Honey Bees

D_&_T · 10-08-2009, 10:59 PM

I'm curious if anybody here has experience with Honey Bee apiaries?

Youngest daughter and I (Dan) are going to meeting close to here to learn some. Plus what would cost to get started in spring!

Richard · 10-08-2009, 11:13 PM

Joe Real wrote a very nice thread on Mason Bees and Mason Bee House Construction.

momoese · 10-09-2009, 12:37 AM

Lorax keeps bees too.

D_&_T · 10-09-2009, 02:17 AM

Yes, we are going to do the mason bee as well. We have several nesting around front door each year!

jeffreyp · 10-09-2009, 07:00 AM

I had honey bees for a number of years. The investment would probably be around $300 to get started. You can order bees through the mail and I would recommend getting a Russian queen as they are resistant to varroa mites. I never wore a bee suit I was always gentle with the bees but occasionally I'd get stung. I had to drop the hobby because I was getting increasingly more allergic to the stings.

LilRaverBoi · 10-09-2009, 01:00 PM

We had a bee hive at my (and my grandparent's) house for a number of years. It will cost several hundred dollars for all the various equipment to get started. I would also do a lot of research on it, as there is a good knowledge base necessary to do it effectively. I kinda got out of it cause it took a LOT of hot/sweaty labor. You have to check on them every few weeks to make sure they aren't building cells to create new queens (if they succeed, then they can swarm taking half your bees away somewhere else...not what you want). There are also a host of parasites and diseases you have to vaccinate for 1-2 times a year.

It's a pretty cool thing to have (and is great for flowers/vegetables), but it is a LOT of work.

jeffreyp · 10-09-2009, 03:10 PM

It can be hot sweaty work because the best time to work the hive is during the middle of the day (when it's the hottest) when most of the worker bees are out foraging for nectar and pollen. You don't actually "vaccinate" bees against mites. There are apistan strips you can hang in between the frames that repel varoa mites, and you can use menthol granules to repel trachea mites. Sometimes and very very rarely bees will get a bacterial infection and this too can be treated. Some strains of bees will abscond (swarm and start new colonies) more than other strains. I never had an issue where I had to check on my bees every couple weeks to prevent queening. Newer strains such as Russian bees are resistant to mites in general..best advice is do your homework.

Jeff

D_&_T · 10-10-2009, 05:27 AM

This meeting going to is a area asso. of beekeepers. they had class this last spring but missed coz of work! So hopefully can go this spring!

10-08-2009, 10:59 PM	#1 (permalink)
D_&_T 3rd winter growing indoor D_&_T's Photo Gallery Location: Northern Indiana Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Name: Dan Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 877 BananaBucks : 30,812 Feedback: 4 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2,437 Times Was Thanked 260 Times in 169 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 342 Times	Honey Bees I'm curious if anybody here has experience with Honey Bee apiaries? Youngest daughter and I (Dan) are going to meeting close to here to learn some. Plus what would cost to get started in spring! __________________

10-08-2009, 11:13 PM	#2 (permalink)
Richard un-Retired Richard's Photo Gallery Location: Vista, CA Find me on the map! Zone: USDA 10b Name: Richard Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 9,674 BananaBucks : 545,286 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,636 Times Was Thanked 12,543 Times in 4,721 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,685 Times	Re: Honey Bees Joe Real wrote a very nice thread on Mason Bees and Mason Bee House Construction. __________________ Back in business at plantsthatproduce.com

10-09-2009, 12:37 AM	#3 (permalink)
momoese Banana grower momoese's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Zone: zone 10 Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 7,590 BananaBucks : 3,446 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,754 Times Was Thanked 10,888 Times in 3,311 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 729 Times	Re: Honey Bees Lorax keeps bees too.

10-09-2009, 02:17 AM	#4 (permalink)
D_&_T 3rd winter growing indoor D_&_T's Photo Gallery Location: Northern Indiana Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Name: Dan Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 877 BananaBucks : 30,812 Feedback: 4 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2,437 Times Was Thanked 260 Times in 169 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 342 Times	Re: Honey Bees Yes, we are going to do the mason bee as well. We have several nesting around front door each year! __________________

10-09-2009, 07:00 AM	#5 (permalink)
jeffreyp Zone 10, South Florida jeffreyp's Photo Gallery Location: Royal Palm Beach Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 870 BananaBucks : 142,605 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 30 Times Was Thanked 590 Times in 298 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 4 Times	Re: Honey Bees I had honey bees for a number of years. The investment would probably be around $300 to get started. You can order bees through the mail and I would recommend getting a Russian queen as they are resistant to varroa mites. I never wore a bee suit I was always gentle with the bees but occasionally I'd get stung. I had to drop the hobby because I was getting increasingly more allergic to the stings.

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10-09-2009, 01:00 PM	#6 (permalink)
LilRaverBoi Nanner Time! LilRaverBoi's Photo Gallery Location: Cedar Rapids, IA Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Name: Bryan Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2,937 BananaBucks : 118,881 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 534 Times Was Thanked 2,243 Times in 1,245 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 855 Times	Re: Honey Bees We had a bee hive at my (and my grandparent's) house for a number of years. It will cost several hundred dollars for all the various equipment to get started. I would also do a lot of research on it, as there is a good knowledge base necessary to do it effectively. I kinda got out of it cause it took a LOT of hot/sweaty labor. You have to check on them every few weeks to make sure they aren't building cells to create new queens (if they succeed, then they can swarm taking half your bees away somewhere else...not what you want). There are also a host of parasites and diseases you have to vaccinate for 1-2 times a year. It's a pretty cool thing to have (and is great for flowers/vegetables), but it is a LOT of work. __________________ BANANA RAVE! Feel the beat from start to stop, dancin' and movin' from bottom to top! lilraverboi@genxglow.com RIP Tog Tan. We love you and will always remember you! I'm Bryan with a Y! There is no 'I' in BRYAN!

10-09-2009, 03:10 PM	#7 (permalink)
jeffreyp Zone 10, South Florida jeffreyp's Photo Gallery Location: Royal Palm Beach Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 870 BananaBucks : 142,605 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 30 Times Was Thanked 590 Times in 298 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 4 Times	Re: Honey Bees It can be hot sweaty work because the best time to work the hive is during the middle of the day (when it's the hottest) when most of the worker bees are out foraging for nectar and pollen. You don't actually "vaccinate" bees against mites. There are apistan strips you can hang in between the frames that repel varoa mites, and you can use menthol granules to repel trachea mites. Sometimes and very very rarely bees will get a bacterial infection and this too can be treated. Some strains of bees will abscond (swarm and start new colonies) more than other strains. I never had an issue where I had to check on my bees every couple weeks to prevent queening. Newer strains such as Russian bees are resistant to mites in general..best advice is do your homework. Jeff

10-10-2009, 05:27 AM	#8 (permalink)
D_&_T 3rd winter growing indoor D_&_T's Photo Gallery Location: Northern Indiana Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Name: Dan Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 877 BananaBucks : 30,812 Feedback: 4 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2,437 Times Was Thanked 260 Times in 169 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 342 Times	Re: Honey Bees This meeting going to is a area asso. of beekeepers. they had class this last spring but missed coz of work! So hopefully can go this spring! __________________

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