I've read everything on this site 2-3 times. Fantastic in my opinion.
The Practical Beekeeper, Beekeeping Naturally, Bush Bees, by Michael Bush
- - - Updated - - -
To everyone else, keep the updates coming! I'm enjoying the stories and pictures!
-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
I've read everything on this site 2-3 times. Fantastic in my opinion.
The Practical Beekeeper, Beekeeping Naturally, Bush Bees, by Michael Bush
- - - Updated - - -
To everyone else, keep the updates coming! I'm enjoying the stories and pictures!
Great thread Joe, thanks. One more thing to like about my TMC buddies!
This is a Warré style hive under construction in my shop. My son is making it as a senior project for one of his Japanese classes. Apparently, this is the common form of hive there (?) Not actually legal here because the county beekeeper would be unable to access/remove combs for inspection. We'll be looking for a swarm soon.
A couple of springs ago, we had a swarm land in our yard in a nook at the base of a tree. At the time, I didn't know what was happening, and it got very cold overnight, actually snowed on them. They all perished :crying: Won't let that happen again.
This is a Warré style hive under construction in my shop. My son is making it as a senior project for one of his Japanese classes. Apparently, this is the common form of hive there (?) Not actually legal here because the county beekeeper would be unable to access/remove combs for inspection. We'll be looking for a swarm soon.
A couple of springs ago, we had a swarm land in our yard in a nook at the base of a tree. At the time, I didn't know what was happening, and it got very cold overnight, actually snowed on them. They all perished :crying: Won't let that happen again.
My wife is in to the 'green' thing. Worm composting. Who's 4 year old grandson gets a worm composting kit for Christmas? Jeese! Then growing all our vegetables. Plants in the garden are all native or Mediterranean. Then solar electricity. Then 2 electric cars. Now bees.
We put our first hive in three years ago. Then a second. Lost a hive. Now we have one Langstroth hive and just put in a top bar hive. If you are interested in a hive, see if you have a local beekeeping association. The Santa Barbara Beekeeping Association has classes where we got our start. I ordered a kit and built the hives. Mann Lake for the Langstroth and Beethinking for the top bar hive. The SBBA put me on a list, and when someone in town has a swarm they call the SBBA volunteers to remove it rather than exterminating it and killing all the bees. Then they give the swarm to members who would like the bees. That way we got local bees, no pesticides.
We let the bees build their own comb. No plastic. No wax foundation from China that has chemicals in it. All natural.
My grandson has his own bee suit and when he comes to visit next month we will harvest honey. We bottle it for friends and for gifts. "Yankee Farm Apiary."
I must admit, the bees are wonderful for our garden. Our avocados have had a huge increase in fruit productions since we have the bees.
Stings. All beekeepers get them. I am one of the lucky 10% who get large local reactions. The swelling lasts for 10 days whereas my wife's stings are not even noticeable in 10 minutes! Anyhow, for that reason I always wear a full suit when working with the bees. I haven't had a sting in over a year now.
About 3% of stings result in anaphylactic (systemic as opposed to local) reactions. That is to say hives, wheezing, closing of the throat, drop in blood pressure, etc. This occurs about 5 minutes after being stung. And you can die from it. But an epinephrine injection can save your life. So I always keep an Epipen around--just in case. Kind of like using a seatbelt in your Tesla, eh?
To put it in perspective 53 die from beestings each year in the US. 6 from black widow or brown recluse spider bites. 6 from rattlesnake bites. 1 each from scorpion bites, shark bites, mountain lion bites, and bear bites. (And 450,000 each year from smoking.)
Allergies in general don't put you at great risk--but you are at greater risk if you have had anaphylaxis from bee stings before. Remember the Epipen!!
We put our first hive in three years ago. Then a second. Lost a hive. Now we have one Langstroth hive and just put in a top bar hive. If you are interested in a hive, see if you have a local beekeeping association. The Santa Barbara Beekeeping Association has classes where we got our start. I ordered a kit and built the hives. Mann Lake for the Langstroth and Beethinking for the top bar hive. The SBBA put me on a list, and when someone in town has a swarm they call the SBBA volunteers to remove it rather than exterminating it and killing all the bees. Then they give the swarm to members who would like the bees. That way we got local bees, no pesticides.
We let the bees build their own comb. No plastic. No wax foundation from China that has chemicals in it. All natural.
My grandson has his own bee suit and when he comes to visit next month we will harvest honey. We bottle it for friends and for gifts. "Yankee Farm Apiary."
I must admit, the bees are wonderful for our garden. Our avocados have had a huge increase in fruit productions since we have the bees.
Stings. All beekeepers get them. I am one of the lucky 10% who get large local reactions. The swelling lasts for 10 days whereas my wife's stings are not even noticeable in 10 minutes! Anyhow, for that reason I always wear a full suit when working with the bees. I haven't had a sting in over a year now.
About 3% of stings result in anaphylactic (systemic as opposed to local) reactions. That is to say hives, wheezing, closing of the throat, drop in blood pressure, etc. This occurs about 5 minutes after being stung. And you can die from it. But an epinephrine injection can save your life. So I always keep an Epipen around--just in case. Kind of like using a seatbelt in your Tesla, eh?
To put it in perspective 53 die from beestings each year in the US. 6 from black widow or brown recluse spider bites. 6 from rattlesnake bites. 1 each from scorpion bites, shark bites, mountain lion bites, and bear bites. (And 450,000 each year from smoking.)
Allergies in general don't put you at great risk--but you are at greater risk if you have had anaphylaxis from bee stings before. Remember the Epipen!!
has anyone tried this honey collection method?
seems like a neat idea/ really easy collection.
I was considering buying a sheet of excluder material and building an upper for our hive w/ jar attachments something like this
@ MikeL - why can't you open/inspect that hive? shouldn't bee a problem
our hive is similar but hex shaped. the top inner edges of the super walls were chiseled(rabbited) so the top bars could rest on/in them
seems like a neat idea/ really easy collection.
I was considering buying a sheet of excluder material and building an upper for our hive w/ jar attachments something like this
@ MikeL - why can't you open/inspect that hive? shouldn't bee a problem
our hive is similar but hex shaped. the top inner edges of the super walls were chiseled(rabbited) so the top bars could rest on/in them
Last edited:
Jouler
Member
GasDoc
Member
So I pick up my bees on Saturday. About 90-120 minutes away from home.
Should they ride in the Frunk? Weather is mild here in the Bay Area.
I've rechecked my inventory and it looks like I have all the pieces needed to get my hive started. The guy I bought it from says there shouldn't be any need for an entrance reducer or to feed them in my neighborhood.
Hope I survive installing them in the hive!
Should they ride in the Frunk? Weather is mild here in the Bay Area.
I've rechecked my inventory and it looks like I have all the pieces needed to get my hive started. The guy I bought it from says there shouldn't be any need for an entrance reducer or to feed them in my neighborhood.
Hope I survive installing them in the hive!
I put mine in the frunk because there are always loose bees on the outside of the package and I didn't want them flying around in the cabin.
Everything is in bloom here so there is lots of nectar about, but I'm still feeding mine. They have a lot of wax to make and so I'd prefer they spend less time foraging and more time drawing out the frames. I will pull my feeder as soon as I see some capped syrup.
purplewalt
Active Member
I have a Purple Martin house, and typically host about 6 pairs plus their fledglings from late March thru August, then they migrate back to South America.
So: does anyone know if the occupants of the Martin house would be a (major) detriment to also becoming a beekeeper?
They are aerial insectivores, catching insects from the air, typically at relatively high altitudes.
Lots of things to learn about and know.
So: does anyone know if the occupants of the Martin house would be a (major) detriment to also becoming a beekeeper?
They are aerial insectivores, catching insects from the air, typically at relatively high altitudes.
Lots of things to learn about and know.
Based off of my 5 minutes of reading about Purple Martins, they would pluck your bees out of the sky as they forage. I wonder how many they eat in a day. The queen should lay 1000+ eggs per day, so I don't know if it would really be an issue or not. Foraging is the most dangerous job for bees and they don't last more than a couple of week once they start.
If anything you might attract more Purple Martins due to the excellent food source nearby.
- - - Updated - - -
Yay google!
http://purplemartin.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18909&sid=35ba39efa0c158497668ffd3bcf8f0fe
Basically not an issue.
GasDoc
Member
Picked up my first colony about five minutes from the Vacaville supercharger. They are hanging out in the temperature controlled cabin while I grab some electrons and lunch.
bonnie
I play a nice person on twitter.
I'm afraid of bees. And spiders. I'm happy to say I will never be a beekeeper. I keep about 10 full cans of raid spread out around my house and the doors. Occasionally when one goes whizzing past then I go bee hunting around the yard looking for bees to kill. Especially carpenter bees. I have a few yellow jacket traps too and I try to go hunting early in the season to kill them all and their nests before they multiply. Sorry I know your all bee lovers here but I have a huge phobia.
Same with spiders. I had a big orb weaving spider problem two years ago. I feared walking outside at night because they would spin these ginormous webs across my front yard and garden. I actually don't enjoy killing those because their webs are beautiful but again it's the fear and phobia thing. Oh I hate needles too. I think they all relate to some fear of stings needles bites.
Same with spiders. I had a big orb weaving spider problem two years ago. I feared walking outside at night because they would spin these ginormous webs across my front yard and garden. I actually don't enjoy killing those because their webs are beautiful but again it's the fear and phobia thing. Oh I hate needles too. I think they all relate to some fear of stings needles bites.
GasDoc
Member
I don't think I'll have my first harvest yet.
Experienced beekeepers, what's the best case scenario. 3 months?
Be aware that it is illegal to kill honeybees, but keep after those yellow jackets!
roblab
Active Member
Well, I taught Phlebotomy for 6 years at a School of Nursing, and have drawn blood for 25 years. Not afraid.
Also deathly allergic to bee sting. Not afraid, just prepared.
But I know some people are afraid of things. Some, lightning, some, bees. But the bees will live somewhere else.
bonnie
I play a nice person on twitter.
I'd let your crew have until next spring to settle in, build up their reserves, etc. Use the summer to get to know your bees. (Others may disagree, I just like to see them winter over with their own honey, not relying on sugar water - there will be honey next spring and then they'll have wildflowers available to make more.)
There are some good sides to being stung, not by too many bees at the same time tough. Perhaps their sting hurts, but there are claims that the bee sting can be therapeutic. The sting stimulates adrenal glands to produce cortisol, a hormone with anti-inflammatory properties. One characteristic of bee venom is the presence of the neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. These facilitate bee venom transmission along neural pathways and promote healing in conditions involving nerve disorders. The therapy is difficult to administer.
There is a risk of too many stings in a short period of time and of anaphylactic shock, if one gets attacked by bees, and perhaps that is what scares so many people.
Similar threads
