Backyard Bees anyone?

[SamG347]

Hives are often painted white to reflect the sun. I don't paint my hives and you can paint them any color you want. NEVER paint the inside of a hive or use treated wood to make your hive(s). Barnwood is usually free...and works great. But then again I don't keep conventional hives.

 

[undermywings]

Bees dont really count as pets!!!? How am I going to tell my DH to stop giving them all names?

My husband started raising bees and has one hive so far this year.

Kewl hobby, and sweet!

Thank you for the link!!!

 

[wegotchickens]

Quote:
Shhhhh! Don't tell my hubby that you can give them names!!!!

Kewl hives, Sam. Wish I could have one

I do so love local honey...

 

[michickenwrangler]

Awesome!

I'll have to get ordering one. My DH mentioned to our neighbors that we wanted to get some bees, and they were very excited. "Yes! Do it. We hardly have any apples on the trees this year."

 

[Rosalind]

I have a question about the ventilation--I was going to build a barnwood hive as Sam describes, but my understanding was that the bees are perfectly capable of regulating their temperature and that you actually need some ventilation in the summer so they can create a breeze in the hive. Also that ventilation helps them control fungal, bacterial infections, keeps the interior of the hive at the right humidity levels. If they're all insulated, won't they overheat in summer? Get sick from lack of air circulation? Bees don't exactly have lungs, they rely on oxygen diffusion to breathe--I would think the bees in the center of a well-insulated hive would be feeling quite stuffy and claustrophobic...

 

[SamG347]

While the design of the Beehaus seems sound. I think it is just another perfect case of a commercialized hive. And based on the company that makes it...I would be guessing the price of the hive isn't cheap. I also don't like what it is made out of. My bees love wood especially old or rough cut wood as they can chew on it and it feels more like the inside of a tree then a plastic box. The insulation is an okay idea....but mive hives will only have insulation on the top. What is called a quilt box. Which is basically a box of shavings that acts as an insulator in the winter and an AC in the summer. The Beehaus is also basically a TOPBAR HIVE just in the way they wanted to create it. Before any of you just decide it would be the perfect way for you to get into beekeeping.....do some reasearch.... join some online forums.....and then decide.

Here are some great Beekeeping Forums.

http://www.biobees.com/forum/index.php

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php

http://www.beesource.com/forums/

 

[SpunkyTheMonkey]

for sure. i wouldn't necessarily want to buy a beehaus any more than i'd buy an eglu but i'd never considered keeping bees before i saw this so it's at least been useful for that.

but wife says no bees...never mind. just have to get more chickens instead...

 

[reveriereptile]

My FIL has bees on the side of the house. I think there are 3 tall hives and some smaller ones incase of swarming.

They found a small opening in the top of the hive that they kept going in and out of.