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

[Rusty Hills Farm]

So....I plan to buy a package, or nuc, from a local ad that has advertised Italian bees with a Buckfast Queen.

I've never had Buckfast bees, but I have had Italians. They were mild, quiet on the frame, and very prolific, but they did have a tendency to glue everything together with propolis. My queens were Italians too and did a really good job for me. All told I think they are a really good bee for beginners. I liked that I could manage the hives with very little smoking and, while I did always wear a veil, I often did not bother with gloves because they were just too hot on my hands. The bees always seemed quieter when I worked without gloves, too. I had those yellow ones and I think the bees really did not like that color.

I used the Langsdon (Langsford??) 10-frame hives and have no experience with the top-bar ones, but I remember Miss Prissy posting about starting some top-bar hives. Maybe you could search a bit and find those old posts. They'd be from last year, I believe.

HTH

Rusty​

 

[PotterWatch]

I finished building my frames today, but they still don't have foundation. I am not starting them with a whole sheet of foundation, only a relatively small strip on the top of the frame to give them a start. Tomorrow I will finish putting together my boxes, I am using a deep box on the bottom and a medium super on top with 10 frames each. I'm hoping to get it painted tomorrow as well!

 

[Beekissed]

Rusty, after four years of researching beekeeping, I was not looking forward to all the details of the Langstroth hives and all the accessories involved. For someone like me, it adds up to a costly start up and a time consuming thing.

After finding info on the TBHs, I breathed a sigh of relief! THIS was more my style! A hive I can make with my rudimentary power tools from materials I have on hand, easier hive checks, more conducive to an all-natural approach and they were just so simple.

This year's garden will be more geared towards producing some great bee food. I will be planting way more flowers and flowering herbs, more perennials and vines. More veggies and the apple orchard will be available.

Here is some info on Buckfast genetics:

http://www.rweaver.com/buck.html

 

[jadeflower999]

Quote:
Oh be careful since your reactions are getting worse! Make sure you take some benedryl after you get stung if it's real swollen. It's not generally a good sign when reactions get worse. If you start to have difficulty swallowing or shortness of breath call 911! You might also want to mention this to your doctor next time you see him/her, they might want you to have an epi pen just in case... It never hurts to have one laying around anyway just in case someone does have an anaphalactic reaction

Anyway, I'm super excited about this thread. I wanted to get bee's this spring but my boyfriend isn't very excited about the idea. I'm still working on him! They would fit in perfectly with my little "urban farm"

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

Beekissed, this is so funny. Guess where my bees came from! Here: http://www.rweaver.com/all.html and they were good, gentle stock that was very healthy and productive. I guess you could say that great minds think alike!

I really like the idea of the top-frame hive; however, I already have boxes and boxes of frames and foundation on hand from my last foray into beekeeping. I even still have the woodworking plans that I used last time, so I will likely go back to the big hives I am familiar with already. I even still have my extractor. And I will likely go back to my Italians, altho I must admit those Buckfast bees are tempting. We do have cold, wet winters here--something I did not have to contend with in Florida. Fortunately I have so many projects in the works right now that it will be next year before I can think about this seriously. Maybe I can start building my hives over this next winter.

Meantime I am gonna keep reading and reading. The colony-collapse stuff really has me worried. I need to get a lot more updated information pounded into this ol' head before I start again.


Rusty

 

[Southern Bee Lady]

I have 50-75 hives depending on the time of year. I use Italians. They are usually easy to work. I want bees that are easy to work. If I have a hive that gets too aggressive to work, I requeen it. All hives will have an off day but if they are consistantly hot, they get a new queen.

I have tried two buckfast swarms but they would not stay in the hives. We put them in the hive 2 and 3 times and we finally just let them leave. Never had that problem with Italians. I have also heard that some of the buckfast are a little hot.

If you have an Italian hive and put in a buckfast, or carnolian, or some other queen, in a few weeks your hive will be buckfast, or carnolian or what ever race the queen is. Bees only live approx. 4 weeks in the summer and are constantly being replaced.
When we buy queens we are never sure what type of drones the queen has mated with. Queen breeder try to saturate the area with drones that are the same race as their queens.

I have never used top bar hives. The only people that I have talked with that did try them have lost the bees.
I have thought about trying one. I process my honey in an extractor so it would not be feasible for my small business.
I try to keep my business simple and use what has worked for the last hundred + years. I use 10 frame Langstroth hives.

I do not use chemicals in my hives. I do use some essential oil treatments if needed.
I try to manage my bees as naturally as possible.

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

I do use some essential oil treatments if needed.

I have read a tiny bit about this and am very curious. Which essential oils do you use and how often? I read (and I don't remember where) that they get mixed into Crisco solid and some sugar and spread inside the inner cover. Is this what you do? How well does it work for you?

Rusty​

 

[noahsgeese]

I have had bees for about 2 years but can I still be on the thread??

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
If you are still interested...yes, indeedy! Welcome and spread the knowledge!



I want to propose a moment of silence in memory of one of my favorite old actors, Fess Parker.

So long, old friend!

Seems like all the good ones are gone now......

 

[Southern Bee Lady]

University of West Virginia did some research on using essential oils.
Do a google search for info on the research.
I occasionally use one of their recipes mixing essential oil with crisco, sugar,honey and salt but only when needed.
There are some cautions listed for some of the essential oils.

Thyme is the main ingredient in some of the softer treatments for varroa mites on the market today such as apiguard and apilife-var.