# The start of my honey bee experience.



## fireman32 (Mar 19, 2013)

I can taste the honey already.


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## ncrobb (Mar 19, 2013)

AWESOME!  I've been saying for years that I wanted to give beekeeping a try.  Read a book or two and the local Ag Service holds a class every year but I just haven't made the time.  Let us know how it goes.


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## Chum (Mar 19, 2013)

Bee patient!  I started my hive last year but didn't get enough honey to harvest.  The hive looks much stronger this year so I am very optimistic!  I did start my hive later than you though (May I think)...you may do just fine this year!


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## fireman32 (Mar 19, 2013)

I've got a good friend that's getting me started, and I spoke with the pro that I bought my queen from. They act like its no big deal, but I think there's a pretty good learning curve. I don't have real high hopes for my first year, but a little honey will be worth the trouble.


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## ncrobb (Mar 19, 2013)

I just think its fascinating to watch and think how much work they do, each one knowing his part.


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## shakey gizzard (Mar 19, 2013)

i've been tempted to give em a whirl also! The honey is just a byproduct of the real work that's being done!


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## fishbum2000 (Mar 19, 2013)

I don't do bees, one sting from this little creatures will swell me up like a blow fish. I do love honey. Good luck with em though.


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## fireman32 (Mar 19, 2013)

They're learning where home is.  The wife painted the B, we are calling it Bartlett Bees.


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## Anvil Head (Mar 20, 2013)

My dad raised bees for years.....ergo, I worked bees for years. Chased swarms, cut them out of trees, barns and houses. A few stings here and there, but now I just don't care for honey much and really hate "sticky". It was ok to fun when I was younger, but like everything esle things change.
Wish you a lot of enjoyment and return on your efforts. They are something to watch and learn from. Keep 'em healthy.


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## Bitteroot (Mar 20, 2013)

Lookin good... what type bees did you wind up getting in your package?  My hives are swelling up nicely, but a word of advice... LEAVE THEM ALONE and let them be bees.  Too much hive manipulation in not a good thing no matter how fun it is to look around in there.  You can tell almost as much about a hive from the front as you can by peeking inside. But I also know the temptation is irresistable at times.... just don't do it too much.


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## olcowman (Mar 20, 2013)

Bitteroot said:


> Lookin good... what type bees did you wind up getting in your package?  My hives are swelling up nicely, but a word of advice... LEAVE THEM ALONE and let them be bees.  Too much hive manipulation in not a good thing no matter how fun it is to look around in there.  You can tell almost as much about a hive from the front as you can by peeking inside. But I also know the temptation is irresistable at times.... just don't do it too much.



I'm glad I saw this thread... just reminded me I need to add some supers!


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## stewart 14 (Mar 20, 2013)

Did J Cook get you started??


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## fireman32 (Mar 20, 2013)

The queen came from Hawaii, unsure of exactly what strain they are. I have to put the rest of my frames in tomorrow then I can leave them alone. All I'm doing regularly is giving them sugar water.
I'm only going to check them every 7 days.
And yes J. Cook is helping me. We work at the C.F.D. together. Thanks for all the input any advice is appreciated.


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## stewart 14 (Mar 20, 2013)

That's my boy!!! He put out four hives at my house this weekend!


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## fireman32 (Mar 21, 2013)

Put the rest of the frames in this morning.


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## bbs383ci (Mar 21, 2013)

thats cool, my uncle used to raise bees for a living. i remember going to visit him in the summer and helping him unload his truck after he made a run to collect ll his frames, he would scrap the tops off of the comb and then he would put the frames in like a centrifuge and it would sling all of the honey out, the best part was getting the honey comb still dripping with warm honey.

hope you do well unfiltered honey tastes so much better.


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## SarahFair (Mar 21, 2013)

My dad said hed give me a few hive boxes along with some other tools if I was interested in starting..
The SO is not interested in starting - 

I know that you can get non-aggressive bees, but I remember as a kid not being able to to swim in the kiddy pool for the bees!
I think he is afraid they will become a nuisance and well all get stung.


Do yall have kids that play all over the yard, a pool, pets, etc?


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## fireman32 (Mar 21, 2013)

SarahFair said:


> My dad said hed give me a few hive boxes along with some other tools if I was interested in starting..
> The SO is not interested in starting -
> 
> I know that you can get non-aggressive bees, but I remember as a kid not being able to to swim in the kiddy pool for the bees!
> ...



We have two boys 7 and 5. We have stood within 5 feet of the box and basically been ignored.  Our hive is also 150 yds from our house. I can't give real good advice though, this is my first hive. I will say the guy that got me started stood right by me with no suit when we introduced the bees to their box and the bees ignored him also. They aren't like wasps, they won't hunt you down just to sting you.
Hope this helps, I'm sure others can give a lot better advice than I can.


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## DCHunter (Mar 21, 2013)

My dad had them when I was a kid. You can stand 5 feet from the hive and not get stung. However, if you get the bright idea to move the hive to "a better place", then prepare to get stung for a day or 2 even if you're not close. They don't like their hive being moved for some reason.


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## dawg2 (Mar 21, 2013)

Can't have bees.  Guineas snap them up like candy LOL


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## Bitteroot (Mar 21, 2013)

fireman32 said:


> We have two boys 7 and 5. We have stood within 5 feet of the box and basically been ignored.  Our hive is also 150 yds from our house. I can't give real good advice though, this is my first hive. I will say the guy that got me started stood right by me with no suit when we introduced the bees to their box and the bees ignored him also. They aren't like wasps, they won't hunt you down just to sting you.
> Hope this helps, I'm sure others can give a lot better advice than I can.




Uh.... Yea they will ..... If you make em mad they'll put you in the barn.  And never ever open one at night without a suit of armour..... Don't ask how I know.....


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## Bkeepr (Mar 21, 2013)

My back yard hives didn't make it and there are no bees in my fruit trees.  Luckily I have hives in a couple of other spots.


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## fireman32 (Mar 21, 2013)

Bitteroot said:


> Uh.... Yea they will ..... If you make em mad they'll put you in the barn.  And never ever open one at night without a suit of armour..... Don't ask how I know.....



I should have clarified myself a little better, what I meant was honey bees are the only bees that haven't stung me unprovoked, now yellow jackets and red wasps have gone outta there way just to see me create new karate moves, and I have spoke in tongues on one occasion.


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## Anvil Head (Mar 22, 2013)

"and I have spoke in tongues on one occasion"
Was one hiding in your soda can? Sneaky buggars!


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## Bitteroot (Mar 22, 2013)

fireman32 said:


> I should have clarified myself a little better, what I meant was honey bees are the only bees that haven't stung me unprovoked, now yellow jackets and red wasps have gone outta there way just to see me create new karate moves, and I have spoke in tongues on one occasion.



I'm talkin about honey bees.... Relocating a hive and then opening it up real quick like will make ya dance like yaller jackets....

I once... ONCE...  thought I'd peek into a hive at night with a red light to see what was goin on in there....

NEVER made that mistake again... MOST natural enemies to the Honey Bee drop by at night.... I was no exception in their eyes.  They chased me into my barn and I couldn't get em away from my ears.. They meant to hurt me...


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## hobbs27 (Mar 22, 2013)

I love my bee's. Soon you will learn what hive beetles and varroa mites are.


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## Bitteroot (Mar 22, 2013)

Break the cycle with heavy drone population. Seems to work for me..


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## fireman32 (Mar 22, 2013)

@ Hobbs and Bitterroot

What is the best products and actions to defend against mites and moths, again this is my first attempt at bees and I know very little. Specifically what name brands and what places are best to find these products?


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## hobbs27 (Mar 23, 2013)

fireman32 said:


> @ Hobbs and Bitterroot
> 
> What is the best products and actions to defend against mites and moths, again this is my first attempt at bees and I know very little. Specifically what name brands and what places are best to find these products?



I'll get the easy part of your question first.Wax moths are nothing to worry about as long as you have strong hives.They are a nuisance when it comes to storing empty supers but your mentor will help with that.
You didn't mention beetles, but I'll say keep your hives in full sun, and again keep them strong...something your mentor will have to judge since you have only one hive its hard for you to judge your queens performance.A good hive tool to smash them with and I like the beetle blaster traps.

 Now for mites..I do not treat for mites other than screen bottom boards and honey b healthy in spring and after sourwood flow.I lose colonies to mites every year on purpose, and replace them with survivors.That's just what I do, but I'm sidelining about 30 hives.If I had just a few I would break the queens cycle in late summer and blast the bees with powdered sugar.Many folks treat for mites, I've never taken that route so I can't suggest a best treatment.
 The last couple of years I have bought from Mann lake because they offer free shipping when you buy over 100.00 worth of stuff.I hope this helps its a real fun hobby.  WWW.mannlakeltd.com


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## Bitteroot (Mar 23, 2013)

What Hobbs said.... I don't treat... My bees are mutts... Caught swarms and holdovers. Never had much luck with the Hawaiian queens but my buddy has. I don't go through my bees often and seldom go all the way to the bottom. Give them room but too much is an invitation to beetles and moths cause the workers can't cover all that space .   It's a fine line but you'll get the hang of it. We are small time me and my buddy so we only have around ten hives or so and haven't checked all of them yet.  Screen bottoms are a must in my opinion and I look in the tops of the hives to see the coverage and kill any beetles I see then. I also feed very little if any. But on starter hives you really have to. On hold overs I do not. Natural bees don't have those offerings and I believe it makes them stronger. I am not a big time keeper but I believe that medicating and such makes a lesser bee in the long run. Genetically stronger bees, I believe are the solution to the decline. Just as natural fertilizer produces a more insect and disease tolerant plant. The packages I've bought have always lasted a year or three but almost every swarm I've caught have out performed the purchased bees. I am a let bees be bees kinda guy ... If I have to fuss over them I'd prefer to let em perish for I truely believe they are a weaker species than caught bees. I know also that a high percentage of swarms are from hives like yours.   But..... They have the survival instinct and maybe that is better in the long run.


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## fireman32 (Mar 23, 2013)

Thanks for the info., I think I'll let mine be mutts also. Sort of survival of the fittest as you say. Anyway, looking forward to learning more about these honey makers.


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## John I. Shore (Mar 23, 2013)

I love me some Honey Bees, had a few hives over the years, always had to give them up when I moved (moved a lot while in the Army).

Looking forward to getting me some more hives here soon, good luck with them and keep us posted.

John I.


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## Bkeepr (Mar 26, 2013)

I love the mutt bees from Fat Bee Man up in Lula!  Mine are all on small cell and doing fine with minimal intervention.  Italians are too high maintenance and I am not getting any more.


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## fireman32 (Mar 30, 2013)

The bees are building comb, and filling it with pollen as best I can tell.  Only had two try to intimidate me. No stings yet, I know it's coming though.


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## fireman32 (Jun 19, 2013)

My oldest boy waiting on the honey my bees finally produced.  This stuff is sweet.


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## fireman32 (Jun 19, 2013)

He had to get a little taste.


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## ncrobb (Jun 19, 2013)

That is cool.  I wish I had time to take up bee keeping.  Its on my list though.


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## fireman32 (Jun 19, 2013)

I got a little better than 6 pints from 3.5 frames.


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