Registered: Jun 2003
Location: kansas
Posts: 1771

Anyone raise honey bees or have bee hives? I have been reading and study this for about 2 onths now and think I am about ready to get a hive. Any suggestions?

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Northeast Kansas
Posts: 1121

Marcus,
A friend and I went up into northwest iowa last month and picked up 3 nucleus hives of Russian Honey Bees. All three hives are doing pretty well. My hive came down with Chalkbrood disease and took about two and a half weeks to get over it, but they are cranking now. I think before long I will be able to put my second deep super on the hive. The Russian Bees are supposed to be more resistant to mites. Also, we are trying to raise these hives without using any chemicals to treat the bees. We will probably requeen the hives this spring with a queen from a strain of bees that are supposed to be more resistant to the different types of diseases they can get.....

Unless you are going to buy a complete established hive, I believe I would wait until spring to buy bees. Our bees stressed out over the move, we took them out of a 70 degree climate and brought them down to a 95 degree climate. Boy, oh boy, were they pissed!!!!! If you are getting the bees locally, that would not be a big deal. We hauled ours 500 miles. Secondly, your hive will have to have at least 60 pounds of honey to survive the winter.
Where are you planning on getting your bees? If you wait until spring, maybe we can get a nucleus hive going for you. I will have to research that a little and see if that is possible. I think all we would have to do is get you a queen and three frames of bees.

I am a newbie at this so take all that information for what it is worth!!!! LOL It might not be worth a hill of beans.

Scott

Last edited by Scott S. on 07-15-2010 at 08:17 PM

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Registered: Dec 2009
Location: Grand Bay, Alabama
Posts: 37

I would take Scotts word on waiting till spring. It's late in the year and you would have to feed them all winter. We robbed ours last weekend and added a shallow super to the brood box for more food for the winter. We caught 4 swarms this year that gives us 7. It's a fun hobby for dad and a chore for me lol. Have fun!!!

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Northeast Kansas
Posts: 1121

Marcus,
I researched the making of a nucleus hive. It takes three frames and a queen. My hive should split, but I will not have enough frames for a nucleus hive.

Scott

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Registered: May 2009
Location: Tonkawa Oklahoma
Posts: 5586

Tyson Foods went out of Ponca City and a friend of mine bought a lot of honey from them. I don't know how much but it went to sugar. I do know I bought a 5 gallon bucket from him and he has some of those plastic pallet containers that are about a 4 foot cube container of the stuff and NOTHING to do with it the last I talked to him. Might make cheap food if you need some.

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Registered: May 2009
Location: Tonkawa Oklahoma
Posts: 5586

Oh, my grand dad raised bee's for as long as he lived and the thing I would consider is the tameness of the bee's. Less stress if they don't get mad and easier to work with.

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UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FALL
Grady Jarvis
808 N. Main St.
Tonkawa Okla. 74653
580-628-0507
CH 'PR' Grady's Dark Woods Waylon -Bluetic

NITECH 'PR' Grady's Insane Tinker Bell (Tink) - Treeing walker --Okla. State Hunt open redg. winner

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Registered: Jun 2010
Location: pungo river, nc
Posts: 309

i do not know how the flow is olk in the late summer, however in eastern n c late summer is a good time to start a hive. have a lot of weeds that the bees like. several years ago a friend and i had 22 hives. i had a stroke and did not keep the fence up and the bears wiped us almost out. then a mite finished us off. do not know that you can raise bees with chemicals. hope you can.

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Registered: Jun 2007
Location: Indiana
Posts: 18

when my honeyturns to sugar get hot water and put honey jar in it keep adding hotter water when it cools . when it goes to liquid pour off and repeat . carl

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