Anyone here keep Bees?

Painthappy · 03-20-2010, 10:26 AM

You know that whole Apiary thing? I'm curious to see if anyone here has done this. My parents have a couple of large gardens and have asked me to look into getting and running a couple.

Not only for all the fruit and blueberry trees we have around here, but also because I frankly love honey, and with all my mead making, it just sort of fits.

There's a local honey producer, and I've got a feeling for a price he can spin the honey that gets produced there for a small price.

tebbydear · 03-20-2010, 10:43 AM

I did to take care 2 hives before lots of fun

All you need is some basic equipment, smoker, bee suit, and a special knife, and spare sections to add as needed.

Fluff · 03-20-2010, 11:08 AM

One of my close friends does. I can put you in touch with him.

Schmitti · 03-20-2010, 11:08 AM

I think LUKE used to.. I seem to remember him saying that he did at one point.

E

WickedKlown2 · 03-20-2010, 11:17 AM

Growing up my Grandfather kept Bees for his garden and as a young lad I learned about Beekeeping and even earned my beekeeping Merit Badge in the Boy Scouts... It is a fun hobby and has a great rewards when it's time to harvest the honey... As stated above you will need a Bee Suit and Head Protection,,, Smoker,,, Several Sections of Hive to include extra comb frames and a good comb knife... You will also want to change out your Queen at least once a year...

Set up you hives around or near bushes at the corners of your Garden or Orchard with a good water supply... It's Important that you work with your bees to keep them used to humans so they have less of chance to swarm...

Here are a couple of links to help get you started

Backyard Beekeeping

http://www.gobeekeeping.com/

Beemaster's Beekeeping Course Home Page

Beesource Beekeeping How to Start Beekeeping

I hope that helps and I hope you have fun with your new found hobby...

WK2

oldschool · 03-20-2010, 04:02 PM

just another future division of mcb enterprises inc, llc, llp us reg pat tm

KoolKat · 03-20-2010, 04:10 PM

We had 25 hive when i was growing up. Had our own spinner and everything. Not much more to add that hasn't already been said. Pretty easy

Bored383 · 03-20-2010, 04:44 PM

only in my epiglottis

Dave Cameron · 03-20-2010, 04:50 PM

My parents recently took up beekeeping. They joined a local cooperative which helped get them started, gave them access to equipment, etc. I'll ask them about it next time I see them.

LUKE · 03-20-2010, 06:15 PM

Oh, the world of Apis Mellifera!

Yes, I used to keep bees. Also took it as a college class...best class ever!

There's definitely some investment up front, but it's one of those hobbies I really miss. (one day, I will get back into it) The spinning is actually very simple, once you've put in the initial cost for a manual spinner, and mason jars, etc. for collecting the honey. After that, it's pure elbow grease in a hot kitchen

. I do recall they have hobbyist sized electric motor spinners now, but I've never looked into them.

Bees are an interesting hobby. Always a struggle with mites, foulbrood, and parasites. Gets easier once the colony is strong.

If you're putting them in a tree orchard environment, try to keep them out of direct shade. (makes them cranky) Always orient the hives east as much as possible (they're up at sunrise, and ready to work!)

Winterizing up here in the north takes a bit of work, and losing a hive or two during the winter, based on cold severity, is not uncommon. My father and I used to use layers of tar-paper.

The one benefit of beekeeping, is that colonies often come to you...people leaving the hobby for whatever reason often will donate them to you, and people with wild honeybee colonies in their trees will sometimes call, once you've become fairly handy with the hobby. I can remember going to relocate/adopt hives on a few occasions.

Africanized bees really aren't a concern (yet), since they just can't handle our extended and very cold winters.

One word of caution...world-wide bee populations have been unexpectedly and unexplainably dropping over the past few years. Farmers have been reporting hives absconding or dying off with no known cause. Some claim it's climate related.

The very best contacts I made (and once in a while bump into and talk to) are those I met at local county or town fairs.

I'll look around and see if I still have some of my beekeeping books. I seem to think I have at least one of them hanging around, but will have to dig a bit. If I find them, they're yours.

03-20-2010, 10:26 AM	#1 (permalink)
Painthappy I Am The Admin Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: New Boston, NH	Anyone here keep Bees? You know that whole Apiary thing? I'm curious to see if anyone here has done this. My parents have a couple of large gardens and have asked me to look into getting and running a couple. Not only for all the fruit and blueberry trees we have around here, but also because I frankly love honey, and with all my mead making, it just sort of fits. There's a local honey producer, and I've got a feeling for a price he can spin the honey that gets produced there for a small price. __________________ Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. Vids- http://www.youtube.com/painthappy Pics- http://www.flickr.com/photos/paintballphotos/ The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.

03-20-2010, 10:43 AM	#2 (permalink)
tebbydear MCB Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Mount Forest Ontario	I did to take care 2 hives before lots of fun All you need is some basic equipment, smoker, bee suit, and a special knife, and spare sections to add as needed. __________________ " Discretion is the better part of Valor " http://www.mcarterbrown.com/forums/f...ydear+feedback Last edited by tebbydear; 03-20-2010 at 10:45 AM. Reason: first season we got 80 pounds off the 2 hives

03-20-2010, 11:08 AM	#3 (permalink)
Fluff Red=mod, but not Schmitti Join Date: Mar 2006	One of my close friends does. I can put you in touch with him. __________________ http://askafreemason.org/ Great spirits always encounter violent opposition from mediocre minds-Albert Einstein PM me for info about The Gravity League. New Englands fastest growing pump tournament series "No matter how cynical you become, it's never enough to keep up." ~ Lily Tomlin

03-20-2010, 11:17 AM	#5 (permalink)
WickedKlown2 Space Monkey 615 !!! Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Middle Tennessee	Growing up my Grandfather kept Bees for his garden and as a young lad I learned about Beekeeping and even earned my beekeeping Merit Badge in the Boy Scouts... It is a fun hobby and has a great rewards when it's time to harvest the honey... As stated above you will need a Bee Suit and Head Protection,,, Smoker,,, Several Sections of Hive to include extra comb frames and a good comb knife... You will also want to change out your Queen at least once a year... Set up you hives around or near bushes at the corners of your Garden or Orchard with a good water supply... It's Important that you work with your bees to keep them used to humans so they have less of chance to swarm... Here are a couple of links to help get you started Backyard Beekeeping http://www.gobeekeeping.com/ Beemaster's Beekeeping Course Home Page Beesource Beekeeping How to Start Beekeeping I hope that helps and I hope you have fun with your new found hobby... WK2 __________________ Proudly Sponsored by Tippmann, FullClipUSA, Hammerhead, RANGER UP and CPX Sports For all your High Speed T-Shirt needs check out RANGER UP : <--Click the link and receive 20% off your purchase Feedback: MCB - Feedback for WickedKlown2 Automags.Org Online Forums - Feedback for WickedKlown2 Last edited by WickedKlown2; 03-20-2010 at 11:22 AM.

03-20-2010, 04:02 PM	#6 (permalink)
oldschool Moderating in Moderation Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: My own private Idaho	just another future division of mcb enterprises inc, llc, llp us reg pat tm __________________ Its all peaches & sunshine baby, peaches & sunshine.. Obsequious, purple, and clairvoyant One of the two proud members left - D FLT Politically, Socially and Aerodynamically Incorrect Everything I have ever loved is immoral or illegal Vir sapit qui pauca loquitur. stewart potter common sense, elephant and duck tests Force this into a gaussian distributed parabolic curve!

03-20-2010, 11:08 AM	#4 (permalink)
Schmitti Red=Moderator Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Schen. NY	I think LUKE used to.. I seem to remember him saying that he did at one point. E

03-20-2010, 04:44 PM	#8 (permalink)
Bored383 random probability waves Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Sandy Eggo by way of Mobtown	only in my epiglottis __________________ Check out my website http://www.bored383.com, hosted at http://www.angryhosting.com/ We need to save ourselves from those who would save us from ourselves. TANSTAAFL A book has moving parts. They're called pages. “Well, Art is Art, isn't it? Still, on the other hand, water is water. And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now you tell me what you know.”

03-20-2010, 04:50 PM	#9 (permalink)
Dave Cameron MCB Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Dracut MA	My parents recently took up beekeeping. They joined a local cooperative which helped get them started, gave them access to equipment, etc. I'll ask them about it next time I see them. __________________ "We are men of action, Lies do not become us." Feedback: http://www.mcarterbrown.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=12439 My other passion: http://www.cameroncanine.com

03-20-2010, 06:15 PM	#10 (permalink)
LUKE The Un-N!nja Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Fiddler's Green	Oh, the world of Apis Mellifera! Yes, I used to keep bees. Also took it as a college class...best class ever! There's definitely some investment up front, but it's one of those hobbies I really miss. (one day, I will get back into it) The spinning is actually very simple, once you've put in the initial cost for a manual spinner, and mason jars, etc. for collecting the honey. After that, it's pure elbow grease in a hot kitchen . I do recall they have hobbyist sized electric motor spinners now, but I've never looked into them. Bees are an interesting hobby. Always a struggle with mites, foulbrood, and parasites. Gets easier once the colony is strong. If you're putting them in a tree orchard environment, try to keep them out of direct shade. (makes them cranky) Always orient the hives east as much as possible (they're up at sunrise, and ready to work!) Winterizing up here in the north takes a bit of work, and losing a hive or two during the winter, based on cold severity, is not uncommon. My father and I used to use layers of tar-paper. The one benefit of beekeeping, is that colonies often come to you...people leaving the hobby for whatever reason often will donate them to you, and people with wild honeybee colonies in their trees will sometimes call, once you've become fairly handy with the hobby. I can remember going to relocate/adopt hives on a few occasions. Africanized bees really aren't a concern (yet), since they just can't handle our extended and very cold winters. One word of caution...world-wide bee populations have been unexpectedly and unexplainably dropping over the past few years. Farmers have been reporting hives absconding or dying off with no known cause. Some claim it's climate related. The very best contacts I made (and once in a while bump into and talk to) are those I met at local county or town fairs. I'll look around and see if I still have some of my beekeeping books. I seem to think I have at least one of them hanging around, but will have to dig a bit. If I find them, they're yours. __________________ "We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm." - Winston Churchill Sometimes there's justice...and sometimes there's just us My MCB feedback