This thread is a repository for bee keepers or those interested.
A couple of years ago, a couple of friends an my brother started puttering with honey bees. I didn't buy off because, well, I've never been a big fan of bees or getting stung by them. Last summer I tagged along a couple of times to check their hives and to remove honey bees from a house, public building and an old garage.
I realized at the end of the summer when I was helping them process some, that it's actually pretty interesting, and fits into my expanding "grow my own" logic. I'm not full blown hippy but I see a lot of logic in the self sustaining food thing and I'm doing some of that too.
That said, this thread is about bees, honey bees, bee keeping and bee fighting war stories.
I'm taking the leap and plan to get 2-3 hives this spring and maybe build some bee swarm traps to make it cheaper or to make a few bucks.
Join me and I'll share the real life lessons of an ameture bee keeper. I'm sure I'm going to learn some things the hard way.
Last year I think my people got overzealous in removal projects. Some of them are easy and some apparently were a real pain....including one guy taking 50 stings and a doctor trip.
This year I think the plan is to back off of cutting bees out of houses, unless they are being torn down and trying to catch some swarms.
Myself and the others are looking for boxes if anyone knows someone who has some laying around and available.
I'm not going to pretend I know more than I do in this thread...I'm a virgin for the most part. I do have the luxury of friends with a couple of years experience to help me start, and I'm thinking about taking a class starting soon.
Other than being hot, sticky, messy and painful, the limited number of times I helped them get bees last year were pretty good rushes.
I'm here to learn as I go, if you have the knowledge and experience....teach us, starting with the basics.
I loves me some great honey. Best I ever had was Yellow Starthistle honey from Northern California. Worst I ever had I enjoyed tremendously. Im allergic to bee stings. [Reply]
Originally Posted by HonestChieffan:
I loves me some great honey. Best I ever had was Yellow Starthistle honey from Northern California. Worst I ever had I enjoyed tremendously. Im allergic to bee stings.
So you're saying honey is like pussy ? I had some yellow starthistle one time (it certainly felt like it) and the worst I ever had was wonderful.
Apologize for the derail. [Reply]
I've been watching quite a few YouTube videos of beginner tips, mistakes, bee traps etc...but most of them seem to be in the south where things are different.
I would appreciate hearing some stories and lessons from those of you with some experience. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Iowanian:
I've been watching quite a few YouTube videos of beginner tips, mistakes, bee traps etc...but most of them seem to be in the south where things are different.
I would appreciate hearing some stories and lessons from those of you with some experience.
Have you checked with your local extension office? We have a community college (non-accredited local interest type stuff) that offers beekeeping classes in the evenings. [Reply]
Good luck Iowanian. Local honey is an excellent allergy preventative. We sell a lot of local honey, $20.00 for a quart. We also have a supplier that uses the racks where you can harvest the honey still in the comb (12.99 for 8 oz), very popular with the customers but much more labor intensive than spinning the honey out of the other type racks and he almost always runs out before the next harvest. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KS Smitty:
Good luck Iowanian. Local honey is an excellent allergy preventative. We sell a lot of local honey, $20.00 for a quart. We also have a supplier that uses the racks where you can harvest the honey still in the comb (12.99 for 8 oz), very popular with the customers but much more labor intensive than spinning the honey out of the other type racks and he almost always runs out before the next harvest.
I love honey, but there is no scientific evidence to support the allergy claims [Reply]
Have any of you used this type of hive ? I remember seeing some tv show about the guys who invented it. It looked and sounded like if was way better than the regular hives.
I think it was called the Easy Flow.
Talk to farmers around you. Figure out if they spray for corn borer beetle. That insecticide is hard on bees and it has to be aerially applied so it can move some.
Are you going to plant a pollinator plot? If not I would. The best guys I know that deal in the specialty seed is Green Cover Seed in Bladen NE. greencoverseed.com [Reply]
