Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
MEMBER BULLETIN BOARD => GREETINGS/TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF => Topic started by: Terri Yaki on September 24, 2023, 08:04:23 pm
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Hi folks, future beekeeper here from SEPA. From what I've seen while looking around, this looks like a good place. I'm a retired career truck driver, jack of all trades, master of none. Former democrat, now staunch Trump supporter and prepared to support my positions. I was pro-Trump when pro-Trump wasn't cool. And that's not a truckdriver's story. I worked from the time I could get working papers at 14 until I was able to retire early at 57, eight years ago. Never collected a single unemployment check, worked hard for what I have and don't like others trying to take it from me. I am a gun owning, law abiding citizen and want to keep it that way. I carry everywhere I go and feel naked without it. Accordingly, I should be fairly active in the 2A section. I'm pretty disgusted with the state of the union at the moment and that's just the way it is.
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Welcome to Beemaster. As you are learning about beekeeping be sure to use the search for answers to specific questions. There's a wealth of info gathered over many years. And of course, feel free to ask any questions you have. We have others here from PA that can help you with area-specific stuff.
We also look forward to your non-beekeeping posts. Just be sure to familiarize yourself with the forum rules. We all get a little hot on some subjects so we have to watch it sometimes!
What is your timeline for getting started with beekeeping?
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Welcome to Beemaster, Terri Yaki! :happy: Sounds like you will fit right into our community! As Kathy said, be sure to read the Bylaws at the top of the main page, jump into any topics you'd like, and ask any questions you may have, bee-related or otherwise. We are happy you are here!
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Terri Yaki; Welcome to Beemaster!!!
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Thanks. OK, read the rules, I think I can comply. My goal is to take a class on beekeeping starting in winter and get a hive or two when the time is right in the spring. I don't know whether to start with one and try to nab a swarm or just start with two. I figure that I'll figure that out when I take the classes. While we are fighting to keep our ground here in PA, we are still pretty free when compared to other states.
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Terri,
Welcome to Beemaster.
What part of SE PA are you in.
I grew up In Levittown.
Jim Altmiller
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I live in Douglassville, the suburbs of Pottstown LOL. I had a g/f in Levittown back in the early '80s, she was a good girl. A couple of us were recently talking about that airplane restaurant that used to be up on Route 1 in that vicinity. My early driving jobs were local and I used to get through that area on a regular basis and I had an aunt who lived in Trevose.
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I'm glad someone knew what SEPA meant...
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I'm glad someone knew what SEPA meant...
Lol. I guessed when his profile said he was from PA. :grin:
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I'm glad someone knew what SEPA meant...
LOL, sorry about that. It's one of those things that's common knowledge around here so we figure that everyone knows it. Anyhow, my neighbor has some apple trees that swarming bees seem to like, as he's caught four or five swarms over there. I think he has two of them alive right now. He's a good guy and really smart but he's not big on getting ahead of the curve with his bees for some reason. I think he had four hives going earlier in the year but he didn't do any pest control so one died and another left town. I've helped and watched a little and decided it looked like a nice, rewarding hobby. I bust on him because he's had these things for about four years but only got some honey twice while the beekeeper down the street seems to have honey for sale about four times a year. He says his bees are slackers. His uncle has tooled with bees for quite a while so we have some help in that department. I am looking forward to getting a hive or two going.
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Terri,
I remember that Airplane Restaurant. Never went inside, I think my dad said it was too expensive. I looked for it the last time I went home and it is not there anymore.
Do you remember the song, Pottstown, Summer In the City. We used to say that every time we heard the name Pottstown?
When I saw SEPA, I thought of the train system SEPTA.
Jim Altmiller
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If I were you I would just have bee equipment ready and try to catch a couple of swarms. Better than paying $200 for a Nuc or package.
Jim Altmiller
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If I were you I would just have bee equipment ready and try to catch a couple of swarms.
if you can get a couple of frames of old wax from your beekeeper friend that would help to draw a swarm to your hive BUT make sure his hives are disease free first!!
Also, if you can hook up with a beekeeper who is not territorial and will take you on a couple of swarm catches, you can learn that too. Then you can put your name on some swarm removal websites. I used to get too many calls to keep up with, but now beekeeping has become a thing and there are so many folks around I don't get so many calls.
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Catching my own sounds great to me. It's more of me, myself and I...and some bees. And Matt (my neighbor) has offered up his help. He recommends mixing some comb, some honey and some lemon grass oil and painting it on the hive(s), if that sounds good. I have two sections of scaffolding and could hoist the beckoning homes 5 or 10' into the air, if that sounds like a good plan. What diseases should I beware of? And I am hoping to make friends through the local beekeeper's club who could help me out as well. When I have extra stuff, I tend to give it away and it seems to me that what goes around comes around. I usually get treated well by others.
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Terri,
Forget the honey, it will just cause problems. Use some old comb in the hive, I use one old frame that is past its useful life, or the oldest one that you can get. Fill the rest of the frame slots with empty frames that have popsicle sticks glued in the top slot. Melt some beeswax and paint the edges. Use lemon grass oil, saturate a Q-tip with the oil, wipe it around the entrance, then put the Q-tip in a small plastic baggie and seal it up. Place it in the bottom of the hive.
If you put too much LGO in the hive, it is like visiting your aunt May?s house who uses way too much perfume and you can?t wait to get out of there. The baggie will not stop the LGO from seeping out. It will last about a week. Then repeat the same process.
Swarms will move out of a hive if there is too much LGO in it.
Jim Altmiller
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I agree with the above posters. I will add; If you friend Mat can make some 'slum gum' from old brood comb as Jim described, you can dip your frames into that melted goo and this will up your odds tremendously! Even more so in my experience than using LGO.. In fact, I do not know of a better swarm attractant...
Phillip
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Jim, how did you know i had an Aunt May? She was born around 1889 and fell just short of her 100th birthday. I'm not following the popsicle stick thing. And could I melt down some of Matt's old wax and just paint it on the frames? I don't know if I have all it takes to melt a container big enough to dip a whole frame into. BTW, I do have two hives built and ready to go, they have wax coated plastic foundations.
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Slum gum is what is left over when we melt down old brood frames. We melt the frames down, separate the wax, and what is leftover is the old brown gooey broken down cocoons mixed with what little wax is still laced within those cocoons (that we could not easily remove).
You can paint or rub this hot mixture on you frames if you do not have enough to dip. Just try and get as much of the goo wax on the frames as possible. Or you can instead do the same with the inside of your catch box which will be easier. Use the other frames as the others described in the catch box.
I do not know what it is about the slum gum, maybe the bees smell the old brood cocoon in the left over wax mixture, but it seems to drive them crazy for it..
Phillip
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What diseases should I beware of?
The biggest thing would be a high mite load, which is easy to test for with an alcohol wash or a sugar roll. I'm presuming Kathy mentioned disease since bees that don't work, as your neighbor has intimated to you, are often sick, since bees love work more than anything. :grin: But it's also possible that with a different management style, or just a little more management, they'd be more productive and there is nothing really wrong with them. Just in general, healthy adult bees should be fuzzy and active in warm temperatures, larvae should be pearly white and have plenty of food visible around them when they are small, and the queen's laying pattern should be good with hardly a cell missed in the brood nest.
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Terri,
Because I also had an Aunt May. She lived into her late eighties, died of starvation, would not buy food due to inflation. She had dementia and compared the present day prices to the prices when she was a child. She died with half a million dollars in the bank.
The Popsicle sticks are to give the young bees a straight line to follow. Helps prevent cross comb. Don?t fill the hive with foundation. The bees measure the inside of the space to determine if it is large enough and the foundation makes it look small. You can use drawn frames, especially in the spring before the wax moths are developed but you are taking a chance of it getting destroyed. Swarms like hives with drawn comb.
Jim Altmiller
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"Swarms like hives with drawn comb.
Jim Altmiller"
Yes they do!...
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OK, thanks Jim. By the time spring arrives, I should have enough info gathered to be successful. If I could acquire two hives and have them survive the first winter, I'll be happy and proud of myself. I don't think it's unachievable but I don't think it will be all that easy either. I figure I'll have to be on top of my game and ahead of the curve to make it happen.
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As I gather my supplies, I'll take all the help I can get on what more I'll need. So far, I have two complete hives with 2 deep and 2 medium boxes/ea, a smoker, a veil, a couple of hold the queen while I mark her tools, 2 clips for catching queens, which can probably be used for hold her still while I mark her tools, some plastic cages that stick into comb to hold her until they get used to her and a few of https://www.ebay.com/itm/385403282514?hash=item59bbd36452:g:~EAAAOSwoI5j5IV9&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4ESzBzJyOIE%2By%2B1phRiJa8JerhIlzhMGV4uSh3xSX3apU%2B5GBmDLxMz5isVwDSZ5FDTsFCooK3F4uqV3ZKlJAQmCp9vd4DuXaZm8U%2B75w30iQMUnavdqEFGdkr33Ybly2usCJucl%2BJ88eimTZN0eN5EgaHj4%2BdMFE5T%2FJwsz%2BckV2BYdqm28kvEs2c5JFOWSXQW74libR5878ojXYk7zV%2B0IpD5Afpru9jaghiXOKNs0qftuyoR%2BiKBJUEyjIfqZv6xyP3ADr4yeQMrSi426yytv98CYSqwqv8b4hYSHkDfn%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9Cc8_raYg (https://www.ebay.com/itm/385403282514?hash=item59bbd36452:g:~EAAAOSwoI5j5IV9&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4ESzBzJyOIE%2By%2B1phRiJa8JerhIlzhMGV4uSh3xSX3apU%2B5GBmDLxMz5isVwDSZ5FDTsFCooK3F4uqV3ZKlJAQmCp9vd4DuXaZm8U%2B75w30iQMUnavdqEFGdkr33Ybly2usCJucl%2BJ88eimTZN0eN5EgaHj4%2BdMFE5T%2FJwsz%2BckV2BYdqm28kvEs2c5JFOWSXQW74libR5878ojXYk7zV%2B0IpD5Afpru9jaghiXOKNs0qftuyoR%2BiKBJUEyjIfqZv6xyP3ADr4yeQMrSi426yytv98CYSqwqv8b4hYSHkDfn%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9Cc8_raYg) that a vendor put into my box by accident or as a gift. I don't know what to do with this one.
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That's just another style of queen cage. Unless you are wanting to requeen a swarm or a split from your neighbor, you probably won't need all these queen tools (at least right away, although I don't own most of those items :happy: ) since you won't be introducing a new queen to the bees. The marking tool will probably be handy, and I do like to have a queen clip around for an emergency, but you won't need the queen cages in all likelihood.
The biggest hole I see in your supplies is a hive tool, which is indispensable for inspecting a colony. Also, if you don't have them I'd recommend entrance reducers of some kind for the hives, because usually a small colony is vulnerable with the entire entrance open.
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I bought some of those plastic queen clips when I first started. I have had good success in using them. I have found that as Reagn; "The15thMember"; they are handy to have around. I will post a link that you might find interesting which (might) require more than one queen clip during swarm season if you run into the need.
https://beemaster.com/forum/index.php?topic=54466.msg495006#msg495006
Phillip
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NOT just one hive tool. You will lose it the first day. 2 or 3, then you will never lose the first one. Murphy's law. LOL.
I recommend not handling the queen nor using a queen excluder the first 2 years you have bees. You will have more experience, more confidence, and more success.
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Large smoker. Full jacket with an attached hood comes in handy especially if you intend to do removals and until you determine your tolerance for stings. Hive tools I'd say. I always have one or two go missing.
I have never caged or marked a queen. That's just me. It would be low on my list of things to get.
I like the weighted inspection cloths. Easy enough to make. Bread knife. Dollar store variety will do. Flashlight. I like screened bottom boards for a lot of the year.
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I agree with iddees' post all the way. Especially more than one hive tool for sure, per the reasons he stated. I also agree with Kathy about the jacked she described adding; make sure it is a ventilated jacket and hood. It will be a welcome relief in the heat..
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On the 'hive tool', I have a heap of small prybars around. Won't they work? And the smoker is a 'large'. I'm not real familiar with what large is but it's the larger of the two that TSC had.
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some small flat bars are almost identical to some hive tools. What i use is one of those, a painter's tool (because I'm used to them mostly) , and a thing I cut out of a steel shelf bracket.
But I'm a total nooob and know very little.
The thing that I want right now is one of those frame grabber tools. Using channel locks now but the angle is wrong and youhave to squeeze harder than you should to hang onto the frame.
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The thing is, animal, if you have a J-hook tool, you don't need that frame grabber, and honestly, I wouldn't recommend a frame grabber to a newbee, because it's better to get comfortable having the frames in your hands.
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Animal,
I have 2 frame grabbers. I never use them. My wife likes them.
I don?t like them because they tend to drop frames, full of bees. Twice I almost dropped frames while holding them tightly with the holders. Never used them again. I use my bare hands.
Jim Altmiller
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That's a great thing about this site. Say something wrong and you’ll be corrected quick and they’ll explain why.
For me, wanting a frame grabber is more of a personal problem. A full grip around something with my left hand works fine. A fingertip grip weakens considerably depending on which way I turn my arm or hand (rotator cuff injuries are weird).
I will say that I don't like the design of the reasonably priced frame grabbers. They kinda look like a way to squish bees to me. I plan on making my own out of 2 pairs of channel locks welded together if I ever get the time.
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I have used a paint scraper/putty knife since I got bees. I bought a frame puller but did not use it even once and have never had a hive tool. I love the paint scraper. On a very few boxes, the bees have glued them together enough that it can tax the scraper but they seem almost perfect for bee keeping. Fingers for holding frames.
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I have found the frame grabbers to be handy for releasing a stuck first' frame in the box on occasion, (my bees produce a lot of propolis). But once the frame is half way up I use my hands from there. I have had a similar experience Jim.. But mostly I use a hive tool with a hook on the end which does a good job of releasing a propolis gued frame..
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gww I have also used a paint scraper. They work ok if you do not have a lot of hives to go through. The j hook hive tool does a slightly better and faster job in my opinion.
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For me, wanting a frame grabber is more of a personal problem. A full grip around something with my left hand works fine. A fingertip grip weakens considerably depending on which way I turn my arm or hand (rotator cuff injuries are weird).
That's totally fair, and that's another thing to remember about all these tools in beekeeping. There are particular situations or particular people they are helpful for, but as a newbee, you don't yet know what it is you need or want, so it's best to stick with the basics. But then, once you have a little experience, if you find yourself thinking, "I wish this particular thing was easier", there is probably a tool to help you. And if not, you can make one. :happy:
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"That's a great thing about this site. Say something wrong and you?ll be corrected quick and they?ll explain why"
Really I don't think anyone was intending to correct, just point out their own experiences both positive and negative for helpful benefits.... Another good thing about this site. We may disagree on political issues but most all of ua are quick to help each other on other topics. In my opinion that is what keeps Beemaster members, a family like bunch..
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True Ben ...
But ... as one that has been corrected more than once on this site ... I greatly appreciate those times and am pretty sure there will be more times in the future that I'll also appreciate ... 'cause I know I'll be making more mistakes :wink:
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Thanks animal. I also appreciate our experienced and knowledgeable beekeepers speaking out as well as hearing the ideas of beginners. Together we all learn.
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I have used a paint scraper/putty knife since I got bees.
yup. I consider that an essential tool too. Especially for scraping propolis if it builds up. That and the long bread knife for cutting comb apart if they get messy.
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I use a standard 9 in. hive tool for cracking boxes, scraping boxes, and scooping out powder sugar for a sugar roll. I use my 4 in. mini J-hook tool for cracking and lifting frames. (If anyone knows where I can get another one of those, please let me know. I got it at a bee store in Pickens, SC, and I have never been able to find another one.) I use a cheap paring knife for cutting out misdrawn comb or drone comb.
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a lot of companies have a 6" hive tool like the first pic. for between 5 bucks and 12 (exorbitant shipping) the amazon link is for 2 @ 8.92 with free shipping if you have prime.
https://www.amazon.com/Ipetboom-Stainless-Beekeeping-Equipment-Beekeepers/dp/B09X1CYV75/ref=sr_1_3?crid=PWCB8HLYO8MB&keywords=mini+hive+tool&qid=1695865504&sprefix=mini+hive+tool%2Caps%2C127&sr=8-3
The second pic is of a "European style" tool that looked promising to me. What would you guys' opinion of it be ?
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@Reagan. Is this what you are looking for? The description fits your request "Mini J Hook Pocket Hive Tool". If so it looks like the first one one animal has pictured above. May be the same thing?
Has anyone used the second style pictured by animal above?
https://www.foxhoundbeecompany.com/products/mini-hive-tool
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The problem with all of those is the J-hook itself looks too shallow. Mine is much more of a curve. I'll take a picture of it and show you guys tomorrow.
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Ok thanks, you have my curiosity going.. I feel like I may be missing out on something good!!! lol
Phillip
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That's totally fair, and that's another thing to remember about all these tools in beekeeping. There are particular situations or particular people they are helpful for, but as a newbee, you don't yet know what it is you need or want, so it's best to stick with the basics. But then, once you have a little experience, if you find yourself thinking, "I wish this particular thing was easier", there is probably a tool to help you. And if not, you can make one. :happy:
This is pretty much my approach on a lot of stuff. I have more at my disposal than the 'normal' person. I have an array of crow bars, big and small, steel, and plastic (for car panel removal). Plus, I have an anvil, acetylene torch, large vise and a few machine tools so I can customize any of the bars that I already have. I will look into various hive and frame handling tools and see what I get out of them. I also understand that sometimes it's cheaper to just buy something. I also have a set of mongo sized channel locks that have removed otherwise impossible oil filters. I'll see what kind of help they prove to be.
Thanks for all the ideas.
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The most important thing in my opinion is to have 'plenty' of extra woodware and having it 'on hand'. I can not stress this enough..
Phillip
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One machine that I don't have but am on the lookout for is a bandsaw. I could cut a custom hive tool out of stuff on my scrap pile with a good bandsaw.
The most important thing in my opinion is to have 'plenty' of extra woodware and having it 'on hand'. I can not stress this enough..
Phillip
I got two, four-box hives expecting that they should provide a little extra woodware. What would recommendations bee to add to that?
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do you have a hand grinder and cut-off blades ? That and a belt sander can do more than most would believe.
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I got two, four-box hives expecting that they should provide a little extra woodware. What would recommendations bee to add to that?
I always like to have a couple extra tops and bottoms. If you need to split or have an opportunity to catch a swarm, they will come in handy.
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"I got two, four-box hives expecting that they should provide a little extra woodware. What would recommendations bee to add to that?"
Do you expect of have two colonies of bees for these two set ups? And if yes when do you expect to obtain them?
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do you have a hand grinder and cut-off blades ? That and a belt sander can do more than most would believe.
Yes I do and for some reason, I never consider using a cutoff wheel. That might be because it's fairly new to me and I'm not onto how handy it is. Thanks.
I always like to have a couple extra tops and bottoms. If you need to split or have an opportunity to catch a swarm, they will come in handy.
It's kind of a long story but I did end up with an extra lid and will pick up at least another bottom. From what I've picked up, it looks like one brood box per hive will give me a good start so I'll have two extras for a little while.
"I got two, four-box hives expecting that they should provide a little extra woodware. What would recommendations bee to add to that?"
Do you expect of have two colonies of bees for these two set ups? And if yes when do you expect to obtain them?
I'm still not sure where I'll get the occupants from. I plan on taking a course with my local beekeepers club and hope to get some guidance from them. They have members who sell nucs and ultimately, if I could lure in a couple of springs swarms, I would really like that. Maybe go for some of both, buy a nuc an leave a baited hive or two out and see what I can catch.
I did my one multi-quote system here, hope it posts up OK
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"I'm still not sure where I'll get the occupants from. I plan on taking a course with my local beekeepers club and hope to get some guidance from them. They have members who sell nucs and ultimately, if I could lure in a couple of springs swarms, I would really like that. Maybe go for some of both, buy a nuc an leave a baited hive or two out and see what I can catch."
In that case you should have plenty of woodware for now..
Phillip
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And I'm am a passive buyer of things, I'm on the lookout and hopeful that I will find some extra boxes and frames on the cheap somewhere like an auction or through an acquaintance. Maybe even barter something for some stuff.
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Maybe even barter something for some stuff.
You are off to a good start. You really don't need a lot to get started and you can pick more up as you find the need. I was lucky when I started and the widow of a beekeeper was selling his stuff as a lot. I got everything I needed and much I never used, all at once.
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Sorry about the delay, everyone. Here is my mini hive tool. See how it's more curved than the ones that Foxhound sells?
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I have not seen one quite like this one Reagan.
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Sorry about the delay, everyone. Here is my mini hive tool. See how it's more curved than the ones that Foxhound sells?
Now that would be simple to make with a cutoff wheel. Thanks
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We had an awesome day today so I went out and made a hive tool. It's not stamped or laser cut so it's not perfect but it seems to work OK on the assembled hive that I have in the garage. What do yas think? It is about 1/8" thick and I ground an edge on the large end in case one might want to scrape with it. Though I don't know how well it would work for that not having a big surface on the other end for pushing. I figure I'll find out.
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That looks really good, Terri! I'll be interested to hear how it performs in a propolized hive.