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Larrythescaryrex
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any bee keepers out there?
#16261802 - 05/21/12 08:26 AM (11 years, 10 months ago) |
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I've got a beehive not. it seems to be different from what I'm use to as it doesn't use frames, but top bars. any comments on this feature?
-------------------- RIP Acidic_Sloth Sunset_Mission said: "larry the scary rex verily scary when thoroughly vexed invoke the shadows and dust, cast a hex mercifully massacring memories masterfully relocate from Ur to 8th density and become a cosmic bully mulder and scully couldn't decipher his glyphs invoke the shadows and dust, smoke infernal spliffs" April 24th 2011
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Prisoner#1
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top bar hives are great, easier to work than langstroth hives, also easier to build
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GabbaDj
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-------------------- GabbaDj FAMM.ORG
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greys
OTD Sergeant at Arms
Registered: 07/16/06
Posts: 44,923
Loc: nunya
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Re: any bee keepers out there? [Re: Prisoner#1]
#16269153 - 05/22/12 05:55 PM (11 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
Prisoner#1 said: top bar hives are great, easier to work than langstroth hives, also easier to build
top bar makes less honey. harder to extract honey from a top bar too.
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Prisoner#1
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Re: any bee keepers out there? [Re: greys]
#16271631 - 05/23/12 04:54 AM (11 years, 10 months ago) |
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top bar is a crush and strain only, nothing difficult about that, saves you the need for an expensive extractor, decapping knife, etc... and they can produce more honey than a langstroth if you're a lazy beek that isnt adding boxes to the hive
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cacharstar
Strange is good...
Registered: 11/13/08
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Loc: The West Coast
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Re: any bee keepers out there? [Re: Prisoner#1]
#16275517 - 05/23/12 09:26 PM (11 years, 10 months ago) |
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Top bars make great honeycomb. Not great for commercial production tho. If you scrape the burr comb that the bees make on their own, and fashion it inside a quart jar inverted over a hive with a hole, the bees will finish filling in the mason jar with comb honey and use the burr comb as a pattern and make their honey art.
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greys
OTD Sergeant at Arms
Registered: 07/16/06
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Loc: nunya
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Re: any bee keepers out there? [Re: Prisoner#1]
#16277083 - 05/24/12 06:09 AM (11 years, 10 months ago) |
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extractors arent expensive. you can get a new hand cranker for less than 500 dollars. Dad used to use filet knives dipped in boiling water to decap.
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cacharstar
Strange is good...
Registered: 11/13/08
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Loc: The West Coast
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Re: any bee keepers out there? [Re: greys]
#16278084 - 05/24/12 11:12 AM (11 years, 10 months ago) |
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Try extracting 20 pallets of supers in a hand crank machine. Not going to happen. I think it's time I take some pictures of my family operation here in the central valley.
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greys
OTD Sergeant at Arms
Registered: 07/16/06
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Re: any bee keepers out there? [Re: cacharstar]
#16279062 - 05/24/12 03:40 PM (11 years, 10 months ago) |
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shut up when yer talkin to me.
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Larrythescaryrex
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Re: any bee keepers out there? [Re: greys]
#16279450 - 05/24/12 05:35 PM (11 years, 10 months ago) |
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err... I see...
I mainly want it to make like 10 gallons of mead a year or so. so mass production isn't an issue and I'm part of a historical group that gives kudos to doing things by hand...
-------------------- RIP Acidic_Sloth Sunset_Mission said: "larry the scary rex verily scary when thoroughly vexed invoke the shadows and dust, cast a hex mercifully massacring memories masterfully relocate from Ur to 8th density and become a cosmic bully mulder and scully couldn't decipher his glyphs invoke the shadows and dust, smoke infernal spliffs" April 24th 2011
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Prisoner#1
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Re: any bee keepers out there? [Re: greys]
#16280849 - 05/24/12 09:33 PM (11 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
greysRDbest said: extractors arent expensive. you can get a new hand cranker for less than 500 dollars. Dad used to use filet knives dipped in boiling water to decap.
yep, you can start small and do a shitload more work but if you're only working one hive then why spend extra on an extractor when crush and strain is cheaper and a bit less time consuming
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Bigcmcg
Registered: 01/14/12
Posts: 551
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Re: any bee keepers out there? [Re: Prisoner#1]
#16321963 - 06/02/12 02:25 PM (11 years, 9 months ago) |
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How's it going all looking to get into bee keeping just want to keep it very small and as simple as possible. Any suggestions? Does anyone know a good source for starter bees/ best kind to get without paying an arm or a leg? Thanks
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cacharstar
Strange is good...
Registered: 11/13/08
Posts: 4,014
Loc: The West Coast
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Re: any bee keepers out there? [Re: Bigcmcg]
#16322846 - 06/02/12 06:25 PM (11 years, 9 months ago) |
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Put out an add for swarm removal. That is the cheapest way to get hives going. Other then that try yahoo groups or look for a local beekeeping association. There usually is newsletters where people within the groups sell items. Hope this helps...
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Bigcmcg
Registered: 01/14/12
Posts: 551
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Re: any bee keepers out there? [Re: cacharstar]
#16325414 - 06/03/12 07:34 AM (11 years, 9 months ago) |
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Any good ideas to build a homemade hive? Trying to do it with things I have at home or that I can get for 10 its less. It doesn't have to be pretty just functional and preferably small.I found a source for the bees so that is no longer an issue.
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Prisoner#1
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Re: any bee keepers out there? [Re: Bigcmcg]
#16325592 - 06/03/12 09:02 AM (11 years, 9 months ago) |
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building hives is pretty easy if you have a few tools, a langstroth hive will require a lot of patience and hand work or a table saw. if you dont feel you have the patience to do finger joints by hand then a top bar hive is pretty easy. there's loads of plans on the net on how to build each. the top bar hive will limit colony growth of you build it too small, optimally about 4-5 feet long would be best for a starting colony, the langstroth hive can be expanded as needed by stacking more hive bodies on it
small hives result in swarming and absconding
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Bigcmcg
Registered: 01/14/12
Posts: 551
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Re: any bee keepers out there? [Re: Prisoner#1]
#16325615 - 06/03/12 09:17 AM (11 years, 9 months ago) |
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Here's my dilemma I don't have any power tools other than a cordless drill. No saws either. Was thinking more along the lines of alternative materials ie Styrofoam or DOW Styrofoam insulation. Or alternative hive designes. basically want one minimally sized hive that I can pull a small amount of honey/wax from without destroying or killing. I had a skep before I did any research and found out that only the two tier skeps could produce without destroying. Feel free to message me too any and all help is appreciated. Thank you all and I apologize for changing the direction of this thread, I am glad to know there are more multi passioned people out there.
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Larrythescaryrex
teardrop on the fire
Registered: 07/19/00
Posts: 11,004
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Re: any bee keepers out there? [Re: Bigcmcg]
#16328777 - 06/03/12 09:59 PM (11 years, 9 months ago) |
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70 bucks on ebay for a top bar.
-------------------- RIP Acidic_Sloth Sunset_Mission said: "larry the scary rex verily scary when thoroughly vexed invoke the shadows and dust, cast a hex mercifully massacring memories masterfully relocate from Ur to 8th density and become a cosmic bully mulder and scully couldn't decipher his glyphs invoke the shadows and dust, smoke infernal spliffs" April 24th 2011
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Prisoner#1
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Registered: 01/22/03
Posts: 193,665
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Re: any bee keepers out there? [Re: Bigcmcg]
#16330453 - 06/04/12 08:54 AM (11 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
Bigcmcg said: Here's my dilemma I don't have any power tools other than a cordless drill. No saws either. Was thinking more along the lines of alternative materials ie Styrofoam or DOW Styrofoam insulation. Or alternative hive designes. basically want one minimally sized hive that I can pull a small amount of honey/wax from without destroying or killing. I had a skep before I did any research and found out that only the two tier skeps could produce without destroying. Feel free to message me too any and all help is appreciated. Thank you all and I apologize for changing the direction of this thread, I am glad to know there are more multi passioned people out there.
you can do the work with simple hand tools, a hand saw, coping saw, chisel and a square to build the langstroth hives, skip the coping saw and build top bar hives
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cacharstar
Strange is good...
Registered: 11/13/08
Posts: 4,014
Loc: The West Coast
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Re: any bee keepers out there? [Re: Prisoner#1]
#16330568 - 06/04/12 09:40 AM (11 years, 9 months ago) |
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You can keep bees in anything as long as you are willing to deal with the burr comb after. I have forgotten swarms that were left in a 5 gallon bucket before and all they did was attach combs to the lid so when I took it off the whole hive lifted out with the lid. you can put bees in an old chest of drawers. Think outside the hive
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Bigcmcg
Registered: 01/14/12
Posts: 551
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Re: any bee keepers out there? [Re: cacharstar]
#16331009 - 06/04/12 11:42 AM (11 years, 9 months ago) |
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Thanks guys and i was thinking like a styro cooler with Styrofoam trapezoid frames and a half bucket for the lid. Would this work?
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