Honeybee Keeping

[ChickenCanoe]

@Life is Good!
has given some of the best advice I've ever read succinctly on the subject.

A good bee suit is invaluable. I can often go into a hive for a peek with no gear but sometimes you have to work hives when they're cranky.

As for a smoker, don't waste money on a small one, they don't stay lit long enough to work a hive.

 

[chicken19]

Thank you. Should I build my own hive or buy one?

 

[Life is Good!]

Thank you. Should I build my own hive or buy one?

It depends on what you're looking to do. Are you keeping bees to pollinate? Are you keeping bees for honey? Are you physically strong and foresee being strong for the next decade? How handy are you with tools? How accurate are you with cutting and forming? Do you have the right equipment to build your own or do you need to purchase tools to make the job faster/easier/safer? What's your budget? (A suit and smoker will cost about $125, bees are about $200 per starter nuc and up; hive equipment can be very pricey - foundation is $2+ a sheet when you include taxes, and shipping).

There's basically two types of hives - the white boxes (Langs) and topbar or Warre hives. Topbar and warre beekeeping is gaining in popularity because there's minimum storage of materials (everything's kept in the hive); one can make a hive in an afternoon; because it's typically made from materials on-hand the cost is lowert, etc. Langs are popular because it's standardized equipment which is available from multiple suppliers (warning - not all suppliers items fit together well!), but you have storage issues with 'spare' equipment; and the cost is fairly high; time to put the frames together alone can be high, let alone the boxes if you opt for flat shipping of your hives.

If you build a hive - what type of hive are you building?
For Langs, I recommend building what are called 'deeps'. A strong hive is 4-5 deeps tall - three for brood and stores for the bees, two for emergency honey and you take it in the spring if it's not used. However, a full deep - 10 frames - is about 100 lbs full. That's a lot of weight to work with. There are ways to work these large hives without hiring a full-time chiropractor to keep your back ok....but most folks don't teach this way any longer. They recommend 'mediums' - yes, lighter, but less healthy for the bees.

For topbar or warre hives. Easy, inexpensive - but you don't get the masses of honey off them like you would the Langs. You don't get the honey as much, because to obtain the honey, you must remove the comb and all - which is taxing on the hive's production overall. But if you're not in it for the honey - each top bar is about 8-10lbs to lift - and you don't really lift them out much at all (think searching through a closet for a favorite shirt - you move the hangers around, but rarely pull the hangers out).

If you buy equipment - used is sometimes tricky because there are diseases which can live in the hives wood. So if you buy new, ask around at www.beesource.com - they'll tell you what works and what doesn't.

 

[Life is Good!]

I've already signed up to a board called 'beemaster' but I can switch to Beesource?

Sorry, just saw this one....of course you can sign up on whatever boards your heart desires! Don't switch, just add.

www.beesource.com

Tons of helpful folks - more information than you can ever read, ever. Much like these boards! LOL.

 

[chicken19]

Quote: I am on both. My name is Misterbeelady on Beemaster and Misterbeegirl on Beesource.

 

[chicken19]

Quote: I was thinking of making a Lang. I am very strong and my father i svery good with woodwork and he can make a hive.
I was going to make a deep box for brood and a medium for honey. I mostly just want to keep bees for the fun of it, but honey is great too!

 

[Life is Good!]

I was going to make a deep box for brood and a medium for honey. I mostly just want to keep bees for the fun of it, but honey is great too!

I don't wish to discourage you...but I'm not sure where you're getting information from. That size hive won't make it through a season of hard freezes here at 41 degrees north. That's called a 'hobbyist' hive kit that I've seen at Farm & Fleet. PLEASE, go read on www.beesource.com from folks who live up in Alaska and Canada. Most keep hives of a minimum of three deeps and 2 mediums for honey. That's 50 sheets of foundation, 50 frames, five boxes, a base, a bottom board, an inner lid, an outer lid, a feeder with another box to hold it...and if you're going with the current midset - fondant, sugar water, sugar additives for flavoring the sugar water, miticides and other drugs to 'treat' the bees with.....this is not some fly-by-night operation you're thinking of getting into. And it surely isn't the 'low' price of $119 they're suggesting for a hive kit.

And while I'd like to keep horses for the fun of it - but I recognize the expense as well as the time investment, not to mention the life of the critter involved, so I choose to enjoy horses other ways. If you'd like honey, most farmers markets have folks who sell for a business. See if someone would like a pair of strong young hands to help them in their fields to get wet behind the ears and try it out before jumping in the lake.

If you're serious about keeping bees, be a good student first, then become a good steward of the lives you're helping.

 

[flyin-lowe]

I'm assuming you have already, but if not go to YouTube and start watching beginner beekeeping videos.

 

[chickenlover292]

I have Italian Bees in North Dakota if that helps, the only thing that I don't like is our climate changes so when it becomes 50 degrees, they start breaking off of their winter cluster and then it freezes and they all die.

 

[Wild Trapper]

Lots of good info on bees on youtube, some probably not so good or at least not for beginners lol.

This is starting my second year with bees, so I can't help much.

Just want to say, good luck with yours. Mine are doing fine, winter here was kinda mild for Ohio and they are are out collecting pollen already at least a month now.