for some reason i read this as the THF Beek Keeping thread

I think my honeybees headed south. I don't see them hunkered down anymore.

I was wrong. They were swarming this afternoon. I really like. Still searching for a new home.

For the ones wanting to try beekeeping look into top-bar hives,get some plans and make one or two.Do not use treated lumber.

Please end a debate between me and the War Dept. Is three parts sugar to one part water too rich for bees feeding from a bowl of marbles? TIA

Take mine and find out.

Two parts sugar to one part water 2:1 and it's still thicker than spring syrup,look it up.

Thanks!

For open feeding, there is no requirement other than only white sugar, or high fructose corn syrup. Avoid anything with color like waffle syrup, or brown sugar.

1:1 is close to nectar

I just got started last year with one nuc hive ordered in December and suppose to get around Easter. Cost for nuc was $225.. Guy wanted to make sure they were established well and did not get it until late June. They did well, had one of the best gardens in years! He suggested feeding 1:1 syrup all year. I ended up adding second brood box and they made quite a bit of honey which I left for winter. I treated for mites with the strips. I checked them after the severe cold and found quite a few dead ones, but, the hive still seems strong. They are really starting to fly again with the warmer weather. I will be adding a honey super soon for spring. I have a second nuc ordered to add this spring. I almost exclusively used youtube for my education into this. Derek was right in estimating about $1000 to get established. Don't do it to make money, probably wont happen!. It is really a fun and interesting hobby and it helps my fruit trees and garden. My 2 cents.

See?

Goodbye old friends.

Successful Beekeepers are those that propagate more Bees than they kill.

I set up hives from swarms that I catch. I let them do their thing for the most part. I only extract honey from June to July.

For me, the more aggressive the hive the better. Never had any issues with Virroa Mites, Black Hive Beetles, or Wax Moths.

Who is that masked man? The bees would not take the bait so Tom had to use a vacuum. I really like the bees. Bill

Done deaL. Tom just pulled out headed for Bois D' Arc Lane. I can now cut the log up and put it in my burn pile.

Anyone else doing pollinator bees (Mason/Leafcutter)? First time giving them a try as I have a real lack of bugs/pollinators for my small garden. I get tons of blooms (last year), but almost no fruit/vege's. This year, everything is blooming again, but I've only got a single banana pepper growing.

I put my house out with I think it was 10 reeds of bees probably 3 weeks ago (just after that last overnight frost we had) . I've seen a couple by chance, but nothing regular and 1 dead one in the house, attracting ants. I'm going to move the house off of my fence and hang it from a plant hanger (like a shepherds crook) as I read that ants can/will chew on the larvae. Just to see, I did split one of the reeds and there were 5 I think it was cocoons/larvae. so I know there is something in there.

I ordered these https://masonbeesforsale.com/collections/bees/products/package-bees to try and prime this pump I guess... also bought some kind of spray that helps make the house smell like a bee house and is some kind of attractant . I have some planters on the fence by the garden with some flowers to help keep them around

I've done honeybees before, but never these. Any thoughts/comments? (I also put out a Praying Mantis cocoon which should start dropping some shortly as well. I'm assuming the bees are too big for the mantis to fool with.)

Thanks
Charlie

Interesting bees, hope it works out for you.

I'd like to raise some honey bees and have been looking into it, but I dunno. My youngest daughter is terrified, and I do mean terrified (screaming & shaking) of bees.

I lost one native hive but have another near.

True, but that’s typically the fail forage sources so I never pulled any of that off the hive. The spring honey flow is usually going to be clover or mesquite blooms in my area. YMMV of course.

I don’t have any hives at the moment, but I got into it back in the early 90’s when I lived in a more rural area. I kept all of my equipment though and it came in handy as I had to remove a hive in the floor of one of our blinds last year.

BTW, dried cow patties make excellent material for the smoker. Easy to keep lit and burns a long time.

Many folks may not know that Africanized bees were an intentional breeding experiment to create more aggressive foragers but they escaped Africa and spread. They got the nickname killer bees. Their venom is no different than other honeybees but they are more prone to attack and in greater numbers. The other problem is that they are less picky about where they establish a hive and that often puts them in places where human interaction is likely.

It’s a classic problem. More docile bees are generally not good foragers and good foragers are not so docile.

Not quite…. They didn’t escape Africa, they were purposely brought to S. America and have been making their way north for the last 40 years or so.

Charlie

Truff, a Biologist /bee keeper brought some into Brazil in the mid 50's to try and breed a better forager honey bee for the rain forest, another bee keeper came along and thought they'd produce better without excluders and they where released by mistake.

I think it was in the 80's they 1st made it to California and many here will recall in the very early 90's when they came into STX.

So far, I’ve had 2 neighbors stop me and ask wtf I’m doing different then them? I ask, “you ever heard of a Derek?”
The day No. I say well, find the guy and you’ll know!

I need a pound or two of bees wax for lubing my shotgun wads if anyone has a little laying around not being used....

Got a buddy that wants to attend a class or visit with a beekeeper to help him start bee keeping.

I recall a fella out of Allen/Fairview that was offering up his services however can’t seem to find the info.

Anyone have any info or referrals I can pass along?

Thanks
Blake