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Author Topic: Newbie and Fascinated  (Read 3373 times)

Offline mcgyver74

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Newbie and Fascinated
« on: October 24, 2017, 06:02:45 pm »
I am not (yet) a beek, but have been really interested in getting into this hobby, I do have a few challenges though, the first being that I live in an apartment in Jersey City (think NYC 2.0) so first challenge would be to find a place to put hives that won?t take 2 hours of driving round trip just to get to them ☹
Also (and I am sure you are probably sick of hearing this) but I do have a healthy fear of getting stung, I was stung pretty bad as a kid by a wasp and ?well you know the rest ☹ Now I am not an id-ten-T, I fully understand that if I decide to get hives that eventually I WILL get stung, I just need to figure out the best way to get over it 😊
Now even with this fear (and a severe dislike of wasps), I have been absolutely FASCINATED by honey bees for years, this has only intensified after watching some videos on YouTube, (I?ve been pretty much devouring any beekeeping video I can get my eye on)
I am currently investigating going to some local bee club meetings, but was wondering what you all think/recommend, any good meetings I should check out?.should I go take one of the paid classes I find? Etc. I feel that actually working with bees (maybe helping someone etc) will help me to get over my fear and actually go and find a location to put hives of my own,,,
Just wondering what you all think/recommend,  anybody know good locations in Jersey City or nearby that I can find meetings/assistance :) 

Thanks in advance!

Offline herbhome

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Re: Newbie and Fascinated
« Reply #1 on: October 24, 2017, 06:27:29 pm »
Welcome,

Not even close to Jersey but a beekeeping club is a great place to start. You may find urban beekeeps in your area that can assist you in finding an apiary location. There are free online courses available. A web search will help. For beginner's I recommend any book by Richard Bonney and Beekeeping for Dummies. Your public library is bound to have a section on beekeeping. Good luck and enjoy your journey. :smile:
Neill

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Newbie and Fascinated
« Reply #2 on: October 24, 2017, 08:08:16 pm »
Mcgyver,

Welcome to Beemaster.
I have been keeping bees for 8 years now and I still do not like being stung. My father-in law has been keeping bees for almost 40 years now and I still see him run to keep from being strung. Neither one of us use any protection most of the time. Most of the time we never get stung.
Treat your bees gently and they will do the same to you. I recommend you do not use leather gloves.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline gww

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Re: Newbie and Fascinated
« Reply #3 on: October 24, 2017, 10:04:09 pm »
Jim
Do you work your hives with out a viel?  I see maby two or three bees fly to the net on my viel and look like they are biting it and then they leave pretty quick.  It usually happens when I make a mistake of some kind but some times they are coming from deep between the frames.  I always assumed I maby had a little bur comb or something and a bee or two got pinched when I touched the frame.  I mostly thought my bees are pretty well behaved though.  Of course I have nothing esle to judge them by except you tube vidios.
I have worked them bare handed but mostly wear hospital gloves (untill I run out anyway)
I have not been brave enough to go with out a viel yet though.  You?  And if you do, do you wear glasses?
Thanks
gww

Offline cao

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Re: Newbie and Fascinated
« Reply #4 on: October 25, 2017, 12:46:51 am »
Welcome  :happy:

mcgyver74

Nobody really likes to get stung.  It will happen sooner or later.  I didn't keep count but I probably got stung a couple dozen times this year working 30-40 hives.  Most of them were on the hands and arms.  I only use a hat and veil(t-shirt and shorts in hot weather).  Once you get over the fear, its not a big deal.

My advise to a new beekeeper:
    Join a club if possible
    Get a mentor if possible
    If not, Beemaster will work as both(it did in my case)
    Relax and enjoy yourself.
    Once you get bees, remember to breath when working with them.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Newbie and Fascinated
« Reply #5 on: October 25, 2017, 01:17:00 am »
Jim
Do you work your hives with out a viel?  I see maby two or three bees fly to the net on my viel and look like they are biting it and then they leave pretty quick.  It usually happens when I make a mistake of some kind but some times they are coming from deep between the frames.  I always assumed I maby had a little bur comb or something and a bee or two got pinched when I touched the frame.  I mostly thought my bees are pretty well behaved though.  Of course I have nothing esle to judge them by except you tube vidios.
I have worked them bare handed but mostly wear hospital gloves (untill I run out anyway)
I have not been brave enough to go with out a viel yet though.  You?  And if you do, do you wear glasses?
Thanks
gww
Most of the time I do not wear even a veil when I am working on my hives. I know my hives and when to wear a veil or a full jacket. 
I smoke my hands-arms and if I am doing a cutout I smoke my face and head.
I smoke my hives 10 minutes and 30 seconds before I open the them. This really calms down even my meanest hives.
If I am opening a hive during a dearth, I usually wear a jacket with head protection. The robbing gets them very defensive. I only enter hives during a dearth to remove honey Supers.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline gww

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Re: Newbie and Fascinated
« Reply #6 on: October 25, 2017, 10:39:33 am »
Jim
I guess that is the differrance of working bee for two years insted of 8 years.  Thank you for answering my question.
gww

Offline mcgyver74

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Re: Newbie and Fascinated
« Reply #7 on: October 25, 2017, 05:41:45 pm »
Thanks everyone,

I know that I will likely change my mind, but I decided to order a full bee-suit, I figure eventually I will reduce to just a jacket and veil but for now I think the feeling of being better protected will make me move slower and be calmer around the bees (AKA less likely to piss them off due to my own stupidity) 

I'm not worried about the fact that stings hurt, but hey, most people don't like getting stung (Ok, yeah some do but I am not one of them :) )


Looking forward to going to some meetings and seeing what is what :)

Offline Acebird

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Re: Newbie and Fascinated
« Reply #8 on: October 25, 2017, 06:12:55 pm »
I have been keeping bees for 6 years and I don't like getting stung even though I hardly get a reaction to the sting now.  I still duck and swat at bees that buzz my head and face and that is probably the worst thing you can do but I can't help myself when I am not wearing a veil.  Personally I don't see a need for a full body suit unless you do cut outs.  I don't see where it helps much over normal cloths.  I don't believe any suit is sting proof.  I swear when bees are determined to sting you they hide in the folds of the suit and when you take it off they get you.
Almost nobody gets stung from a honey bee that isn't a beekeeper tearing apart a hive for some reason.
Brian Cardinal
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Offline gww

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Re: Newbie and Fascinated
« Reply #9 on: October 25, 2017, 09:08:32 pm »
mcg
You can see from my last post that I am new.  I would say that I would like to have a full suit but am to cheap but also find working bees is usually really hot and heat stroke is as much of a concern as getting stung.  That is not why I typed this though.  I think the suit is a good ideal (wish I had one).  My view is while wearing it, also watch the bees.  I do use smoke.  Every once in a while a few will fly up and buzz me and I back off and put a little smoke in the air and try to guage how serious they are.  I would still really pay attention to how the bees act towards what I have done.  If a hundred sting your suit, it will be a hundred dead bees (and you will be glad of the suit) but it will also be a smell on the suit everytime you visite the bees.  Doing what it takes to not get stung will be a benefit even with a suit and will also make you more confident.  I wear the same viel all season long and never wash it cause I don't think it would hold up to it.  I always pretty well smoke every bit of my body/cloths.

My stings seem to come in spurts.  The last two came right when I was taking thier honey.  It was a derth.  One was where my glove was ripped (very thin gloves) and I smashed a bee with my hand and the same day I was sitting on a bucket off to the side of a hive and had a bee checking me out which they do pretty often in bad times and not so much in good times.  He bumped me three times in the head before stinging my eyelid.  From bump to sting, I could not have got away fast enough.  I have had one bee run me off my bucket with out getting stung and know some that just smash the bees that act like that but I usually just get chased off.  I sit on that bucket a couple times every day all year and so it is not a bad thing but every once in a while and watching the bees and learning thier moods is good.

So my point is that while you are still willing to wear the suit, keep an eye on how the bees act for when you end up not wearing it all the time.
Cheers
gww

Offline Acebird

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Re: Newbie and Fascinated
« Reply #10 on: October 25, 2017, 09:55:21 pm »
When bees are given a kamikaze mission there is no deterring them.  Pretty much they will complete their mission unless you evacuate sooner.  There is 20,000 to 80,000 bees in a hive.  The more bees there are the more likely there will be one or two that are near their expected lifespan and don't give a darn whether they die today or tomorrow.  No one can predict what a bee will do when there are 80,000 or them.
This is my theory.  If you want gentle bees than keep the hive small.  You could keep bees for 10 years and never get stung if you keep them small.  However, if you want honey then you have to make them big and more then likely you will get stung, eventually.
Brian Cardinal
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Offline herbhome

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Re: Newbie and Fascinated
« Reply #11 on: October 25, 2017, 09:59:30 pm »
Thanks everyone,

I know that I will likely change my mind, but I decided to order a full bee-suit, I figure eventually I will reduce to just a jacket and veil but for now I think the feeling of being better protected will make me move slower and be calmer around the bees (AKA less likely to piss them off due to my own stupidity) 

I'm not worried about the fact that stings hurt, but hey, most people don't like getting stung (Ok, yeah some do but I am not one of them :) )


Looking forward to going to some meetings and seeing what is what :)

I have a standard jacket and a ventilated full suit. I highly recommend getting a ventilated suit as standard cotton or blend can get ridiculously hot.
Neill

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Newbie and Fascinated
« Reply #12 on: October 25, 2017, 11:32:21 pm »
I have had a good ventilated jacket for several years. Here in north Florida it gets very hot and humid. If there is no wind, even with a good suit it gets really hot. A light breeze makes a big difference.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline mcgyver74

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Re: Newbie and Fascinated
« Reply #13 on: October 26, 2017, 02:57:53 pm »
Yeah I went with these http://www.guardianbeeapparel.com/

Just looks like a quality thing (not endorsing, I haven't used it yet LOL)

Offline herbhome

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Re: Newbie and Fascinated
« Reply #14 on: October 26, 2017, 03:43:46 pm »
Looks like a good choice, Mcgyver.
Neill

Offline Acebird

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Re: Newbie and Fascinated
« Reply #15 on: October 26, 2017, 04:39:08 pm »
Yeah I went with these http://www.guardianbeeapparel.com/

Did you get a delivery date?  Pre order implies they don't have anything to sell yet.
Brian Cardinal
Just do it

Offline mcgyver74

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Re: Newbie and Fascinated
« Reply #16 on: October 26, 2017, 05:27:46 pm »
Yes they are shipping,  I already have the tracking nubmer :)