Hobbyists of CP, any beekeepers among you?

[Window Licking Whiner]

I've been thinking of starting off with a couple Italian nucs from a local breeder.

I've been reading up on beesource, but figure this is as good of place to ask.

Any of you guys beekeepers? How many hives do you have? Anything you wish you knew before you started? Any beekeeping tips you'd like to share?

I'm told that the first year don't expect any honey as the colonies build up, but year two is when to start harvesting some.

[Dave Lane]

Originally Posted by gopack_vag

Yeah I've got a buddy that has a farm, and it's wooded so there's natural pollen sources all over the place

Too bad you aren't around here we could do a coop deal

[BigOlChiefsfan]

Dad kept bees - cumulative stings over time built up his allergy and we had to quit. While it lasted we ate well - Mom swore that her zuccini bread or cranberry bread, sweetened w/honey, kept an extra week compared to the same bread sweetened w/sugar.
Suggest you talk to a few local apple/pear farms and see if they'll pay you to set hives on site during blossom time. Likewise any alfalfa farmers. You may also want to plant a batch of alfalfa in spring (you can harvest it by hand and use the 'hay' as fertilizer around trees, etc...or dry it and store it to feed horses/goats/moocows) also suggest planting some fall crops to feed your bees - buckwheat is a good choice around here. I'd stagger-plant this and your alfalfa (plant half this month, plant the other half in 2 or 3 weeks) Other local fall flowers will be good for allergy sufferers, save some for next year - you'll find folks who'll pay up for 'local fall honey' just before ragweed season starts around you.
Marketing honey is half the battle. If you just sell it to another big honey producer you don't get 'local customers' who'll look you up. You can rent a spot at the nearest farmer's market, sell honey, sell bees wax, sell beeswax candles (even if they're not yours) These days, a lot of honey comes from China, where rumor has it that it gets 'most of the good' stripped out of it and it's mixed w/a bit of sweeteners, so a lot of 'honey' is mostly sugar-water syrup. You can market around that sort of stuff.

[Window Licking Whiner]

Originally Posted by BigOlChiefsfan

Dad kept bees - cumulative stings over time built up his allergy and we had to quit. While it lasted we ate well - Mom swore that her zuccini bread or cranberry bread, sweetened w/honey, kept an extra week compared to the same bread sweetened w/sugar.
Suggest you talk to a few local apple/pear farms and see if they'll pay you to set hives on site during blossom time. Likewise any alfalfa farmers. You may also want to plant a batch of alfalfa in spring (you can harvest it by hand and use the 'hay' as fertilizer around trees, etc...or dry it and store it to feed horses/goats/moocows) also suggest planting some fall crops to feed your bees - buckwheat is a good choice around here. I'd stagger-plant this and your alfalfa (plant half this month, plant the other half in 2 or 3 weeks) Other local fall flowers will be good for allergy sufferers, save some for next year - you'll find folks who'll pay up for 'local fall honey' just before ragweed season starts around you.
Marketing honey is half the battle. If you just sell it to another big honey producer you don't get 'local customers' who'll look you up. You can rent a spot at the nearest farmer's market, sell honey, sell bees wax, sell beeswax candles (even if they're not yours) These days, a lot of honey comes from China, where rumor has it that it gets 'most of the good' stripped out of it and it's mixed w/a bit of sweeteners, so a lot of 'honey' is mostly sugar-water syrup. You can market around that sort of stuff.

Good stuff in here. They plant corn and soybeans around here, there really isn't any orchards anywhere relatively close. I'm also only going to do like two hives so there won't be a lot of honey, other than to keep and share(I think?). Also I'll try my hand at mead making lol.

There is a local bee association meeting later in the month, I'll be there to talk with them.

In reading up everything I can, and YouTube has a surprising number of beekeeping videos.

Keep the advice coming

And thanks

[Window Licking Whiner]

Originally Posted by Dave Lane

I had gear but I was ten. The got under my bonnet and I freaked and tossed off the gloves and bonnet and they crawled up my sleeves and neck. I also did it on a very hot humid day and didn't smoke them enough.

I'm worried is do the same thing lol, but I know that's a big no no. I'm definitely gonna have the whole getup on until I'm comfortable with them

[Window Licking Whiner]

Originally Posted by Why Not?

3-5K bees moved into my master bedroom wall through a hole in my roof about a month ago. So there's that

Capture them?