robo mantis
Well-known member
I keep every sort of bee (honey bee, bumble bee and solitary) haha so any questions, send me a pm and i'll be glad to help!
bee culturing advise
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Help Support Mantidforum:
Extracting honey from a top bar is not a time consuming process. I do the crush strain method and strain it through kitchen strainers. I never saw a need for cheesecloth. I can do a whole seasons batch in under an hour.If you are doing honey extraction, go with the Langstroth Hive.
Topbar hives do not have comb that is strong enough to withstand a honey extractor - you would have to crush the comb and strain the honey through a cheesecloth. A VERY time consuming process.
Also, if you are planning on selling the honey for human consumption, you will need some sort of food license.
Good luck, and be sure to check out that book!
Oh, and try to find a "bee mentor" close to where you live who you can ask questions and work with.
(I'm getting bees in the spring. I have worked with a beekeeper and have read TONS of beekeeping books.)
ScienceGirl
Well-known member
Edited.
It really depends on your preference.
Another big difference between Langstroth and Top-Bar hives:
- On Langstroth's you can use Queen Excluders to keep the queen from going into and laying eggs in the honey supers. Some beekeepers use this technique for Langstroth, others say just take off the exluder once the honey super is full - they say that Queens rarely will cross a full super. (You can ask Rick if he's able to keep larva out of the comb he's extracting with his TopBar hives.)
- With Langstroth you can add and remove supers as needed to give more/less room to the colony and prevent swarming.
- You can make your own Top-Bar hives and Langstroth hives. If you want to order more parts for Langstroth and not make everything yourself, you'll have to match the sizes of normal hive parts that you'd order. Honeybees have a bee space of about 1 cm. If there are gaps bigger than that, they fill it with burr comb. If there are gaps smaller than that, they fill it with propolis.
How many Top-Bars do you keep?
ScienceGirl
Well-known member
It sounds like you would be doing Langstroth hives, though, by the sound of the "box's" at your local farm.
I've never had brood in the honey comb. There are advantages to both styles. I recommend the original poster research both and decide then. But there is a reason I am going away from top bars. Langs are the standard so most people will lean that way out of tradition.
ScienceGirl
Well-known member
I'm doing Langstroths for two reasons:
- they seem easier to me.
- a beekeeper is giving them to me for free!
Did you build your own top bars?
jamurfjr
Well-known member
I'm also going with Langstroth hives. That is what I'm being taught. A top-bar hive will come later though.
Over the last few days, I've been constructing three unassembled hives, an array of supers, and numerous frames. A nail gun would speed the process, but instead of my black and blue thumb, I'd probably have a thumb with a hole in it. In any case, frame assembly can grow quite tedious—and painful.
Over the last few days, I've been constructing three unassembled hives, an array of supers, and numerous frames. A nail gun would speed the process, but instead of my black and blue thumb, I'd probably have a thumb with a hole in it. In any case, frame assembly can grow quite tedious—and painful.
jamurfjr
Well-known member
Oh, and not to tout one company's products over another, but I ordered from Mann Lake Ltd, and my 150lb order shipped free! Most orders over $100 are eligible for free shipping.
ScienceGirl
Well-known member
Oh my, that is a lot of stuff!
What all did you get?What breed of bees are you going to be doing?
I'm getting most everything from my super nice beekeeper connection. Everything except for gloves... He uses those thin, plastic, disposable gloves that doctors wear, but I'm wanting some nice, thick ones, just while I'm getting more into my comfort zone. I used the blue plastic ones when working with him and I didn't get stung once, but still, when the bees are mine and at my house, it's going to be my hands down into the hives. I want to just use thick gloves as a sort of training wheel for comfort. Then I'll "graduate" to plastic, or no gloves at all!
jamurfjr
Well-known member
I pretty much acquired everything to get started: 3 unassembled hives, four additional supers, frames and foundation(included), veil, smoker, canvas gloves(cheap $7-$8), hive tool, etc.. Everything except the bees. They are coming from a group buy through the association. I'm told they'll be Italian.
Many of the experienced beekeepers use no gloves at all. Claim that dexterity is adversely effected. I intend to start with gloves and maybe go gloveless if and when my confidence increases.
Many of the experienced beekeepers use no gloves at all. Claim that dexterity is adversely effected. I intend to start with gloves and maybe go gloveless if and when my confidence increases.
Yep and to this day I cannot understand how they go gloveless. I have sheepskin bee keepers gloves from Brushy Mountain and they can and will sting through them.
ScienceGirl
Well-known member
Well, the idea is that better dexterity causes less bee deaths causing less alert pheromones to be ("Bee"
) released. Using plastic doctor gloves is even better, though, because it keeps propolis, honey, and other sticky stuff off of your fingers.What I can't understand is why some people, calling themselves "experts" go beekeeping mass number of hives... WITHOUT a VEIL!!!! Agh!!!! This seems unresponsible to me. I understand if you want to flaunt your "bee-whispering" skills, and take a risk, but really, there are other ways! Getting stung on your face is really painful, and bees naturally want to explore dark crevices. Personally, I don't think I'd be a fan of letting bees explore my ear and nose holes....
Oh I understand why they do it and I have killed my fair share of bees just working the hive. But at times my bees are so aggressive I won't even consider not wearing gloves. It amazes me it can even be done. And no veil? Yeah right. I had two bees get into my veil last year and I gotta tell you I was really worried there for a bit. I have hives in my yard and one time a flying bee hit me in the face and got caught up under my sunglasses and stung me right under the eye!Well, the idea is that better dexterity causes less bee deaths causing less alert pheromones to be ("Bee"
What I can't understand is why some people, calling themselves "experts" go beekeeping mass number of hives... WITHOUT a VEIL!!!! Agh!!!! This seems unresponsible to me. I understand if you want to flaunt your "bee-whispering" skills, and take a risk, but really, there are other ways! Getting stung on your face is really painful, and bees naturally want to explore dark crevices. Personally, I don't think I'd be a fan of letting bees explore my ear and nose holes....
jamurfjr
Well-known member
Ouch!
As an ACO, in an attempt to retrieve a litter of kittens birthed in old, broken-down car, I opened the door and disturbed a wasp nest. I got stung multple times on the face and on my arms. It left a lasting impression.
ScienceGirl
Well-known member
Yes, honey season and nectar dearths are not good times to be w/o protection.
Speaking of bees... UPDATE time!!!
I'll be picking my first colony up with equiptment the Wednesday of next week. They will be Carniolans. I'll pick up a second nucleus later on, and they'll be Italians. Very excited.And now, for a little bee humor that I saw in a book!
"My wife always wanted daughters.... Just not thousands and thousands of them." (In case you don't get it, the person is referring to how they bought a honey bee hive. All the workers bees are girls.
)lol. Here is one I like. Hopefully the "bad" word doesn't offend anyone. For the non bee people the bee pictured is a drone. His job is to mate and eat and basically do no work.Yes, honey season and nectar dearths are not good times to be w/o protection.
Speaking of bees... UPDATE time!!!
And now, for a little bee humor that I saw in a book!
"My wife always wanted daughters.... Just not thousands and thousands of them." (In case you don't get it, the person is referring to how they bought a honey bee hive. All the workers bees are girls.
jamurfjr
Well-known member
"Laid back— with my mind on my [honey] and my [honeys] on my mind." Word.
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ScienceGirl
Well-known member
Haha! Oh, I do love a good bee quote....
Honestly, the thing that I'm excited for the most is to see my vivacious honey bees bobbing around on the flowers on our deck. The joy of being able to say, "Those are mine!"
Honestly, the thing that I'm excited for the most is to see my vivacious honey bees bobbing around on the flowers on our deck. The joy of being able to say, "Those are mine!"
