Beekeeping

[dpunch]

I have decided to buy some bees and make a go of beekeeping. Does anyone here have bees that can give me some of the best hives to buy? I just am looking for a little more insight on what are the best hives to have in Wisconsin.

Thank you for any help you can give

[Cariboo]

most beekeepers I know tend to go with a Langstroth style hive, ten frame deep. I like 8 frame mediums because of the weight reduction. I built my own boxes and purchased the frames unassembled. mann lake ltd is one of many bee suppliers and they started out in minn.

http://strathconabeekeepers.blogspot.ca/p/the-beekeepers-library.html#beehiveconstruction is but one of many places for info.

my girls (bees) were our doing some house cleaning today it was 54 degree in the central interior of BC today.

[corbinace]

Yep, Mine were out today as well here in Washington State.

Unless you are still young and bullet proof, do as Cariboo suggests and stay with the eight frame mediums. Only one size of frames and bodies to stock and much lighter for your back. You can use three to make your standard brood chamber and then use the same sized ones for supering up for the honey.

Not sure there is a best place, unless it is the place that you can pick them up reasonably close for a no freight solution. I made some from some scrap Cedar that I had left over. A bit of work for this non woodworker but fulfilling.

Do some research about outside dimensions as I believe there are a couple of different sizes that are "close but no cigar" from the different large suppliers. Not a big deal which size you get as long as you are prepared to stick to that size.

Good luck, it is a very interesting hobby.

[Butchman205]

My advice on the hive frames...there is a brand which has very thick frame side piece, a slotted frame top piece, and a grooved bottom piece.
Those type frames and "wired foundation" with no hooks...all you have to do is slide the foundation in the frame...and put it in the hive. The bees will "glue" in the foundation with propolis.

It saves lots of time, and no cross wiring is required for using a centrifugal honey extractor. Just slice the capped honey and extract, then reinstall frames in the hive.

Hit me with a pm if you're wanting any advice on beekeeping...and I'll help as much as possible.

[pressonregardless]

I'm running 8 frame mediums too, keep all of your woodenware the same size, you'll be glad you did
this down the road.

[Bo1]

I have been researching bees for two years. I finally bit the bullet and ordered 4 NUC's for this spring. I have built all of my frames from kits. I am using the Langstroth style hives as well. The best thing so far I have learned from others is when building boxes and frames, take the time to glue your joints when building everything, they will last a lot longer than just nailing them. I am also using the bee was coated foundation in the frames. They are much easier to deal with, and apparently they are just as productive down here as true was foundation. I am using the 10 frame hive bodies, and honey supers, but am using the spacers, so only have 9 frames per box... Should be an adventure, and I hope my bees do well....

[blademasterii]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGFz9gt0-Fc

[shaper]

I am new to beekeeping, I started last spring. I would encourage you to go for it. You can go on line and look for a beekeeping club in your area. Beekeepers are always ready to help someone get started the right way.
You can also go on Craigslist and find hives someone wants to sell if you don't mind having a second hand hive.
If you have nothing to start with it can cost more than you might think, But when you are set up and running you will be glad you did. I have a folding chair by my hives, I can go out and watch them for hours. I didn't start this for the honey, I just could not find bees wax for sale. When you are smelting lead a little bees wax in the pot helps to pull out the impurities.

[rancher1913]

go with a nuc instead of a package, the nuc's are stronger from the start and will be less of a challenge for a beginner. they do cost more but are worth it.

buy new frames, do not buy used equipment until you are a lot more skilled in disease, one used frame with some wax moth leftover and your hive is toast.

make sure your neighbors are not using the newer bug sprays, neonectoids (not spelled right but its close) they will kill your hive.

keep ants out of the hive, set legs in buckets of oil if needed. keep the entrance free of overgrowth so the flight path is clear.

take a local beekeeping class, seeing first hand the good and the bad really helped me.

[Blackwater]

Great video Blademaster! Kind'a shows what happens when folks are a little TOO concerned about what the people around them think and do. We've become so "sensitized" that we can't seem to bear not getting everyone's approval. And the whole nation is suffering as a result.

I too have often been intrigued by the prospect of keeping bees, and have had some friends who have done it, but never had the time to care for them like they'd need to be cared for, so ... but now that I do, I've considered doing that again. Maybe if I can get my back straightened out?

[pressonregardless]

I am also using the bee was coated foundation in the frames. They are much easier to deal with, and apparently they are just as productive down here as true was foundation.

Bo, just curious how your bees took to this type of foundation ? I tried some & it didn't seem like my bees took to it like they did
wax foundation.

[Alstep]

Recommend you standardize all your woodenware brood & supers to medium deep 6 5/8". The deep 9 5/8" get really heavy when full of honey. Start off with 2 hives, that way you have a comparison of how they are doing. Mites are the major problem. If they don't have mites, they will get them, so always treat for mites. Mite-away-strips are the way to go as they don't contaminate the honey. Stay with natural materials, no plastic.
This is not an inexpensive hobey, almost as expensive as casting boolits! I figure I had $1400 in equipment before I got my first jar of honey. I got all my wooden stuff broken down and put it together myself. You can't buy the lumber for the price of the parts. Stay with the same supplier, as not all frames will go into other suppliers supers. Then you'll need a jacket & vail, smoker, misc hive tools, extractor, etc, it all adds up fast. A package of bees & queen run $125 and up now.
Bees are strange & interesting creatures. The'll do the darnest & strangest things. The'll swarm, disappear, make honey, not make honey, they are always throwing a curve ball at you.
Have fun & Good luck!
Suppliers:
www.dadant.com
www.mannlakeltd.com

[Cariboo]

Mites are the major problem. If they don't have mites, they will get them, so always treat for mites. Mite-away-strips are the way to go as they don't contaminate the honey.

several of us up here are using oxalic acid to control the mites

[Iowa Fox]

How do you keep the varmints out of the hives?

[Cariboo]

Electric fencing for the big ones, helps to "train them"; aluminum pie plate hanging on fence smeared with peanut butter or molasses works well. Mouse guards (1/2" hardware cloths) on entrances if needed for the small ones.

[Bo1]

Bo, just curious how your bees took to this type of foundation ? I tried some & it didn't seem like my bees took to it like they did
wax foundation.

I don't have any bees right now (getting my first NUC's in April), but helped out a veteran bee keeper in my area last year, and he recommended me starting with the wax coated foundation... Several of his hives had the plastic foundation, and seems to be doing well.... I guess I will find out...

[Bman1954]

I've had bees for 30 years in upstate NY.If I had to do It again I would start with styrofoam hives.My bees seem to do better in this climate in the styrofoam as the bottom boards are open and mites drop through to the ground and they are cooler in summer.Look into using drone brood for varroa control.I would start with 2 hives and if they survive the winter split them and let them make they're own queens. Craig

[pressonregardless]

I don't have any bees right now (getting my first NUC's in April), but helped out a veteran bee keeper in my area last year, and he recommended me starting with the wax coated foundation... Several of his hives had the plastic foundation, and seems to be doing well.... I guess I will find out...

Thanks Bo, just wondered about this.

[pressonregardless]

I've had bees for 30 years in upstate NY.If I had to do It again I would start with styrofoam hives.My bees seem to do better in this climate in the styrofoam as the bottom boards are open and mites drop through to the ground and they are cooler in summer.Look into using drone brood for varroa control.I would start with 2 hives and if they survive the winter split them and let them make they're own queens. Craig

Bman, so you are running styrofoam hive bodies with a open screened bottom board year round or do you cover the
bottom over the winter months ?

[bedbugbilly]

An interesting thread!

Many years ago, we had a feral colony land in one of our pastures. We had an acquaintance who was a bee keeper and we to hi to come out and get the colony. It was fascinating to watch him do it.

Our house sits in a woods - mostly oak. We had a "bee tree" out in front of the house that we had watched for probably seven to ten years. Two years ago, the tree - a large hollow oak - got blown down during a high wind storm. We contacted my Podiatrist, my wife had his kids in school, as we knew he had hives. He had lost his hives during the previous winter due to the extreme cold. He wasn't able to come get the hive but he contacted another bee keeper and he came out and took a look He worked the better part of the week getting the comb out and collecting the bees and our Podiatrist friend came to help. I asked the fellow how many bees there were - he estimated between 30K and 50K. He was tickled to death to have the opportunity to get a feral colony and when it was all said and done, he was able to get all but about a 100 to 150 of the bees. It was sure interesting to watch him do it.

I greatly admire all of you who do beekeeping. I'm sure it's a great hobby and one with many "sweet rewards"! And it sure has to be interesting to work with one of "God's natural wonders". Good for all of you!

[Iowa Fox]

I've never seen or heard of a styrofoam hive before this thread. Also curious about splitting the hive and letting them make their own queen.

[Bman1954]

The bottom board sits on a stand with a dead air space under it year round. Betterbee sells styrofoam hives.In the spring when the hives get built up you can pull a few frames of brood in all stages of development,just make sure 1 frame has fresh eggs, put them in a nuc box and move them at least 3 miles away and they will make a new queen.The idea is if you use a hive that has over wintered they should be good stock and the new queen will have genetics of the parent hive. Craig

[Wolfer]

I've kept bees for several years now and can attest that they are interesting creatures. My style of beekeeping is a little different than the norm just like me. I believe everyone has to find what works for them.

The advice above has been good but I'll throw out a few opinions.
A nuc raised from local bees will have a much better chance of survival than a package that came from the southern states.
Once you have bees established don't rejoice. At some time they will die on you. Starting new hives is my most interesting thing to do with bees. It's quite simple and the bees do all the work.
Im making nucs in the summer on a pretty regular basis. These will be used to replace hives that go bad or to start new ones or they can be sold.

On foundation and frame styles. If you drop three frames into a hive when the time is right to draw comb. One frame is plastic wax coated, one is wax foundation and one is completely empty except for a comb guide.
They will draw out the empty first, then the wax and the plastic last. Going foundation less is not for everyone and probably shouldn't be tried until one has a little experience. Down the road it's something you might want to try. I lined my homemade extractor with chicken wire and can extract foundation less frames fine.
However I started out doing crush and strain and recommend you do the same.

While I started with one hive I believe two is a must. That way if something goes wrong ( and it will) you have something to compare to and resources to pull from.

Bee source is a popular forum with lots of newbe questions already answered.
Google (Bush Bees ) Michael has an excellent web site with a lot of valuable information.

Like any worthwhile endeavor there is a learning curve. Myself I found it to be a very interesting journey.
Ive always believed I learned more from hives I've lost than from hives that made it.

The above advice about all one frame and box size is spot on. I run 10 frame deeps and mediums. It's a real pain. I am gradually phasing my mediums out. While a 10 frame deep full of honey will weigh 80-100 lbs I don't handle them all at once. I pull out five frames and drop into another box. This lightens the load enough to handle.

Sometimes I'll buy a queen to get some genetic diversity but mostly I raise my own. I can raise a far better queen than I can buy.

[TreeKiller]

I have been researching bees for two years. I finally bit the bullet and ordered 4 NUC's for this spring. I have built all of my frames from kits. I am using the Langstroth style hives as well. The best thing so far I have learned from others is when building boxes and frames, take the time to glue your joints when building everything, they will last a lot longer than just nailing them. I am also using the bee was coated foundation in the frames. They are much easier to deal with, and apparently they are just as productive down here as true was foundation. I am using the 10 frame hive bodies, and honey supers, but am using the spacers, so only have 9 frames per box... Should be an adventure, and I hope my bees do well....

If you are starting out with un drawn foundation. Skip the 9 frame spacers and put 10 frames in till they are drawn out. If you use plastic foundation put an extra coat of bees wax on them if you do not have a heavy necture flow. Bees on foundation you need to feed feed, feed for them to draw the foundation. Use a jar on top of the hive or an in hive feeder. Forget about the jar that goes in the front. You will just feed all the bees within 2 miles and might cause robbing. If you use a in hive feeder watch for Small Hive Beetle.

[Wolfer]

9 undrawn frames in a 10 frame box is a sure recipe for disaster.

9 drawn frames in a 10 frame honey super will get you frames that are easier to uncap. Usually but not always.

9 drawn frames in a brood box? I know some people do this. I've never seen an advantage to it.