Questions about bees...

[ohiofarmgirl]

(comes back up on stage even tho next presenter has walked out, grabs microphone...the audience sharply inhales hoping ohiofarmgirl doesnt "Kanye West" the next winner)

.. and i would like to thank all the little people who've supported me in my saucy, sassy, drippy sarcasm....."

(security guards rush the stage)

 

[Tracylhl]

You guys are hillarious! Thanks for your knowledge and humor. I figured that if I can homebirth, homeschool, raise 5 kids, live out here when everyone I know IRL thinks we're nuts, raise the chickens, tend the fruit trees..... whatever, you get the point.... then certainly I could be taught to handle some insects!

I'm going to call the Tampa Apiary group and see what I can learn. That's the closest one I can find (about an hour and 1/2 away). My husband is handy so I'm thinking he can build hive boxes for us - I've seen free plans online. I figure they've been there for the past 6 months at a minimum (that's how long I've lived here and I know they were here when we got here) then it won't be a big deal if it takes us another month or two to learn and collect them.

 

[FarmerDenise]

You guys are hillarious! Thanks for your knowledge and humor. I figured that if I can homebirth, homeschool, raise 5 kids, live out here when everyone I know IRL thinks we're nuts, raise the chickens, tend the fruit trees..... whatever, you get the point.... then certainly I could be taught to handle some insects!

I'm going to call the Tampa Apiary group and see what I can learn. That's the closest one I can find (about an hour and 1/2 away). My husband is handy so I'm thinking he can build hive boxes for us - I've seen free plans online. I figure they've been there for the past 6 months at a minimum (that's how long I've lived here and I know they were here when we got here) then it won't be a big deal if it takes us another month or two to learn and collect them.

I am sure you can. SO is not so handy and he made our first box out of an old wooden crate and bits and pieces of wood we have laying around. It ain't pretty, but the bees didn't seem to mind
I also found that even though the stings hurt, it really helped with my arthritis, So I don't minf getting stung.
SO knew to scrape the stinger out with a credit card, So there is one good use for that plastic

 

[Dace]

Tracyhlh..... Now you are talking girl! You
go get you some bugs!

Someone call security to get
OFG out of here! And fire that stupid bartender who keeps filling her
glass!!

Hey Denise, are you meaning that the honey has helped your arthritis or getting stung helped??

 

[bibliophile birds]

Hey Denise, are you meaning that the honey has helped your arthritis or getting stung helped??

bee stings (apitherepy) are used in homeopathic medicine to treat a lot of things. well, honey is too, but i think it's bee stings for arthritis.

here's some info.

 

[bibliophile birds]

tracy- you might look into top bar hives if you are just going to have a small personal honey source. these are probably the easiest to build and maintain but you get a little less honey out of them. you can even make them out of barrels.

 

[Ohioann]

I'm fairly new to bees...first two hives in 09. Took classes sponsored by Ohio bee keeping club. Had to requeen one hive and then that hive swarmed. Evidently too few bees left in hive because that hive failed. Hive #2 was doing great but died this winter. I think loss was due to our very cold weather this winter because there were plenty of bees in the hive, honey and supplemental sugar patty when I opened it. So now I will have to buy two new packages with queens this spring. Next winter I'll insulate the hives better. I'll keep trying. There is good support here through a bee club and the state bee inspector has been lots of help. In Ohio you register your apiary location($5) so that you can have your hives inspected yearly. The one thing I would worry about getting wild bees in the south would be the degree of African genetics you could get. Perhaps this was what your bee expert was concerned about. Bees with heavy African percentage can really be nasty. I know some beekeepers here up north are worried about african genetics. Although pure african bees can't survie here the hybrids can.

 

[FarmerDenise]

Yes, I meant that getting stung helped my arthritis. I had practically no arthritis pain for about 6 months after getting stung. It was well worth the price!!!

I just got my catalog from Dadant. Eye candy for anyone intersted in beekeeping. They have a list of books too and wine making supplies!!! Books on making honey wine and mead are also listed. Here I go
One book I am particularly interested in is: "Natural Beekeeping" by Ross Conrad, he is into organic beekeeping, which would be my preferred approach. The books price is listed at $35.00. A bit much for me at this time. But I'll keep it in mind. Maybe I can order it at Borders sometime and use my 40% off coupon

 

[me&thegals]

Please consider just leaving the bees... Sounds like they may have been there a long time and be pretty well acclimated to that area. They can do a great job pollinating everything around you, whether they are in a brush pile or a hive. Plus, if you get your own hives some day, the drones from that genetic stock will be available for your queens, which would be excellent! Assuming they are healthy and hardy. Good luck!

 

[Farmfresh]

I would consider getting a hive and just placing it near the old one. I would probably go with a top bar hive since they are easy to make, use and cheap to build. That way if the wild hive decides to swarm in the future they have a lovely place to go!