Raising Honey Bees

[hobbyfarmrookie]

I am thinking of getting a bee hive, does anyone have advice?

 

[Grant6411]

umm... dont... get... stung? lol jk idk anything bout bee farms. enjoy the honey maybe?

 

[Widget]

Read as much as you can. Join a local club and find a mentor. Attend a bee school. Then decide whether or not you want a hive. Or two . Or three. I think the biggest thing to remember is that bees make honey in spite of us not because of us.

 

[thebritt]

My daughter-in-law is taking a bee class through our local university. With the class fee ($?) she got 2 hives (with bees!), a bee suit, gloves, honeycombs, and whatever else one is supposed to have - plus INSTRUCTION! Heckofadeal if you ask me. Oh - and the best part....it's on MY property(she lives in an apartment)!!! I'd look into it - fresh, local (the best kind if you have pollen allergies) honey is pretty freakin' expensive! It'll pay for itself in no time (assuming they survive). Good luck! Keep us posted!

 

[SamG347]

I just started up my hives this year...the best thing I can say is READ READ READ...before you jump into it. Get as much knowledge as possible by reading/watching/or listening to any bee info you can get. Join local bee-keeping organization and try to find a local beek that might show you the ropes.
They are fun and you are NOT a beekeeper if you don't get stung LOL....my buddy/fellow beekeeper said he got stung soo much his first year. I have only been stung 2 times by my own hives...both times were my fault.

 

[hobbyfarmrookie]

Thanks for the tips. I understand read read read that was the approach I took with chickens, I must have read up on raising them for about 6 months before I sarted and so far it has been great.

 

[keesmom]

Bee school, a local club and a mentor are invaluable. For something so small so much can go wrong, which is where a club or mentor can step in to help.

It's also tough to stop with just one hive.

-Cindy in MA