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darin
04-23-2009, 08:23 PM
I really want to start keeping bees. Anyone have any experience?
Mr. P
04-23-2009, 08:37 PM
I really want to start keeping bees. Anyone have any experience?

Looked into it once...lots of work to do it right...plus a place to set the hives without them being a nuisance to neighbors etc. I never pursued it, not enough property or time.
Kathianne
04-23-2009, 09:13 PM
I really want to start keeping bees. Anyone have any experience?

No 1 to vote for. Seriously, he's way into bee keeping, getting off the grid.
hjmick
04-23-2009, 09:14 PM
What Kath said.
Psychoblues
04-23-2009, 10:55 PM
When I bought my place on the lake here I had a hive 18" wide and 10 feet long in my undercarriage. I contacted a beekeeping organization in Memphis, Tennessee and a man came down and got the hive, queen and all, took it all out, never got stung a single time and apparently the bees were not at all disturbed.

I love honey but I'm glad to purchase in the store, farmers market, wherever I can find it. Beekeeping?!?!?!?!???!?!?!?!?! Will not happen with me!!!!!!!!!

How about a hot toddy with a little fresh honey, dimples?!?!?!?!?!??!!?!?!

:beer::cheers2::beer:

Psychoblues
mundame
04-28-2009, 07:55 PM
Sure, go ahead, dmp.

We did it a couple years, got 50 lbs of EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT honey the first year; the second all the bees disappeared --- we went out to harvest and hives were empty!!!!

The disappearing bee syndrome, I think now, it was in that time frame.

HOWEVER, there are a lot of Carpathian and regular honeybees around my flowers, and we had bought black Carpathians, and so I think they ran wild somewhere, at least some survivors sure did.

You DO need the new meds and so on for all these mites and diseases that came in from China --- what IS it about China? Plague center of the world for every species.

We plan to start again, eventually. You do need a lot of equipment, and we still have it.

If you buy bees locally, local beekeepers will psyche you out by macho displays of utter carelessness about stings, working the hives slowly right in front of you with no protection.

Trust me on this, this is crazy until you are experienced that many years too ----- go with the Tyvek bee suits, and USE them. One cloudy day, and angry bees annoyed because they can't go out, and wham, you're combing bees out of your hair because you didn't suit up. Later is soon enough for the macho stuff.
darin
04-28-2009, 08:48 PM
Thanks folks - btw, I'm mildly allergic to bee stings. :) But I LOVES me some farm-fresh honey. On my 'must eat list' (as far as food goes) Farm Fresh wild honey is just behind Bacon, Chocolate, Nutella, and Trader Joes Chilli Sauce.
Kathianne
04-28-2009, 09:24 PM
Thanks folks - btw, I'm mildly allergic to bee stings. :) But I LOVES me some farm-fresh honey. On my 'must eat list' (as far as food goes) Farm Fresh wild honey is just behind Bacon, Chocolate, Nutella, and Trader Joes Chilli Sauce.

Doug, No1tovote4 is really into bees and self sustainability in large measure.
hjmick
04-28-2009, 09:56 PM
Hey! Welcome back Mundame!
5stringJeff
05-05-2009, 08:25 PM
Thanks folks - btw, I'm mildly allergic to bee stings. :) But I LOVES me some farm-fresh honey. On my 'must eat list' (as far as food goes) Farm Fresh wild honey is just behind Bacon, Chocolate, Nutella, and Trader Joes Chilli Sauce.

For a less time-consuming way to get fresh honey, check out just about any of your local fairs in summertime.