Honey Bees
- Thread starter MNFISH
- Start date
greyphase
5 year old buck +
The wife has a hive of honey bees that I help her with. Incredible creatures indeed.
Last years honey.
We've had our ups and downs with our hive. Last winter the top blew off during a storm (our fault :oops:) and frozen the hive. We had to start with a new swarm this spring and won't be gathering any honey from them this year.
Last years honey.
We've had our ups and downs with our hive. Last winter the top blew off during a storm (our fault :oops:) and frozen the hive. We had to start with a new swarm this spring and won't be gathering any honey from them this year.
greyphase
5 year old buck +
The large metal can is the honey separator. It reminds me of an old hand crank ice cream maker. You put 2 frames of honey in it and crank on a handle. It spins the frames around and the centrifugal force throws the honey on to the sides of the container and it runs out the spout at the bottom.
The life of a bee hive is an incredible thing to watch. It's fascinating how certain bees have certain jobs to preform, how they find a nectar source and "tell" other bees where it's located, how they keep the hive a certain temperature year round, and many other facets of the hive.
It's a little pricey to get started with the equipment you need, the supers, frames, bee jacket or suit, etc. but it's definitely an interesting hobby.
Riggsgwp->
5 year old buck +
These are spendy but pretty cool.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/WbMV9qYIXqM?autoplay=1&FORM=VIRE3&MID=2500&PC=APPL
https://www.youtube.com/embed/WbMV9qYIXqM?autoplay=1&FORM=VIRE3&MID=2500&PC=APPL
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
One of the guys in our camp puts out hives for us there. We have to put the hives up on platforms on the side of our tractor shed (block building) to stay out of reach of bears. Very cool process of starting a hive and watching them grow. Bees have it good there - acres of red & white clover, buckwheat plot, apple & crab trees, hawthorn trees, and loads of wildflowers to visit. I changed the sugar-water jar a few times when the hives were just getting started - without protective gear - and wasn't stung or even bothered. No quick movements I was told - and no problems !! Gotta admit I was nervous the first time.
chickenlittle
5 year old buck +
I am interested in getting some mason bees. Honey bees would be too much of a time and money commitment for me.
chickenlittle
5 year old buck +
Mason bees are solitary bees. They are good pollinators. No hive. No honey. They like to nest in small hollow tubes which you can provide for them. The females lay each egg in the tube with a store of nectar that is sealed up with mud. Beyond providing them tubes to nest in, not much effort is required to encourage them.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
We have also looked at mason bees for our camp. Most of our members like the low maintenance of mason bees. I think they are a great alternative to honey bees for many folks. We just happen to have a member with all the right gear and experience to be able to do the honey bees. Whenever he decides he's had enough of the honey bees, we'll be putting mason bees on duty !!
You don't even need those. If you provide some brushpiles with reeds in them, and make sure you have some open ground, you should be able to get lots of solitaries.
chummer
5 year old buck +
My neighbor needed a spot for his bees so I let him put them in my clover plot. They sure are neat to watch. When the clover was blooming you could stand in the middle and almost feel the buzzing. He plans on leaving them all winter but I told him the place he has then will be under 5-6' of snow by March. He just pulled 15 pounds of honey and left the rest to get them through the winter. I get my cut next weekend, can't wait to taste it.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Will he move them because of the snow depth ?? Cool getting honey from your own clover plot !!!
chummer
5 year old buck +
He says no. He is going to add some holes to the top and hope for the best. I say they are toast come spring. Unless we get that mild winter they are calling for.:rolleyes:
chummer
5 year old buck +
This is his first year with them so he is learning as he goes. He has had sugar water out for them for awhile. He only took 15 out of about 100 pounds of honey. Figure they have to go almost 8 months with no pollen and 6 of those months we will be covered in snow. It will be interesting to see if they make it. I can't wait to see if it makes a difference in Apple production. He got them after the bloom this year.
chummer
5 year old buck +
We have had bears around. He put a solar electric fence around it. Doesn't look like much but obviously worked.
Just put some logs in sunny areas and you should get some bees. Honestly natives are a lot less/no maintenance than honey bees.
http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/nests_for_native_bees_fact_sheet_xerces_society.pdf
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
NH - If you DO decide to go with honey bees, consider putting the hives up on the side of an outbuilding if you have one. We did that at camp ( bears ) and it works out fine. I have no experience with E-fences, so can't speak to their effectiveness.
We researched mason bees too, and they are even subject to bear plundering to get the larvae. Best to put them up on a building or metal pole with a shelf up on top for the houses. They are less total up-keep though. And no honey !!
We researched mason bees too, and they are even subject to bear plundering to get the larvae. Best to put them up on a building or metal pole with a shelf up on top for the houses. They are less total up-keep though. And no honey !!
