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Author Topic: What do you think of this plan  (Read 1673 times)

Offline acrudy

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What do you think of this plan
« on: January 14, 2020, 07:46:24 am »
I have recently moved to a suburban neighborhood and have not kept bees for ~3 years. One house is 80 yards from my planned hive location and the other 50 yards. I plan on centering two 5 frame deep hives in the center of my property to keep them as far as possible from the other homes. My thinking is the 5 frame deeps will limit their size and keep them reasonably sized (queen excluder above 2 for 10 total frames of brood)? If they begin getting to tall or aggressive to do not enough room I will split them and sell the splits to another local beekeeper. What do you guys think? Anything I should consider?

Offline ifixoldhouses

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Re: What do you think of this plan
« Reply #1 on: January 14, 2020, 08:16:26 am »
Sounds fine to me, just keep a water source nearby, don't let it run dry.
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Offline yes2matt

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Re: What do you think of this plan
« Reply #2 on: January 14, 2020, 08:49:02 am »
Bees like 40 liters for brood nest. That's a doubled deep nuc. And if you put (5 frame?) honey supers on that it will get tall and toppley.

A triple 8-frame medium setup is just over 40 l. A single 10-deep is about 40 l. 



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Offline acrudy

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Re: What do you think of this plan
« Reply #3 on: January 14, 2020, 09:14:32 am »
I have thought about the height issue, I was thinking when they get too tall I can take the honey supers off ( I plan on using 5 frame deeps for those as well) and install empty supers in their place for room to build. Also I plan on building a stand with I bolts to attached ratchet straps too and strapping them down

Offline yes2matt

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Re: What do you think of this plan
« Reply #4 on: January 14, 2020, 09:24:00 am »
I have thought about the height issue, I was thinking when they get too tall I can take the honey supers off ( I plan on using 5 frame deeps for those as well) and install empty supers in their place for room to build. Also I plan on building a stand with I bolts to attached ratchet straps too and strapping them down
What's your motivation for 5 frame? I should have asked that before.

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Offline acrudy

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Re: What do you think of this plan
« Reply #5 on: January 14, 2020, 09:34:45 am »
My thought is that there would be less of a foot print....potentially less bees around for the neighbors to deal with? Not sure, I was just thinking  a smaller sized super would be better.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: What do you think of this plan
« Reply #6 on: January 14, 2020, 10:41:30 am »
In no time flat your 5 framers will be busting at the seams with bees. I would stick to 10 frame hives or eight frames.. Unless you are prepared to continuously make splits, they will swarm if space is not continuously provided.  Bees multiply and make honey.  If they swarm into a crack or crevice of one of your neighbors houses, that neighbor will not be happy. Even if a swarm does enter into one of your neighbors homes from one of your hives or  even from a feral hive, guess who will be blamed. Bees Multiply, that is nature and can not be suppressed unless unhealthy for what ever reason. Does your neighbors have swimming pools? Bird baths? Small garden ponds etc? It so bees will sometimes use these as a water source. Your neighbors again will not be happy.  For some reason bees love to fly around Vehicles leaving little yellow reminder spots. Again your neighbors will not be happy.  Just food for thought. Something that most closely fitted neighborhood beekeepers fail to mention. Perhaps some of our tightly fitted neighborhood keepers here will explain to you how to avoid and overcome these situations and possible detour conflicts with your neighbors. I am not attempting to discourage you but laying it out as food for thought. Wishing you the best.
Phillip
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Offline acrudy

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Re: What do you think of this plan
« Reply #7 on: January 14, 2020, 11:15:44 am »
Yeah, all very good thoughts...

In no time flat your 5 framers will be busting at the seams with bees. I would stick to 10 frame hives or eight frames.. Unless you are prepared to continuously make splits, they will swarm if space is not continuously provided.  Bees multiply and make honey.  If they swarm into a crack or crevice of one of your neighbors houses, that neighbor will not be happy. Even if a swarm does enter into one of your neighbors homes from one of your hives or  even from a feral hive, guess who will be blamed. Bees Multiply, that is nature and can not be suppressed unless unhealthy for what ever reason. Does your neighbors have swimming pools? Bird baths? Small garden ponds etc? It so bees will sometimes use these as a water source. Your neighbors again will not be happy.  For some reason bees love to fly around Vehicles leaving little yellow reminder spots. Again your neighbors will not be happy.  Just food for thought. Something that most closely fitted neighborhood beekeepers fail to mention. Perhaps some of our tightly fitted neighborhood keepers here will explain to you how to avoid and overcome these situations and possible detour conflicts with your neighbors. I am not attempting to discourage you but laying it out as food for thought. Wishing you the best.
Phillip

Offline The15thMember

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Re: What do you think of this plan
« Reply #8 on: January 14, 2020, 01:33:53 pm »
In no time flat your 5 framers will be busting at the seams with bees. I would stick to 10 frame hives or eight frames.. Unless you are prepared to continuously make splits, they will swarm if space is not continuously provided.  Bees multiply and make honey.  If they swarm into a crack or crevice of one of your neighbors houses, that neighbor will not be happy. Even if a swarm does enter into one of your neighbors homes from one of your hives or  even from a feral hive, guess who will be blamed. Bees Multiply, that is nature and can not be suppressed unless unhealthy for what ever reason. Does your neighbors have swimming pools? Bird baths? Small garden ponds etc? It so bees will sometimes use these as a water source. Your neighbors again will not be happy.  For some reason bees love to fly around Vehicles leaving little yellow reminder spots. Again your neighbors will not be happy.  Just food for thought. Something that most closely fitted neighborhood beekeepers fail to mention. Perhaps some of our tightly fitted neighborhood keepers here will explain to you how to avoid and overcome these situations and possible detour conflicts with your neighbors. I am not attempting to discourage you but laying it out as food for thought. Wishing you the best.
Phillip
I was just going to say the exact same thing, Phillip.  I'd imagine one of the best ways to keep the neighbors oblivious to your bees is to never have them swarm, and I think that would be challenging to handle in smaller boxes. 
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.

Offline TheHoneyPump

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Re: What do you think of this plan
« Reply #9 on: January 17, 2020, 01:14:39 am »
I have recently moved to a suburban neighborhood and have not kept bees for ~3 years. One house is 80 yards from my planned hive location and the other 50 yards. I plan on centering two 5 frame deep hives in the center of my property to keep them as far as possible from the other homes. My thinking is the 5 frame deeps will limit their size and keep them reasonably sized (queen excluder above 2 for 10 total frames of brood)? If they begin getting to tall or aggressive to do not enough room I will split them and sell the splits to another local beekeeper. What do you guys think? Anything I should consider?

Where are you located geographically?  What is your climate?  Where are you - no need for address, just general surrounding area.  Reason is the climate makes a big difference in how the bees will go about their beesyness.  Based on the plan proposed, I am going to assuming these are your first ever hives with zero experience.
The spacing for the location of the hive(s) is fine.  A well managed hive, the neighbours do not even know it is there ... for years. They will not know until you actually tell them.
HOWEVER, a well managed hive is NOT a small hive.  Quite the contrary.  A well managed hive is actually a big one.  Trying to keep bees in small boxes is like trying to keep your kids from growing up by only buying them small clothes and small shoes.  With the your bees in small boxes as described, your bees will be:  ...  in the trees and in the neighbours eaves ...



-- What do you guys think? --  ...

I would like to put forward an alternative.  Find the bee club local to your area, or closest beekeeper to you.  Introduce yourself, your goals, and get involved.  Instead of getting your hives ... please consider inviting a beekeeper to place a hive or two on your property.  Make agreement that whenever he/she comes to check and manage the hive, that you can attend.  Get your own bee suit etc so you can participate impromptu.  Ask lots of questions.  After 2 to 3 seasons of learning in this way, then consider getting your own hives.

When the lid goes back on, the bees will spend the next 3 days undoing most of what the beekeeper just did to them.

Offline Bob Wilson

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Re: What do you think of this plan
« Reply #10 on: January 17, 2020, 09:28:27 am »
Acrudy,
I also am a tight quarters beekeeper. I have close neighborhood houses to the sides, front and even behind me.

1. All my neighbors know I have a hive (There is no way to hide it. I live in a fishbowl.) And I have not had a single complaint.
2. Promise them some honey when it comes in.
3. My bees are foraging several square miles around. I rarely see them in my yard or my neighbor's. There is not enough forage to keep them there. They go for the clover in the empty places or the flowering trees in the yards scattered afar.
4. Make sure they have water. My bees go for the neighborhood drainage pond and ignore the 3 swimming pools close by. (So far...)
5.Two 5 frame deep nucs are the same as a single 10 frame deep, which is more stable with a lower center of gravity. Why do two nucs? You gain nothing and sacrifice stability.
6. I also think that giving them space would be better than cramping them. This is my one fear of keeping bees in suburbia. If I don't give them enough room to expand as a colony, then a swarm from my hive might move into a neighbor's shed or attic. Of course it might be a feral swarm, but as Phillip noted, my hive will still be blamed. So I work this way. I give them plenty of space to be a healthy colony so they won't swarm.
7. Consider HoneyPump's post, which is probably the best idea. Host another beek's hive, which can be removed if needed.
8. OR, just GO FOR IT! Do your own! Even if the neighbors ever do rise up and cause a problem, which is only a faint possiblity, you can always relocate your own hive to a friend's place or give it away.

By the way, welcome to Beemaster. It is a great forum, with some very knowledable beeks.
9. All you Beeks out there with larger properties... enjoy your blessing. The rest of us envy you.

Offline acrudy

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Re: What do you think of this plan
« Reply #11 on: January 18, 2020, 09:10:54 am »
Thanks for all of the input guys, this is not my first time keeping hives - I ran 12 hives for about 7 years and then had to stop bc I went away to college and started a job that required me to constantly travel - Its been probably 3 years since I have had hives maybe a little longer. I moved to a new place and its a lot more suburban than I am used to - I had previously kept my hives on around 7 acres of nothing. No issues, no neighbors to really to be concern about etc. I have decided I will use some 8 frame equipment that I have due to the swarming concern. I have never managed hives in strictly 5 frames for an entire season that's why I proposed the question - I have also never kept bees around other people. I know that other people keep them in backyards within city limits etc. so I was looking for how people react, how often problems arise etc.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: What do you think of this plan
« Reply #12 on: January 18, 2020, 09:46:23 am »
Out of site out of mind. They may not know you keep bees if you keep them out of site and do your part of being a good beekeeper?
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

 

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