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Author Topic: Getting ready for first hive in spring  (Read 7043 times)

Offline feenix3k

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Re: Getting ready for first hive in spring
« Reply #20 on: September 25, 2016, 10:44:37 pm »
Sounds like a deal to me. Just have to see if the place we rent will have room for bees. We are presently hunting for a house to rent with room for bees in the yard.

Offline Acebird

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Re: Getting ready for first hive in spring
« Reply #21 on: September 26, 2016, 08:44:16 am »
Just so I am clear about your post, the bees move up in the winter, and in the spring you just leave the empty on the bottom, or rearrange?  Or are you talking about empty honey supers?

No, no, no do not leave an empty at the top.  That was one of my bone head mistakes that cost me a hive.
If the colony doesn't completely backfill the bottom box I leave it through the winter.  It may look empty but it could be full of pollen that they will need at some point in late winter / early spring for build up.  In the spring when they start bringing in fresh pollen is when I make my decision on whether I will split or not and most likely will remove that bottom box that is empty and heavily propolized.  When the hive is a good 4-5 boxes high I will split by the box.  I use all mediums and it makes it so easy to do this.
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Offline feenix3k

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Re: Getting ready for first hive in spring
« Reply #22 on: September 29, 2016, 02:44:52 pm »
I will be starting to order hive bodies in about two to three months. I am seeing prices all over the map and all types of wood. What wood is the preferred wood for a hive body? I will be compairing prices and wood types once I am ready to start ordering beekeeping tools and hive parts.

Offline Hops Brewster

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Re: Getting ready for first hive in spring
« Reply #23 on: September 29, 2016, 03:06:34 pm »
How much money ya got? :grin:
By far, the most common wood used is pine.  Then you'll find (usually) 3 grades of pine bee gear.  The cheapest may have cracks, loose knots and a certain amount of allowed warping.  Some commercial outfits use this to keep expenses low.  It gets painted anyway, right?. 

Next will be straight boards that could have a few tight knots.  I use this, because an occasional tight knot doesn't bother me and it helps keep expenses down. 

Next will be straight, clear lumber.  Some people insist on this, though it will be painted.  Expense is higher.

You can also find cypress (very weather resistant), cedar (also weather resistant), various hardwoods, &c.  Can be very expensive, unless you mill your own.

Then you have those who build their equipment out of scrap lumber, or lumber they mill themselves, with great results.  Very low cash outlay, but lots of work.

That's if you're assembling your own gear.  If you want it preassembled, you will pay even more for it.
Winter is coming.

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Offline Acebird

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Re: Getting ready for first hive in spring
« Reply #24 on: September 30, 2016, 10:39:56 am »
Very good reply Hops Brewster.
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Offline Hops Brewster

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Re: Getting ready for first hive in spring
« Reply #25 on: September 30, 2016, 12:37:02 pm »
Thanks Ace
Winter is coming.

I can't say I hate the government, but I am proudly distrustful of them.

Offline yes2matt

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Re: Getting ready for first hive in spring
« Reply #26 on: October 01, 2016, 08:15:31 am »
I feel very Mentored here. One yahoo group I was on I felt like it was ran by a dictator instead of a mentor.

Feenix3k. hey I'm johndown here in middle ga. Gray, Ga. the ga. beekeepers assc. is up there near mcdonna. I'm going to be doing alot of splits this spring. get with me in feb or march. I'll give you a nuc if you want to spend a saturday giving me a hand. I have to yards. but have not been able to work them because a injury. If I can get them thru winter this year ( which is looking good because of the fall flow sofar) You can have the nuc two deep tall. I have all wild hives so thier a little more definsive, I dont use screen bottoms. and they do find. I dont treat or feed sugar water.

john

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Wow that's a really good deal! Free bees and a free day's lesson disguised as work? Don't pass that up!

Offline feenix3k

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Re: Getting ready for first hive in spring
« Reply #27 on: October 05, 2016, 11:53:36 pm »
Yes it is a very good deal. It all depends on if the rental house we find will have a yard that bees will not bother other people.  The friend we are staying with has a perfect yard. The yard is fenced and an area finced inside of that with solid board fence. Perfect for a beehive or two.

Offline feenix3k

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Re: Getting ready for first hive in spring
« Reply #28 on: October 11, 2016, 02:12:01 pm »
The house we moved to as a temporary solution may be more permanent. I now must find out from the property owner if he objects to having a beehive on his property. The are is fenced in  and hidden from sight by a board fence and a shed. It is a suburban area so plants should be available all over. Once I take .pics will post them

Offline feenix3k

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Re: Getting ready for first hive in spring
« Reply #29 on: March 20, 2017, 02:50:13 am »
Well, I just learned we are moving to Washington State in June so no bees this year.

Offline GSF

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Re: Getting ready for first hive in spring
« Reply #30 on: March 20, 2017, 02:56:05 pm »
They have bees in Washington state.., :)
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Offline yes2matt

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Re: Getting ready for first hive in spring
« Reply #31 on: March 20, 2017, 11:50:23 pm »
When I moved (across town), the bees were the first to occupy the new property. :) Have a good move! Eastern WA is among my favorite places.

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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Getting ready for first hive in spring
« Reply #32 on: March 21, 2017, 03:52:36 pm »
>Does anyone use a slatted rack?

I used to have enough for all my hives but I changed everything over from 10 frame to 8 frame and sold them all off.  I never replaced them.  I like them, but not enough to buy 200 of them...
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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Offline CrazyTalk

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Re: Getting ready for first hive in spring
« Reply #33 on: March 24, 2017, 11:19:02 am »
How much money ya got? :grin:
By far, the most common wood used is pine.  Then you'll find (usually) 3 grades of pine bee gear.  The cheapest may have cracks, loose knots and a certain amount of allowed warping.  Some commercial outfits use this to keep expenses low.  It gets painted anyway, right?. 


Just to chime in - I bought 30 of Mann Lake's cheapest boxes (budget grade - in flatpacks) last year when they dropped prices during some sale or other, and none of them have any cracks, or loose knots. I think there was a piece or two that had some cupping, but nothing unusable. I do have a box or two that doesn't sit completely flat/square - although I can't be sure that this wasn't an assembly issue (as I didn't use any sort of box assembly jig).

I'm not sure if they've improved the quality of their low end goods recently, or 30 boxes is just too small of a sample and I got a lucky batch, or if they have higher standards during the times their sales are low (and they're discounting things), but my experience doesn't match the general opinion of the 'budget' boxes.

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Re: Getting ready for first hive in spring
« Reply #34 on: March 24, 2017, 02:09:52 pm »
Crazy talk,
They may have ran out of low end boxes and sent you what they had on hand. Good companies like Mann Lake will do that.
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Offline Acebird

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Re: Getting ready for first hive in spring
« Reply #35 on: March 24, 2017, 05:15:56 pm »
Crazy talk,
They may have ran out of low end boxes and sent you what they had on hand.

Or old inventory of the higher quality, returns, imperfections, something like that.  Budget boxes definitely has knots.
Brian Cardinal
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Offline CrazyTalk

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Re: Getting ready for first hive in spring
« Reply #36 on: March 27, 2017, 05:23:09 pm »
Crazy talk,
They may have ran out of low end boxes and sent you what they had on hand.

Or old inventory of the higher quality, returns, imperfections, something like that.  Budget boxes definitely has knots.

It's totally possible that I got better boxes because of supply issues - but just to correct, I didn't say 'no knots'. I said no loose knots. Tight knots aren't really a problem.

Offline BeeMe

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Re: Getting ready for first hive in spring
« Reply #37 on: July 18, 2017, 05:48:17 am »

feenix3k in Atlanta you have the Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association.  They have a very good reputation in GA.   (www.metroatlantabeekeepers.org)

On this list you have Tillie (Linda) she is virtually your neighbor and a master beekeeper.  She is very active in your area and with the association.  She has a web page where she covers a lot of area specific beekeeping issues. (beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/)  As it is rightfully said, 'all beekeeping is local beekeeping', meaning even a distance of 40 miles can alter what works and does not work.  Like others I used SBB in south GA and never had an issue with any animal trying to get in through the screen.  I leave my screens open year round.


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