Beekeeping...for those interested!

[MyGardenHelper]

I keep the hive. A co-worker of mine wished he would have known about him because he spent over $400 on a hive and over $100 for bees and queen. He's taking classes, but mentioned it would be nice to have an experienced beekeeper with you throughout the seasons. Granted, he may have bought a castle as a hive. I believe this is just the simple box. He grew up with bees because his mother was a beekeeper. He and his mother started a beekeeping business in the 90"s. What I like about him, is he's more interested in saving the bees rather than making money. I also will be taking classes at a local place called BeeKind. There's alo classes at our local Junior College. The article mentioned that he hasn't lost bees.
Here's his personal website:
http://www.getbees.net
It would normally cost $620, but he's already servicing nearby towns, so I get a $50 decrease. I live in a town called Forestville and we have 5 acres. I really didn't want to wait until next year, which is why I've gone this route. People are getting there bees now and I didn't feel ready and I was going to wait until next year. But, I will take classes. I've already read 3 books and there's tons of info on the internet. The Junior College classes are half way through, so I missed that boat. The next classes are in the Fall. I'm already signed up for a free class at BeeKind in a couple of weeks.

 

[the simple life]

If you get to keep the hive and the bees and get a year's guidance then thats not bad at all.
I don't know how your friend spent $400.00 on one hive either, you can get 2 for that price, unless he bought the hive and other equipment, clothes, tools etc. included in that price.
Anything you can join is good because it will expose you to alot of other beekeeping methods and you will meet alot of people.
At the end of the year they usually have potlucks and picnics, its a good way to make friends with the same interests as you.

M&G, his stuff might not be that bad, maybe its serviceable enough until you can gradually replace the components over time, that is always an option.
I had a beekeeping class last night and the speaker there said if you must buy used equipment you should really only use a blow torch on them, someone asked about using bleach and he said absolutely not.
Chemicals get absorbed into the wood and then will gradually leech out of it, especially when it gets hot and the fumes can kill the bees.
Besides who wants chemical laden honey?
Mostly what you have to worry about is foulbrood and a blow torch should take care of that, the mites carry viruses but I don't know if those viruses are the kind that can live on in or on the wood like the foulbrood.
Foulbrood can stay as a live virus for 30 years in your hive.
The beek should be able to tell you if he had any of those issues in the past, he sounds like an honest person who wouldn't want to pass on anything to someone new.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Yes, the mason orchard bees are easy to keep. You just need to buy a few plugs . . . I think we started with 5 and build or buy a "house." We set the plugs out near the house, but not in it. The bees filled the holes in the house and appear to have at least doubled their numbers. They finished up by late spring/early summer. This year we will have to provide them with a new house, but that is all you really have to do (besides protect them from the cold if you live in a cold winter region).

 

[reinbeau]

I wouldn't trust the blow torch method especially with regards to American Foul Brood. I just wouldn't use old equipment, unless I knew the beekeeper who used it before and knew they hadn't had any problem with AFB. It's just not worth the risk. If you buy your equipment unassembled, a medium super is about $9.50, unassembled frames are $1.13 (in quantity) apiece, a sheet of wax is 55 apiece. So a medium box with ten crimp wax foundation filled frames is roughly $26.30 apiece, times three (three mediums equals two deeps, that's your hive body) is $78.90. Add the telescoping cover and inner cover and whatever you want to use for a bottom board and you're into one hive for ~$116.00. It isn't cheap, but as Natalie said, to avoid the use of chemicals and still have the chance of having AFB right from the git-go, it's well worth the investment to start out with new equipment.

The prices above are based on quantity purchase, and if you time your purchases properly you'll get free shipping from at least one vendor (Brushy Mountain in December usually offers free shipping), these things are heavy, so shipping isn't cheap!

We give a talk on equipment purchases at bee school each year. My husband has worked up an Excel spreadsheet outlining the various costs between three different vendors, if anyone is interested send me an e-mail (not a PM, I can't attach the file to a PM) and I'll send it back to you. I also have a sheet I've worked up on Using Internet Resources with regards to beekeeping, it's a Word doc, if you'd like it, same offer applies! My husband is a frugal Mainer, trust me, he knows how to get into beekeeping the cheapest way possible while still using quality equipment.

This is our fourth year of beekeeping, it is not a cheap hobby - you'll never break even - but it's so much fun!

 

[kstaven]

Your prices are about half of what we see around here. Might even be cheaper with shipping than buying local. Will have to look into that.

 

[me&thegals]

Spent an hour with husband in the garage tonight. The farm had a bunch of wood cut into lumber a few years ago. He planed some for me and we started making top-bar hives!!!

So far, so good. We're making the sloping-outward variety, using paint stir sticks for the guides in the top bars. In about an hour, we have the box built. Tomorrow we'll work on the lid and top bars. I am so crazy excited!!

I have respect for all ways of bee keeping and don't pretend to have the answers. I have spent the last month reading incessantly about bees and logging many hours online. I really liked www.backyardhive.com. This method is pretty hands off. No foundation or wiring. I will use no chemicals. The bees building their own comb generally produces smaller cell size, which is supposed to upset the mite cycles and allow them to overcome it.

Because I will need to continually harvest combs as they fill them (fingers crossed), I plan to crush and strain for honey and do mostly cut comb, which I absolutely adore (kids, too ).

So, where is everybody else at in their process? Earlier this fall and winter, there was so much bee interest and I'd love to hear what you all are doing!

My 3# Carniolan and 3# Italian come mid-April. How about you? What are your philosophies and methods and hive types?

me&thegals

 

[Homesteadmom]

Still working on dh.

 

[me&thegals]

Still working on dh.

I don't know what your guy is like, but after 14 years together I finally figured something out. If I do ALL the research, he is game for helping with the rest. He just simply does not want to find plans for hives, bat houses or broody boxes. He doesn't want to find out how to care for them. He doesn't want to research the whole process. Once I do that, though, he gets all interested in the project and hops on board

Good luck!

 

[Homesteadmom]

Still working on dh.

I don't know what your guy is like, but after 14 years together I finally figured something out. If I do ALL the research, he is game for helping with the rest. He just simply does not want to find plans for hives, bat houses or broody boxes. He doesn't want to find out how to care for them. He doesn't want to research the whole process. Once I do that, though, he gets all interested in the project and hops on board

Good luck!

That what I usually do & eventually he comes around. One of his concerns is dd getting stung since she is only 2 1/2. But our orange trees are just buzzing with bees right now as is the eucalyptus tree(near the swing set). After he gets the sunscreens made he will make the bat boxes I got the plans for off here. He already has a lot of scrap wood he can use to make a few out of he said. Good project for him & ds to do together. So I will wait a while & approach him again. I think though the more he sees me baking with honey he will see the benefits of it even more.

 

[Alaska Animal Lover]

Hi all,
I haven't read this thread all the way through yet, but I wanted to share because I'm getting pretty excited.

My dad was building two hives last winter and had ordered his bees to arrive in April of 08. He had finished one hive and was working on the other when he passed away in February. Not knowing anything about bees, we called the bee supplier and told them the situation so we wouldn't have 10,000 bees showing up in the mail. We then just put the completed hive and all the parts of the other one in the storage shed.

I think I am ready to do my research and put those hives to good use next spring. The idea of them just sitting out there...when I could be getting all that yummy honey, well, it's not right!

I have no idea how to put together the rest of the hive. There are a ton of little wood pieces and some boxes that haven't even been opened yet from Mann lake.
I'm going to the president of the Bee keepers assoc. house and he will be helping me with all of that.
Sorry for all of the rambling. I'm just excited that next year I will possibly have yummy honey!