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

[Beekercat]

I'm so glad I found this post. We are pretty new to chickens, but I've always been fascinated by bees and beekeeping. Tons of great information on this thread, thanks! I suppose I'll obsess over actually GETTING bees for a year or so like I did over making the plunge into chicken ownership.

 

[Dragonfly Ranch]

We were so worried about one of our new hives. We received our first ever bees on 4-10-10 and after a couple of weeks we checked and couldn't locate the Queen in one hive (she was marked and clipped). We thought/hoped that the hive was trying to make a new Queen and when my husband checked this morning he found a new Queen and could see eggs and larva. So both hives are going strong!!

Sandee

 

[feathersnuggles]

We just got our hive, from a swarm capture. We've never had bees, so we've been totally freaked by everything. Haha! I'm sure our experienced beekeeping friends just ROLL their eyes, while being very polite and helpful to us. Anyway, so far my DH has been stung twice on his fingers (probably he pinched a girl when removing frames). We're slowly getting our sea legs with bees and spending a lot of time staring at the hive, asking each other stupid newbie questions.

Anyway, I have a question for you who are keeping bees in the same yard with chickens. Do your chickens eat the bees? I have one hen who spends most of her day standing right in front of the hive entrance, eating dead bees and larvae and killing and eating bees that can't fly. The rest of the flock keep a good distance from the hive. I can't stop her, but wonder if she's "normal".

 

[Reinbeau]

She's figured it out, I guess, but I doubt you'll have trouble with the others. My chickens could care less above the hives, and the hives are within 15' of the coop door.

 

[feathersnuggles]

Thanks Ann, I'm glad to know the rest of the birds probably won't start eating bees too. This little hen's always been a touch strange - though very sweet - and the lowest on the pecking order. DH says she's found her "niche" and I think she's found protection from any bullying, by standing in a cloud of bees. Like I said, I can't stop her; she follows her guide, the cosmic wink.

 

[Reinbeau]

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That's a good thought on DH's part - and a smart chicken if that's what she's doing. I've got one, the poor thing is so beaten up it's pathetic. I wish she'd figure that out!!

 

[wing it]

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my chickens do not really eat bees. They could if they wanted to as they have run of the yard. I do have the hives off the ground by about 20" did this manly to keep bees and chickens from runing/ flying into one another. They love to eat comb so I do have to watch where I put the frames when insp. the hive. Good luck

 

[ChksontheRun]

Just found this thread, and so glad I did. We got bees last year, and chickens this year. I guess they are our empty nest hobbies. This year we got 3 new hives to go along with our 15 chickens. So far, our oldest hive swarmed, and did not requeen, so we had to buy a new one. The three new hives are doing well, but not doing a great job at building out the comb. I think I will get a new kind of foundation and see if that works. So far, not much interest in the bees on the part of the chickens..... we will see.

 

[chicknerd]

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Me too!!! I am glad to find this thread as well. Chickens are new to us this year but we plan to do bees next year. Very interesting and informative group!

 

[noahsgeese]

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I am glad! That can worry one!