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Ummm... You know, I'm not actually sure. I got a nuc from a local commercial beekeeper and I was told that all his nuc queens were brought in from Hawaii. I should probably know, but I couldn't tell you for the life of me. Maybe I'll call him and ask, haha. The second batch of wax actually turned out a little lighter than this one, which is odd. Maybe the second render session had something to do with it. Now I need to start looking for lip balm and candle recipes. Does anyone have any advice as far as that goes?
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Oct 6, 2009 07:41
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walrusman posted:The second batch of wax actually turned out a little lighter than this one, which is odd. Maybe the second render session had something to do with it. Now I need to start looking for lip balm and candle recipes. Does anyone have any advice as far as that goes? You probably won't have enough wax to make many candles but your wax will go a long way for lip balm. I like really absorbent oils like shea butter in lip balms, it instantly turns your lips soft and the wax coats your lips to keep them protected... And I think essential oils worked pretty well to scent balm. You'll probably need a firmer oil too if you use shea butter, can't remember if coconut is a good choice for balm. It's been around 5 years, we made some lip balm because we had extra supplies from soapmaking. So it's a kinda blurry recollection.
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Oct 6, 2009 16:15
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I don't really need to make "many" candles...just one so I can say hey bitch, look at me, I made a beeswax candle. Thanks for the lip balm tips; still gotta do some reading as far as that goes. Also wonder where around here I can find essential oils...
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Oct 6, 2009 18:22
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adept posted:You probably won't have enough wax to make many candles but your wax will go a long way for lip balm. I like really absorbent oils like shea butter in lip balms, it instantly turns your lips soft and the wax coats your lips to keep them protected... And I think essential oils worked pretty well to scent balm. You'll probably need a firmer oil too if you use shea butter, can't remember if coconut is a good choice for balm. You could make some massage bars with cocoa butter
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Oct 6, 2009 18:40
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Welp, just buttoned up my hive for the winter. I put the entrance reducer on, and it started to make a bee-pileup out front. The dummies were starting to figure it out when I left. I ran 2 supers all summer long, with 1 harvest of 7 frames in July, and then today, I took all 9 frames out and took the top super off. It's probably close to 55-60 lbs. The super I left them with for the winter was completely full, so they'll have at least 60 lbs to themselves just in that box alone. And they were still hauling in the pollen! I have propolis everywhere! I'm sticking to everything! Augh! What has everyone done as far as varroa mite control? My bees are so chill and lax that they just let varroa mites crash on their couch and eat all their chips and drink all their beer without saying anything. I'm thinking of getting those strips for the winter, but is there anything else that's better?
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Oct 19, 2009 22:15
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My beekeeper said to use apistan or something. But I'm not going to medicate until I see a problem, those medications are drat expensive.
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Oct 21, 2009 03:39
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loving poo poo-loving goddamn son of a bitch yellowjackets... Suggestions?
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Oct 21, 2009 07:14
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Copious amounts of cleansing flame?
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Oct 21, 2009 15:01
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If you've got as much varroa as you say and your bees aren't cleansing, get aggressive! Hell, the minute you see one mite, get aggressive. I haven't found mites yet, but I've proactively bought a screened bottom board, sticky boards, and drone frames. I refuse to use any harsh chemicals/meds and am very much on the lookout for other methods of control if anyone comes across any.walrusman posted:loving poo poo-loving goddamn son of a bitch yellowjackets... quote:Often a beekeeper will see yellow jackets trying to get into the entrance of a hive. If the hive is weak, a number of yellow jackets will invade and steal honey reserves. Yellow jackets are insect opportunist. If a beekeeper feels that yellow jackets killed his/her hive, what in fact happened with the hive occurred before the yellow jacket began to rob it out. Source Socratic Moron fucked around with this message at 17:56 on Oct 21, 2009 |
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Oct 21, 2009 17:53
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Some of them enter the hive. Others get stopped by the guard bees and some fly by, take a look around and then leave. When I took my second super off last week, the interior of the deeps looked decidedly sluggish; I didn't know if this was a function of it being mid-October, or a sign that they needed attention. This is not good news at all.  edit: I do have a makeshift entrance reducer on there, and it seems to help. walrusman fucked around with this message at 20:30 on Oct 21, 2009 |
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Oct 21, 2009 19:11
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Are you in a climate where food will be scarce for them right now? If so, maybe feed them so they can build their numbers back up? Have you checked for diseases?
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Oct 22, 2009 04:21
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It's probably not a good idea to start feeding them now. I'm pretty sure if you do, you'll have to keep feeding them all winter.
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Oct 22, 2009 12:49
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walrusman posted:
Would you mind going over your method for melting down and straining wax? So far all of my efforts have been ridiculously messy and have resulted in me wasting a lot of wax and getting hot wax all over my hands
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Oct 25, 2009 06:36
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1) Go to Wal-Mart's craft department and buy a yard of cheescloth. 2) Make double- or triple-thick layers of cheesecloth, place a lump of waxy stuff in the middle, and tie it up into a bag. 3) Place said bag in a pot that YOU NEVER WANT TO USE FOR ANYTHING ELSE AGAIN, EVER. Cover with hot water. You'll also need to use something to keep the bag from floating, or else it won't work. A big rock would do the trick, but I used a beer bottle. 4) Heat over medium heat (don't boil, because it wrecks the product) until the wax starts coming out. You'll know when this happens, because the surface of the water will get a film of yellowish transparent goo on the top. This is your good stuff. 5) With the wax will also come some other gunk. Mostly, it will be kind of a whitish sludge that you might mistake for hardening wax if you don't know better. (I thought that at first but I figured it out.) Use a butter knife, again probably one that you don't want to use again for anything ever, and gently skim this crap off the top and wipe it on a paper towel. When you're done, this paper towel covered in wax-soaked bee proteins will be one hell of a fire-starter. 6) There's not a specific time to stop, just when you think all the wax is out of the bag. I forget how long it took me, exactly, but it couldn't have been more than half an hour. When you think you're done, turn off the heat, and set the pan aside to cool. Because there's so much water, this might take a while. Go watch TV or post on the forums. 7) When the wax is hard and the water is cool enough to touch, simply poke around the edges with your fingers until the wax starts coming free in a solid disc. Set that aside, and fish out the now very gross bag of waste. You can toss that, but again, it'll burn like the sun so you can use it as a fire starter. And voila, wax rendering made easy.
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Oct 26, 2009 19:20
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walrusman posted:3) Place said bag in a pot that YOU NEVER WANT TO USE FOR ANYTHING ELSE AGAIN, EVER. Cover with hot water. You'll also need to use something to keep the bag from floating, or else it won't work. A big rock would do the trick, but I used a beer bottle. But where did you get the beer bottle? 
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Oct 27, 2009 14:14
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Well I got some fall honey a while ago. It tastes delish! I'm in cali and I dunno about you guys but my bees are bringing a crapload of pollen in the hive. Spring?   
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Nov 13, 2009 04:18
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melodywise posted:What has everyone done as far as varroa mite control? My bees are so chill and lax that they just let varroa mites crash on their couch and eat all their chips and drink all their beer without saying anything. I'm thinking of getting those strips for the winter, but is there anything else that's better? My beekeeping professor covered this today. Varroa mites are getting resistant to Apistan, so it won't be effective. His favorite, and cheap, way is to drip ~3.5% oxalic acid in a 1:1 sugar water mixture on the bees. But, it's best to do this during november and october when there aren't brood developing (which is where most of the mites are). http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/beehive/
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Nov 13, 2009 22:21
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Maximusi posted:Well I got some fall honey a while ago. It tastes delish! I'm in cali and I dunno about you guys but my bees are bringing a crapload of pollen in the hive. Spring? This made my mouth water. Awesome!
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Nov 13, 2009 23:17
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Anyone have any images of a winter-hardened hive? I'd like to see what the little ladies do to keep out the ice.
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Nov 29, 2009 07:13
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We did an early Christmas with my wife's side of the family, and they actually got me some Beekeeping books! I put them on my wish list as an afterthought, but I got Beekeeping for Dummies and Barefoot Beekeeping. Nice!
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Dec 7, 2009 15:43
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Ishamael posted:We did an early Christmas with my wife's side of the family, and they actually got me some Beekeeping books! I put them on my wish list as an afterthought, but I got Beekeeping for Dummies and Barefoot Beekeeping. Nice! For what it's worth, if you're planning on keeping a hive next year, now is the time to start prepping. If you go over to the Beesource forums they're already talking about purchasing and shipping for the 2010 season. You'll also find that the bees are actually fairly cheap. It's all the other stuff that's expensive. So if cost may be an issue, start slowing building up your supplies in prep for the 2010 season. Hope to see some posts and pictures from you next year and if you've got any questions, send away.
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Dec 7, 2009 16:18
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TouchyMcFeely posted:For what it's worth, if you're planning on keeping a hive next year, now is the time to start prepping. Awesome, thanks for the info. Unfortunately we will be moving between now and next summer, so it will be the 2011 when I get my hive up and running. But now I can start researching and learning stuff, can't wait! On a slightly related note, bought some local sourwood honey at the farmers market this weekend, and it is FANTASTIC.
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Dec 7, 2009 16:41
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I want to keep bees sometime in the future. However, my work schedule will have a cycle of me being away from home for 5-6 weeks followed by being home for the same amount of time (sailor). Is this at all compatible with bee-keeping?
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Dec 10, 2009 00:48
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Per posted:I want to keep bees sometime in the future. However, my work schedule will have a cycle of me being away from home for 5-6 weeks followed by being home for the same amount of time (sailor). Is this at all compatible with bee-keeping? In my (mostly) newb opinion, I'd say yes you could. I think the toughest part would be the initial setup as the hive is getting established but I would think it's doable. I would think you could do something like where you do most of the hive expansions just prior to your leaving and immediately after your arrival. So you get your hive, then just before you leave add the second deep (if not earlier). Get back from sea, add your first super. Chances are you'll need to add a second and possibly third super prior to your next departure. etc. You could also try putting the whole hive together at once and letting them sort it all out. Nobody seems to recommend doing so but I've never run across why. Honestly, the bees will take care of themselves once the hive is in place. They've been making honey for long enough that they can pretty much do it all on their own. We are all a bunch of slave driving thieves after all.
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Dec 10, 2009 07:00
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Have you guys noticed a lot of bees dying? I saw like 20 of them on the bottom, dead...I really should have checked to see if they had enough honey. Bahh!
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Dec 10, 2009 07:57
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TouchyMcFeely posted:Encouraging advice Thanks, I'm really glad to hear that. It's bad enough that my career excludes me from having a cat, so this is good news.
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Dec 10, 2009 10:42
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Maximusi posted:Have you guys noticed a lot of bees dying? I saw like 20 of them on the bottom, dead...I really should have checked to see if they had enough honey. Bahh! Depending on the species, they will thin their numbers more conservatively or liberally when it gets to wintery time to conserve food. ptier fucked around with this message at 16:56 on Dec 10, 2009 |
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Dec 10, 2009 16:53
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So here is a random bee question. Let's say I was to start a hive in the spring, tend it for the spring, summer, and early fall, and then find out we had to move somewhere else. What would happen to the bees? Would they be ok? Would they just swarm out? Would they all die, or carry away neighbor's children for sustenance? I ask, obviously, because I really want to start a hive this year but there is a 50% chance we will be moving next Sept.-Oct. and I don't want to just start a hive to let it die.
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Dec 30, 2009 19:43
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Ishamael posted:So here is a random bee question. Haha, I was just coming to ask almost this same question. I WILL be moving across country in Late July-August, but I'd like to start keeping bees. Can they be moved? I'm guessing it is best to just wait til spring of 2011 to start. Although the mental image of a U-Haul filled with bees speeding down the highway makes me laugh.
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Jan 1, 2010 19:27
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From what was said earlier in the thread (I'm no expert, so I'm not 100% sure or anything) you can move hives long distances, but don't move them across your yard. Bees can handle long distance moves but they can't handle little changes, it's not part of their navigation system.
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Jan 1, 2010 21:19
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Generally, the bees can travel, but the paranoia factor for drivers is high. Inside: what if I'm trapped inside with 5,000 bees? (answer: Pull over between noticing bees #3 and #4...) Outside in pickup bed: are they too hot? too cold? too windy? need water? escaping? etc. If you have any other beekeepers in the area -- 90% of them will jump at the chance to get more bees to supplement their hives, particularly if you give them away for free.
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Jan 5, 2010 20:47
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It's about time to start ordering bees and getting the hives fixed up for spring. I'm going to build a top bar hive next month for my wife who has become interested in having a hive. She's a little apprehensive and wants some gentle bees so I chose carniolans for her. Anyone have experience with them? I've read that they have low wax production, but nobody seems to know for sure. Being a top bar hive, and taking wax out when harvesting, I'm curious if there's any truth to it or any other potential problems.
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Jan 18, 2010 02:10
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I've been paying attention to the SA bee threads for the last two years, and at some point showed them to my wife. She loves bees and has been super-enthusiastic. At our last place, we lived in a city with a law saying you had to have a hive at least 25' from the property line; such a spot was nonexistent on our rented lot. However, I just bought a house in December in Concord, CA and we moved in and are pretty much unpacked. So... Tomorrow we're going to a bee class ("Free Introduction to Beekeeping", held by a bee supply placed called 'Beekind') in Sebastopol. So it looks like the year for us to start doing the bee thing. On a related note, I planted a dwarf apple tree in the back, and put a super-dwarf cherry tree into a planter pot on the front porch, last weekend. A couple weeks ago I also planted a blackberry in the back. I hate grass, so I'm going for clover ground-cover in the front and back yards as much as I can, too. So I think we'll be in shape for happy bees. Anyone have an opinion on Beekind? Beekeeping in Contra Costa County, CA? Advice/starting dates/etc for beekeeping in sunny, no-snow-having CA where it's likely to be regular 70-degree temps well into November, and we've already had some days well into the 60s in February (although we're having a lot of rain this season (which is good))? (here is a photo I took of a bee) 
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Feb 27, 2010 04:33
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Just wanted to chime in that because of this thread and the other beekeeping thread, I took a beekeeping class last weekend and ordered two packages of bees and two hives. The bees get here April 3; I can't wait! And if there are any other new beekeepers (or anyone interested), Penn State is giving a free biweekly webinar that is pretty informative. Each session is about an hour long, and is given at noon EST on Monday. They also record the webinar so you can watch it later if you are unable to make it to the live sessions. You'll need to sign up for a Penn State ID (also free) and the registration takes about a minute. The registration link and webinar info is at: http://clinton.extension.psu.edu/Hort/webinar/10Beekeeping.htm
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Feb 27, 2010 14:02
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Leperflesh posted:stuff I hate to rain on your bee parade, but unless you've already ordered your bees it's probably going to be too late to start this year. You've got to get things ordered months before you actually want them.
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Feb 27, 2010 22:11
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^^You should be able to find packages somewhere. I also live in Contra Costa county, not far from you actually. I starting looking in March, I think you should start calling places right away. The place I got it from was Bee Genetics near Davis. For the winter I didn't do much other than put an entrance reducer, the bees are totally fine. They'll go out throughout winter since it doesn't get that cold out here. Make sure you put the hive on an elevated stand and put moats of motor oil or vegetable oil or something otherwise you'll get tons of ants in your hive.
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Feb 28, 2010 05:28
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Ghostnuke posted:I hate to rain on your bee parade, but unless you've already ordered your bees it's probably going to be too late to start this year. You've got to get things ordered months before you actually want them. Beekind has plenty of spots left on their list for bee ordering. They make two batches available, April 17th and April 24th, and the folks at the shop yesterday said they take delivery of 170 3lb packs each, of Italians and Carniolans, for which they take reservations until they're all taken. The class was great. One thing that was a surprise was the advice to start with two hives, rather than one; two gives a beginner the ability to compare, so they'll be much more likely to recognize a problem in the hive early enough to do something about it; and, secondly, having two hives gives you a resource to draw from to help a struggling hive. I'll buy that as a reasonable suggestion, but my wife and I haven't decided yet whether to go that far (it's more expensive and will take more room in the yard). Once we decide, we'll place our order; probably this week.
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Feb 28, 2010 21:11
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For what it's worth, I started with a single hive myself and everything went pretty well for the most part. I understand the recommendation for starting with multiple hives but the startup supplies aren't cheap and I would think doubling them would really be a problem for hobby keepers. I'm also really stoked as I haven't touched my hive since I insulated it last year and all winter I was wondering if they would survive or not. I finally got my answer yesterday since it was a pretty warm day and the ladies were out in abundance. I'm all kinds of excited for this year. Spring just can't get here soon enough.
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Feb 28, 2010 22:09
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OK, is it fairly common for municipalities to have a law restricting hives from within 25 feet of a property line? What is this law supposed to accomplish? We are now looking at a situation where if we want bees we have to break the law, even though our back yard has fencing all the way around, so bees will rise to go over fences and won't be a nuisance. My wife is gung-ho and so we're probably just going to pick a spot that's fairly far from the fence, as well as talk to our neighbor to make sure they're ok with it. But it does mean we won't be able to get inspected by the county or whatever. Argh.
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Mar 1, 2010 22:25
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OK goons I need some help! After much cajoling and convincing, my landlord finally agreed to let us keep bees in our backyard. So I am definitely putting a top-bar hive in my backyard asap! One problem: due to the delay, it's late in the season to order bees. I have heard that it is do-able but difficult. Help me find bees, please! I am in North Carolina - any ideas?
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Mar 1, 2010 22:30
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