Took it up 4 years ago, just pulled the spring mite treatment and put on supers yesterday.
Things I've learned: Everything written about beekeeping is contradictory. I've concluded that no one knows anything but what works for them in a Very narrow range of experience.
Local bee clubs and forums are a waste of time.
It's expensive as fuck to get started, with a Massive learning curve. There's a reason there are so few people who keep bees. I think we were in for ~$2k for just 2 hives between the nucs, hive bodies, protective equipment, etc...
There are bee KEEPERS and bee HAVERS ~ it's an Active hobby, not a passive one. Apparently it Used to be more passive, 2+ decades ago before small hive beetle and varroa mites were brought into the US. Expect to spend an hour a week the first year (assuming 2 hives).
Overall, it's enjoyable enough as a hobby. Didn't do jack shit for my garden... bees don't forage close and tend to pick the nectar/pollen source that's most abundant (around me, that tends to be trees). Watching the hives swarm and not having a clue how to handle (or prevent) it was frustrating.
The only reason top bar hives are less common is they arent commercially workable. Not modular, cant spin frames, immobile ect. For a hobbyist they are great if you just want cut comb, and the bees prefer them.
That's some serious apiculture! TBH or Langstroth? Opinions on either? Are you above the frost line, and if so, how do you overwinter? Are you always cleaning out old combs, or is that once or twice a year? How do you manage the population from getting too big?
Langstroth only. TBH are difficult to harvest from Winter consists of ensuring they have stores. Weak hives get combined and queen nixed. Thorough varroa treatment. Oxalic acid vapor treatment in December. I also use moisture boxes. I do not insulate and I do not close up the screened bottom board. If the bees cant make it through the winter and come out strong. I don't want them. I cycle out comb every 3-5 years depending on how it looks. 5 years at the max. To manage the population in the hives I do splits and make nuc colonies to sell or to replace hives that I lost. Thankfully, I don't have high % dead outs. I have around 85% of the hives make it through the winter. However this last winter has been a bitch. Been too warm. Lost more hives than normal.
I thought I was moving. Sold every hive rather than move them overseas. Housing market crashed. OK I'm staying. No bees, plants, fruits and flowers went to shit. Never not having bees again even if I won't go back to selling honey to supermarkets.
I did casually. It's pretty fun and, other than the initial setup doesn't require much work. The thing about bees is if the hive is healthy the number will increase so you may need to add more hives. My hive got so full they had a time every day where they would swarm. Like clockwork they would swarm in the backyard for an hour or so in the afternoon. I suppose they were restless, but they never attacked and you could go out in the swarm and not get stung though it would be loud and you'd get pelted by bees because you're in the way. I had to double my hive and then just gave up on it or I'd have to keep getting more and more.
When I gave the queen to someone else and the rest of them followed, I saw they had been taking their dead and placing them in one spot like a burial ground. Weird as fuck.
Nice! Thanks for the info. I'll have to keep an eye out for the swarming, and maybe "thin the herd" somehow. Did you plant tons of flowers for them, or did you rely on just what was already around?
There were a lot of flowers and places for them to get pollen. My neighbors had a bunch too and I'm sure the bees took advantage. There was more than enough to eat but if you don't have any they need to have some.
The swarm wasn't bad, it just worried me at first but you get to have a sense of how the bees feel and it was never aggressive. It's just like they needed their space.
If you're getting close you get a warning. A bee will divebomb you and then if you keep getting close and they're not in the mood you'll get stung. When you get close to the hive when you're collecting honey you'll get warnings before the sting.
When you have bees and see how they operate- how they have a clear schedule, rules and duties they follow, it's kind of amazing. I never had a problem with them either. Other than the warnings they sent I never saw them get mean. Of course I wasn't the one getting the honey, which is the hardest part. Fresh honey right from the hive is probably the most delicious thing I've ever eaten.
Yea for the most part honey bees are gentle. You have to know how to handle them. Took me years to learn the art of slow and deliberate. However, in the fall is a different story. Even the gentlest of hive gets a shitty attitude.
I'm glad you are taking up beekeeping. We need a lot more beekeepers. Just try not to let it become an obsession and take over your life! I know people who have done that very thing. Start out with a few hives and the next thing you know they have 88 of them. \0 I had one hive a few years back. They were attacked by those damn big yellow hornets! Then they were infiltrated by the varroa mites. I managed to get some very good honey for 2 years before they left. One day they swarmed and left. I hope to get some more one of these days, I just don't have the time for it now. Good luck and enjoy!
Thanks man! I'm looking to keep this a low maintenance hobby, more of a learning experience for the kids. There is a lot I don't know, but I ordered some books from the library so hopefully that will get me over the initial learning curve. That and YouTube - although sometimes YouTube can be more of a source of misinformation. I need to look on Gab as well, probably some good contacts there for bee info. Looks like they sell queens on ebay, have you ever bought one of those?
IF you are just starting out. Do not go top bar. Get enough gear for two langstroth hives (Normal bee hives). The reason for this is to compare the hives to each other so you know what normal and healthy looks like.
Your hives should be 2x deep hive boxes, screened bottom board that stays open year round. Telescoping top cover lid. Use black plastic waxed-rite foundation in the hive boxes (Easier to see eggs and larva).
Do not attempt to go natural comb for a few years or you will have a mess of tangled comb and put more work into it than you want to.
Do not take honey from the hives the first year, your bees need it more than you do for the winter.
Do not fuck around with varroa mites. Control them effectively. Do not try to go fully natural treatment. I have come to the conclusion that most beekeepers who claim they are doing full natural varroa control are either lying about their success or put way too much time into their hives and have only a couple hives. There are organic treatment methods that are very effective. If you have a hive that has out of control varroa it doesn't just impact you. When that hive crashes the bees abscond and bring those mites to other bee keepers hives.
Take your time, learn what healthy brood looks like, what eggs look like, what healthy brood patterns look like
Keeping hives from swarming is a giant pain in the ass and can be hit or miss. Living by the "Inspection every two weeks" method doesn't work for swarm prevention. During the spring flow and build up I'm checking my hives for population crowding and queen cells every 4 days.
Queens are not sacred. I will nix a queen in a heart beat if her genetics are undesirable. I have no time for hot hives and lack luster winter stores build up.
The top 3 reasons bees die in the winter. Not enough stores, Varroa wasn't under control, too much moisture in the hive. Don't fall victim to the people telling you to close up and insulate your hives. These bees can take some seriously cold temps. Just control the moisture in the hive and they will be fine.
Jan - Feb = hive starvation time. Don't be afraid to check your hives during the winter for honey stores. I generally just heft the hives and put on fondant if they need it. I spend less than 1 min in each hive during the cold months.
I dislike bee clubs. Maybe it just my area. I can't stand the elitist attitudes and the general hen pecking. Bunch of men that have the disposition to act like raging faggots at times.
If you want some more advice or where to start ill be more than glad to help. However, your first two years is going to be busy. You can't fire and forget. You need to take the time to learn.
Find a local bee group. Other beekeepers love what they do and love helping others get started. I bought a whole hive once. The queen and about 2 or 3 lbs of bees. It takes a while to learn to spot the queen, but once you get it you can spot her easily. One thing I wish I had done differently, I should have went ahead and paid the money for a honey extractor. Doing that by hand is difficult. The next time I get bees I'm going to get everything that I need for the whole process before I get the bees.
So true. Stopped going to clubs years ago. My bee keeping actually improved and the state apiarist has a hard time believing my winter survival rates. Some of the stuff they teach at those clubs, in my opinion, I think is actually detrimental.
[ + ] StealthNinjaTaliban
[ - ] StealthNinjaTaliban 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 20:30:11 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] anothergoatinthewall
[ - ] anothergoatinthewall 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 20:24:39 ago (+0/-0)
Things I've learned: Everything written about beekeeping is contradictory. I've concluded that no one knows anything but what works for them in a Very narrow range of experience.
Local bee clubs and forums are a waste of time.
It's expensive as fuck to get started, with a Massive learning curve. There's a reason there are so few people who keep bees. I think we were in for ~$2k for just 2 hives between the nucs, hive bodies, protective equipment, etc...
There are bee KEEPERS and bee HAVERS ~ it's an Active hobby, not a passive one. Apparently it Used to be more passive, 2+ decades ago before small hive beetle and varroa mites were brought into the US. Expect to spend an hour a week the first year (assuming 2 hives).
Overall, it's enjoyable enough as a hobby. Didn't do jack shit for my garden... bees don't forage close and tend to pick the nectar/pollen source that's most abundant (around me, that tends to be trees). Watching the hives swarm and not having a clue how to handle (or prevent) it was frustrating.
[ + ] KeepPoal4fags
[ - ] KeepPoal4fags 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 16:33:31 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] Noctis_Labyrinthus
[ - ] Noctis_Labyrinthus 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 14:52:40 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] AugustineOfHippo2
[ - ] AugustineOfHippo2 [op] 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 15:59:01 ago (+0/-0)
TBH or Langstroth? Opinions on either?
Are you above the frost line, and if so, how do you overwinter?
Are you always cleaning out old combs, or is that once or twice a year?
How do you manage the population from getting too big?
[ + ] Noctis_Labyrinthus
[ - ] Noctis_Labyrinthus 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 14, 2023 10:31:27 ago (+0/-0)
Winter consists of ensuring they have stores. Weak hives get combined and queen nixed. Thorough varroa treatment. Oxalic acid vapor treatment in December. I also use moisture boxes. I do not insulate and I do not close up the screened bottom board. If the bees cant make it through the winter and come out strong. I don't want them.
I cycle out comb every 3-5 years depending on how it looks. 5 years at the max.
To manage the population in the hives I do splits and make nuc colonies to sell or to replace hives that I lost. Thankfully, I don't have high % dead outs. I have around 85% of the hives make it through the winter. However this last winter has been a bitch. Been too warm. Lost more hives than normal.
[ + ] DukeCanon
[ - ] DukeCanon 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 14:49:07 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] AugustineOfHippo2
[ - ] AugustineOfHippo2 [op] 1 point 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 15:52:58 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] Belfuro
[ - ] Belfuro 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 16:27:00 ago (+0/-0)
Housing market crashed. OK I'm staying.
No bees, plants, fruits and flowers went to shit.
Never not having bees again even if I won't go back to selling honey to supermarkets.
[ + ] UncleDoug
[ - ] UncleDoug 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 14:43:10 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] NuckFiggers
[ - ] NuckFiggers 5 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 13:12:00 ago (+5/-0)
When I gave the queen to someone else and the rest of them followed, I saw they had been taking their dead and placing them in one spot like a burial ground. Weird as fuck.
[ + ] AugustineOfHippo2
[ - ] AugustineOfHippo2 [op] 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 13:54:40 ago (+0/-0)
I'll have to keep an eye out for the swarming, and maybe "thin the herd" somehow.
Did you plant tons of flowers for them, or did you rely on just what was already around?
[ + ] NuckFiggers
[ - ] NuckFiggers 3 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 14:06:10 ago (+3/-0)*
The swarm wasn't bad, it just worried me at first but you get to have a sense of how the bees feel and it was never aggressive. It's just like they needed their space.
If you're getting close you get a warning. A bee will divebomb you and then if you keep getting close and they're not in the mood you'll get stung. When you get close to the hive when you're collecting honey you'll get warnings before the sting.
When you have bees and see how they operate- how they have a clear schedule, rules and duties they follow, it's kind of amazing. I never had a problem with them either. Other than the warnings they sent I never saw them get mean. Of course I wasn't the one getting the honey, which is the hardest part. Fresh honey right from the hive is probably the most delicious thing I've ever eaten.
[ + ] Belfuro
[ - ] Belfuro 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 16:25:14 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] PotatoWhisperer2
[ - ] PotatoWhisperer2 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 17:14:15 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] NuckFiggers
[ - ] NuckFiggers 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 23:32:59 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] Noctis_Labyrinthus
[ - ] Noctis_Labyrinthus 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 16, 2023 20:04:40 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] Peleg
[ - ] Peleg 2 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 11:47:55 ago (+2/-0)
I had one hive a few years back. They were attacked by those damn big yellow hornets! Then they were infiltrated by the varroa mites. I managed to get some very good honey for 2 years before they left. One day they swarmed and left. I hope to get some more one of these days, I just don't have the time for it now.
Good luck and enjoy!
[ + ] AugustineOfHippo2
[ - ] AugustineOfHippo2 [op] 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 12:19:46 ago (+0/-0)
I need to look on Gab as well, probably some good contacts there for bee info.
Looks like they sell queens on ebay, have you ever bought one of those?
[ + ] Noctis_Labyrinthus
[ - ] Noctis_Labyrinthus 4 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 15:26:56 ago (+4/-0)
Your hives should be 2x deep hive boxes, screened bottom board that stays open year round. Telescoping top cover lid. Use black plastic waxed-rite foundation in the hive boxes (Easier to see eggs and larva).
Do not attempt to go natural comb for a few years or you will have a mess of tangled comb and put more work into it than you want to.
Do not take honey from the hives the first year, your bees need it more than you do for the winter.
Do not fuck around with varroa mites. Control them effectively. Do not try to go fully natural treatment. I have come to the conclusion that most beekeepers who claim they are doing full natural varroa control are either lying about their success or put way too much time into their hives and have only a couple hives. There are organic treatment methods that are very effective. If you have a hive that has out of control varroa it doesn't just impact you. When that hive crashes the bees abscond and bring those mites to other bee keepers hives.
Take your time, learn what healthy brood looks like, what eggs look like, what healthy brood patterns look like
Keeping hives from swarming is a giant pain in the ass and can be hit or miss. Living by the "Inspection every two weeks" method doesn't work for swarm prevention. During the spring flow and build up I'm checking my hives for population crowding and queen cells every 4 days.
Queens are not sacred. I will nix a queen in a heart beat if her genetics are undesirable. I have no time for hot hives and lack luster winter stores build up.
The top 3 reasons bees die in the winter. Not enough stores, Varroa wasn't under control, too much moisture in the hive. Don't fall victim to the people telling you to close up and insulate your hives. These bees can take some seriously cold temps. Just control the moisture in the hive and they will be fine.
Jan - Feb = hive starvation time. Don't be afraid to check your hives during the winter for honey stores. I generally just heft the hives and put on fondant if they need it. I spend less than 1 min in each hive during the cold months.
I dislike bee clubs. Maybe it just my area. I can't stand the elitist attitudes and the general hen pecking. Bunch of men that have the disposition to act like raging faggots at times.
If you want some more advice or where to start ill be more than glad to help. However, your first two years is going to be busy. You can't fire and forget. You need to take the time to learn.
[ + ] AugustineOfHippo2
[ - ] AugustineOfHippo2 [op] 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 16:07:50 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] Peleg
[ - ] Peleg 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 21:14:15 ago (+0/-0)
I bought a whole hive once. The queen and about 2 or 3 lbs of bees.
It takes a while to learn to spot the queen, but once you get it you can spot her easily.
One thing I wish I had done differently, I should have went ahead and paid the money for a honey extractor. Doing that by hand is difficult. The next time I get bees I'm going to get everything that I need for the whole process before I get the bees.
[ + ] Belfuro
[ - ] Belfuro 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 16:08:54 ago (+0/-0)
Or I suppose more genourously to call them symbiotic.
They (honey bees) cannot live without humans
[ + ] Deleted
[ - ] deleted 2 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 10:12:12 ago (+2/-0)
[ + ] PotatoWhisperer2
[ - ] PotatoWhisperer2 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 10:21:40 ago (+0/-0)
That's not a bad idea. Meetup.com might have some in your(OP) area.
[ + ] Belfuro
[ - ] Belfuro 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 16:07:14 ago (+0/-0)
Full of hand waving and no don't touch a hive until given a kings license crap.
But yes find bee buddies to bounce ideas off of.
[ + ] Noctis_Labyrinthus
[ - ] Noctis_Labyrinthus 1 point 2.3 yearsMar 16, 2023 20:11:15 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] Belfuro
[ - ] Belfuro 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 17, 2023 03:42:30 ago (+0/-0)
Just old men with a guild mentality protecting their elite status.
Bees are going to die without humans. So get stuck in, you literally cannot make the situation worse lol
[ + ] Deleted
[ - ] deleted 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 10:33:35 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] AugustineOfHippo2
[ - ] AugustineOfHippo2 [op] 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 12:20:49 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] PotatoWhisperer2
[ - ] PotatoWhisperer2 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 08:53:27 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] JudyStroyer
[ - ] JudyStroyer 6 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 08:15:25 ago (+6/-0)*
[ + ] Belfuro
[ - ] Belfuro 0 points 2.3 yearsMar 13, 2023 16:06:02 ago (+0/-0)
Though never using top bar hives