A BEE thread....for those interested in beekeeping.

[boskelli1571]

Welcome!
This has been a very cold winter - I'm not sure my bees have made it through. I know you will have a great time - I was so excited to be starting my hives last year! I hope Spring arrives soon. Do you have top bar hives or Langstroth? Sue

 

[drakeschicks]

Welcome!
This has been a very cold winter - I'm not sure my bees have made it through. I know you will have a great time - I was so excited to be starting my hives last year! I hope Spring arrives soon. Do you have top bar hives or Langstroth? Sue

Thank you. I hope your bees are ok. I don't have anything yet, I'm not sure what kind to get, need more info first. I was hoping for an early spring too but its snowing like crazy today, we have about 8" so far!

 

[tmoore8595]

. I don't have anything yet, I'm not sure what kind to get, need more info first.

If you plan to exrtact the honey, a Langstroth hive would be best. If you only want the bees for pollination, a top bar hive will work, but the honey comb must be cut off of the bars and can not be removed with an extractor.

http://www.beginningbeekeeping.com/BackYardBeekeeping.pdf
http://www.biology-resources.com/bee-01.html
https://kelleybees.com/Products/#ca...634363436353732&sort=3334&page=3330&category=

 

[drakeschicks]

. I don't have anything yet, I'm not sure what kind to get, need more info first.

If you plan to exrtact the honey, a Langstrof hive would be best. If you only want the bees for polination, a top bar hive will work, but the honey comb must be cut off of the bars and can not be removed with an extractor.

http://www.beginningbeekeeping.com/BackYardBeekeeping.pdf
http://www.biology-resources.com/bee-01.html
https://kelleybees.com/Products/#ca...634363436353732&sort=3334&page=3330&category=

Yes, I'll get a Langstroth. I want pollination and honey. Class was great last night! Went over all the parts of the hive, and all the equipment and tools needed.

 

[53v35]

is there a way to remove bees from a wall and get them into an new nest, without harming the wall or bees?

i read about the taranov split, but that wont work since they aren't swarming *though they did swarm into the wall around November.

is there a way to make them swarm and go into a new nest?

 

[sgtmom52]

is there a way to remove bees from a wall and get them into an new nest, without harming the wall or bees?

i read about the taranov split, but that wont work since they aren't swarming *though they did swarm into the wall around November.

is there a way to make them swarm and go into a new nest?

Google Trap out honey bees. It takes awhile but can be done.

 

[OkieQueenBee]

Hi drakeschicks, good to see a newbie about to enter the exciting world of beekeeping. In your class are they saying to go with two hives (at least) so that you can compare and have extra brood to move around if you need it? I believe that the Langstroth hive is the best way to go also. Just a note tho, is that you do not have to use the deep boxes. I run double mediums and my bees do just fine but running three mediums is still a lot easier to deal with than deeps.
53v35 the best way to remove the bees from a structure is to do a cut out. You can try the trap out but it takes a long time and is not always successful. Even if you do get the bees to vacate their home you have left all of the beeswax, honey, and dieing brood in the wall. That can lead to a nasty, stinky vermin infestation. Cutting thru the sheetrock to expose the bees is not that difficult and is usually pretty easy to repair. And you can clean up the mess inside the wall making sure that you got all of the bees so that there is no chance of them to rebuild. Of course the most important thing is to make sure the entrance hole is sealed, once a place smells like home new swarms will want to make it theirs.
I am so ready for the warmer temperatures this weekend, need to check the hives and possibly add some more candy boards. This has been a long, cold winter.

 

[drakeschicks]

Hi drakeschicks, good to see a newbie about to enter the exciting world of beekeeping. In your class are they saying to go with two hives (at least) so that you can compare and have extra brood to move around if you need it? I believe that the Langstroth hive is the best way to go also. Just a note tho, is that you do not have to use the deep boxes. I run double mediums and my bees do just fine but running three mediums is still a lot easier to deal with than deeps.
53v35 the best way to remove the bees from a structure is to do a cut out. You can try the trap out but it takes a long time and is not always successful. Even if you do get the bees to vacate their home you have left all of the beeswax, honey, and dieing brood in the wall. That can lead to a nasty, stinky vermin infestation. Cutting thru the sheetrock to expose the bees is not that difficult and is usually pretty easy to repair. And you can clean up the mess inside the wall making sure that you got all of the bees so that there is no chance of them to rebuild. Of course the most important thing is to make sure the entrance hole is sealed, once a place smells like home new swarms will want to make it theirs.
I am so ready for the warmer temperatures this weekend, need to check the hives and possibly add some more candy boards. This has been a long, cold winter.

Thank you OkieQueenBee! It is exciting! That is exactly what we were talking about in class, good to start with two hives, and most people in our club use just the mediums, a lot lighter to lift when full and if they're all the same, more interchangeable. If I can come up with enough money for two hives and two sets of starter bees I will. At our meeting this week we're learning how to put frames together, can't wait!

 

[sgtmom52]

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

[Deb B]

Happy Valentine's Day!

Bee Mine (sorry, couldn't resist!)