My beehive - cougarguard.com — unofficial BYU Cougars / LDS sports, football, basketball forum and message board

MikeWaters · 04-05-2007, 07:28 PM

Going to get it set up this weekend. Can't get bees until later in the month, because the apiaries don't sell them until then.

One of the big apiaries is already sold out of bees just with pre-orders.

Crazy year for the bees.

Looks like the bee thing will be a money loser this first year for sure. The bees themselves will cost $80. That doesn't include the other equipment. I hope my dad donates that stuff to me, but knowing him, he'll probably charge me retail.

BarbaraGordon · 04-05-2007, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Going to get it set up this weekend. Can't get bees until later in the month, because the apiaries don't sell them until then.

One of the big apiaries is already sold out of bees just with pre-orders.

Crazy year for the bees.

Looks like the bee thing will be a money loser this first year for sure. The bees themselves will cost $80. That doesn't include the other equipment. I hope my dad donates that stuff to me, but knowing him, he'll probably charge me retail.

You know, apiary was one of those words I had to memorize for the SAT years ago, and I have never once had use for it? I was really starting to think they made it up.

Are you really going to raise bees? Whatever will the neighbors think?

SteelBlue · 04-05-2007, 11:00 PM

Did I miss talking about this before? Where in the hell are you going to find time to start your own apiary?

I once had a home health patient who owned an apiary. He used to give me big jars of honey that tasted 100% better than anything I'd bought at the store. He tried to take me out to see the bees one day, but I passed on that one. I want one of those full body suits before I go looking in bee boxes.

MikeWaters · 04-05-2007, 11:04 PM

Neighbors--an important issue.

One neighbor has a swimming pool, so I am going to get a bird bath and hope the bees use that for water.

If any neighbor complains, I may try to bribe them with honey.

Of course the best method is to keep your hive a secret. But the beesuit may give me away, LOL.

It's not that time-consuming. You just set it up, let them go. Open up the box every couple of weeks and see how things are going.

A lot less work than most things. These are animals doing what God intended them to do.

Plus I have my dad as backup who has had dozens of hives.

BarbaraGordon · 04-05-2007, 11:23 PM

And what about chickens? Didn't you say you'd start raising urban chickens?

I can just see the Waters family backyard descending into turf wars between the chickens and the honeybees.

MikeWaters · 04-05-2007, 11:56 PM

my dad is raising the chickens, not me. My dogs would eat the chickens or scare them to death.

MikeWaters · 04-06-2007, 07:05 PM

My dad is going out to collect a wild swarm that is in the wall of someone's garage.

Actually, "swarm" is not the correct description. It's a functioning hive.

So we may transplant those bees into my new hive this weekend. It depends on how vicious they are. Wild bees can be much more aggressive.

The bees you buy at an apiary are bred for gentleness.

But this is where it gets complicated. A lot of times, if you get a wild swarm, you replace the queen so that over the months you have bees that are domesticated as the old bees die and new bees are raised. But given all the troubles bees have had with various pests and things, it might be irresponsible for me to kill the wild queen because she may carry resistance genes. But on the other hand, these bees may be poor honey producers and very aggressive. So that would put me in a bind.

hyrum · 04-06-2007, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

But this is where it gets complicated. A lot of times, if you get a wild swarm, you replace the queen so that over the months you have bees that are domesticated as the old bees die and new bees are raised. But given all the troubles bees have had with various pests and things, it might be irresponsible for me to kill the wild queen because she may carry resistance genes. But on the other hand, these bees may be poor honey producers and very aggressive. So that would put me in a bind.

Maybe you need to bring in a professional bee whisperer to tame your wild queen.

MikeWaters · 04-06-2007, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hyrum

Maybe you need to bring in a professional bee whisperer to tame your wild queen.

No need. I'm already married to one.

BigFatMeanie · 04-06-2007, 07:35 PM

When I read the title for this thread I thought you were going to be talking about your hairstyle.

04-05-2007, 07:28 PM	#1
MikeWaters Demiurge Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 36,365	My beehive Going to get it set up this weekend. Can't get bees until later in the month, because the apiaries don't sell them until then. One of the big apiaries is already sold out of bees just with pre-orders. Crazy year for the bees. Looks like the bee thing will be a money loser this first year for sure. The bees themselves will cost $80. That doesn't include the other equipment. I hope my dad donates that stuff to me, but knowing him, he'll probably charge me retail.

04-05-2007, 11:00 PM	#3
SteelBlue Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Norcal Posts: 5,821	Did I miss talking about this before? Where in the hell are you going to find time to start your own apiary? I once had a home health patient who owned an apiary. He used to give me big jars of honey that tasted 100% better than anything I'd bought at the store. He tried to take me out to see the bees one day, but I passed on that one. I want one of those full body suits before I go looking in bee boxes.

04-05-2007, 11:04 PM	#4
MikeWaters Demiurge Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 36,365	Neighbors--an important issue. One neighbor has a swimming pool, so I am going to get a bird bath and hope the bees use that for water. If any neighbor complains, I may try to bribe them with honey. Of course the best method is to keep your hive a secret. But the beesuit may give me away, LOL. It's not that time-consuming. You just set it up, let them go. Open up the box every couple of weeks and see how things are going. A lot less work than most things. These are animals doing what God intended them to do. Plus I have my dad as backup who has had dozens of hives.

04-05-2007, 11:23 PM	#5
BarbaraGordon Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Gotham City Posts: 7,157	And what about chickens? Didn't you say you'd start raising urban chickens? I can just see the Waters family backyard descending into turf wars between the chickens and the honeybees.

04-05-2007, 11:56 PM	#6
MikeWaters Demiurge Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 36,365	my dad is raising the chickens, not me. My dogs would eat the chickens or scare them to death.

04-06-2007, 07:05 PM	#7
MikeWaters Demiurge Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 36,365	My dad is going out to collect a wild swarm that is in the wall of someone's garage. Actually, "swarm" is not the correct description. It's a functioning hive. So we may transplant those bees into my new hive this weekend. It depends on how vicious they are. Wild bees can be much more aggressive. The bees you buy at an apiary are bred for gentleness. But this is where it gets complicated. A lot of times, if you get a wild swarm, you replace the queen so that over the months you have bees that are domesticated as the old bees die and new bees are raised. But given all the troubles bees have had with various pests and things, it might be irresponsible for me to kill the wild queen because she may carry resistance genes. But on the other hand, these bees may be poor honey producers and very aggressive. So that would put me in a bind.

04-06-2007, 07:35 PM	#10
BigFatMeanie Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: South Jordan Posts: 1,725	When I read the title for this thread I thought you were going to be talking about your hairstyle.