Start with a langstroth hive before going top bar, so you can start with 4 frame nucs and then split your hives. Be proactive about mites/pests and check your hives often, inspecting the bottom tray for mites and your hive for general health. Mark your queens according to the year they were born and start to grow queens before they die to prevent a swarm. Again, inspect your hives often to look for swarming behaviour and to destroy any unwanted queen cells. Expect and prepare for some winter loss.
Also, don't use too much smoke. Sugar water works just as well and is less hard on the bees. Once you get a feeling for how to deal with your bees you won't even need it.
We had a hive swarm unbeknownst to us when I was a kid. I was walking under some apple tree and looked up just in time to avoid walking into a swarm hanging off of one of the branches. Good way to get the adrenaline flowing.
depends on what kind of hive you get, a langstroth hive is more expensive but you don't need to check it as much once you put a "super" ontop. If you want an idea of what a year of beekeeping with multiple hives looks like check out this series. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w79-iEUhI1I
22 comments
1 Professor-Slickback 2019-04-29
Thats very cool fren. I like chickens🐔🐔🐔
1 SadMep22 2019-04-29
Chicken fren say “bock bock” haha animal frens are silly silly
1 Kietay 2019-04-29
Careful on the bees fren, it's easy to mix up n accidental have a bunch of wasp
1 SquawkIFR 2019-04-29
I have a yellow jacket trap set up near the bees to bop any nonfren insects.
1 datsraycists 2019-04-29
check out /r/homestead fren
1 FirstCatchOfTheDay 2019-04-29
i like eggs
1 Chainsawninja 2019-04-29
You on 200acres fren? We could use frens like you.
1 SquawkIFR 2019-04-29
Not until Uncle Sam decides he wants to sell it to me :(
1 SquawkIFR 2019-04-29
someone else mentioned 200acres, do you mean the size of land or something else?
1 GyroscopicJello 2019-04-29
Very cool, fren! Very glad we’re out of winter!
1 tacobellbandit 2019-04-29
I’ve been thinking of bee keeping fren. Any tips for a beginner? Good harvests fren!
1 SquawkIFR 2019-04-29
Start with a langstroth hive before going top bar, so you can start with 4 frame nucs and then split your hives. Be proactive about mites/pests and check your hives often, inspecting the bottom tray for mites and your hive for general health. Mark your queens according to the year they were born and start to grow queens before they die to prevent a swarm. Again, inspect your hives often to look for swarming behaviour and to destroy any unwanted queen cells. Expect and prepare for some winter loss.
Also, don't use too much smoke. Sugar water works just as well and is less hard on the bees. Once you get a feeling for how to deal with your bees you won't even need it.
1 marktlle 2019-04-29
Probably a dumb question but why do you want to prevent swarms? Loss of too many bees in the process?
1 SquawkIFR 2019-04-29
yep, I much rather transfer those bees into a new hive because... free bees! They also take about half the population which is a pretty big hit.
1 marktlle 2019-04-29
We had a hive swarm unbeknownst to us when I was a kid. I was walking under some apple tree and looked up just in time to avoid walking into a swarm hanging off of one of the branches. Good way to get the adrenaline flowing.
1 pm_me_anime_tiddy 2019-04-29
Homesteading, fren? Working towards a 1-acre homestead myself.
1 Titus70 2019-04-29
I prefer 200acres
1 SquawkIFR 2019-04-29
I saw someone else mention 200acres here... is this a reference to a website or something?
1 CantDriveDixieDown 2019-04-29
What ya plantin this year, fren?
1 [deleted] 2019-04-29
[removed]
1 Chem38513 2019-04-29
Does fren like keeping bees? I want to set up a hive, but if they’re super high maintenance then I won’t be able to travel :(
1 SquawkIFR 2019-04-29
depends on what kind of hive you get, a langstroth hive is more expensive but you don't need to check it as much once you put a "super" ontop. If you want an idea of what a year of beekeeping with multiple hives looks like check out this series. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w79-iEUhI1I
1 SquawkIFR 2019-04-29
I have a yellow jacket trap set up near the bees to bop any nonfren insects.