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

[Deb B]

Too funny Deb B
Most people are afraid of bees only because the haven't learned much about them. And because they have been attacked by wasps and equate them with bees.

It really takes a lot of mistakes in a row to get stung.

The Italian and Russian bee are pretty laid back. I only got hit because I was squishing that bee in my jacket. She was in there for quite a while before I freaked her out enough for her to sting me.

Yeah, I've been stung on right around the rim of my shoes a couple of times because a bee has landed there while I'm in the hive and then I lean forward or take a step and it starts to squish the bee. I usually don't swell at all when I'm stung, but if I'm stung on my ankle or feet then my feet swell like crazy. Poor circulation I guess!

 

[cutechick53]

Start up costs ~ using a standard Langstroth hive and typical protective clothing and tools ~ is roughly $350. plus bees which are about $100. http://www.mannlakeltd.com/beekeeping-supplies/category/page3.html

The price can go up or down depending in what you choose.

After the initial start up costs ~ the are not a lot of monthly expenses. We feed ours in the fall, so we do buy white cane sugar by the 25 pound bag. We have 20 hives so we do buy quite a few of them.
If you choose to treat for varroa mites ~ there is a small cost there.

Some people never buy any "extras" and others spend a lot. My husband like to have all of the "toys" so we have spent a little more than we would have had to. This is our "Retirement Hobby" and we don't travel or spend money on fancy cars, clothing or jewelry ~ so we splurge a little here.

Extracting equipment can be expensive if you choose to buy it. Many Beekeepers' Club have extractors that they will loan out.

Mann Lake is a good source for equipment as they have free shipping over $100. Wood is heavy and shipping can be expensive. I also suggest looking for a local supplier of wood ware if you can find one.

We check our hives about every 10 to 2 weeks during the spring and summer. We can do all 20 hives in a day. It should take less than an hour for a beginner to check one hive. They take much less time and effort to care for than chickens.

I suggest you try to find a Beekeepers' Club in your area and start attending meetings. The best time to start a hive is early spring. Late summer and Fall are not good if you live in an area with cold winters. I'm not sure about areas in the south and west where it maybe much milder.

Thanks! I will definitely do that. Our lease is up in 2 years and are moving to a place where they will allow bees, cows, goats, ect. but I guess I will have a head start!

 

[rebrascora]

Hi cutechick 53

Keeping bees can be as expensive or inexpensive as you want it to be both in time and money. You can buy your equipment or you can make it from scrap materials. You can buy bees or you can catch or lure a swarm for free. You can extract honey by mashing the comb up and straining it through a pair of old tights(pantyhose) or you can buy a proper extractor. If you want to keep bees on a budget, top bar beekeeping may be a better option for you. Most hobby beekeepers who have one or two conventional framed hives feel like each jar of honey they get costs them ten times what they could buy for taking into account their outlay in equipment.

I was looking at 2 hives yesterday that a complete novice had built from old car tyres. and other scrap material. It had probably cost her no more than £10 each. She had a tiny back garden in a residential area with a railway line right behind her garden. She built 2 of these hives and baited them with lemongrass oil and within a matter of a few weeks she had 2 swarms turn up and move into these hives. A third swarm turned up too and she borrowed a bait hive from someone else, it moved in and she gave that swarm away.

She did quite a lot of research before she built her hives and understood the basic principles of what bees need, did a short natural beekeeping course and was inventive in her approach to building it and what materials were available. She had never seen a swarm of bees before but these bees found her hives and gave them their seal of approval by taking up residence of their own accord. She actually had video of the swarms arriving and moving in. That was in April and both colonies appear healthy and were happy to let us look inside the hive with no protective equipment.... no smoke or hat and veil. They had built beautiful pristine white comb along the top bars with no wax foundation guide and were just happy to go about their business whilst we peeked in their home. She had painted the tyres white to reflect the sun and decorated them with butterfly designs and plants were growing between them so that you hardly knew they were there. Having kept bees for 18 years in a variety of hives, I was blown away by the simplicity and beauty of hers and the bees were obviously impressed too.

Regards

Barbara

 

[tmoore8595]

Hi cutechick 53

Keeping bees can be as expensive or inexpensive as you want it to be both in time and money. You can buy your equipment or you can make it from scrap materials. You can buy bees or you can catch or lure a swarm for free. You can extract honey by mashing the comb up and straining it through a pair of old tights(pantyhose) or you can buy a proper extractor. If you want to keep bees on a budget, top bar beekeeping may be a better option for you. Most hobby beekeepers who have one or two conventional framed hives feel like each jar of honey they get costs them ten times what they could buy for taking into account their outlay in equipment.

I was looking at 2 hives yesterday that a complete novice had built from old car tyres. and other scrap material. It had probably cost her no more than £10 each. She had a tiny back garden in a residential area with a railway line right behind her garden. She built 2 of these hives and baited them with lemongrass oil and within a matter of a few weeks she had 2 swarms turn up and move into these hives. A third swarm turned up too and she borrowed a bait hive from someone else, it moved in and she gave that swarm away.

She did quite a lot of research before she built her hives and understood the basic principles of what bees need, did a short natural beekeeping course and was inventive in her approach to building it and what materials were available. She had never seen a swarm of bees before but these bees found her hives and gave them their seal of approval by taking up residence of their own accord. She actually had video of the swarms arriving and moving in. That was in April and both colonies appear healthy and were happy to let us look inside the hive with no protective equipment.... no smoke or hat and veil. They had built beautiful pristine white comb along the top bars with no wax foundation guide and were just happy to go about their business whilst we peeked in their home. She had painted the tyres white to reflect the sun and decorated them with butterfly designs and plants were growing between them so that you hardly knew they were there. Having kept bees for 18 years in a variety of hives, I was blown away by the simplicity and beauty of hers and the bees were obviously impressed too.

Regards

Barbara

Very interesting and up-lifting story. Thanks for sharing.

 

[1muttsfan]

Do you have any pictures? I would love to see them

 

[rebrascora]

Sadly I'm a technophobe and don't have photos or the ability to download them even if I did.
I can describe in detail how it was constructed if anyone is particularly interested.

I should stress that this is a hive for natural beekeeping, so it will not produce a large honey harvest and has not been tested over a full season. It is more about providing as natural a home for bees as possible, but still retaining the ability to inspect it and perhaps harvest a little when they are an established colony and have a surplus.

 

[sgtmom52]

Sadly I'm a technophobe and don't have photos or the ability to download them even if I did.
I can describe in detail how it was constructed if anyone is particularly interested.

I should stress that this is a hive for natural beekeeping, so it will not produce a large honey harvest and has not been tested over a full season. It is more about providing as natural a home for bees as possible, but still retaining the ability to inspect it and perhaps harvest a little when they are an established colony and have a surplus.

When building a different type of hive, make sure to check the laws where you live. I think that all States in the US require that a hive have movable frames for inspection. This is due to American Foul Brood.

 

[rebrascora]

I agree that it is important to be aware of your local legislation regardless of which country or state you live in ir what creature you are keeping, but I believe top bar hives are legal in many states in the USA (I know of many American beekeepers who use them and publicly promote their use). They can be inspected for Foul Brood like any conventional hive, albeit with a little more care, but in this case the lady who designed this hive actually incorporated a rustic frame into the design...

 

[cutechick53]

Also, is there a high chance of getting other flying things like wasps or Africanized bees that could swarm and take over the hive?

 

[rebrascora]

An empty cavity can of course attract other insects, but these insects will come anyway and usually build a nest somewhere even less convenient like a shed or your porch or a loft space. I have had wasps make nests in my garage, shed, compost bin and the ventilation duct from my shower room extractor. Interestingly, I haven't had them move into any of my hives yet, but if they did, I would remove them. I try not to destroy them as they are also valuable pollinators and predators of aphids I believe, so even wasps have their uses..

I appreciate the problems that come with Africanised bees and anyone living in states where they are prevalent should do plenty of research before they start beekeeping in any form of hive.
Bees swarm often despite the beekeepers best endeavours. The virgin queens that are left behind will mate with local drones and often Africanised/feral drones are more prevalent and vital than domestic/European ones and therefore more likely to successfully mate with a virgin queen. The resulting offspring will often produce a colony that is more defensive/aggressive and difficult to manage. This can happen even when the bees are purchased as a nuc for 200 dollars, so it still makes sense to me to try to attract a swarm, but a level of knowledge and practical ability is important to start with, as it is with any animal husbandry.

So many people build their own chicken coops of all shapes and sizes and yet for some reason, building your own bee hives seems to be a really radical step. It's not, as long as you do some research and understand the nature of the creature you are housing.

There is no guarantee that a hive like this will attract a swarm any more than a conventional hive. The difference is that it costs you pennies/cents in comparison to hundreds of pounds/dollars and you could still populate it with a package or nuc even, rather than wait and hope for a swarm to arrive.

I have found some photos on another website, so will try to post a link.

Best wishes

Barbara