Honey Bees

[robsdak]

per request of Helomech, here is what i do and know about honey bees.

IMO, they are easy to do. start up cost is $100-$xxx depending on access to woodworking tools and knowledge. you could buy from several online or local stores, if your lucky enough to have 1 close.

how i got started is a friend has 12 hives, he is in with another guy that got him started in it. i started helping Lorenzo with his hives, cleaning boxes, making frames, building frames/boxes, making sure he had what he needed done on time. then i got interested in a small Top Bar Hive for my yard and garden. i looked around and found a set of plans on the interweb.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizontal_top-bar_hive good article

http://www.wasatchbeekeepers.com/top-bar-hive-plans-david-bench/ basic idea and plan

http://timeinventorskabinet.org/wiki/lib/exe/fetch.php/ami/ami/how_to_build_a_top_bar_hive-02.pdf basic idea and plan

i don't have a pictures of my build, sorry, didn't think about it. mine is an idea we had. why not modify a TBH with a Langstroth Brood Box. the idea being i liked the look of the TBH and the added brood box i could add honey supers and make a little more honey and let the bees have the honey in the TBH.

this is mine. it has an observation window (plexiglass) so i can see what's going on without opening it up and disturbing them.
http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/101_0001_zps0f7d57c4.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/101_0001_zps0f7d57c4.jpg.html)

here are the top bars i made. it's a piece of 1x material with a grove cut and a piece of Plasticell cut to 1 in and the i added some beeswax to aid the bees.
http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0108_zps0a429a9b.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0108_zps0a429a9b.jpg.html)

this is the top bar with bees and honey, the white is capped honey, the open cells aren't ready to be capped. also, the honeycomb cells are slanted downward at 1 to 3 degrees.
http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0154_zps797b7930.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0154_zps797b7930.jpg.html)

[robsdak]

here is another top bar.
http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0149_zpsac788b0c.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0149_zpsac788b0c.jpg.html)

this is a shot of the inside of the TBH. it's called Burr Comb. from what i understand, it's when bees just build without guidance. i just cleaned it up and salvaged a few of the bigger pieces and attached it to a couple of the top bars to give the a direction to go in. this was at the bottom of the TBH body. you can see bees at the top of the picture on a bar. it is also a piece of the Burr Comb that i added to the bar. just a little heat from a torch lighter and it melts and stick it where you want it and the bees will carry on. sometimes they just need good directions. :)
http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0125_zps618add54.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0125_zps618add54.jpg.html)

these pics are the brood box and lid. you get an idea of the amount of bees that are there.
http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0143_zpsbc9221d9.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0143_zpsbc9221d9.jpg.html)

[robsdak]

the scews you see are there for ventilation. all 4 corners allows and air space of about 3/8 in.

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0133_zps1469f7fc.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0133_zps1469f7fc.jpg.html)

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0145_zps44e686ac.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0145_zps44e686ac.jpg.html)

this is a pic of what the frames look like with honey. these are in the honey super on top of the brood box. think of the brood box as a Condo.
http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0183_zpsf06cf1fb.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0183_zpsf06cf1fb.jpg.html)

[robsdak]

the bees i have are Italians. excellent honey quality and they produce well.. i have/had a 30x40 garden that had 24 different veggies, several fruit trees, apple, pears, early and late peaches, blueberries and then i plant another 400 sq ft of bee flowers http://encap.net/flower-kits/pollinator-honey-bee-mix/ and Borage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borage http://www.burpee.com/herbs/borage/borage-prod000462.html

i also keep fresh water out for them. http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/harris-farms-poultry-drinker-1-gal-capacity# it hangs on the back fence. just put small rocks in the base, bees can't swim. these are just the places and seeds i get, you can buy where ever you want. *** all links used are for reference only*** it's what i use, but we needed a disclaimer in there somewhere. :)

another disclaimer ***i do not encourage others too do as i do. wear protection ie full bee suits, bee jackets w/long pants, full veils and gloves. i wear mine when i work with others hives. i have been stung 17 times at 1 time working others hives. if your allergic to bees, buy your honey locally or ask and we will work something out, i have a limited supply that i will offer members.***

that being said, most of the time i am working my bees in shorts, t-shirt and a smoker. i have VERY CALM bees! i have been stung 3 times by mine and all were my fault. 2 times i didn't tuck in my shirt and in the process of getting them out i got stung, the other was i closed my fingers and 1 got caught, again my fault. i see my bees no different than 'puppies' they need to be treated with respect.

over time your bees will get to know you. your smell, attitude, voice. no they don't understand sit,stay or come. :) but i believe if your calm and talk to them they understand you mean them no harm. i also spend time sitting close to the hive and talk to them, just being there watching is a neat experience. i am not an expert at doing this, far from it, i am a 1st year Beek. BeeKeeper.

join a local beekeepers club. the 1 i go too, is full of very nice folks. read anywhere you find information, Google is your FRIEND! below are some of the places i visit. (Mods, i am not meaning to intentionally violate any rules, just helping)

http://dtw.no-ip.info:8888/BirdCam.htm cool webcam to watch
http://www.biobees.com/forum/index.php?sid=3f63ccbea46b5ad3e6f99d46e639a51a
http://www.beesource.com/forums/forum.php

one more thought. i am learning when to treat my bees for various things, right now the friend that got me into them, when he treats his bees he make sure i get enough to treat mine.

i hope this was helpful, i will gladly answer anything i can. i am not crazy, i promise, this is what works for me. i have plenty more pictures too share if interested.

rob

[helomech]

Thanks for writing this up. Going to look at the links later, got to kill a bunch of rabbits this morning.

[robsdak]

Thanks for writing this up. Going to look at the links later, got to kill a bunch of rabbits this morning.

your welcome. i think i forgot too add, honey bees are EASY! :) just like anything else we do, it includes knowledge and the right tools.

[Sniper-T]

Awesome write up. part of my garden problems I attribute to lack of pollination, so this may be a solution.

I know you're in Fla. Does anyone know how to overwinter bees in a northern climate, or would I need to buy new every year?

[robsdak]

buy them little electric heaters and blankets. LMAO! *** i apologize for my writing style, i write as i see it in my head.*** ( love the shift+8) :) any questions just ask. and you guys are welcome, should have thought about doing it sooner.

about pollination, could very well be. it helped me 'over plant', meaning instead of 5 plants i could do 8. that's why i got bees. not really for the honey, i can get all of it i wanted from my buddy.

you should be able to do it? they do it in NZ? i will look and see about that. how cold? hi/low/average?

[Sniper-T]

last winter we had about 45 days that were below -35C and around 30 days in one stretch. we will typically run below -10 from the end of October until the end of March... with colder days/weeks/months thrown in, of course.

[jamesneuen]

That was why I had mentioned the Russian bees in my other post. Those were touted as being the most cold hardy species from what I have been reading. Granted, google and beekeeping for dummies do not make me a subject matter expert in ANY way.

[robsdak]

ST these sites might help. gives you an idea of what's going on.

http://www.canadiangardening.com/gardens/fruit-and-vegetable-gardening/the-buzz-on-beekeeping/a/1458

http://basicbeekeeping.blogspot.com/2009/01/lesson-46-how-hard-is-winter-on-honey.html

http://bee-magic.blogspot.com/2011_02_01_archive.html

http://mainebeekeepers.org/the-bee-line/sare-grant-colony-update-2-11/

[belew]

I'm just in my first year of beekeeping so I have a lot to learn. I do remember from the course I took that bees can deal with cold better than we would expect. I think the condensation or dampness in the hive combined with cold tempts is what gets them and they need a little air flow to keep the hive dry.

[Sniper-T]

I'll have to talk to some local BeeK's. I can't imagine that they buy new every year...

[robsdak]

I'm just in my first year of beekeeping so I have a lot to learn. I do remember from the course I took that bees can deal with cold better than we would expect. I think the condensation or dampness in the hive combined with cold tempts is what gets them and they need a little air flow to keep the hive dry.

yep, that's what i read as well. sad pictures of the little buggers all huddled up and froze solid.

ST find a local club and dive head first. i cobbled together a stand and moved the hive today. i need to finish cleaning up the other box i have, so the can get busy. i may have to feed them through the winter. not a big deal, just break into some 'preps'. i was also thinking about taking a frame or 2 from what i already have going and see if the will boost them along.

[robsdak]

first tools of the trade. 2 smokers (some days i just need a little smoke) a hive tool (for separating boxes and lifting frames), paint scraper (too help with said hive tool and scraping propolis), yes a spatula (easier way to remove Burr Comb, explain in a bit) and a torch lighter for lighting the smokers. the round hole is a lid for the feeder top. you screw a 1 qt. mason jar with your sugar water or honey water mixture. the one that is in it now is solid, it comes out and other has small holes in it. the other hive i have a door feeder for it. i went semi-fancy on the roof and can't use a feeder top. bees don't care as long as they can eat.

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0333_zpsd5ae22d7.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0333_zpsd5ae22d7.jpg.html)

first order of the was to adjust a few things. i didn't like the 1st. brood box that i had, so i went and cherry picked a better one. (no pic,sorry) here is 1 o the better boxes. i am kinda picky about what i want to look at in my backyard. :)

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0334_zpsa2ab8167.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0334_zpsa2ab8167.jpg.html)

what i did was moved the new colony to a brood box and added 2 frames of brood from my other hive and 1 frame of honey. this picture you can see the brood and some capped honey. the reason for this, is too jump start them. gives them something to do and shows the 'new queen' where she should be. i know what your thinking, 'won't they kill the emerging bees?' nope. you can do this with bees that aren't 'related', like adopting a puppy from the shelter. they will take them in and raise them. they are mostly worker bees or drones (males), in that case they will kill them this time of year.

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0316_zps954a50cf.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0316_zps954a50cf.jpg.html)

just brood.

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0309_zpsbd7c0b44.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0309_zpsbd7c0b44.jpg.html)

[robsdak]

and capped honey. both sides are full.

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0313_zps4de107b8.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0313_zps4de107b8.jpg.html)

this one is for effect. look close and you can see the flying around. pretty neat. :) i would guess there were 1000-1500 bees in the air from both hives. they are a split from my 1st colony.

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0303_zps4bae4ae1.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0303_zps4bae4ae1.jpg.html)

here they are moving from the 'old rental' into their 'new condo'. takes a little bit for everyone to head that way. but they get there. the reason they are so easy to move, is there is nothing for them in the old box. i have moved their belongings for them. :)

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0301_zps3900ee08.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0301_zps3900ee08.jpg.html)

[robsdak]

this is the old box, the stragglers will find their way home before dark. little known fact-bees don't fly at night. something about not having batteries small enough for their lights. :)

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0335_zps65ef47e2.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0335_zps65ef47e2.jpg.html)

this is the method of watering i use. it kinda helps keep them out of the neighbors pool. notice the glass rocks, that's to keep them from drowning. the surface tension is enough grab and hold them. so they need something too land on.

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0342_zps05b43421.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0342_zps05b43421.jpg.html)

yes, i had my jacket on. moving this many bees and breaking into the other hive, it was needed. this happened after everything was done. i went out to put away everything and caught a bee between me and the scraper handle. not to bad, only stings for a few minutes. MAN UP! MAN UP! there are no tears in beekeeping. :)

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0339_zps4bcdd431.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0339_zps4bcdd431.jpg.html)

[robsdak]

now here is where i explain Burr Comb. while i had the other hive apart, i decided to do some house cleaning. i did find the supersedure cell (queen cell) where the new queen came from. my picture didn't take well. this is what they look like. they are bigger than the others.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_bee#mediaviewer/File:Capped_emergency_supercedure_queen_cells_of_t he_honey_bee.JPG

burr comb. it's when bees think there is a space violation and they turn to creative engineering. just filling gaps that are too big. you just scrape it out and toss it. you can keep it and make balms, candles and such, since i only had 1 hive i didn't mess with it. i do keep some on hand for repairs in my TBH. easy to melt and put the comb back together.


http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0307_zps08a7f23c.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0307_zps08a7f23c.jpg.html)

[robsdak]

this is a picture from inside my TBH. notice the comb in the bottom of the picture, it was on a top bar, the heat got to it and it broke free. when it does that, the workers will make and move the honey back up to another bar. what i am planning on doing is making a couple bars with Plasticell. it's a plastic foundation covered with wax that makes it easier for the beek to spin out the honey. so the bees don't have to remake the honey comb after the harvest. i do take honey from the top bar hive a lot, i leave that for them to feast upon when they need it.

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0324_zps7c0de5a3.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0324_zps7c0de5a3.jpg.html)

this is the top bar with some capped honey and some open cells. notice that there are no brood cells? they keep the rearing business in the brood box in the front.

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0322_zps6efc4692.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0322_zps6efc4692.jpg.html)

this is the Modified Top Bar Hive, it has a brood box in front. i think i have this picture earlier in the thread.

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/101_0001_zps0f7d57c4.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/101_0001_zps0f7d57c4.jpg.html)

this is some more of the top bars.

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0326_zps3e0421a9.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0326_zps3e0421a9.jpg.html)

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0332_zpsfcaac5e0.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0332_zpsfcaac5e0.jpg.html)

[robsdak]

***update***

the day after the move, everybody is happy. pic 1-2 i put feeders on today. a door feeder for the old hive and a top feeder for the new hive. if the new one were unhappy, they would have left by now. now i will watch the feeders and see how long it take to go through a qt. of 2-1 sugar syrup. 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. i mixed 3 C. water to 6 C .white sugar made 1 2/3 qt.

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0343_zps442c5832.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0343_zps442c5832.jpg.html)

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0348_zpsc6aa3fef.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0348_zpsc6aa3fef.jpg.html)

i had a few stop by and say thanks. :) this i caught a picture of eating sugar water from my hand. i told you guys 'puppies'.
http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0350_zpsc6a626e5.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0350_zpsc6a626e5.jpg.html)

- - - Updated - - -

helo, is this thread helping you? just curious.

[realist]

If it isn't helping him it sure does help me. I have been wanting to start for over a year. Now this is just more of a reason. Awesome post. Thanks

[Sniper-T]

wait... what? you have to feed them? what about flowers? what about pollinating? Do you mean they are useless dependants? Like teenagers?

[realist]

It's more like welfare.....just like having kids

[Sniper-T]

damn! with enough nagging will they at least cut the grass? ;)

[Sniper-T]

So how much work actually goes into keeping them... once you have them? daily maintenence? Weekly, Monthly, etc?

[robsdak]

If it isn't helping him it sure does help me. I have been wanting to start for over a year. Now this is just more of a reason. Awesome post. Thanks

good deal. i should have made it more of a blanket statement for everyone, he just came too mind.


wait... what? you have to feed them? what about flowers? what about pollinating? Do you mean they are useless dependants? Like teenagers?

DUH? you 'don't' really need too. according to Micheal Bush http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm but, i am of the mind of Apis Hive Co. http://www.apishive.com/honey-bee-health-2/how-when-and-why-to-feed-your-honey-bees not really like teenagers. LOL no clothes, no car, no insurance, no xbox ,they aren't bugging you for money and you don't have too worry about 'the girls'. but they do need a little help to stay happy and healthy. :) you get way more from them than you put in. well, i do. i sit with them and 'be'.


It's more like welfare.....just like having kids

see above.


damn! with enough nagging will they at least cut the grass? ;)

nope! but they will help in keeping the yard/garden healthy and keep unwanted guests down to a minimum. look at it this way, you eat Bear? they just might add to your bear meat in the freezer. win-win! you don't have to go trudging off into the woods looking for a bear, it might come to you? :)

[robsdak]

So how much work actually goes into keeping them... once you have them? daily maintenence? Weekly, Monthly, etc?

the initial set up is a little time consuming. after that not a lot really.

daily... just looking and enjoying them. i try too spend some time with them daily, my approach is different than most.

weekly... feeding them once. a qt of sugar water. if they eat that much, might be a week and a half, depending on the colony size. (bees = colony and the hive is the box) the bigger the colony, the better off you will be.

monthly... just check on them and see what is going on.

harvest time... depending how many hives you have and the method you use to retrieve the honey. i don't spin extract, i do the crush and strain. it takes about 2 days to do 1-7 frames. i use 8 frame boxes and always leave at least 1 frame of honey for them.

crush/strain.... i scrape off the comb into a large food safe plastic tote. then strain into a bucket and the filter with 4 layers of cheesecloth into another bucket. the longest part is straining the 1st time. i let it sit overnight in the garage, it's warmer than inside the house and depending the size of the strainer and how many frames i do, i might have to do this a 2nd time. straining into the last bucket with cheesecloth is easy. just pour it full and wait for it to drain. bottling again, depends on how much you do.

IMO, it's worth every penny and time to do it. healthier garden, way better quality of honey and a new hobby ie. relaxing way to spend time. i don't drink/drugs, i need ways to fill my free time.

[Sniper-T]

what is this 'free time' you speak of???

I already have a bitch of a time keeping the bears from destroying my bird feeders... I would have to make bee hives out of 1/4 steel plate!

[robsdak]

what is this 'free time' you speak of???

I already have a bitch of a time keeping the bears from destroying my bird feeders... I would have to make bee hives out of 1/4 steel plate!


free time..... is when your medically retired and have nothing else to do.

1/4" steel plate. wow! that's gonna bee expensive. :)

[Sniper-T]

free time..... is when your medically retired and have nothing else to do.


I remember when I was off on LTD, I was bored senseless!



1/4" steel plate. wow! that's gonna bee expensive. :)

Not when you are a steel worker by trade. I have enough 'odds and ends' kicking around to make a 1/2 dozen hives.

[eagle326]

I remember when I was off on LTD, I was bored senseless!



Not when you are a steel worker by trade. I have enough 'odds and ends' kicking around to make a 1/2 dozen hives.


Sniper T = Iron Man with a sweet tooth. ;)

[Sniper-T]

Actually, not so much of a sweet tooth. I like the idea for bringing in bears, and I would probably use most of the honey for making Mead.

I got more of a salt tooth.

[robsdak]

good lord... gonna be heavy duty for sure. then you will have to make sure they have little electric heaters and blankets. :) steel is going to be a little hard for them to regulate the temp.

[robsdak]

just a little update on the bees. the weather here has been nice, well for the most part. feeding them every 2 weeks. the new colony is thriving and doing well.