Beekeeping--a new beek's journey!PIC HEAVY (first week of Oct)

[keljonma]

I agree with Ann. When bees are unhappy, they will sting.

I used to check the week's weather before opening the hive, just to make sure we didn't have a storm brewing for the next day.

 

[lorihadams]

Yeah we were gonna work the bees this past saturday but it was supposed to get really stormy in the afternoon so we waited until Sunday afternoon, cloudy but no storms forecast. Today is just waaaaaay too hot.

I think it is supposed to be cooler later in the week so maybe I'll work them then and move that frame over and add the tenth frame to the hive bodies and clean them up a bit.

The liquid smoke is supposed to work the same as the smoker in theory. I have allergies and as much as I love a good fire it tends to make my sinuses go crazy so I thought I would try the liquid smoke. If I have to I can go get a smoker, there is a feed store 2 minutes from home that sells bee supplies.

I definitely am going to get the nitrile gloves. We had one gentleman do a talk on parasites and hive contamination and he suggested using the nitrile gloves because they were disposable and you could switch them out between different hives to avoid cross contamination.

He also said that they were thin enough that you could feel what you were doing but thick enough that it was hard for the bees to sting you through them.

Thanks for all the pointers...my great granddaddy was a beekeeper all his life so I think it's in my blood....at least I like to think he's looking over my shoulder while I'm out there with them Maybe that's why I can stay calm

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

I'm beginning to think - as soon as I get used to working the hive that is - that bees are going to be the way for us to go!

1 - not many beeks in our county, and they are trying to build up more interest in it

2 - mom said she has people asking her for bee products all the time even without her advertising them

My FIL says he knows a guy up in Hartville that does beeking, and he sells all his bee products at flea markets, farmers markets, etc and makes enough income with it, that he bought a new truck.

But. This is my FIL we're talking about so we take everything he says with a grain of salt.

 

[lorihadams]

It can bee profitable if you can get going on a larger scale. You would have to have LOTS of hives to make a substantial profit.

I have a friend in the club....I'm gonna miss my meeting tonight cause I don't have a babysitter....that has just gotten up to about 20 hives and is going to do nucs and queens next year. I also have another gentleman in the club that is in it strictly for the honey and another that is in it strictly for the pollination. He rents out his hives to farmers to pollinate crops every year. They have near 100 hives each though and they also pick up some business capturing swarms for people. If you can get on with a club in your area it really is worth it to make the connections.

My girls had to have more water in their bowl today....super hot again with temps in the mid 90s. I fill a rubber bowl with rocks and put water in it right in between my hives so they have fresh water right there. We are in between two ponds but with the temps so hot I figured more access to water closer by would be better.

Beekeeping is like anything else, if you have a market for the products then you can make a profit. I can't tell you how many people have come to me after finding out from my husband that we were getting bees wanting local honey for their allergies.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

The more I learn about bees, the more I want rid of my chickens.

Don't ask me how that connects - it just does.

 

[lorihadams]

That's funny! I don't think you'll ever get rid of your chickens though....

This beekeeping thing is fun though, my husband asked me just how many hives did we want to get up to exactly???

I just shrugged my shoulders and said, "I don't know honey, how many do you want?" He's fascinated too....it's really interesting to watch them work. He informed one of his coworkers that honey was really just bee spit when you get right down to it and he said the guy looked at him like he was insane.

Kinda the same way people look at me when I tell them I have to go milk my goat.

 

[hillfarm]

My father kept bees. I loved eating the bees wax that floated in the big mason jars of honey. It was pure candy when we were kids. Only sweets we were allowed.

Neat how I can smell the raw honey when I think about that.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

my shoulders and said, "I don't know honey, how many do you want?" He's fascinated too....it's really interesting to watch them work. He informed one of his coworkers that honey was really just bee spit when you get right down to it and he said the guy looked at him like he was insane.

oh, bee spit??? funny I thought it was bee sh!t.

 

[lorihadams]

hahahahahaha

My great granddaddy did cut comb honey and I can remember chewing on beeswax as a child too.

We got the beeswax foundation to go in our frames and it smelled sooooooo good!

 

[me&thegals]

Actually more like bee vomit And eggs come from chicken's butts! What lives we live.

Lori--incredible photos! Beekeeping is addictive. No money being made here--not even substantial honey for the family--but I'm not willing to give up yet. They are fascinating creatures, and even bee-sensitive DH is transfixed by the girls

If you get wax, I wholeheartedly suggest making lip/body balm. It's incredible!