gather water.
M

MDS, what are the temps like where you are now?  It sounds like you know what you're doing, but if this is your first experience with bees, I don't know what you know or if you have help near you to diagnose any issues with your hive.  If not, here are some thoughts:


Have you looked into the hive and found the queen?  Or signs of a queen?  

I'm wondering how long ago you hived your bees.  It's entirely possible that you a)injured the queen  b) didn't get the queen when you hived the bees c) something has happened to the queen since then or d) the queen took part of the bees and absconded, leaving part behind (this is less likely.).

The only way to know if you have an active queen is to find out whether you have eggs and brood in the bottom.  If you don't, then your bees aren't expanding and moving because there's no reason to.  

Does that make sense or have I confused you totally?  This time of year, if it's cold, the bees will be hanging out in survival mode, eating the honey they've stored.  They won't likely begin drawing out new wax until spring, so if you put foundation only in the top box, it'll just sit there.

How are you feeding your syrup?  Front of the hive?  Top of hive?

Kitties

Hive top feeder. The bottom frames were good to go when I put the top box on.
I put the entrance closer to the smallest opening when the night temps went to 30. I saw bees out yesterday.
No help around here. I'm mostly book learned, and a few phone calls to Bee Commerce.
I live in the middle of Nevada. 5000 ft elevation.
It was 26 when I went to bed this morning. 19 yesterday.
Days temps are in the high 50s to 60ish.
I'll open the hive in a couple of weeks, and check them out again.
I'm planning on moving them out back when they cluster for winter.
There are several alfalfa pivots around here also. Plenty of them, in fact.
Still planning on planting stuff on my place for the bees.
Off to work. (nights)
Have a great day.
M

At those temps, the bees are not likely raising any brood, so they are not expanding for that reason. They are clustering at night, and breaking up the cluster only in the warmest parts of the day to take cleansing flights and maybe get water.  If you have a hive body on the bottom with bees in seven frames, an empty hive body ontop of that, and then a hive top feeder on top of that, the bees will not likely go up through the empty hive body to get to the feeder.  When you get a chance, and the temps are above 50, take the top body off and put the feeder as close to the bees as possible.  If you have a long winter, they will not likely have enough food to survive it without supplemental feeding, but they are not able to break the cluster for very long at those temps––they won't go far to feed.  

If the situation becomes dire, you CAN drizzle small amounts of sugar syrup right onto the ball of bees in the warm part of the day.  They'll clean themselves up and feed that way.  This is an emergency feeding technique though.  You don't want to get them wet unless you have to––and you definitely want to do it in the warm part of the day, EARLY so they have time to clean it up before the moisture freezes on them that night.

Kitties

I'm back, an hour ahead of schedule today.
Thanks for the input. I should have checked them out better this weekend. I only had two nights off, and work for the next eight.
I might open them up on the 16th if the weather allows?
I was going to do as you suggested, next opening. If they hadn't moved up?
I have a pattie or two, to give them also. I don't mind feeding them at all. My goal was to just get them through this winter.
Then "we" ( me and bees) can work together to start a happy coexistence next spring.
They're still pecking around the old honeycomb that I got from under the shed when I moved them.
I loaded it into a wheel barrel and dumped it out back, by the burn barrels.
So, when I take the trash out to burn, I see what's going on there. Lots of yellow jackets there also. They don't seem to bother each other. I can check the hive on my trip out back also.
I planned on hauling it to the dump, on my next dump run. That will be in a few months.
I just as easily leave it until they're done with it, I guess?
Just from what I've done thus far. It has been a very rewarding, and interesting experience.
Thanks again.
M