Keeping bees

You will have to have access to the back of the hives.

camprn wrote:You will have to have access to the back of the hives.

I think I would have enough room to move around.  If not I could make it bigger like 2 pallets deep or wide rather than 1.  I just wanted to make sure it wouldnt bother the bees entrance/ flight in and out of the hive.

R&R 1011 wrote:

camprn wrote:You will have to have access to the back of the hives.

I think I would have enough room to move around.  If not I could make it bigger like 2 pallets deep or wide rather than 1.  I just wanted to make sure it wouldnt bother the bees entrance/ flight in and out of the hive.

You will need an area big enough to move your body, remove and place down hive boxes, frames, feeders, supers, tool boxes, smoker, etc. The way I hold pallets up vertically is by pounding a few U fence posts through the pallet and into the ground. This way I can easily remove any side I need to.

I've been reading posts in this thread but haven't read all of them yet.  I haven't seen the subject of africanized bees or bee sting allergies in my reading so far. I live in Texas where africanized bees are a problem.  We've had several deaths caused by them within 20 miles of where I live and many other reports of severe attacks not resulting in death.  Aniphylaxic shock is something I must guard against because I am allergic to bee stings and a number of other insect bites including both kinds of fire ants.  I keep Epi-pens current and handy at home and in my truck.

And now the question:  Is there anything that a person in my geographic and allergic situation can SAFELY do to encourage bees in their garden?  Or, is it best to leave this base untouched and take one's chances with bees from other sources?

I cannot really speak to this issue but I may suggest contacting a local beekeepers club and perhaps they can help you. http://texasbeekeepers.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/2012_may_june.pdf

Thanks, camp!

We have a major honey operation about 10 miles from here.  It is where they extract, bottle, and do whatever is required with the harvested product.  I will make it a point to stop in and have a conversation with the owner.  He can probably set me straight.

FWIW I have no fear of regular honey bees because it is highly unlikely that I would get more than a couple of stings from any day to day activity; but the ferocity of these africanized bees is more than a bit disconcerting.  They are relentless and will enter your house in ways you never imagined once the pheromone has been released.  I hope the Aggies find some useful counter to the problem soon.

One colony is alive and flying today. Temp finally 53F.   

Me too, camprn! The Russian hive is flying, the Italians are dead. I have a new Russian package on order for next month, and I'm getting a Russian queen to split with (from NY state) in late June.

I haven't gotten through all of this yet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nznzpiWEI8A but he mentions how well his overwintered nucs do - have to look into that more.

rabbithutch wrote:I've been reading posts in this thread but haven't read all of them yet.  I haven't seen the subject of africanized bees or bee sting allergies in my reading so far. I live in Texas where africanized bees are a problem.  We've had several deaths caused by them within 20 miles of where I live and many other reports of severe attacks not resulting in death.  Aniphylaxic shock is something I must guard against because I am allergic to bee stings and a number of other insect bites including both kinds of fire ants.  I keep Epi-pens current and handy at home and in my truck.

And now the question:  Is there anything that a person in my geographic and allergic situation can SAFELY do to encourage bees in their garden?  Or, is it best to leave this base untouched and take one's chances with bees from other sources?

I'm not sure if this luxury is available to you guys over the pond in the USA.
Here we can buy small boxes of bumble bees  to put in dry compost heaps in a small  wooden packing box , you'll need a 2 to 3 inch dia plastic pipe to allow the bumble bees to get out of the heap .
Bumble bees fly when temps are juts above 43 oF whereas honey bees tend to only fly at 50 oF and above . they also tend to try and make a bigger next in the location they are placed .
 
When I did honey bee keeping  I was often called ( and paid well )  during July & August to remove a massive bumble bee nest under pallets where hay had been stored on a concrete floor over winter.
 
This led me to experiment with a couple of packs of commercial glasshouse fertilizing bumble bees   , laid in pallets on bare ground and covered in dry newly damped down finshed hay to a few feet thick .. the bumble bees thrived .
 
 I also used an inverted " J " made of three inch house soil pipe to put in the middle of a pallet wired to a big stake so that I could see if the bumble  bees would use the " snorkel "  tube to enter & exit the nest . They did so I was able to put a tube over a bumble bee nest in a deep crack in the dry ground stuff the edges with lots of crumpled paper and secure the tube to an angled stake of wood .

This took the bees into close down when the November frosts killed the vast majority off and the householder, business premise owners were then able to have the hole filed in with sieved soil or dry sand rather than me killing the bumble bees "

To keep bees, my county wants me to apply for a conditional use permit which not only costs $125, but they send out notifications to all neighbors surrounding us.  Ive decided to push bee keeping off until next year while we get our yard fenced in and garden expanded.  A bit disappointing I have to jump through hoops considering the rural area Im in.  My last bee class is tomorrow then we have one field day at a bee keepers home in April.

Thats pretty cool, plantoid.  I notice I had a lot of bumble bees in my garden last year.  I think their nest was in our old barn.

I am missing my bees    My city council decided to ban beehives. So my bees are out in the country. But I broke my ankle in December and am only now allowed off sidewalks and only if I use a walker. So I haven't been able to check to see if they are even alive. I am hoping to go out there next week on hubby's day of so he can take me back there in the truck.

CindiLou, so sorry to hear that! Jeesh, we are becoming so anti-nature.

Thank goodness the bees can't spread too far north.  They haven't hit Fresno County, CA, yet, but counties north and south have.  For those of you north of the AHB range, happy honey beeing!    

http://ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=11059&page=6

I had a hard time convincing them that the 2 deaths avg per year by honeybees is NOT worse than the 23 last year by pit bulls. But the pit bulls won and the bees lost. We can now have pits but the bees have to go. No I have nothing against pits! But they were using bee deaths as a calculator! We are now looking into how to finance a move to a few acres out of this county. I have lived here all my adult life and much of growing up and my family has been here since the 1860s but I just can't stand them anymore!

NHGardener wrote:Me too, camprn! The Russian hive is flying, the Italians are dead. I have a new Russian package on order for next month, and I'm getting a Russian queen to split with (from NY state) in late June.

I haven't gotten through all of this yet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nznzpiWEI8A but he mentions how well his overwintered nucs do - have to look into that more.

Ah, Mike Palmer and Erin Forbes are my beekeeping gurus.

I don't blame you one bit for that attitude, CindiLou.

On our ballot tonight there was a warrant that if your farm animals/dogs (excepting cats) stray onto someone else's property, you're going to get a fine, payable to the town. For a rural community, it was really disappointing.

[size=17.27272605895996]Ah, Mike Palmer and Erin Forbes are my beekeeping gurus.
[/size]

There is so much good stuff on youtube, it's crazy. I only got about halfway through Back to Eden but love the woodchip concept. 

Online is such the time sucker...

PS - I stink at quotes.

NHGardener wrote:I don't blame you one bit for that attitude, CindiLou.

On our ballot tonight there was a warrant that if your farm animals/dogs (excepting cats) stray onto someone else's property, you're going to get a fine, payable to the town. For a rural community, it was really disappointing.

this is what amendments are for.  

CindiLou, thats so sad to hear.

Well, Ive decided to go for it.  Im on the fence about getting the permit or just trying to hide our hive.  I'm going to do just one hive and attend the bee yard this spring and summer to learn more.

HAve you already ordered your bees?

camprn wrote:HAve you already ordered your bees?

Kind of, sent an email to my instructor who sells bees & hives.  As of Wed., he still had bees for sale.  I know they're going quick this year with everyone's losses over the winter.

R&R 1011 wrote:

camprn wrote:HAve you already ordered your bees?

Kind of, sent an email to my instructor who sells bees & hives.  As of Wed., he still had bees for sale.  I know they're going quick this year with everyone's losses over the winter.

Bees ordered!

R&R 1011 wrote:

R&R 1011 wrote:

camprn wrote:HAve you already ordered your bees?

Kind of, sent an email to my instructor who sells bees & hives.  As of Wed., he still had bees for sale.  I know they're going quick this year with everyone's losses over the winter.

Bees ordered!

Great!

I get the bees in a month.  Im sure Ill be pestering you with questions.