BEEKEEPING

[Anonymous No.437645]

Wasn't sure to put this in /out/ or not.

Anyone here a bee keeper? I've been reading up on it and it seems like, a hobby I would like, Anyone have useful links or tips to get started?

[Anonymous No.437677]

>>437645
see >>425370

[beefag No.437848]

you just missed a previous thread which devolved into me promising to put together some kind of a beekeeping FAQ after the last 3 times someone brought the subject up.

here's the draft of the sylabuss & synopsis before breaking down the elements. ----

/diy/beekeeping/faq

another slanted recounting of different ways to get involved with beekeeping.
ask any 2 beekeepers one question and you'll get 3 answers.

keeping bees? WTF? I'm no Nicholas Cage?

beekeeping is an ancient form of animal husbandry that goes back more than 10,000 BCE. We have lived in harmony with the simple /Apis mellifera/ for thousands of years, and domesticated them for our benefit. More than 1/3rd of our foodstuffs are dependant on crops pollenated by bees. However, when most people think about bees, they think about honey, the golden natural sweetner. if you live in a temperate climate with a backyard/greenspace (and cool neighboors) you might well be able to keep a beehive or two, or more! This FAQ should be enough to help you figure out if you want to get into beekeeping and what it takes to get started. Please note, YMMV, please check with your local beekeeping association, both as a great source of good information, and as a connection to whatever inspectors/pest-control folks you might need to interact with.

[beefag No.437857]

- beekeeping is animal husbandry. A wild, beautiful, magical (& potentially dangerous) creature lives in that box. you need to learn how to take care of it and help the colony thrive. you will need to suit-up and go into the hives many/several times over the season.
- you will get stung, deal with it, the fringe benefits are awesome and totally worth it.
- You shouldn't plan on harvesting any honey in your first year of beekeeping. it doesn't 'pay-off' with honey until the 2nd season's harvest. If you want to make mead now, don't bother looking at beekeeping. find a local beekeeper, buy his product, and see if you want to get started as a beekeeper yourself.
- you _really_ should get in touch with other beekeepers in your area. your local beekeepers are a great resource of behavioral, seasonal, weather & blooming information that can help you anticipate the needs of your hives before things get critical. there is probably a bee-school or intro-to-beekeeping event in your area . All else fails, you can get an ok education online.
- there are _many_ different theories on bee management & methods. There are different, and sometimes opposed, views on how to handle different aspects of beekeeping. Look to others around you who are successful and start with the methods they use and have proven. Do your own investigation and take everything with a pinch of salt.
- genetic stock is also a factor, learn the temperment of your hives, and know where your queenstock comes from.
- beekeeping is _very_ dependant on weather and season. in most climates you will have a limited timeframe to start a hive in the spring so it will have time to prepare for the winter.
- Figuring out where and _WHEN_ you will get your live bees (ie:3# package, nuc, split or relocation) is probably more important than getting the woodenware. Alternately, you can hope for the best, put out your empty hive and user a swarm-lure, or try to get on the local 'swarm-list' in your area.

[beefag No.437862]

- you need equipment, some of which you can fudge, some of which you really should get through a beekeeping supplier. Find someplace local, or order online. Unless you're MacGuyver and know that your sewing stitches are bee-proof, then expect to spend $100 on some basics like a veil+hat, a smoker and a hive tool. this assumes you make your own hive bodies, and get a free swarm/split/hive. On the other hand, you could probably find a local beekeeping supply place (or online vendor) who can load up your car with 'the beginner's kit' with woodenware, frames, foundation, nails, protective gear, smoker & hivetool for $250-350/400. this doesn't include getting the actual bees.
- bees, when available, can cost $80-$100 for packages, and $100-150 for nucs. Queens for requeening/splits can cost $20-$35. Paying the horrendous shipping charges will hurt, but think about laughing at the USPS crew who cowered away from your buzzing shoebox of stinging bugs. who's the boss now, punks!

Basics:
- where to put a beehive (airflow, access, security, neighboors, flightpaths)
- how to setup hivestand/base/IPC, preparing to install bees
- installing the bees, or "why I made a box of buzzing insects very angry." - how will your queen get out?
- next 2-5 days, watch & wait, releasing the queen if necessary.
- what to watch out for, waiting a week before 1st inspection.
- what to look for at week 1 & week 2 inspections? inspections vs. leaving the hive alone
- learning the lifecycle of the bee, and why it's so important right now.
- roles/genotypes in the hive ; workers, drones, queen

[beefag No.439518]

any other questions on the general format? anyone? anyone have any questions?
...
bueller?
...
beuller?
...
beuller?

[beefag No.440848]

one last bump before I let this die, along with my hopes for getting any other input from fellow beekeepers here in /diy/... see you in a few weeks.

[Anonymous No.440857]

in case it of any relevance. You can make a cheap topbar beehive out of a 30 gallon plastic drum cut in half, and some wooden slats for your topbars. a few 2x4's can be used to make legs to mount the barrel on. Pretty sketchy, but it works fairly well. also, if money is an issue it's probably better to trap a swarm rather than purchasing package bees and a queen. There are a lot of sites you can go to for info, but i prefer the beesource forum. http://www.beesource.com/forums/forum.php have fun OP it's a rewarding hobby.

[Anonymous No.441647]

>>>/z/