Bees

Discussion in 'The Green Patch' started by Hanzo, Aug 16, 2014.


  1. Hanzo

    Hanzo Monkey+++

    Bought some raw honey from local beekeepers at the farmers market.

    ImageUploadedByTapatalk1408230233.343882.

    Did you know eating raw honey from bees produced locally can prevent or reduce allergies? The closer to where you live, the better. So got some from within about two miles of us and some from about 20 miles away, because the little monkey likes the slightly sweeter flavor better.
     
  2. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    Besides being very good for you, raw honey also keeps forever. =)

    I do store up some processed honey, and when it crystallizes I just heat it in a steam bath until it is back to normal honey again.
     
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  3. Witch Doctor 01

    Witch Doctor 01 Mojo Maker

    Just finished a day at the Local bee Keepers festival (national honey bee day) scored 3 new supers and 40 more lbs. of honey...
     
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  4. Hanzo

    Hanzo Monkey+++


    I actually don't mind having it in the crystallized state.

    When they discovered 5,000 year old honey in the pyramids, scientist 1, "It's still good." Scientist 2, "YOU eat it."
     
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  5. HK_User

    HK_User A Productive Monkey is a Happy Monkey

    See if you can purchase some pollen from your local honey supplier. It helps to take a small portion each day to slow down your allergies.
    Taste good too and looks pretty on the top of a Peanut butter and toast combo swimming in just a glaze of honey.
     
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  6. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    I bought 5 gallon bucket of Honey approx. 50 lbs. $120.00
    Thinking about buying 6-7 hives, any body doing this? How expensive? how hard to keep em' going?
     
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  7. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    I too, am looking into my own hive. Price I was given from a local beekeeper, was one plastic rack type, (not wire) and three pounds of bees for $119.00
     
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  8. Hanzo

    Hanzo Monkey+++


    We eat bee pollen regularly. And fortunately, we don't have allergies to any local plants. The only thing that gets us is the vog. When the particulates are thick and heavy, it makes us sneeze.
     
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  9. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    The guy I bought the Honey from said you need at least 5 because about half will die every year. He say's he's having a heck of time keeping them alive.
    He's like minded, when I initially met with him we kinda hit it off. I have 1 /5 gallon bucket full from last year, but I gonna grab another one, at that price you can't go wrong.
    He offered to clean it up for me But I didn't want him to. Mine still has pollen, and small frags of wax in it.
    I've been watching the decimation of Bee hives all over the world, the US has real problems if they can't get the Hive Disorder under control soon!
     
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  10. HK_User

    HK_User A Productive Monkey is a Happy Monkey

    Too late for the Bees to collect nectar, Pollen and make brood.
    Start fresh next year but have all your ducks errr Bees in a row first
     
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  11. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    I'm in the Constr. Trade, I'm gonna build my own hives that may or may not be cheaper. I'll price the materials and get back to the thread, maybe I'll video the process and post it.
    Getting ready to build a COB Barn for my animals, already have the straw, just waiting for the heat to break.
    Cob Bee Hive's/ Hmmmm
     
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  12. Airtime

    Airtime Monkey+++

    There are previous threads dealing with getting into bee keeping and HKuser has contributed much to those, so check them out.

    Regarding the acquisition of bees, I recommend beginners purchase a nucleus (nuc) hive to start. Nucs are small mini hives generally with 4-5 full size deep frames in a half size hive body. The box may be reusable constructed of wood and some suppliers may give you money back if you return it minus the frames which you will keep. These can also be made from wax coated cardboard or corrugated plastic and are intended to only last a few months. The value of a nuc is the colony is well established with a queen that has proven to have been laying for more than a month. There is brood at various stages of development, there are young bees, there is full acceptance of the queen, there are honey and pollen stored and it clearly is a thriving hive when it left the supplier.

    The other more common acquisition method is to buy packaged bees. The supplier rears queens separately, breeds them and then puts them in a small cage with a few attendants. This cage is inserted into a larger screen sided wood box about 16x8x6 (or similar size) and then about 3 pounds of bees from a strong hive are poured into the package and it is closed up and shipped to you. The queen has not been laying, the bees are not yet acclimated and accepting of their new queen, there is no brood and the colony is just not established. There is a gamble that when introduced into your hive body, it will all work out and a colony will become established. I don't know the failure rates, that research has likely been done. I'd guess it is between 15-20% for experienced keepers and 25-35% for new keepers but I could well be wrong.

    The bigger problem for a new keeper with just one or two hives is if the colony does not succeed it may be too late in the year to get another package, replacement queen or to start over. Nucs cut this risk down significantly and the extra cost for success and avoiding disappointment if your kids are getting in on the hobby seems well worth the extra 45-60 bucks it may cost. Also note you do generally get 5 assembled frames with foundation in the nuc (worth roughly 16-20 bucks) and you might be able to get some money back (20-25 bucks) on a wood nuc body (or save it and in a couple years start and sell a couple nucs of your own and recover your full cost). So, the cost might not ultimately be that much more for much better odds for success.

    This past spring in the IL, IN, OH, KY, TN areas I was seeing packages w/queen running in the $95-120 range and nucs in the $140-180 ranged and peaked at $210 at the season end. The prices are best in late March into early April as suppliers take orders and start delivering. They go up as you get well into May. Nucs are available latter and into early summer as they require more time to establish. The $210 was the highest I saw and this was late in the season (mid-late June) due to supply and demand. $140-150 for cardboard or plastic and maybe $20 more for a wood body are probably more normal prices (at least that is what I saw this year when I was watching).

    One other thing, there are some very new breeds of queens becoming available referred to as mite biters. These bees have a more aggressive natural grooming habit and actually bite bee mites while grooming generally killing them. Mites started becoming a big problem in the early 80's compromising the hive's brood. Mites made it significantly more difficult for beginning keepers so help yourself out by getting these breeds if possible. Ohio State and Purdue Universities I know have had aggressive programs developing these. I'd bet UC Davis, Georgia, U of Florida and other schools with strong apiary science programs do too.

    I have a couple hives with breeds that are a mix of the OSU and Purdue U strains, seem to be doing well so far but two data points is not very statistically significant. I read that Purdue earlier this spring was offering keepers two free queens, one a mite biter and one not if you'd provide data and feedback. They didn't tell you which was which until later.

    Enjoy.
    AT
     
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  13. Airtime

    Airtime Monkey+++

    I certainly would not bother trying to make the frames. You can buy those (assemby required) for like a buck to a buck and a half a piece and for the smaller sizes in quantities of 50 they are like 75-80 cents. Not worth the trouble. Hive and super bodies you might save a couple dollars as a hive body is 16.00. But note you can get a complete hive (1 deep body w/frames, bottom board, inner cover and top cover) for $70. You do assembly and painting (paint not included but nails are included).
    B52101 Hive Standard Complete 10 FR, Dadant & Sons Beekeeping Supplies and Candles
    The precision with which the parts are cut is such that when they go together things are very close to square without out much help or adjustment required.

    AT
     
  14. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    Thanks for the link.
    There is a tax break for raising bee's. I already have a farm but I don't sell anything so I can't write anything off, but bee's are different for some reason.
     
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  15. Witch Doctor 01

    Witch Doctor 01 Mojo Maker

    we have three hives... and have kept the for 3+ years...you will want more than one super (level) on your hives ... 3-6 is normal... there are issues with hives but much of that has to due with crop spraying and some of the herbicides... (one theory of colony collapse has to do with round up ready crops)... My suggestion is to check with your local bee keepers association for more information and free classes... some of them will give new bee keepers who take the class a swarm or two of bees and help them build the supers and frames... ( not all frame will fit all hives) expect an initial law out of 200-300 dollars for gear and supers... extraction equipment is more expensive (we have an extractor cost around $200.00)... its a load of fun once you get going...
     
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  16. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    So you think starting out with 3-4 would be more reasonable?
    I thought 7 was a lot.
     
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  17. Witch Doctor 01

    Witch Doctor 01 Mojo Maker

    I would start with at least 2... especially if you plan on processing much honey....
     
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  18. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    Honey is a side effect with me. Not the goal. I will take some, but leave them some.
     
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  19. HK_User

    HK_User A Productive Monkey is a Happy Monkey

    A Bee tree we cut into to check the dead hive.
    Nothing left but the wax on the sides.

    Bee Hive inside a hollow tree.JPG
     
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  20. Dont

    Dont Just another old gray Jarhead Monkey

    Picked up some used supers with frames last fall at 5.00 a super.. Been out cleaning the old foundation and disinfecting a few of them so they would be ready for a new colony ... Am planning to pick up three or four colonies this spring..
     
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