Bees

[Cindyd]

I wish I had time to learn bee keeping and be able to keep up to proficiently keep them for honey. I picked up a nice size jar this weekend..roadside stand..about 2 hours from me... supposedly orange blossom from South Carolina..haven't cracked jar yet to taste, but think I will tomorrow.

 

[user 7704]

I have bees and hate honey. I force myself to put in my turmeric/ginger tea.
I have chickens and hate eggs.

 

[Buttoni]

I don't care for the turmeric/ginger/honey tea either. I've found much more pleasant ways to get turmeric, ginger and honey into my body regularly. I cook Indian food (we love it) once a week for all the turmeric and ginger one could want in a lifetime; and have no problem consuming honey in a variety of dessert applications.

 

[user 7704]

I can't taste, so the tea goes down fine. I can tell sweet and the honey is very. Since it is mine and has my flowers, it seems to work on allergies for the family. I don't have allergies since I have to take Dupixent injections.

 

[joel]

Anyone use this chart.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_...honey_bees#Flowers,_crops,_herbs,_and_grasses

 

[DrHenley]

Anyone use this chart.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_...honey_bees#Flowers,_crops,_herbs,_and_grasses

I didn't see tupelo gum on there!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyssa_sylvatica#Honey_production

 

[Mountain trapper]

My favorite honey is star thistle. My most hated weed is star thistle. Thankfully it doesn't grow at our elevation.
About a month ago I added a third box to our hives. It was supposed to be the honey box. I checked it a couple days ago and its full of bees, but they haven't done anything in there yet. I'm probably going to start feeding the bees soon. I'll talk with our bee guy this week and see what he thinks.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Yesterday we fed the bees with sugar syrup, and put some pollen patties in each hive. The hives all look healthy and active.

 

[user 7704]

I have never used the pollen. I have some, but my mentor doesn't care for it. I may try it this Fall.

 

[Mountain trapper]

We became pretty good friends with a local bee guy. He's got over 10,000 hives scattered around the area, plus Texas, North Dakota, California etc. The other day he gave me 15 gallons of syrup and a 25 pound block of pollen. Today we ordered some varroa mite treatment for the hives. He comes out every few weeks and checks on our hives too. In return I let him graze a bunch of his cattle up here.

 

[user 7704]

Sounds like a great deal.

 

[poltiregist]

My experience with pollen patties , it attracts hive beetles . Right now my one and only hive , I have on one deep and now 3 medium supers with the hopes they will be able to at least partially comb and fill with honey the 4th super before frost . I am feeding them 1/2 gallon of sugar water daily trying to help them put honey in that 4th super . I have about 6 weeks until frost .

 

[user 7704]

As many of you know, I have been putting urine around the coop every night. I also have a cloth that I soak and put on the gate. The last 4 mornings, the cloth has been covered with my honey bees.

Guessing the sugar content in the urine attracted them. None of us has diabetes so it's probably all urine. Who would have guessed.

 

[user 7704]

This bee did not want to die

 

[user 7704]

My honey quota is 98% off this year.

 

[user 7704]

Rule #22.... do not wear Crocs to bees. They crawl into the holes and sting your toes.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Rule #22.... do not wear Crocs to bees. They crawl into the holes and sting your toes.

The wife wears sandles because her foot is still swollen. She gets stung on her foot sometimes too. The other day we fed the bees and gave them some slabs of pollen. One of the little buggers crawled up my pants leg and stung me in a very sensitive area. Later that night a yellow jacket stung me on top of the head, in our bedroom.

 

[user 7704]

The wife wears sandles because her foot is still swollen. She gets stung on her foot sometimes too. The other day we fed the bees and gave them some slabs of pollen. One of the little buggers crawled up my pants leg and stung me in a very sensitive area. Later that night a yellow jacket stung me on top of the head, in our bedroom.

AD, she might want to look into the Telic boot that is for people after surgery or injury. I wear Telic shoes. I have 4 different styles but am thinking about getting the boots for cooler weather. They mold to the foot by the heat. I love them. Recommended for plantar fasciitis.

I recommend going a size larger. They tend to run small.

 

[Survivor_316]

Does anyone in here use a long langstroth?

How long do your pollen patties last, AD? I got an email saying Blue Sky was having a sale on them. I have never used them, so I am curious.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Does anyone in here use a long langstroth?

How long do your pollen patties last, AD? I got an email saying Blue Sky was having a sale on them. I have never used them, so I am curious.

We had a 20 pound block. We cut it in roughly 1 pound slices. It seems like they lasted 1 or 2 weeks. We haven't opened the hives all winter.

 

[user 7704]

We had a 20 pound block. We cut it in roughly 1 pound slices. It seems like they lasted 1 or 2 weeks. We haven't opened the hives all winter.

Do you just let them eat the honey? How do you feed them? That reminds me, I will feed mine Monday when it hits 60°

 

[Mountain trapper]

Do you just let them eat the honey? How do you feed them? That reminds me, I will feed mine Monday when it hits 60°

We didn't take any honey from the hives last summer, left it for the bees. Since late October we've only had a couple days above freezing (33 degs). When the temp gets above 50 degs in a couple months we'll start feeding them again.

 

[user 7704]

My bees are very active today. Glad to see that have made it so far this Winter. I fed them again last week so they should be good for about 3 weeks.

 

[user 7704]

Picking up my new bees tomorrow. I put up the hives and am ready for 2 more nucs.

 

[user 7704]

Got the bees home, put them in new hive and fed them. Wore me out.

You aren't supposed to work with bees when it is windy. I didn't have a choice. Our wind speed is 23 mph not counting the gusts.

I only got stung once and that was my fault. Got them out of the car and took top off box without wearing any protective gear.

 

[poltiregist]

Sometimes weather isn't good when installing bees . That is why after coming home from clearing brush had you on my mind knowing the extreme weather now moving through your area and wanted to check on your bee situation . Last spring my son-in-law had two packages of bees come in and we had to install them in a severe thunderstorm with lightning flashing all about . They made it through the winter and hopefully will be building up . I also put in a package of bees last year for myself and they to are out and about .

 

[poltiregist]

Today is bee hive splitting day up the hill from me , as my son-in-law and Grandson have some Queen cells in their hives . Though my hive is strong , I have no plans to go into my hive or split it , as my one hive is plenty for me .

 

[user 7704]

Today is bee hive splitting day up the hill from me , as my son-in-law and Grandson have some Queen cells in their hives . Though my hive is strong , I have no plans to go into my hive or split it , as my one hive is plenty for me .

I have never split. I probably would mislabel the queen.

 

[Mountain trapper]

We made it up to check on our hives yesterday. Only one hive made it through the winter. Very disappointing. I don't think we'll get any more bees this year.

 

[poltiregist]

I have never split. I probably would mislabel the queen.

I went old school and simply placed my bee hive near some low and convenient limbs for them to swarm onto . I have a 10 frame hive readied in case that does happen . I figure if they split and some goes elsewhere , the queen in my hive will produce plenty more bees . -- On the other hand my son-in-law is wanting to be more assured of a increase in the number of hives he has .