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Thinking about taking the February beekeeper's class in NYC through the beekeeper's association. I'd like to start a hive too, I'm thinking in April? I'm used to California weather/seasons, so if someone can tell me a timeline, I'd be appreciative. I was musing around this thread about a year ago, and I vaguely remember there being some city folk in it? Tell me what you think of the class! Is it mostly indoor lecture stuff?
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Jan 25, 2012 18:33
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I am not certain about NYC but I am in Philly and I can't imagine the timeline is too much different. You may not have a ton of choice in when to start just because you don't have a ton of control over when you can pick up packages, but typically you want to start a hive up a week or two before the dandelions bloom in your area.
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Jan 25, 2012 19:03
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Weitz posted:Thinking about taking the February beekeeper's class in NYC through the beekeeper's association. I'd like to start a hive too, I'm thinking in April? I'm used to California weather/seasons, so if someone can tell me a timeline, I'd be appreciative. I was musing around this thread about a year ago, and I vaguely remember there being some city folk in it? Tell me what you think of the class! Is it mostly indoor lecture stuff? Which group. There are three. I'm a co-founder of the Backwards Beekeepers of NYC and teach classes. NYC also hosts the NYC Beekeepers Association and the NYC Beekeeping Group. They don't get along, but both teach beekeeping courses as well.
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Jan 25, 2012 19:10
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NYC Beekeepers association! My main question is this: If I take the February set of classes, will I miss out on preordering supplies? What is the ideal time to start building a hive in NYC? Thanks
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Jan 25, 2012 19:15
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Weitz posted:NYC Beekeepers association! Their class is fine, but expensive. Andrew is a fine beekeeper and I've enjoyed working with him in the past, but he can be a bit abrasive. February is not too late. The earliest packages will start to arrive in late March, going into April and well into May, depending on who you buy them through. P.S. If you're interested, I'll be teaching another section of my Beekeeping 101 class in February at the Brooklyn Brainery (http://brooklynbrainery.com) It's cheap!
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Jan 25, 2012 19:42
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This thread got me interested enough to try some beekeeping, too. I'm out on Cape Cod, and I'm lucky enough to have access to the Cape Cod Beekeeping Association. For $50, I've got a 6 session class and membership. We ordered our hives last week, so I should be getting materials to build very soon. Due to the long New England winters, we'll be getting our actual bees in late April / Early May. I've been told not to expect much honey the first year, but I've got my fingers crossed. Either way, I'm pretty excited. Ill make sure I post lots of pictures once things get started.
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Jan 25, 2012 20:18
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ShotgunWillie posted:Their class is fine, but expensive. Andrew is a fine beekeeper and I've enjoyed working with him in the past, but he can be a bit abrasive. Ooo. I am interested in cheap. And the brainery looks quite cool, actually. It doesn't seem to be on the website for current classes though?
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Jan 26, 2012 17:56
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Weitz posted:Ooo. I am interested in cheap. And the brainery looks quite cool, actually. I'll be starting the next session in late February starting on the 23rd. Class hasn't gone up yet, but will soon.
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Jan 26, 2012 18:02
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You guys don't need classes. Seriously. Just get the Beekeeping for Dummies book. It tells you exactly everything you need to know. And hop on Beesource: http://www.beesource.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?240-Bee-Forum I did it and I've had the same hive for 3 years. Though I kind of hope they die. I want to try Italian bees.
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Jan 28, 2012 04:43
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Maximusi posted:You guys don't need classes. Seriously. Just get the Beekeeping for Dummies book. It tells you exactly everything you need to know. And hop on Beesource: http://www.beesource.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?240-Bee-Forum Can't you just replace the queen? The bees don't live all that long, right; 45 to 60 days? If you replace the queen, in two months, you'll have all italian bees.
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Jan 28, 2012 05:32
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Maximusi posted:You guys don't need classes. Seriously. Just get the Beekeeping for Dummies book. It tells you exactly everything you need to know. And hop on Beesource: http://www.beesource.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?240-Bee-Forum If you want to go the book route, "The Beekeepers Handbook" by Alphonse Avitabile and Diane Sammataro is vastly superior to "Beekeeping for Dummies". I've owned three different editions of since the early 90s and it keeps on getting better.
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Jan 28, 2012 06:19
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Hey! I just bought the newest edition of the Beekeeper's handbook at the Entomological Society of America conference in November. I am excite. Also, I just sent you an email mr. bee dude. There is an opportunity for urban bee SCIENCE.
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Feb 5, 2012 22:11
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Hi everyone! I just PM'd a couple posters, but I'm in the Philly area (not urban though) and am looking into beekeeping this spring. It looks like I just missed a class on beekeeping, but through the power of the internet I'm fairly sure I can figure out what I need to. It would be nice to know about local resources, though. Are there any bee supply stores around here? Where do people order their bees from?
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Feb 8, 2012 14:55
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I just wrote back to your pm. The short of it is check out the Philadelphia Bee Keepers guild web page for the answer to just about all of your local questions. They have a course coming up on Feb. 18th as well. http://www.phillybeekeepers.org/
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Feb 8, 2012 15:03
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Thank You!!!! Anyone know if this beginning seminar would be good? http://www.chescobees.org/seminars.htm - It's one day and fairly cheap and is the closest to me (seems nothing is in DelCo).
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Feb 8, 2012 15:28
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I checked my bees finally and the queen is failing. That's one of the annoying things about beekeeping, have to replace the queen all the time. Though the queens don't ship until April, and by that time my hive will be dead. Oh well! Pagan: Yeah, I could, but then I would have to somehow find the queen and murder her (easier said than done). I don't think I've ever found the queen except once when I was just starting out. And there's no guarantee the bees will accept her.
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Feb 21, 2012 04:26
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How do you know the queen is failing? Is it laying season already?
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Feb 21, 2012 04:49
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The pattern is really bad and there are very few bees.
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Feb 21, 2012 04:53
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It's only February: are they supposed to be ramping up now? (We've been really bad and not checked ours for a long time... I see very little activity and my wife thinks we probably lost the colony, although I'm not certain.)
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Feb 21, 2012 09:16
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I checked my hives this past weekend and one of them appears to have absconded during one of the warmer days this past winter. There are some dead bees in the bottom of the hive but not enough for the entire hive. Oh well, at least I have one hive that seems to be going strong still and 2 packages for pickup on March 31st. Looks like I'll have one empty hive to use for a split or try and catch a swarm with.
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Feb 21, 2012 14:45
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I've been keeping a close eye on my hive recently. Fun to see the odd bee fly out during the afternoon, even in sub-50 degree weather.
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Feb 22, 2012 04:24
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j4on posted:I've been keeping a close eye on my hive recently. That is pretty cool. I wonder if a camera can be mounted in the hive without the bees covering it in comb or something. It would be cool to have a live streaming video of bees doing their bee thing.
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Feb 22, 2012 21:49
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfwTfLS1OTA
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Feb 23, 2012 04:37
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Ikantski posted:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfwTfLS1OTA Amazing, and yet terrifying to have that thing in your living room. I'm curious how this guy works on his hive, or does he just leave it alone at let it be? I would have loved to have seen some developing queen cels too, but that's just because I'm not keen to have any swarms and want to nip that business in the bud  "I'm rather fond of handing a drone to a friend...and watching him squirm." Haha, sicko.
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Mar 2, 2012 12:43
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Hey Goons, I'm starting a free beekeeping apprenticeship program in the Brooklyn Navy Yards starting this spring. If you know anyone (including you) who might be interested or can help me get the word out, share the info with them! I would really appreciate it. I've already got the bees, the equipment, and the space. Now I just need the apprentices! http://www.boroughbees.com/2012/03/wanna-be-my-apprentice.html
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Mar 11, 2012 06:28
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Welp, I just moved into a new place in the beginning of February. It's an old farmhouse and there's some old beekeeping hives in the back. I figured beekeeping sounded like a good hobby so today I was going to go back and clean out the old hives. Well, one of them is now definitely occupied (the buzzing sound is just unrea). The others still seem vacant. I opened up the other two awhile ago and they seemed very dirty and in need of some work. I can't even pull the frames out. They also reek of honey and are super icky inside. I guess I'll just leave the occupied one alone for now. I am completely new to this and have no idea what I'm doing just yet. I figured I'd clean them out and then go educate myself but, oh look, bees already! Better get to work.
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Mar 13, 2012 17:59
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Well poo poo, don't I feel like a dumbass. I went and made a thread in pet island after looking through SA and not finding a beekeeping thread, I didn't even THINK TO LOOK in DIY  Thanks to fellow goons that pointed me here, I'm having a good time nosing through the different articles posted!
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Mar 15, 2012 22:27
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Yeti Fiasco posted:Well poo poo, don't I feel like a dumbass. Bees aren't pets, they are slave labor 
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Mar 15, 2012 22:44
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Haha. Don't worry about it. It is kind of hard to find. I think my bees are all dead.
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Mar 15, 2012 23:02
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Delta-Wye posted:Bees aren't pets, they are slave labor careful, don't let them know that or you'll have a rebellion on your hands.
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Mar 15, 2012 23:56
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Maximusi posted:Haha. Don't worry about it. It is kind of hard to find. mine are gone too. Dunno about "dead" but they definitely left some time this winter. Not sure exactly when.There's a ton of honey in there, too, so I'd really better get out there and take apart the hive and clean things before it gets too infested with vermin. Gonna have to order a new package for April. Again.
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Mar 16, 2012 05:35
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The same thing happened to me, too. One day early last winter they were just gone, leaving a ton of honey (for a first year colony). I still see them sometimes, so I know they're still alive; before my hive, there were no honeybees in my area. I've got a new bunch coming on the 31st, though.
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Mar 16, 2012 08:05
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGJ4em8vsKE&feature=youtube_gdata_player I think my bees may have survived the winter. What do you think, guys? Also, testing out my new camera.
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Mar 16, 2012 14:31
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Do we have many British beekeeps here? I'm stuck on the isle of wight and am isolated from the affects of AFB and EFB, but I'd like to know how rife it is over the rest of the UK
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Mar 16, 2012 17:46
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Not sure if its colony collapse disorder or what. I think the queen was too old. She was at least 2 years old. It's really hard because how are you supposed to replace the queen in time when most suppliers only ship them out in april? By that time it's already too late.
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Mar 16, 2012 17:51
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ShotgunWillie posted:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGJ4em8vsKE&feature=youtube_gdata_player Awesome, you don't have any problems with the black paint? (also please tell me it's painted like the ships in WWI were) I always heard bees didn't like black paint for hives
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Mar 16, 2012 18:26
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In my case, we realized that we never put the mite board back in to the base. So, the bottom of the hive was more or less open to the weather (screened of course) and it did get down to freezing temps several times. They may have simply decided it was too cold and took off. Or it might be CCD. No way to tell of course.
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Mar 16, 2012 18:53
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Nebulis01 posted:Awesome, you don't have any problems with the black paint? (also please tell me it's painted like the ships in WWI were) I always heard bees didn't like black paint for hives In The Buzz about Bees: Biology of a Superorganism by Jürgen Tautz, he cites research on bee vision and returning to the hive. Supposedly, blue hives perform better than any other color (which all are equivalent), but high contrast patterns perform best of all. Bee in-flight vision is based on patterns of dark and light. If you want to look up the WWI patterns, btw, I think it's called Dazzler camo.
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Mar 16, 2012 20:08
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Nebulis01 posted:Awesome, you don't have any problems with the black paint? (also please tell me it's painted like the ships in WWI were) I always heard bees didn't like black paint for hives I did indeed. Razzle dazzle camouflage.
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Mar 18, 2012 21:35
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j4on posted:In The Buzz about Bees: Biology of a Superorganism by Jürgen Tautz, he cites research on bee vision and returning to the hive. Supposedly, blue hives perform better than any other color (which all are equivalent), but high contrast patterns perform best of all. Bee in-flight vision is based on patterns of dark and light. Yup, you got it. High contrast patterns on hives massively reduces drifting, particularly with Italians or Italian hybrids which tend to orient more weakly. I just got the Buzz About Bees. Most of the stuff I knew already, but it's written well, and the pictures are great.
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Mar 18, 2012 22:03
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