Bee Hives

[leonphelps]

Anyone have experience with bees? Thinking of getting a queen. Have a buddy with a hive and he loves the hobby.

Wondering if just the queen is OK to get in the spring (I think they come with 1/2 pound of workers).

Any recommendations appreciated.

 

[Glenmar]

There are some classes coming up in Feb in Norfolk VA. I was thinking of going. I am a little afraid of bees.

So I would have to get over that. I love honey though.

 

[Stacykins]

Great time of year to get the equipment ready, but bees aren't available at this time of year.

To start a new hive, you don't just need a queen. She can't function alone. Solo queens are sold to replace old queens, to add new blood, replace an aging queen, etc. but for new hives, they are sold in 'packages' or 'nucs' (pronounced nuke, short for nucleus). That is a queen, plus at least 10K workers so they can support the queen and establish the new colony. Usually packages come with at least 2 or 3lbs of workers, a 1/2lb package would be pretty small.

 

[deerman]

Quote:
Agree , also study up on what type of bees...different type just like chicken. Bees will be shipped thru the USPS..but you need the hive ready for them, plus you will need to feed them until they get started.

i would start with a nuke of at least 2 1/2 lbs. check with your state......Some like Ohio you need your bees inspected.....nothing bad they are there to help.

 

[zzGypsy]

me! Pick me!

maybe we can trade security cam info for bee info...

if there's a local bee club, now's a perfect time to join... lots of them have intro-to-beekeeping classes early in the spring, and prep classes starting in January or so.

bees are very cool... if you're ordering bees, you'll be getting "package bees" basically a hive-in-a-crate... queen and enough workers to run the hive until she's laying and the new bees are in the workforce. you'll still need bee boxes and frames, a bee suit or jacket / hood / gloves, a smoker, and a couple of tools. oh, and a place to put them!

don't know where you live, but sometimes there are city or county regulations regarding them.

you might be able to get a full hive (boxes, bees, frames) from someone in the local bee club, or get a split off one of their hives after the first spring nectar flow, for less than what it costs to purchase all the parts plus ship bees.

before I moved from CA to MO, I sold my hives. full hive box, 2 brood boxes, 2 supers, and established italian bees for about $250. cost of package bees with shipping was $175. cost of the box setup with frames (new) would have been maybe $100-$150.

at one point I had 4 hives of italians and about a dozen hives of local feral bees from trap-outs, cut-outs and swarm retrievals

I love bees. bees are cool.

 

[sourland]

Do a computer search for "Pennsylvania beekeepers" - there is a Bucks Co. club.

 

[leonphelps]

I have a buddy who outgrew his stuff and had to move his hive to a larger one. His filled up with honey in two months, so I expect bigger and better than he had since I live on the water.

I see queens with 1 pound of starter workers for $25. My pal said he got started with that, so I guess Ill reserve mine for the spring.

The big think is pickup or USPS.

 

[Stacykins]

Honey production is veeeeeeery variable on location. And the year, too. Not all trees that are great nectar sources produce every year (basswoods are great, but don't bloom hugely annually, for example). Or some year it may be a poor crop for certain flowers because of disease or poor seed dispersal the year before.

 

[zzGypsy]

Quote:
seriously $25?

in CA, from a CA apiary, $90 for the bees (3lbs) and a queen, plus $85 for overnight shipping UPS (USPS won't ship bees and queens together in CA

- they think they'll swarm and kill people ).

wonder what bee prices are here in MO? going to have to go check now...

 

[zzGypsy]

Quote:
what kind of hive did he outgrow? has he got a top-bar setup? with a langstroth you just add more supers and brood boxes...