Bee Keeping

Anyone here into it?

I went to a class here at the Library earlier this year and got interested but didn't have a good spot with the right vegetation. Snagged a great spot a couple weeks ago and used this Holiday to start on my hive boxes. Can't wait to get started with it all.

Can we have pictures and updates?

I'd love to but it's not allowed on the plot I have.

User "moonshae" keeps bees. He's in my local club and always a source for good discussion on the topic.

I Too hope to get into it, jus for my own honey needs. I've found a local guy that has bees that I'm hoping to get to be my Elmer of sorts... but he's pretty strange fellow....I'm not holding a lot of hope.

A guy at work has started as well. He wanted to have his own honey and also help protect the world population. I'll ask how it's going.

i recently took an interest in this when i saw the price of honey (i'z making a saison)

it would be nice to have some nice fresh honey for beer, mead, braggot, sandwiches, etc. i love honey.

living in oakland, tho, i don't think it's possible (or legal.) i'm sure my neighbors would snap once they got attacked

have had bees for 15 yrs

best if you live on several acres and they are not in plain sight

if you will be needing "package" bees next spring locate a supplier soon; they may want a deposit. then have everything ready in April.

Elevated hive stands made of 4X4's set in the ground and sticking up about 16" with 2x4 cross pieces are nice. Save stooping down and stings on the ankles.

It is usually necessary to register with the state. They will come out and get a GPS reading of your hive location and come by every few years to check for pests and diseases.

In Texas, Dadant in Paris is a good supplier of equipment. There are several bee suppliers in the state.

Beekeeping is like homebrewing; do it for the fun and not to try and save $. Initial expense may be $500-1000 with $100/year expense to keep 2-3 hives buzzing.

So TX, did you get those boxes up and runnning?

bees... oh HELL no! those things are pure evil. a friend of a friend keeps bees though and is really into it. When I ask him how many times he's been stung he always saise (with a grin) a few, its not so bad, ya just gotta move slow or they get mad....

I started beekeeping this past summer. I'm on a 1/3 acre suburban lot. Last month we harvested honey - 50 lbs of it - and I, of course, started my first mead. The rest has gone into 1 and 2 pound bottles for our own use and for Christmas gifting. I handle my bees regularly, usually without gloves or a veil. I have been stung four times in four months. My neighbors know I have bees, and they loved receiving a bottle of my honey. Another side benefit of beekeeping is that their pollenating will improve the yield of your gardens, and, of course, your neighbors' gardens. As bees will forage up to 6 miles from the hive, the vegetation you have on your property is completely immaterial to their success. It's a great hobby that fits hand in glove with brewing and I highly recommend it to anyone who is at all curious. Give it a try. If it doesn't work out, your equipment is readily resaleable.

Funny this came up...I was just reading in one of my Foxfire books about how the old timers used to harvest hives in the forest and move them into their own homemade boxes. It sounded neat. Anyone caught or harvested bees from the "wild" so to speak? Is it still advisable given the disease potential?

I have been very interested in this hobby as well, but have not had a chance to get into it yet.

if anyone gets into it, you have to adopt the following slogan:

"i'd rather bee keeping."

Bedlam said:

Anyone caught or harvested bees from the "wild" so to speak?

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Sorta. My mother hung a huge bird house in her backyard. No birds, but instead a huge colony of bees took up residence. My brother helped her lift the top of it sometime this fall and they got a little bit of honey just to taste. My mom said it was watery, I don't know, I did not get to taste it. They're still there doing their thing and going strong. I'm thinking of getting her a proper box & frames...

My wife really wants to start beekeeping. We live in a subdivision so I'm not sure now the HOA will feel about it. But I figure if we wait until we get a fence what they don't know won't hurt them. I think it would be fun and will definitely go hand in hand with brewing. Any tips for newbies?

I was supposed to get some Honey from a friend at Church who has a hive at his lakehouse but apparently he didn't as much as he thought this year because he installed a new "super" to the tops of each hive which may have disrupted their work or something like that.
Its pretty cool to watch them, they let you get pretty close. I've seen them defending against a wasp one time when i was out there. Quite the epic little battle.

DeathBrewer said:

i recently took an interest in this when i saw the price of honey (i'z making a saison)

it would be nice to have some nice fresh honey for beer, mead, braggot, sandwiches, etc. i love honey.

living in oakland, tho, i don't think it's possible (or legal.) i'm sure my neighbors would snap once they got attacked

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I live in Oakland and keep bees. I can't seem to find the regulations but I think you can keep them without any issues. There are quite a few people in oakland that do this.

Bedlam said:

Funny this came up...I was just reading in one of my Foxfire books about how the old timers used to harvest hives in the forest and move them into their own homemade boxes. It sounded neat. Anyone caught or harvested bees from the "wild" so to speak? Is it still advisable given the disease potential?

Click to expand...

Yes, it is common to collect swarms. Usually they are form someone else hive. It's easy and fun.

Probably a dumb question, but would a hive of bees keep away wasps and hornets?

This is a video of a guy who lives near me and runs Wild Blossom Wine and Meads as well as our LHBS. I've bought honey from him and its outstanding. He raises bees in downtown Chicago (on the roof of the Michigan Ave. Marriott) and on a reclaimed industrial site along Lake Michigan in southeast Chicago.

I am a beekeeper.

I have four hives.

Unfortuanetly, I do not get tremendous yields due to my location; but it is decent.


I harvested about 50# early spring and another 160# mid autumn.

I leave a good deal inside between harvests and for over-wintering in case a summer dearth or long and cold winter.

I still have about 15# of spring 2010 and 60# of autumn 2010. The autumn is typically darker and has a more robust taste.

The best part is, the honey is never the same season to season.

My first mead will be coming soon.