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InvisibleNumeroEno
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Is anyone here into beekeeping?
    #23650199 - 09/16/16 11:08 AM (7 years, 4 months ago)

So I moved into a new house last month, and I was excited when the landlady told me there was a chicken coop and a beehive. The chickens (and ducks) are doing great, but I got curious about the beehive and found it vacant. I'd really like to repopulate it, but I really don't know jack shit about beekeeping, and was wondering if anyone here does. I've poked around online and see that you can order a small population of bees to colonize the hive, but I was more so wondering about luring local bees to the area to take up residency in the hive. I was thinking a hummingbird feeder would make a good bee lure, but I also know from experience that hummingbird feeders make good bee traps. Any suggestion, ideas, and advice are all welcome.


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Offlineergoticmandala
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Re: Is anyone here into beekeeping? [Re: NumeroEno]
    #23650364 - 09/16/16 12:14 PM (7 years, 4 months ago)

yeah I know some stuff, my dad and I had a hive for about a year, you get the queen bee, thats the most important because the bees will protect her and stay with her if she likes the hive.
I think you would have to buy some bees to start off, because bees coming around to a hummingbird feeder would be determined to return to their hives.


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InvisibleNumeroEno
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Re: Is anyone here into beekeeping? [Re: ergoticmandala]
    #23650421 - 09/16/16 12:51 PM (7 years, 4 months ago)

So there's no way to lure a queen into this vacant hive? I've looked around online and they're not terribly expensive, but I'd really like to get something locally. There is this health food store in my town that specializes in producing honey. I may give them a call and get some info from them.


--------------------

:gd_icon:  Let it grow! Let it grow! Greatly yield!  :gd_icon:
What shall we say, shall we call it by a name
As well to count the angels dancing on a pin
Water bright as the sky from which it came
And the name is on the earth that takes it in

DOG FOOD AGAR

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Offlinekidreekie
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Re: Is anyone here into beekeeping? [Re: NumeroEno]
    #23656995 - 09/18/16 08:54 PM (7 years, 4 months ago)

My Ma keeps bees, so I know a little.  Its mostly secondhand knowledge though.
The easiest way to get a queen to live in your hive is if you can collect a swarm.  Swarms are fairly distinctive and pretty harmless, but scary as hell if you don't know much about bees.  They are looking for somewhere safe for the queen, and there are a mass of workers around her.  It's normally the only time a queen leaves a hive.  Just, and this is where I'm lacking in practical experience, lol, sweep swarm into a box and tip into hive.  Or so I'm told? 
You'll need to check that the frames in the hive have foundation (the wax flats) for workers to build into to make collecting honey easier.

There's a heap of regulations and checks about bees here, and talking to local beekeepers will be best, 'cos I'm not sure about different countries.  They may also know if they have a hive about to swarm, but its something you tend to try and avoid letting happen.

Not sure about buying a queen, would think you need a number of workers to keep her alive?


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InvisibleNumeroEno
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Re: Is anyone here into beekeeping? [Re: kidreekie]
    #23661401 - 09/20/16 11:21 AM (7 years, 4 months ago)

See I have no idea about any of this. I'm learning all this from square one, and it's all pretty daunting to me. I called the health food store and the gave me the contact info for the owner who's the bee expert and local honey kingpin, but I haven't had a chance to call him yet.  I hope he'll be able to help me a little more.


--------------------

:gd_icon:  Let it grow! Let it grow! Greatly yield!  :gd_icon:
What shall we say, shall we call it by a name
As well to count the angels dancing on a pin
Water bright as the sky from which it came
And the name is on the earth that takes it in

DOG FOOD AGAR

MY ELECTRIC INOCULATION LOOP


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OfflineReposadoXochipilli
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Re: Is anyone here into beekeeping? [Re: NumeroEno]
    #23667552 - 09/22/16 09:48 AM (7 years, 4 months ago)

Nice and good luck with the bee hobby.

If i get a new place with more land i am definitely interested in getting some bees going.


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OfflineFaustoid
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Re: Is anyone here into beekeeping? [Re: ReposadoXochipilli]
    #23667569 - 09/22/16 09:57 AM (7 years, 4 months ago)

I make alot of mead.. so having my own hives would rock.. I need more space though.


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InvisibleNumeroEno
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Re: Is anyone here into beekeeping? [Re: Faustoid]
    #23667604 - 09/22/16 10:19 AM (7 years, 4 months ago)

I'll have to get a pic of the hive up this afternoon. It's pretty simple but it definitely worked at one point. I don't know what happened to it. The previous tenants took pretty bad care of the place, and when we moved in the beehive was empty and the chickens and ducks were half starved. I've got the birds healthy again so now I really want to get the beehive up and running. I love mead and really want to try making some. Especially the stronger, drier stuff is absolutely delicious. I also thought about selling honeycomb at the farmer's market. I used to work at a grocery store that sold it and a 5 inch square went for almost 30 bucks.


--------------------

:gd_icon:  Let it grow! Let it grow! Greatly yield!  :gd_icon:
What shall we say, shall we call it by a name
As well to count the angels dancing on a pin
Water bright as the sky from which it came
And the name is on the earth that takes it in

DOG FOOD AGAR

MY ELECTRIC INOCULATION LOOP


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Offlinemyceliups
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Re: Is anyone here into beekeeping? [Re: NumeroEno]
    #23672444 - 09/23/16 10:12 PM (7 years, 4 months ago)

I have been thinking about doing this!! Good luck!


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InvisibleShroomismM
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Re: Is anyone here into beekeeping? [Re: myceliups]
    #23672916 - 09/24/16 02:37 AM (7 years, 4 months ago)

I'm jealous. I want a beehive but we just don't have the space for it.
Just read everything you can about it, starting here
It seems like a dank hobby that results in dank honey. Better yet plant a bunch of kush near the bee hive.. cannahoney.


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InvisibleNumeroEno
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Re: Is anyone here into beekeeping? [Re: Shroomism]
    #23673277 - 09/24/16 08:36 AM (7 years, 4 months ago)

I've been super busy and still haven't had a chance to call the guy, but I'll call him this afternoon. Thanks for the links. I really want to get my MMJ card but I haven't been able to commit to spending the money. Pot honey sounds awesome. I'm really interested in all the different things you can do with the bee products though. My girlfriend wants to make body care products and I want to finally try making shroom honey.


--------------------

:gd_icon:  Let it grow! Let it grow! Greatly yield!  :gd_icon:
What shall we say, shall we call it by a name
As well to count the angels dancing on a pin
Water bright as the sky from which it came
And the name is on the earth that takes it in

DOG FOOD AGAR

MY ELECTRIC INOCULATION LOOP


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OfflineYrat
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Re: Is anyone here into beekeeping? [Re: NumeroEno]
    #23704711 - 10/03/16 07:04 PM (7 years, 3 months ago)

Quote:

NumeroEno said:
So there's no way to lure a queen into this vacant hive? I've looked around online and they're not terribly expensive, but I'd really like to get something locally. There is this health food store in my town that specializes in producing honey. I may give them a call and get some info from them.




your best bet for attracting a wild swarm is to spray some lemongrass oil into the hive in the early spring (look up swarm traps).  however, there is only a small chance of this working.  instead, you will want to buy a package of bees (~3 lbs = 10,000 bees w/ a queen) and install it in early spring.  This will run you about $100.


--------------------
"There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil
to one who is striking at the root."
-Henry David Thoreau
Strike The Root


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Invisibletwohigh
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Re: Is anyone here into beekeeping? [Re: NumeroEno]
    #23707740 - 10/04/16 06:37 PM (7 years, 3 months ago)

Start doing alot of reading, keeping bees one summer is easy, being able to keep that hive alive until the next year is not. Be sure to read up on current lit as well as the older, new mite prevention and treatments can be key.

When I was still able to do it, I couldn't get them to go two years, they wud die right as spring came back it seemed.  I was looking into something considered a mite screen that would go at the bottom, allowing the mites to fall right out of the hive when inadvertently knocked off a bee, supposed to do wonders.

Decide if you want to chemically treat your bees or not.  Ive heard the best hives are at least two years old, and the first year you shouldnt actually harvest your honey. 

That or I know people who will just take all the honey and let the bees die, since there is so much trouble keeping them alive. I think its bad karma, but it sucks when the bees die anyway, and you know they ate up a good 90 pounds of honey doing it.

Also I was north central, so winters are long and harsh here, but I wud even move my boxes in the late fall to the southface of the house to help warm and protect them, as wud another guy I new, he had been bee keeping for 20 years, and the last 6 years of that when I knew him, he also couldnt keep a hive alive overwinter, before he had an easy time with them.

Youre going to need to sterilize that hive, google about clearing mites from an old hive box.  I have done both freeform comb hive(very cool) and preform.  Preform fill faster I think, very easy to work with.

Look at where the box sits, how much sun it gets, you dont want it over heating, but you want it to warm quickly in the mornings for the bees. 

Its my understanding you can only order bees once a year, has to be advance orders, and they stop taking orders by march I think.  You have to have all your ducks in a row, everything prepared for the day they get there, after that, its fun and easy for the most part.


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InvisibleNumeroEno
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Re: Is anyone here into beekeeping? [Re: twohigh]
    #23707747 - 10/04/16 06:40 PM (7 years, 3 months ago)

I'll take a picture of what I'm working with tomorrow, but it seems like I should wait until spring to start it. It's this funky trapezoid shaped box with wooden slats on top.


--------------------

:gd_icon:  Let it grow! Let it grow! Greatly yield!  :gd_icon:
What shall we say, shall we call it by a name
As well to count the angels dancing on a pin
Water bright as the sky from which it came
And the name is on the earth that takes it in

DOG FOOD AGAR

MY ELECTRIC INOCULATION LOOP


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Invisibletwohigh
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Re: Is anyone here into beekeeping? [Re: NumeroEno]
    #23707891 - 10/04/16 07:34 PM (7 years, 3 months ago)

Nice man, those rock, never had one myself, but ive heard good things.  I forget the name of the style.  I was thinking of trying it since I kept losing bees with the regular hives, but they're quite pricey when youve already got a few box hives around.  You'll still want to look into cleaning that style for mites before your bees come, but itll be easy.


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OfflineYrat
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Re: Is anyone here into beekeeping? [Re: NumeroEno]
    #23710362 - 10/05/16 03:55 PM (7 years, 3 months ago)

sounds like a top bar hive.  do some research into how to manage one.  very cool to get one for free!


--------------------
"There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil
to one who is striking at the root."
-Henry David Thoreau
Strike The Root


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InvisibleNumeroEno
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Re: Is anyone here into beekeeping? [Re: Yrat]
    #23710887 - 10/05/16 06:37 PM (7 years, 3 months ago)

Yeah I'm renting my friend's house and the hive belongs to her. She wants me to get it going again but I'll be able to harvest it all. There are also 4 chickens and 4 ducks here. The chickens lay eggs like crazy but I haven't been able to get the ducks to lay any eggs. It's a sweet house on a half acre and I'm getting a great deal on it, and come spring I'm gonna really deck the yard out.


--------------------

:gd_icon:  Let it grow! Let it grow! Greatly yield!  :gd_icon:
What shall we say, shall we call it by a name
As well to count the angels dancing on a pin
Water bright as the sky from which it came
And the name is on the earth that takes it in

DOG FOOD AGAR

MY ELECTRIC INOCULATION LOOP


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OfflineYrat
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Re: Is anyone here into beekeeping? [Re: NumeroEno]
    #23712080 - 10/06/16 04:08 AM (7 years, 3 months ago)

i have chickens, ducks, and turkeys.  at this point in the year, the ducks are molting, could be the same with yours.  all protein goes towards feather growth and egg laying stops for awhile.  unless the ducks are very old (or male), they should begin laying soon in a few weeks.


--------------------
"There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil
to one who is striking at the root."
-Henry David Thoreau
Strike The Root


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InvisibleNumeroEno
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Re: Is anyone here into beekeeping? [Re: Yrat]
    #23712353 - 10/06/16 08:01 AM (7 years, 3 months ago)

One of my chickens appears to be molting right now. I'm a little worried about it because none of the other chickens are, but I've been feeding them this high protein organic layer mix and they're just burning through it so I hope new feathers are on the way. I think it would be cool to have a turkey or a peacock.


--------------------

:gd_icon:  Let it grow! Let it grow! Greatly yield!  :gd_icon:
What shall we say, shall we call it by a name
As well to count the angels dancing on a pin
Water bright as the sky from which it came
And the name is on the earth that takes it in

DOG FOOD AGAR

MY ELECTRIC INOCULATION LOOP


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Invisibletwohigh
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Re: Is anyone here into beekeeping? [Re: NumeroEno]
    #23712449 - 10/06/16 08:44 AM (7 years, 3 months ago)

It seems late for a molt, that usually happens in the summer, and finishes up by end of fall with feathers being back.  You could look into breeding meal worms if you have an outdoor shed area you can use.

They are very easy to breed, everything you need for it you can find in the garbage for the most part.  I like the tri leveled drawers with variable sized screens for letting the smallest fall thru to their safe level. 

Being able to feed scoopfuls of full grown beetles to them is one of the richest forms of protein you can give them, and it will add to egg flavor.

Do you have an automated light system inside the coop to lengthen their day and keep them laying?  Otherwise they will stop by December's end, its a good natural break for their systems to allow it, but lights will keep them laying, even just a simple rope light will work.

Is it a full body molt, or is a hen clearing all the feathers from her lower breast/stomache area?  If its not some hen getting a need to nest a clutch, I would look into other potential problems with that chickens health.

Watch out for Bumble Foot, read up on it, and prevent it, its very painful for them, also mites are horrid bitch to deal with on them, make up a dusting area for them, make sure it includes diamataous(sp) earth, shagnum moss, and lime.  Look online for a good ratio. (If you havent already done that)

Clean out and lime the hell out of the entire coop as well, dont go tossing diamatatious earth around in there thou, loose that stuff will irritate the chickens eyes and lungs.

I dont know if the same mites that effect chickens will also impact your bees, but I would suggest researching that, and if so, perhaps make sure you dont keep them to near one another.  Chickens naturally know not to eat bees, at least mine did, so you shouldn't have to worry about that.

You dont want a peacock.


Edit.

What breed of chickens do you have? 

Do you have a rooster, or could you have one?

My girls were far happier with a rooster around, hens are some catty bitches when left to their own devices(or can be, depending on breed)  The male would protect the girls from outside threats, and threats from eachother, it was nice to watch.

One morning I had a great horned owl hunting my flock from the top of a large cherry tree by my barn.  Lennie had all his girls in a corner under an overhang while he strutted back and forth outside, giving warning and watching the owl.

And times when I wud hand feed him sliced grapes, he would jump up and take them from me, but then give it to a hen next to him.  He would do that again and again untill he thought they had all eaten.  He also did the same whenever he discovered food, he was a really good rooster, even when he wud kick the shit out of me.


Edited by twohigh (10/06/16 11:04 AM)


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