Keeping Bees

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Re: Keeping Bees

Postby GrahamB » Sat Jan 11, 2014 8:29 pm

If you have a spot on your land somewhere where you can plant a screen around the beehives, no one will know they are there. And if you make the screen six feet high, the bees will travel at least six foot above the ground. Bees? I ain't seen no bees. ;)
No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying.
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Re: Keeping Bees

Postby pa_friendly_guy » Sun Jan 12, 2014 3:30 am

You have a devious mind Graham, aren't you the one who suggested I bribe the Zoning officer? Very devious mind indeed,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I like it. :lol:
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Re: Keeping Bees

Postby pa_friendly_guy » Sun Feb 16, 2014 7:31 pm

My son and I attended a Bee Conference in Cranberry Pa this weekend. It was run by Penn State Extension and the Pa Bee Keepers ass. I was shocked by how many people were there, and how far they had traveled to get to the conference. People from Ohio, New Jersey, West Va, and New York were there to talk about bees. Bee keepers are a different group it turns out. One guy who spoke said that if you lines up 5 Bee Keepers in a Panel discussion you would get 15 different opinions because they can't even agree with themselves. :lol: When asking a question we found that the main answer was " It Depends " well what the heck does it depend on. I felt like Harry Truman when he said " Give me a one handed economist " because they would always say, Well on the one hand Blab, Blab, Blab, but on the other Hand,,,,,,,,,,,,, You couldn't get a straight answer. I understand that it depends on the weather, and the nectar flow, and the strength of the hive, and several other factors I am sure, but give me what to do under " Normal Conditions " . We did learn a lot about bee keeping equipment and about what to do to increase your chance of success. Keeping the Bees dry in the winter seemed to be key to hive survival. The bees can regulate the internal temperature of the hive in winter pretty well, but they can't handle the humidity that builds up in the hive. When they freeze to death it is because of the condensation that builds up and drips on them, turns out that Bees and water don't mix well. I had been seriously considering a Top Bar hive before I went to this seminar. Now I am leaning more toward the standard Hives. In nature bees tend to move up and down, not sideways. In the winter bees can starve to death when there is a frame of honey only 1 frame over in the hive from where their cluster is located, but they can't, or won't move sideways to get to it. That idea of working with the bees natural tendencies seems to strike a cord with me. Last week I attended a class on a Kinder Gentler way to keep Bees. That guys whole talk was about not doing what was easiest for the Bee Keeper, not doing what produced more honey, but doing what was Good for the Bees. With a rate of 40% to 60% loss of Bee colonies each year we really need to do something different in how we keep Bees. Most of the classes I attended this weekend were for the New Bees. That is what they call people who are just starting out. ;) One of the main causes of decline in the number of Bees is caused by humans and the destruction of Naturel Habitat and diversity of flowering plants in the environment. It seems that if you ask a stupid person what is causeing the loss of bees they will proceed to tell you exactly what is causing it, if you ask an Intelligent person they will tell you that they really don't have a clue. There are so many factors involved. My son will be getting a Hive started this spring, I am not sure if he will get Italian, or Russian Bees. The Italian Bees are cheaper, easier to acquire, very readily available locally, and maybe a little less aggressive. [ Bee Keepers with tell you that you are the aggressor, the Bees are only Defending their home ] The Russian Bees seem to have a larger cluster in winter and therefore a better chance to make the winter in Northern Pa. They are Both found here in Pa, so it may not make much difference, you pays your money, you takes your chances. I have not made the decision to start a Hive just yet, for the time being I will have to live vicariously through my sons activities. :lol:
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Re: Keeping Bees

Postby Lollykoko » Mon Feb 17, 2014 1:44 am

Guy, why not let him have the learning experiences now, so he can give you advice later, when you take the next step? ;)
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Re: Keeping Bees

Postby pa_friendly_guy » Mon Feb 17, 2014 1:40 pm

That's the Plan Lolly, That's the plan. :lol:
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Re: Keeping Bees

Postby mannytheseacow » Mon Feb 17, 2014 2:13 pm

Guy, that is an interesting reasoning on why the upright bee boxes are better than the top bar frames. I've never heard that before but it makes a lot of sense. I know that if I throw 4 or 5 honey supers on they will always go up, and not fill out the frames towards the outside of the box. That's why we always force them to fill a box before adding another.

I learned to keep bees from some folks over Chester County, PA. They have been loyal to the Italian bees and have had to replace their colony almost every year; and they are very avid bee keepers. For that reason when I bought my hive I opted for the Russian bees. I've had really good luck with them, and I consider myself a rather lazy beekeeper. In the coldest days of winter here this year I can stick my ear against the hive and hear them buzzing away in there. I've not heard that they are more aggressive, but like any bee they get angry when their home is attacked. I'm pretty allergic to them too. One just has to be mindful and careful when making deals with the bees. And when they just won't cooperate, smoke 'em out.
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Re: Keeping Bees

Postby pa_friendly_guy » Mon Feb 17, 2014 3:08 pm

I am glad to hear that you had good luck with the Russian Bees. I tried to talk my son into getting them, but he seemed intent on getting Italian bees. There is a guy north of Pittsburgh that has both varieties, the Russian Bees are a few Dollars more but not much difference, he lives near Ellwood City, a little over an Hour drive for me, maybe less for my son. That is where I wanted to buy them, he wants to go to a guy that is much closer to him who only handles the Italian Bees and get them from him. Like I said, they Both grow and live in Pennsylvania, you pays your money, you takes your chances. :lol:
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Re: Keeping Bees

Postby pa_friendly_guy » Mon Feb 17, 2014 3:35 pm

Working WITH the Bees, and not AGAINST the Bees seemed to be a theme of the conference. There were some big produces there, people who drove their bees to California for the Almond bloom and were paid about $185 per hive for their services. About 70% of all the Bees in the Country are currently in the San Fernando Valley for the Almond Bloom. I found that number amazing. Those guys don't can about the honey, honey is heavy and a pain in the butt to them, they just want the pollination fees. One of them spoke at the conference and was very knowledgeable. He is the kind of guy with enough experience for me to really listen to what he has to say. He did not think that the pesticides used today were killing the bees, he did not think it was the new seed inoculation from Bayer Drug. He felt it was the human destruction of native habitat that was causing the Bees to collapse, the American Family that is demanding unblemished produce and fruit. Turns out that Almond Blooms are not really good food for Bees, they have little nutritional value in them compared to other types of flowers. We as a Culture, as a society, need to consider what we are doing to the Honey Bees. They are responsible for over 30% of our food production. If they do Good, We do Good.
Never doubt that a small group of dedicated people can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has.
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Re: Keeping Bees

Postby pa_friendly_guy » Thu Mar 06, 2014 5:30 pm

I decided to go ahead and make the plunge today, I ordered the supers, frames, hive tool, gloves, vale, and other supplies to Keep Bees. It turns out I am not getting any younger and so I figured what the heck, why wait until next year just go ahead and bite the bullet and get them now. :o My plan had been to watch my sons progress and see how he did with them and then get my own bees in a year or so. He told me that for $245 plus the bees I could get everything I needed to start. He had forgotten that I gave him the smoker, hive tool, bee suit, bee brush, vale, and other supplies we had gotten from my friend, so it was a bit more than he had told me. He had also forgotten about the $53 shipping charge, it turns out that bee hives are heavy and cost a good bit to ship. :lol: The hive boxes and frames should be shipped today, I will get them in about 2 days. They will need painted, but because of the time restrictions caused by getting the bees this spring I paid extra and got then assembled which will save a lot of time. I will get them primed and painted next week. We are getting the bees from a fellow in Brookville that my son's friend has dealt with before and he trusts him. He will add my order in with theirs. I am pumped about my decision to go ahead with the Bee project here on the hill this year. I feel like a little kid who was just given a new toy. :lol: I will keep you all posted about the process and how things progress. I am sure I will have many LEARNING EXPERIANCES to pass along to the group. :lol:
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Re: Keeping Bees

Postby matt walker » Thu Mar 06, 2014 5:34 pm

Hey! Great new Guy, I can't wait to hear about your learning experiences. How's it going over with the local code official? I'm guessing if it gets you out of the house it's approved! :lol:
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