Startup Bee Keeping

Good Morning to ALL of you!  A blessed Sunday and a great day to spend some time with the family.

I am pondering another idiotic idea (According to the war dept) .  I am thinking about starting a bee farm.

I haven't a clue about it and the only thing I know is that bees sting.   So just treat me like a newbie and tell me what I need to do.    Does anyone have plans for the boxes?

Easiest way would be to keep an eye on Craigslist for smokers, netting, 

Don't buy used equipment you're just bring their problems to your place.My wife got  into
Honey Bees a few years ago took all the classes read up etc but still couldn't keep the hives going thru the Winter.Last year there was a young fellow in my area looking for a place to put some hives he has about 10 here  now and learning from what he does there is a whole lot more to the whole deal than what was in the classes and books anyway he has about 30 hives total around an only lost 2 this past Winter.

There is lots of money in bees, if you can figure out how to get it back out of them!Lots of losses in this area. I wish I had the money back I have spent over the years. Illegal to sell used equipment with no bees on it here. Must register your apiary. Most folks won't respect bees and spray when ever they want. I love bees but they can be expensive. Find an older bee keeper and offer to help a summer free for the advice and learning. Bee keeping is like golf, aholes in it too!

Ted,

bees.....gary is absolutely right.DO NOT BUY USED BEE EQUIPMENT.smokers,bee suits and such equipment is ok.used hives carry foul brood.wax worms,hive beetles and numerous other problems.get two hives to start out with,you will be surprised at the times you can compare one to the other.the next  thing is a must,THE BEEKEEPERS BIBLE,a very worthwhile and valuable book.also DO NOT PLAN ON GETTING ANY HONEY THE FIRST YEAR.i keep 2 deeps on mine over the winter.we don't get a great amount of cold weather here in texas.but I did not loose one hive this winter,in fact there was a large amount of honey in the deeps at spring weather.start small and work up.i have never paid for a bee.caught all mine in swarms .have about 9 swarm set out already this year.they are swqarming late this year.....good luck with your new hummers.....also read all the bee magazines you can get.good luck again.....

ted,keep us updated on your new venture.....

Ted I forgot a couple of things. I detest plastic foundation. I am in the process of removing it from my hives. If you buy your frames from 1 company, always buy your foundation from them. I have found some company's foundation is about 1/4" shorter than some of the company's. It doesn't work well in some frames. I am in the process of doing that right now. I came home from church today, rested for an hour then went to the shed and installed new wax foundation in 50+ frames. I worked till 5:00, would have worked longer but I got cold. I had already cleaned up these frames and deep boxes. You will find yourself doing the hot heavy work in August. That is when the honey is capped and ready to come off. Do not put your hives where horses can get to them, once a dad ratted Ol hay burner gets a taste of honey, you will not be able to keep them out of your hives. They are as bad as bears. You will need some way to remove the cappings from your honey frames and some sort of extractor, or find a beekeeper that will let you use his or her extraction equipment. I set my hives on 4x8x16 cement blocks. You need to keep the grass and weeds mowed. I do not use chemicals in my hives for mite control. Dig gone it there was something else I wanted to post but I can't remember what itwas. Again Good Luck with your enterprise. I remembered, DO NOT work your bees when the weather is going to change, such as rain in the next 24-36 hours. Those darn gals get real nasty when that is happening. Also work your bees during the days, that way most of the worker bees are out gathering product. There is a very good DVD called a Day in the Life of an Apary by Dr Keith Dellaplane. We have used it to teach bee keeping classes. It pretty much tells you what to do. It tells you to use chemicals to control mites. We do not do that, the rest is good.

Edited by HD6GTOM - 25 Mar 2018 at 11:09pm

hd6 tom,very good advise indeed for all around.do you people have thouble with skunks up where you are at?them devils will ruin a hive overnite.keep mine on 2 cinder blocks,they haven't found it yet.how about hive beetles?i brought some traps you put the oil in and I could mohr with my hive tool...what a joke.the Swiffer strips catch a large omuont of beetles.has any body in your area tried the oxaciilic acid treatment?i have been using vario strips seems to work.talked to a keeper from Nebraska at manns last week,that is all he uses on 500 hives.(the dribble method).lets keep in touch and exchange ideas and working procedures.the man from Nebraska just sent two semi loads to the almond groves in California...hope they don't come back as liberal bees.hd5 my email add is airplanefarmer@yahoo.com....keep in touch

You can have used equipment irradiated which would kill all insects and organisms to make it safe if there is that service in your area and if cost effective. There is a place in NJ that dose it in my area and the bee  club will get a truck to haul the palletized equipment. 

Ted, the reason for wearing light colored clothing is that the bees see and think dark colors is a predator around their hive. 

I have kept bees on and off since 1980. Lots of good advice above. Start with at least 2 hives..do at least 2 hives for sure. It allows to compare. And I build my own hive bodies and save money. Mine do not rot any faster than the ones I had bought from the bee hive manufacturers. It is a lot different keeping bees today then in 1980 before mites and roundup used so much. Lots of losses. But it is still interesting. Best not to buy uses equipment unless it has been inspected by the state bee inspector. Make sure you locate them were they will not bother people.   You will get stung. Don't ck bees on a rainy day or when weather is changing. Best to ck them on a sunny day. Do lots of reading on beekeeping. Get a mentor to help you.

HD6GTOM wrote: OK more info, if you decide to use plastic foundation in your boxes, I had a world famous beekeeper tell me "there is a front and back to plastic foundation." She was showing the difference to some of the people at the meeting, I was not able to see the difference because I was out of the room when she was showing it to folks. .

I have made the Perma-Dent foundation for 29 years. There is no front or back or top or bottom. They will work any direction that they are installed.

This goes for all brands of plastic foundation.

Nathan what is perma dent foundation? I have not heard of it.
Mike

allischalmerguy wrote: Nathan what is perma dent foundation? I have not heard of it. Mike

Just one more brand of plastic foundation. We sold to small independent dealers and to beekeepers also. Mostly to Canada. Made in Webster SD. Walter T Kelly sold our sheets too. Most people just assume that Kelleys made them themselves.

Edited by Nathan (SD) - 27 Mar 2018 at 5:24pm