Does anyone here have bees? Just bought my first Nuc

[rjtkdplus]

Just rescued these Saturday


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[Gunswayne]

Steve seems like a nice knowledgeable guy. I follow him on Facebook and see his posts on the many bee pages i'm on. As mentioned, Don the fat beeman, is great on youtube. I like Barnyard Bees and Mr. Ed from Louisiana for their wealth of knowledge as well. I'm a second year bee guy. Currently 11 hives with plans to grow.

[JonBoy]

My first thought was “where is your gear!?!”

I don’t work my bees a lot so when I inspect they get frisky.

Yep. I always go into my hives dressed for war. I've been popped too many times in the face to chance it...bees have good days and bad days just like people and you DEFINITELY don't want to see one of their bad days without at least a veil on.

I have 4 hives in San Antonio and couple out in the hill country. Been keeping bees for about 5 years now

[txbassnaholic]

I have six hives in Montgomery county. I would say there is about a 3 year learning curve. as soon as you think you have a handle on things, you start loosing bees or hives.
wear gear. once your stung, that tells the other bees where to sting you. they release pheromones. a bee keeping neighbor took 20 stings the face and head by taking gear off too soon. if you have a hot hive, something is wrong in the hive....usually no queen. you never learn it all.....

[CoolHandLuke]

Awesome thread! We love honey in our household and appreciate yalls hard work!

[rladner]

Thinking about getting a hive going in my backyard in the city. Is this something that is possible? How long before you get honey? How much would 1 hive produce? Figured I might as well start my initial research here .

Thanks

[Gunswayne]

Thinking about getting a hive going in my backyard in the city. Is this something that is possible? How long before you get honey? How much would 1 hive produce? Figured I might as well start my initial research here .

Thanks

You will have to check your cities ordinances. Lota of cities allow bees but not all.

Honey the second year.

I've pulled 6 gallons off of one hive so far this year and probably that much more when the flow is over. This is a question with no set answers. Too many variables. Two of my hives have produced nothing other than maintain themselves so far. That will change as soon as the miles of cotton around them starts to bloom.

[JonBoy]

Thinking about getting a hive going in my backyard in the city. Is this something that is possible? How long before you get honey? How much would 1 hive produce? Figured I might as well start my initial research here .

Thanks

I've had hives in my back yard for the last 3 years in San Antonio. I kept hives at my property for 2 years and with 75% loss rates I wanted to start raising colonies closer to home and relocating them out there.

Now I have more hives in my back yard than I do out at my property...mainly b/c long distance beekeeping is difficult at best. I've got 4 hives, and my dogs stay in my back yard nearly full time...they don't bother the bees and the bees don't bother them.

My back yard backs up to a green belt and the back section of my fence is chain link...I oriented the hives so they fly out toward the green belt and away from the house. It is very possible to back-yard beekeep, but you need to be very aware of hive orientation, neighbors and their children/animals, etc. I limit my inspections to days when neighbors are either not home or are inside. You need to keep a close eye on hives for swarming behavior b/c the last thing you want is for your hives to take up residence in one of your neighbors' house.

City bees tend to do really well given the increased amount of forage and it would be very common to expect a colony to produce a surplus of honey after a year of growing to full size. Depending on the strength of the honey flow and how prolific of producers your bees are I've gotten upwards of 80-100lbs off of a single hive in a year.

As far as research get the book Beekeeping for Dummies...its actually very well written and takes you through the process from soup-to-nuts. Also hook up with a local beekeeping group and attend any training classes they might have...nothing educates better than hands on experience.

[2B4Him]

I do not raise bees, but I have two hives of bees living in separate (large) live oak trees at opposite ends of my house. They have both been there several years.
While they don't pose much of a threat, about once a year 4 or 5 of them decide they don't like me mowing the yard and they pop me a few times.
I'd be more than happy to let any of you come trap them (or whatever) to take and raise elsewhere. The trees cannot be damaged, however.

[hog_down]

I carefully read the by-laws of my subdivision before I brought my hives back there. It did state that you couldn't have more than 2 dogs per house, and there are a few neighbors that are well over that number. It never said anything about NOT having bees, so I pulled the trigger.

I listen to podcasts, Youtube (Mr. Ed is very calm, cool, and collected, as well as UoG Honey Bee Research Centre in Canada) and read all the books I can find on it. Ask to join local beekeeping groups on Facebook or shadow someone if you can to learn.

I've been stung twice on my face when not wearing my suit, and it hurts like a son of a gun. Half my face swole up, and made for an interesting morning trying to put in my contacts.

I would't buy any bees personally; I did one of my first rescues a few weeks ago, and got free, feral, well behaved bees.

No such thing as a dumb question, they certainly are fascinating little insects.

[tex4k]

To the OP FYI, set up an empty hive box with a little attractant near your bees, don't know why but swarms seem to e attracted to established bees, I've caught 2 swarms so far this year just doing this, #2 moved in just a few days ago.

[CentexRancher]

To the OP FYI, set up an empty hive box with a little attractant near your bees, don't know why but swarms seem to e attracted to established bees, I've caught 2 swarms so far this year just doing this, #2 moved in just a few days ago.

Say I take this temporary nuc box (place lemongrass oil inside) that I bought my bees in and put it a few feet away from my new boxes with my new hive. Would this draw bees out of the hive im trying to establish?

[tex4k]

Say I take this temporary nuc box (place lemongrass oil inside) that I bought my bees in and put it a few feet away from my new boxes with my new hive. Would this draw bees out of the hive im trying to establish?

Shouldn't! I have 5 boxes per 8' stand with one empty, baited box, new bees just appear like magic in the empty boxes, and the other boxes don't lose bees either!

[lovemylegacy]

Say I take this temporary nuc box (place lemongrass oil inside) that I bought my bees in and put it a few feet away from my new boxes with my new hive. Would this draw bees out of the hive im trying to establish?

I know a few guys that keep bees, so yes there is a possibility of the local bees going to that box. According to the guys I talked to.

[junkmanhunter]

I just bought 5 hives a couple months or so ago. Using them to get ag exemption. Pretty interesting so far. I bought established hives and have already had to add an additional box. Hoping to get a little honey this yr, but plan on leaving most of it for the bees over winter for food.

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