Anyone with Honey bees?

[Danny Hoey]

How often do you guys get stung while messing with your bees?

Probably 4 times in 3 years

 

[Elk97]

How often do you guys get stung while messing with your bees?

Used to get stung a lot when I was in it commercially. Usually got in on the legs from bees crawling up past boots.

 

[MarlinMark]

It might go up in price but many of these big operations are pollinators and only sell honey as a by-product. I have not heard updates to how almond pollination is going, but we rely on bee pollination for many of our crops. The best time to buy honey and stock up is when it’s fresh, from a farmer’s market, which around here happens late Summer.

Thank you Sir.

 

[Windigo]

My hive is currently experiencing its first winter. It was super strong before the snow fell, but I’m pretty nervous to crack it open. Checked a month ago and I had plenty of food in there, but I’m still about to preorder a package of bees as a backup to appease my anxiety

 

[Danny Hoey]

My hive is currently experiencing its first winter. It was super strong before the snow fell, but I’m pretty nervous to crack it open. Checked a month ago and I had plenty of food in there, but I’m still about to preorder a package of bees as a backup to appease my anxiety

If it hits 45 degrees, I'll be in mine this weekend to check on honey reserves. We have a honey bank of frames and will throw a few of them in if needed.

Have you cleared out the dead bees in the bottom yet?

 

[ScottinPA]

This will be my 5th year. Last year was by far my most successful. Came out of winter with 2 hives, had 10 by end of summer, went into this winter with 9. Produced 310 lbs of honey. Probably another month until I find out how many made it thru this winter. They have about a foot of snow on them currently.

I'll echo the previous - a lot more work than I anticipated but it's fun.

To get started - find a club and get a mentor if possible. Lots of good resources online too.

I have 2 hives that are notoriously mean. Got them from a local keeper who's family has been raising that strain for over 90 years. They are northern bees. I did get some packages from Georgia that I've had survive winters. They tend to be more mild mannered unless there's a dearth or I mess with them too much.

On a good year, I'll get stung 6-8 times. Last year I got lit up dozens of times.

 

[Jbxl20]

This will be my 5th year. Last year was by far my most successful. Came out of winter with 2 hives, had 10 by end of summer, went into this winter with 9. Produced 310 lbs of honey. Probably another month until I find out how many made it thru this winter. They have about a foot of snow on them currently.

I'll echo the previous - a lot more work than I anticipated but it's fun.

To get started - find a club and get a mentor if possible. Lots of good resources online too.

I have 2 hives that are notoriously mean. Got them from a local keeper who's family has been raising that strain for over 90 years. They are northern bees. I did get some packages from Georgia that I've had survive winters. They tend to be more mild mannered unless there's a dearth or I mess with them too much.

On a good year, I'll get stung 6-8 times. Last year I got lit up dozens of times.

Are you in PA? I’m in the south central part of the state.

 

[ScottinPA]

Are you in PA? I’m in the south central part of the state.

Yep, NW PA.

 

[Windigo]

If it hits 45 degrees, I'll be in mine this weekend to check on honey reserves. We have a honey bank of frames and will throw a few of them in if needed.

Have you cleared out the dead bees in the bottom yet?

No, it’s been too cold to crack it open. Might warm up enough this weekend. Honestly the last time I checked it, I shut it up as soon as I saw live bees in the lower deep to try and conserve what heat they had

 

[Danny Hoey]

No, it’s been too cold to crack it open. Might warm up enough this weekend. Honestly the last time I checked it, I shut it up as soon as I saw live bees in the lower deep to try and conserve what heat they had

Take a wire and swipe it through the bottom from the lower entrance, no need to crack open the boxes. It will improve ventilation and the little dead bee bodies won't hold excess moisture.