Posted on 03/23/2019 10:57:03 AM PDT by Dacula
Looking to see if any FReepers are Beekeepers. Any tips and hints for a successful hive would be appreicaited.
I was gonna say, if you wait long enough the bees will find you!
When/if they swarm, they always leave behind a fertile queen and about a third of the hives bees. If its established it will take intervention of some kind to get them to leave.
To get them to move into a hive box enmass can be done but involves tricking Mother Nature (rarely successful and entails risk.)
Yep. Your a bee keeper.
I thought a few years ago about keeping bees; we have a farm, and I’m worried about the declining bee population around here. I bought a couple books, which are quite good and informative, watched you-tube videos, but the best source I found for good, geographically relevant info was the facebook groups of bee-keepers! There are literally hundreds, you’ll find many new friends in your climate zone, and they are really GREAT friendly, helpful folks. They LOVE helping you get started.
Wear white socks.
Been keeping bees for 14 years, with a peak of 9 hives at one point. With the loss of my last one last fall, I’m taking a “sabbatical” this year.
Gotta keep up with the Varroa. Research all the methods, and pick a few.
I always have a fresh can of bee spray around my house. I had a friend who was swarmed while mowing his lawn on a yard tractor. Killed him.
Wear light clothing. Anything on the dark side, and the honeybees suspect your are a bear.
....and if the hive has been there for several years there is a YUGE store of honey in there. If the bees leave and dont maintain the honeycomb, it will eventually collapse and fall and the honey will ooze everywhere below the hive. Best to keep them flourishing and keep the ‘mess to a minimum. You dont want a coupla hundred pounds of honey leaking from the abandoned hive.
You can get some swarm lure honeybee attractant
Contact your Co-Operative Extension office,
as they generally have a list of bee keepers who look for wild hives
especially they are valuable to a bee keeper in the Spring !
Alternative sources : Farm Bureau, or Farm supply store, or local Agriculture college.
Most people don't know the difference between : honey bees, wasps, hornets, or ground bees.
I had 2 successful hives for a few years in the early 2000’s. I had two different varroa treatments (strips) that I rotated, one in early spring and one in the fall. Seemed to work fine. When I went back to work in 2007, they did not get enough attention and they faded out after a couple of years. Since then, I have tried twice to start new hives, but they did not last. I think the varroa has gotten much worse. I might try again next year with all new equipment. I heard oxalic acid is the new treatment of choice.
I just got my hive for this year on Tuesday and I am confident that I have at least two Queens. The one that came with the Nuc was still in her box and I have 6+ frames filled with comb.
I wish I could share the pictures with you. They are amazing.
This is the start of my third year.
Don’t mow the pasture until you have an alternate source for nectar ready to go. Bees know how to move the hive.
My county won’t help do nothing except harass you with code enforcement. Probably come write me a ticket for having bees without a permit or something. lol
I had someone lined up several times to come relocate them but they never followed through. I keep hoping they will swarm someday and move on to another location.
Someone told me that if I build a hive box and park it close they might move into it on their own at some point. Then they would be easier to move.
I tired last year to install a new package in a hive that I put a lure in several years ago. It never attracted a swarm so I forgot all about it. The moment they got the queen out, they absconded.
Where do you live? There should be a local beekeepers assn near you, who would be happy to guide you step-by-step in getting into it. Here in Pennsylvania many of the counties have a beekeepers assn. I’m in York County. I recently read and saw photos of hives that came from Slovenia, that are really catching on here. The design is better for the bees and handier for the keeper. Good luck.
I keep hives in Western PA. We’ve had a few rough years with moisture and had to buy nukes to replenish. Lots in our circle are in the same boat.
First rule of bee fight club; DON’T eat banana’s the day you are going to get into the hive. Banana’s put off the same pheromone that the guard bee’s put out to signal attack; and they will attack.
Second rule of bee fight club; smoking the hive is a good thing when you want to get into it. They eat the honey and go docile; just give it a few minutes before invading their space.
Third rule of bee fight club; bee’s don’t give two shits about us humans unless we mess with their home. You can put a hive almost anywhere but remember; if you ever want to move it on your own property many yards away you need to first button it up and move it over 2 miles away for a week or two THEN move it back to your new spot on your property. Never move a hive more than 8-10” at time. <— can you see why moving a couple hundred yards will take forever by the 8-10” method??
Feel free to message me. Been at it 6+ years and still learning.
Varroa Destructor.
We got the handle down and moisture killed us this year. SO pissed..
Have you been to the E.R. over a sting? If not, you are not allergic. I thought I was too; turns out I just had bad anxiety.
Where are you? I have removed hives before. From Oak’s to home eaves.
So true. Wake up and the bees ghosted ya..
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