Thread: Beekeeping

"#2 Basically 4 unassembled hives. Long list but 2 large supers 9 5/8" and 2 small 6 5/8" per hive. I am going to need some more but need to start some where. Only 3 tops and bottoms because my friend gave me 1 set."

If you've done your homework and for some reason this is the way you want to go then that is great. But, in my opinion, this is a mistake. A fully plugged deep is going to weigh between 60 and 80 lbs. You are going to find yourself having to lift that deep and it is always awkward and you're going hate it. All mediums. 3 medium supers is the same as two deeps (which is what you want for your brood chamber). You will thank me later. They do say; ask 12 beekeepers how to keep bees and you'll get 12 different answers.
Paul

I was looking at info on this site this last night on starting out...... This person uses "bar top hives".
how to start beekeeping for free

OR

Originally Posted by Paulbuck

If you've done your homework and for some reason this is the way you want to go then that is great. But, in my opinion, this is a mistake. A fully plugged deep is going to weigh between 60 and 80 lbs. You are going to find yourself having to lift that deep and it is always awkward and you're going hate it. All mediums. 3 medium supers is the same as two deeps (which is what you want for your brood chamber). You will thank me later. They do say; ask 12 beekeepers how to keep bees and you'll get 12 different answers.
Paul

You have a good point. 2 deeps for the brood chamber are the way it is done around here at least 98% of the time. I am going by what others have done before me but am certainly open to different ideas.

Originally Posted by Willisf

I was looking at info on this site this last night on starting out...... This person uses "bar top hives".
how to start beekeeping for free

OR

As Paul wrote there is lots of different answers/ways.

Originally Posted by 32t

You have a good point. 2 deeps for the brood chamber are the way it is done around here at least 98% of the time. I am going by what others have done before me but am certainly open to different ideas.

Yep, two deeps is the standard. All my hives are two deep for the brood chamber and then medium supers. When I started I went with the standard. How i wish I knew then what I know now:
--with all medium supers everything is interchangable; you can pop a frame of honey from one hive into the brood chamber of a struggling hive, can't do that with deeps for the brood.
--3 mediums the same as two deeps.
--a fully plugged medium weighs about 35 lbs
--when the queen moves up into the honey supers to lay (she will unless you use a queen excluder) you can move it out of the honey super and put it into the brood chamber (often the outer frames in the brood chamber are honey but not always certainly).
--no messing around with different size frames, foundation (if you go that route, again the norm).
When my brother got into the bees he got the benefit of learning from all my mistakes.

Some great resources to peruse:
--Bush Farms: be prepared to spends countless hours. He proposes some alternative ways of keeping bees. Fascinating stuff.
--Randy Oliver (not sure the website but just search for him). He is more traditional but is on the cutting edge of what is happening in beekeeping. I took a class with him. Good stuff.
--The Backyard Beekeeper by Kim Flottum. Great book. highly recommend it.

Good luck!
Paul

Originally Posted by rockthrower

The location specifics here are for Cangooner, but I think it applies to anyone. Cangooner, if you are in Bourget the odds are extremely high that there is a farmer near you who would be happy to host your hives on his land, since they play such a key role in pollination. My wife started keeping bees when we were in Barrhaven (crowded suburb for others' info). She had her hives on a big patch of NCC (government) land that they leased out to a farmer, about a 15 minute drive from home. You don't have to visit them all that often. There was a lot of clover and the honey tasted great. When we moved to Almonte (small town) she thought about keeping them in the back yard, but it turned out the neighbour had an anaphylactic allergy to bee stings. It took her one day to find several farmers minutes away to host the hives.

If you have the option of keeping bees in your yard then this is what you should do. Outyards are great if you don't have the option of keeping them in your yard. Outyards are really for keepers who don't have the option of keeping them at home. You are going to want your bees close. Remember, these are the most fascinating creatures. Your going to want to hang out at the hive often (can't tell you how many mornings I've spent with my cup of joe and the girls).
Again, do not tell your neighbors. Every single beekeeper that keeps their bees at home has a neighbor 'deathly allergic to bees'. Or a grandparent that will absolutely freak out with the knowledge there are 'killer bees' next door. If they do not have an epi pen with them at all times do not listen to them. If you don't say anything, more than likely no one will know. If putting your hive in your yard, place the hive about five ft in front of your fence with the entrance facing the fence. This will force the girls to fly up when leaving the hive. Do not face the entrance into your yard; you'll be dodging bees every time out there.
Paul

I wonder if I could do a small hive so the city bylaw officer wouldn't notice?

I'm a beekeeper. I've had a varying number of hives over the past ten years or so, but with my current time constraints, I have two in my backyard. Except for the first year, when you want to be more engaged to learn what's going on inside, it's a lot like gardening...lots of work in the spring and fall, but just some maintenance in the summer and even less in the winter.

If you live in the suburbs, avoid wearing a full suit and look like you're going out to handle nuclear waste. A veil to protect your face is enough, as long as you keep your movements slow and deliberate.

Beekeeping for Dummies is a great resource, and there are excellent forums at beemaster.com.

Originally Posted by Paulbuck

Again, do not tell your neighbors. Every single beekeeper that keeps their bees at home has a neighbor 'deathly allergic to bees'. Or a grandparent that will absolutely freak out with the knowledge there are 'killer bees' next door. If they do not have an epi pen with them at all times do not listen to them. If you don't say anything, more than likely no one will know. If putting your hive in your yard, place the hive about five ft in front of your fence with the entrance facing the fence. This will force the girls to fly up when leaving the hive. Do not face the entrance into your yard; you'll be dodging bees every time out there.
Paul

I agree with Paul about the orientation of the hive facing the fence. But I highly suggest you contact your local beekeeper association and see what the regulations are for keeping bees in your area. If it is permitted, and probably is, ensure you take any required courses and follow all regulations. One of my next door neighbors called the health inspector, who tried to brand my bees as a nuisance. She didn't know anything about bees (saw them flying back and forth and defined that as aggressive behavior), so she was on my neighbor's side. I contacted our state apiarist, and had done everything by the book, so he put me in touch with a lawyer who represented me, pro bono. Ultimately, I won the case and was permitted to keep my bees, since I was complying with regulations.

If you're following the law, should one of your neighbors see them and have an issue, you'll be on much better ground, especially if you've made contacts in your beekeeper association. Violations will hurt your case and risk making people think they have a good reason to be afraid and not want bees in the neighborhood.

As I have already stated I won't be keeping my bees at my house. I figure that these last few posts are trying to calm my fears but they are making more.

I live across the street from a school playground. If some kid gets stung by a wasp outside during recess and they know I have honey bees.....

I think it is a sad statement about our society that I even think of such things.