Bee keeping

[oakgroveacres]

12,000 divided by 9500 equals 1.26 or a little over a penny .I spent 95 dollars for my package 95 dollars equals 9500 pennies.

 

[Life is Good!]

Interesting find in the garden today - bees adore asparagus flowers!

We ate enough asparagus this spring to make us all pee green....so I hadn't cut it in a few weeks - I also needed to tend to a lot of other garden tasks....so the asparagus has flowered. Yesterday, I was watering away, when I realized our asparagus patch was covered in honeybees! Are they in the bed next to the asparagus with the strawberries in flower? Not apparently. Are the bees finding the cucumbers in flower? Not apparently. Are they pollinating our tomato plants? Someone has, as we've got itty-bitty maters on the vines.

However, the girls really really liked the asparagus flowers. Went out today and saw they were still on 'em too. I guess I'll wait a few more days to cut the asparagus down and start the patch over again.....!

 

[Life is Good!]

Fanning before thunderstorm?

Today, it's unseasonably warm/humid/ugh kind of weather. I was out making sure the chickens were secure before 'The Big One' hit - and noticed the bees actively fanning at the entrance to the hives.

They fly in circles in front of the hive - almost like an orienteering flight, but a LOT of them all at once. It wasn't swarming behavior - I don't think, as there are no queen cells anywhere in the hive.

Anyone else ever see this in their hives?

 

[tmoore8595]

Fanning before thunderstorm?

Today, it's unseasonably warm/humid/ugh kind of weather. I was out making sure the chickens were secure before 'The Big One' hit - and noticed the bees actively fanning at the entrance to the hives.

They fly in circles in front of the hive - almost like an orienteering flight, but a LOT of them all at once. It wasn't swarming behavior - I don't think, as there are no queen cells anywhere in the hive.

Anyone else ever see this in their hives?

Yes, I see this around some of my hives almost every day. I have been told it is new bees learning the territory.
I will not get much honey this year because my bees have been swarming and I didn't know what to do about it. From the 13 hives I started with this spring I have had 28 swarms that I know of, probably many more that I didn't see. I was able to catch most of the ones that I saw and my hive count is up to 35 now. I have opened the brood nest and this has helped some, I think. Does anyone have any other ideas about how to get them to stop swarming so much?

 

[Life is Good!]

Does anyone have any other ideas about how to get them to stop swarming so much?

From what I understand, bees will swarm for two different reasons: 1 - when the queen has nowhere to lay. 2 - when the workers deem the queen unproductive.

So making sure there is room in the brood nest is key, as is making sure the queen is laying well. If the workers think she's not doing so hot, they'll supercedure her. Those queen cells are generally in the middle of the broodcomb. Swarm cells are more towards the edges of the broodcomb.

I've only seen supercedure cells in the hives I've worked. If you leave the queen, she'll swarm. If you kill her, you can *sometimes* stop them from swarming.

 

[tmoore8595]

From what I understand, bees will swarm for two different reasons: 1 - when the queen has nowhere to lay. 2 - when the workers deem the queen unproductive.

So making sure there is room in the brood nest is key, as is making sure the queen is laying well. If the workers think she's not doing so hot, they'll supercedure her. Those queen cells are generally in the middle of the broodcomb. Swarm cells are more towards the edges of the broodcomb.

I've only seen supercedure cells in the hives I've worked. If you leave the queen, she'll swarm. If you kill her, you can *sometimes* stop them from swarming.

Okay thanks for the info., I will try that. I have already opened up the brood nest and that has helped.
If a queen is superceded where does she go? Does she leave with a swarm? All of my swarms have done really well. If a poor queen leaves with a swarm would she not continue to be a poor performer?

 

[Life is Good!]

If a queen is superceded where does she go? Does she leave with a swarm? All of my swarms have done really well. If a poor queen leaves with a swarm would she not continue to be a poor performer?

The queen does leave with a swarm - but the bees can cast off 'after swarms' if more than one queen survives. Yes, theoretically, if the queen was a poor producer before, she'll still be a poor producer after swarming. However, after swarming, the workers are much more concentrated on getting a new hive built out and stocked before winter - so they're busier too. Sometimes, in a full hive, it's the workers who start the supercedure process going! They'll decide whether or not a queen is 'good'. If she has no place to lay, then who's fault is that?

 

[Bluebonnet]

Any Bee Keepers out in Texas?

Honey is a highly useful product and so is Beeswax, which can be made into candles and other goods.

Just one problem, I am highly allergic to bees and as such, bee keeping is not something I will be able to do myself.

I am looking to purchase some land out in Texas. I plan to build a nice, plantation style home and keep a variety of animals including chickens, horses, quail, prairie chickens, rabbits, sheep and possibly some ducks and a milk cow after I get the main set up like I want it. I also plan on having an acre or two of beautiful, restored Texas Prairie. I also plan on having an orchard and garden. It also possible that I will potentially have a pet peacock, which will be kept in a large pen and will not be a problem except for their noise, which can carry for miles but since my plan includes owning a good deal of acreage (At least 25 acres.), I do not think this will be a problem as a neighbor.

I am experienced in several skills which include :

Making Candles
Making Soap
Carding Wool
Turning Wool Into Yarn
Crocheting
Sewing By Hand.
Southern Style Cooking
First Aid For Both Adults And Infants
Basic Nursing Skills
Gardening
Food Preservation Techniques

Probably other skills I just can't think of at the moment.

I plan on adding the following skills/assets upon my arrival to where I decide to settle down :

Cheese Making - With A Cheese Shed - The Whole Nine Yards - With Sheep Milk and possibly Cow Milk
Eggs - I plan on keeping some chickens. I know I will keep Marans but I will also be considering keeping Ameraucanas and another type for White Eggs. Ducks will be kept for their eggs as well.
Possibly larger game animals, such as Turkeys.

With this in mind, I hopefully have some skills and assets that could come in handy to trade with someone for their honey and beeswax.

While I am still looking for a place to settle, I figured that it could not hurt to consider pieces of land near anyone who happens to keep bees and would be open to a potential trade arrangement.

 

[Kernel Cluck]

I have nothing to add because I have never raised bees but I have always wanted to do so. I am fascinated by this thread.

 

[TexasLisa]

Any Bee Keepers out in Texas?

Honey is a highly useful product and so is Beeswax, which can be made into candles and other goods.

Just one problem, I am highly allergic to bees and as such, bee keeping is not something I will be able to do myself.

I am looking to purchase some land out in Texas. I plan to build a nice, plantation style home and keep a variety of animals including chickens, horses, quail, prairie chickens, rabbits, sheep and possibly some ducks and a milk cow after I get the main set up like I want it. I also plan on having an acre or two of beautiful, restored Texas Prairie. I also plan on having an orchard and garden. It also possible that I will potentially have a pet peacock, which will be kept in a large pen and will not be a problem except for their noise, which can carry for miles but since my plan includes owning a good deal of acreage (At least 25 acres.), I do not think this will be a problem as a neighbor.

I am experienced in several skills which include :

Making Candles
Making Soap
Carding Wool
Turning Wool Into Yarn
Crocheting
Sewing By Hand.
Southern Style Cooking
First Aid For Both Adults And Infants
Basic Nursing Skills
Gardening
Food Preservation Techniques

Probably other skills I just can't think of at the moment.

I plan on adding the following skills/assets upon my arrival to where I decide to settle down :

Cheese Making - With A Cheese Shed - The Whole Nine Yards - With Sheep Milk and possibly Cow Milk
Eggs - I plan on keeping some chickens. I know I will keep Marans but I will also be considering keeping Ameraucanas and another type for White Eggs. Ducks will be kept for their eggs as well.
Possibly larger game animals, such as Turkeys.

With this in mind, I hopefully have some skills and assets that could come in handy to trade with someone for their honey and beeswax.

While I am still looking for a place to settle, I figured that it could not hurt to consider pieces of land near anyone who happens to keep bees and would be open to a potential trade arrangement.

Wow! You would be an interesting neighbor. Here is a website that might help you in your endeavor: http://texasbeekeepers.org/

I hope one day to start my own beehives. I wish you luck!

Lisa