bee keepers
- Thread starter pwnag3!!
- Start date
malounsbury
Member
My father in law does some beekeeping. Doesn't have a very hive or house, whatever they call it, but he gets some good honey from it.
pwnag3!!
Member
no... but the colony grows and it gets bigger... and if the bees are uncomfortable they start to swarm... and just take residence wherever they want.
So you have to make sure that you have a way to get the excess bees out.
Its not a good idea to do it on a small lot.
you can have several hives about 5 feet away from each other though.
So you have to make sure that you have a way to get the excess bees out.
Its not a good idea to do it on a small lot.
you can have several hives about 5 feet away from each other though.
pwnag3!!
Member
the bees dont generally swarm to other places if you keep them happy.
You put tar paper around the hive for the winter and thats about it from what i have read so far... oh yeah and put a feeder with about 5 lbs of sugar and 5 lbs of water in it.
Also....
People think that bees are scary and mean... bees hardly ever attack. When they sting they die since their intestines are attached to the stinger... so they try and reserve it until they need it.
most bee keepers dont even use gloves when tending to the hive... they are gentle creatures.
a mask and veil is necessary though....
i never knew what the smoke was for until i researched it....
the smoke tricks them into thinking there is a forest fire... so they go into the hive and gorge on honey making them slow.... but you can tell when they need to be smoked again... they start lining up and facing you... its crazy
You put tar paper around the hive for the winter and thats about it from what i have read so far... oh yeah and put a feeder with about 5 lbs of sugar and 5 lbs of water in it.
Also....
People think that bees are scary and mean... bees hardly ever attack. When they sting they die since their intestines are attached to the stinger... so they try and reserve it until they need it.
most bee keepers dont even use gloves when tending to the hive... they are gentle creatures.
a mask and veil is necessary though....
i never knew what the smoke was for until i researched it....
the smoke tricks them into thinking there is a forest fire... so they go into the hive and gorge on honey making them slow.... but you can tell when they need to be smoked again... they start lining up and facing you... its crazy
pwnag3!!
Member
bee-commerce.com
thats where we ordered the kit from...
it comes with the starter hive.... a smoker
gloves and veil and a book and video... and i think some other stuff.
our bees arrive in april
oh... they mark the queen and clip one of her wings for you.
im sure you can buy the video from that website... its really cool
harvesting the honey is the hardest and messiest part.
thats where we ordered the kit from...
it comes with the starter hive.... a smoker
gloves and veil and a book and video... and i think some other stuff.
our bees arrive in april
oh... they mark the queen and clip one of her wings for you.
im sure you can buy the video from that website... its really cool
harvesting the honey is the hardest and messiest part.
elfdoctors
Active Member
I raised bees for three years and loved it. Unfortunately, my hives developed foulbrood and I lost everything my last year (plus I didn't have the time as my kids got a little older).
There is probably a beekeeping course offered by your statewide beekeeping association. Different parts of the country have completely different management techniques. Trying to raise bees without a good book or taking a good course is asking for trouble. I would suggest hygienic bees to limit your possibility of disease.
If you let your neighbors know, they may have no objections to your raising bees. There may also be some ordinances in your town prohibiting this hobby. If you are going to raise bees in a small lot, you should have a fence so the bees have to get high enough so their flight path is less likely to run into people. You should also provide a water source in your yard so that a swimming pool in the area does not attract swarms of bees.
This also tends to be an expensive hobby (like raising saltwater fish).
There is probably a beekeeping course offered by your statewide beekeeping association. Different parts of the country have completely different management techniques. Trying to raise bees without a good book or taking a good course is asking for trouble. I would suggest hygienic bees to limit your possibility of disease.
If you let your neighbors know, they may have no objections to your raising bees. There may also be some ordinances in your town prohibiting this hobby. If you are going to raise bees in a small lot, you should have a fence so the bees have to get high enough so their flight path is less likely to run into people. You should also provide a water source in your yard so that a swimming pool in the area does not attract swarms of bees.
This also tends to be an expensive hobby (like raising saltwater fish).