OT: Anyone Keep Bees

CTMike

Looking for some information on beekeeping. I have been buying honey from a local guy to help with allergies, but have been wanting to get into it myself. Plus I figured with the decline in the honeybee population, everything helps. 

Thanks

J-dubya

I have 2 hives.  I went to “Bee school” at a nearby bee keeper’s club. 

Sea2Ski

Apiculture was my favorite class in college.  Thought people doing that stuff without gloves and a full suit were nuts.  Then after you do it a few times, you can go down to pants and a snug t-shirt. NEVER WEAR SHORTS when going in the hive!!! I did not even wear gloves. You just have to move slow. I did have bees at home for about 4 years - 20 years ago. Startup is not cheap, but once you get them going, it is. The mites are a bear though. It sucks when your strong hives get wiped out. One year, all 5 hives I had got wiped out so I got out of it as well.

With that being said, a local guy near me is doing really well and have been thinking of getting into it again.  If you have access to his honey extractor/spinner/collector and hotknife etc.... that would be a great way to go.  "Rent" his stuff and see if you really like it. If you get into it, please keep us (me) updated. I would love to see how things go for you!

Sea2Ski

Oh - If you order bees, I will guarantee as soon as they get to the post office you will get a call. As in immediately when they get there. One time the guy calling said he had a pickup truck and offered to leave right that moment and deliver them to my house.

Carolina Q

@Little Chef (south Florida) from the old forum had gotten into bees a few years ago. Haven't heard from or about her in a couple of years though so I doubt she'll see or respond to this. Worth a shot maybe.

CTMike

I did find a local association that has a class starting in 2 weeks. $100 for 8 hours of class over 4 nights seems reasonable to me.

Killit_and_Grillit

My dad kept them for quite a few years. @J-dubya gave some sound advice. Go to a bee school if you can find one. If not study with someone who has them for a while. 

He went the the first year just assuming he could figure it out. They kept dying. Went to school after, could have saved himself a small fortune. Also make sure you buy from a reputable vendor. 

And dont beekeep naked. 

Killit_and_Grillit

It’s funny you say that today, my wife and I were talking on the way home about why we kept seeing bees dying out here in TN. I’m convinced it was the water or a chemical around us. But it is very strange how they are decreasing in population at the rate they are

kl8ton

I want bees.  It is on the hobby farm list.  I almost got them one father's day.   A local place sells a starter package and a day of training.  Other places around here offer to put the bees on your property, you get the honey as well as the pollination benefits for anything you are growing, and you pay a monthly service and they take care of everything.  

I have been discouraged from getting them because guys I know that have been into it for years have been losing colonies left and right.  

My dad knows a guy at his church that has a semi trailer load of bees delivered to him every few months.  This guy distributes to his customers.

Keep us updated. I am curious as well.

GregW

Many years ago as a child, going bare foot in the yard around clover was a guaranteed honey bee sting, the clover was just teaming with bees.
Sadly, bees are rarely seen in clover around my area anymore. The sharp decline started 10-15 years ago.
I believe the decline has been linked to a class of pesticides containing neonicotinoid's.
I think a number of European countries have banned, or are in the process of banning this class of insecticides.
https://www.beyondpesticides.org/programs/bee-protective-pollinators-and-pesticides/chemicals-implicated

 

MaskedMarvel

A kitchen guy at the restaurant was a BIG TIME beekeeper in california. I’m talking 18 wheelers and hundreds of hives. He contracted with orange groves and pistachio farms. You name it. I have a little of his last barrel of orange blossom honey here now and it’s indescribable. 

I think he relocated to NC for family. But Brandi and I are putting at least one hive in back, and this guy is totally hooking us up. 

Since the week to start this up happens after freezing temps are Over, we’re in a holding pattern until then. We’re in it for the honey and to help the bee population. There have been lots of weird sick zombie bees here recently. 

Eoin

Anne did a course and really enjoyed it, but she decided it was too much of a commitment to buy all of the kit. We are just clearing an area of the garden and are going to plant some fruit trees, this would be an ideal area for some hives, so it might happen now.

We do have a lot of bees anyway, our garden is well stocked with flowers and blossom through the year.

I also got one of these to put somewhere up the garden for solitary bees. https://greenandblue.co.uk/product/large-bee-block/

NPHuskerFL

We/I always look forward to the honeybees but not so much the wasps.  They love our citrus trees and many other flowers come early springtime. But, would agree that their sheer numbers have declined. The yellow jacket and other wasp population doesn't seem to have been affected as sharply though. My favorite honey has always been localized citrus or wildflower. Lots of good homeopathic stuff for us not to mention the bees are excellent honey chefs.

Smokin_Trout

Varroa mites are the nemesis of the honey bee. You must find a way to control them. I thought I had that down last year and still lost at least one hive to them. Believe I drove two to abscond with the oxalic acid vapor treatment and then killed the last when the hive top feeder had a crack in it and let 2.5 gallons of sugar syrup drain down on top of them. 

It’s between the cost of a large and a XL to startup. That should get you a suit, smoker, gloves, hive tool and a hive with bees plus a couple of boxes for expansion. 
Take a CLASS! Find a beekeeper near you and ask if you can help them, you maybe a grunt the first few times, but you’ll still be learning and hopefully that will save your bees. 
Start with a nucleus (nuc) hive, not a package. The nuc hives are about $50 more than a package, but the build up faster with less of a chance of absconding. 

Research! Beesource.com, Youtube and anywhere else. Michael Palmer has a few great speech’s or UofG beekeeping on Youtube. 

Remember, you’re only helping the population, if you take care of them and keep them alive. So far, I suck at that, five years in. 

Beekeeping is a local thing, if you live in Florida, what I do in Michigan won’t necessarily work for you. 

Good luck!!

MaskedMarvel

My mistake — my beekeeper friend has corrected me. Pistachios don’t need pollinating. 

He did oranges (for the honey), broccoli, tomatoes, almonds, raspberries...

nolaegghead

BIL has had bees for the past 12 years.  Don't get him started talking about them unless you're prepared to bleed from both ears.  Actually, he's one of the smartest guys I know.  Retired cardiologist, now teaching at medical school.

Sammi

As was mentioned earlier, take a class. It will save you a lot of Fools Tax. I've been keeping 4 hives going for several years. Been as high as 10 hives but that's too much work for me prior to retirement. Hives are easily scaled up when the time is right. If you have the time it's a great hobby.

northGAcock

Not a bee guy myself, very interesting thread. Enjoying the reading.

Dave in Florida

4 hives currently and growing.  Two biggest issues are varroa mites and small hive beetles.  You have to stay on top of that so the hives survive and produce.  We seem to produce good wildflower honey.  At least everything we harvest is sold rather quickly. Just wish I lived in the area to produce Tupelo honey.  That stuff is incredible. 

SamIAm2

@Dave in Florida - Place on SR520 on way to Orlando sells "Local Honey". Stopped in and bought a jar of Tupelo honey. Small jar and pricey but you are right about that honey. Just curious, do Tupelo trees grow this far south in FL?  

billt01

with all of these people keeping bees, anyone want to sell any honey.

I'm down for a Fat Willies Sauce trade or cash if any bee keepers are interested. After all, a main component of the Fat Willies Signature BBQ sauce is honey... 

kl8ton

@TN2TX

disagree with what?

@billt01
If you have any type of allergies, it is recommended to buy honey from hives as close to where you live as possible. I can't remember if it was a local story or not, but there was a news report where "local" honey was tested (sold in big stores) and it was found that many of the flowers that the bees pollinated were only found in Asia somewhere. 

SouthGaSmoker

I've been keeping bees the last 3 years and it can be a struggle at time.  Had up to (4) hives but lost one to mites, one to Irma (absconded) and (2) during the last hard cold snap (absconded too).  Plan to start fresh in the spring again.

It's very interesting when you get into it.  Most folks are scared to death of bees, but my standard attire is shorts, tshirt and sandals.  I'll put on a hood if they are cranky in the summer, but that's rarely.  If you know what to look for you can avoid getting stung.

billt01

kl8ton said:

@TN2TX

disagree with what?

@billt01
If you have any type of allergies, it is recommended to buy honey from hives as close to where you live as possible. I can't remember if it was a local story or not, but there was a news report where "local" honey was tested (sold in big stores) and it was found that many of the flowers that the bees pollinated were only found in Asia somewhere. 

@kl8ton

No allergies, just looking for good quality honey.

Would love to purchase a couple of quarts from someone on here.

kl8ton

billt01 said:

kl8ton said:

@TN2TX

disagree with what?

@billt01
If you have any type of allergies, it is recommended to buy honey from hives as close to where you live as possible. I can't remember if it was a local story or not, but there was a news report where "local" honey was tested (sold in big stores) and it was found that many of the flowers that the bees pollinated were only found in Asia somewhere. 

@kl8ton

No allergies, just looking for good quality honey.

Would love to purchase a couple of quarts from someone on here.

We buy it by the gallon from a local gal.  If nobody here has it for sale,  I will gladly get you a gallon and ship. @billt01

billt01

@kl8ton

Not really looking for that much, just wanted to try something other than a Wal-Mart or Sam's Club offering.

Teefus

Dad kept them for a few years when I was a kid. The fresh honey was nice.

kl8ton

billt01 said:

@kl8ton

Not really looking for that much, just wanted to try something other than a Wal-Mart or Sam's Club offering.

you want a quart?

@billt01

billt01

kl8ton said:

billt01 said:

@kl8ton

Not really looking for that much, just wanted to try something other than a Wal-Mart or Sam's Club offering.

you want a quart?

@billt01

I would...how much    

Bill

kl8ton

billt01 said:

kl8ton said:

billt01 said:

@kl8ton

Not really looking for that much, just wanted to try something other than a Wal-Mart or Sam's Club offering.

you want a quart?

@billt01

I would...how much    

Bill

13 bucks @billt01

PM me your address and I will ship

billt01

@kl8ton


do you do paypal , Venmo, or Zelle?

Deal!