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Author Topic: Questions about book "Honey in the Hive"  (Read 6226 times)

Offline fillycate

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Questions about book "Honey in the Hive"
« on: January 15, 2008, 02:06:54 pm »
Hello!  I am brand-spankin' new (just posted on the introduction forum) and decided I'd put my first question here.

I don't have bees yet, I want to do all my research this year so I will be good and prepared to start next year.  Don't get me wrong, I am *so* anxious to get started!  I am fascinated and I want my very own honey and personal pollenators!  But I have learned from sad experience that I have a weakness for getting in too deep too quickly and being unable to hand the workload.  We just barely moved to the country and took on dairy goats and laying hens along with producing plants, and that right there is keeping us very busy.  Seriously, we feel like we are holding on by our fingernails most times.

Anyway, I've been reading my very first bee book, which just happens to be "Honey in the Hive".  It is older from an older perspective, so I don't know if it is outdated.  It contains a lot of anecdotal information, which is nice for me to get excited and dreamy about this whole thing.  :)  The thing that surprised me about this book is how much it talks about capturing swarms!!   It tells story after story of this mother/son team who didn't have that much knowledge, experience, or equipment, going around capturing swarms that people called the fire department about.

I didn't even know bees swarmed!   :embarrassed:

Well, she made it sound so doggone easy.  Some of the time, they were walking up to these swarms in nothing but their street clothes.  They simply brushed the bees off onto something or directly into a waiting hive.  They made it sound so easy!  That is how they got most of their bees.  She talked matter-of-factly about being stung, in a sort of get-over-it kinda way, saying that getting stung is part of the job and it is better to get stung a bit your first couple years to build up a resistance to the venom.  Not to be misleading, she advocates using a veil and gloves and talks about using her smoker to erase the scent created when stung by a bee.  Her veil was made from materials she had onhand.

Sooo... how much of beekeeping is swarm catching?  Can a person get all or most of their bees that way?  Is it really as easy as she makes it sound?  Could a beginner like me get my first batch of bees that way?   Are there not very many swarms to be found "out there" anymore due to the decline in bee populations?  Thanks!

Offline Shawn

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Re: Questions about book "Honey in the Hive"
« Reply #1 on: January 15, 2008, 02:18:15 pm »
Not having captured a swarm yet I cant say for sure. I know it would depend where the swarm was locted on how easy it might be. A fellow bee keeper here caught about 7 swarms in our town and now has 7 extra hives in his yard. He has a vacuum, a net, and a box and that is how he catches them.

Offline Jerrymac

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Re: Questions about book "Honey in the Hive"
« Reply #2 on: January 15, 2008, 02:45:32 pm »
It is very possible to get your first bees from swarms.

First thing..... Put you location in your profile. Then you can be better served here.

I got my first bees doing cutouts. This is where you take bees out of someone's wall of their house or barn, or other. Bees will establish hive in some of the strangest places.
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Offline sean

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Re: Questions about book "Honey in the Hive"
« Reply #3 on: January 15, 2008, 02:52:22 pm »
Welcome. while you can build up your hives by catching swarms(depending on their presence in your area,) i would advise you to a) have someone catch the swarm for/with you, b) buy a package of bees so that you can all comfy with handling them. Things are never generally as easy as they sound especially to a newcomer.

Offline KONASDAD

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Re: Questions about book "Honey in the Hive"
« Reply #4 on: January 15, 2008, 03:19:20 pm »
 You have plenty of time to start a hive before this spring if you want. Just look locally for bees from your bee club or a commercial beek. Download Beemasters getting started program. As for swarms, depends on where you live. I have been on a call list for two years for swarms. Not one call. About thirty miles south, friends get calls while the bluberries get pollinated. In otherwords, commercial beeks losing swarms.I  would certainly try, but to rely on catching swarms may mean a long delay before you get started. Good Luck, and welcome.
"The more complex the Mind, the Greater the need for the simplicity of Play".

Offline fillycate

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Re: Questions about book "Honey in the Hive"
« Reply #5 on: January 15, 2008, 03:47:26 pm »
OK, profile set up.  :)

So, not too many swarms around these days.  Hmmm.  Maybe that is a reflection of change in the bee populations in the last 50 years?  Sounds like a pretty good case for just ordering what I want rather than waiting around.  Of course, I'm not planning on starting until 2009, so I've got time.  ^_^  Maybe I can even find some hands-on experience between now and then.  Gotta find me a local beekeeper!

Offline sean

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Re: Questions about book "Honey in the Hive"
« Reply #6 on: January 15, 2008, 03:51:28 pm »
any specific reason for waiting until 2009?(hope i'm not prying)

Offline Scadsobees

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Re: Questions about book "Honey in the Hive"
« Reply #7 on: January 15, 2008, 04:01:34 pm »
There are plenty of swarms around, it is a matter of finding them, or more importantly having ways of them finding you.

If you get in with some small local exterminators, they get calls for swarms.  Firedepartments and emergency depts. get calls.  You can list your name on line for swarm catching.  It will take a few years before it starts coming togather for swams, thats is my experience at least.

It is unlikely that there are ever going to be swarms just hanging around your place, unless you have bees or know of some in the area.

The best bet is that local beek, buy some equipment and bees and go for it.  Don't feel inferior if you think you need veil and gloves, most people use them.

Beekeeping is addicting, however, so if you are just hanging on right now with all your stuff going on, you'd better wait till you get a better handle on what you got going now.  Once you start with one, you will want 20.

But it is a good time to read, explore, and make contacts.

Rick
Rick

Offline annette

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Re: Questions about book "Honey in the Hive"
« Reply #8 on: January 15, 2008, 05:00:19 pm »
I understand your decision to wait. You do sound like you need to get more organized with other things in your life. The bees take up time. From a female perpective, you need to be somewhat physically fit or have someone strong to lift those supers for you. There are ways to make things easier, and I am learning them also. I am a 2nd year beekeeper and with only 2 hives it has been a bit much for me at times, but I am older than you also and I am not to strong.

I started beekeeping by reading "Beekeeping for Dummies" which is an excellent book because it is written in such an easy manner showing step by step how to get started. The only thing about the book is I am doing things differently now just from learning new ways of beekeeping from this forum. It is a good starting point though.

Start this year to take classes, and try to hook up with some mentors to show you hands on how to do some stuff,so you will have some confidence next year when the bees come. Take it slow and learn at your own pace. I never push anything and like to feel ready for things.

I ordered a package of bees to start with so I can watch right from the beginning how they start to build up. Catching a swarm would be the same, if you can do that.

It has been unbelievably rewarding for me and has given me much confidence in even other areas of my life. You are doing something good for yourself and the world also. Plus the bees really grow on you and become sort of like a little family that you love and want to protect.

Good luck and you will get all the help you need right here on this forum.
Annette from Placerville California


Offline fillycate

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Re: Questions about book "Honey in the Hive"
« Reply #9 on: January 15, 2008, 05:21:00 pm »
Quote
any specific reason for waiting until 2009?(hope i'm not prying)

Yup, right from my opening post in this thread:

Quote
I don't have bees yet, I want to do all my research this year so I will be good and prepared to start next year.  Don't get me wrong, I am *so* anxious to get started!  I am fascinated and I want my very own honey and personal pollenators!  But I have learned from sad experience that I have a weakness for getting in too deep too quickly and being unable to hand the workload.  We just barely moved to the country and took on dairy goats and laying hens along with producing plants, and that right there is keeping us very busy.  Seriously, we feel like we are holding on by our fingernails most times.

Offline fillycate

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Re: Questions about book "Honey in the Hive"
« Reply #10 on: January 15, 2008, 05:26:46 pm »
Quote
I started beekeeping by reading "Beekeeping for Dummies" which is an excellent book because it is written in such an easy manner showing step by step how to get started.

I am hearing a lot of good things about this book!  I will get my hands on a copy.  :)

I am often frustrated as a woman with my lack of upper body strength.  It would come in *so* handy every day!  Moving hay and straw, grappling with an unwilling goat, lifting feed bags, and the list goes on and on!  I understand that slow, calm movements are crucial in working with bees, and I'm not sure straining at a super counts as calm!  :grin:  I won't get a lick of help from my husband, the only thing I can hope for is that one of my kids grows up to be a bee-lover.  It will be all me!  :) 

This last summer at the Oregon State fair, I signed up to learn more about bees.  I just got an email giving me info on how to sign up for the local classes.  I am definitely planning on following through on this.

Offline CBEE

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Re: Questions about book "Honey in the Hive"
« Reply #11 on: January 15, 2008, 05:39:06 pm »
Get another book like Bee Keeping for Dummies. Then order everything you need now including bees. Why wait until 2009. It will just drive you crazy until you get them any way :-P save yourself a year of insanity  :-D

Offline sean

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Re: Questions about book "Honey in the Hive"
« Reply #12 on: January 15, 2008, 05:46:10 pm »
alright! taking bets, who thinks she'll start before 2009?

Offline fillycate

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Re: Questions about book "Honey in the Hive"
« Reply #13 on: January 15, 2008, 06:01:08 pm »
Oh, you guys are cruel!  :p   :-D

Offline steveouk

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Re: Questions about book "Honey in the Hive"
« Reply #14 on: January 15, 2008, 06:18:59 pm »
There is no way i could wait another year to get my bee's. Started putting all the woodenware together with help from my 9 year old

Offline sean

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Re: Questions about book "Honey in the Hive"
« Reply #15 on: January 15, 2008, 06:44:53 pm »
Oh, you guys are cruel!  :p   :-D

nope just beeholics :evil:

Offline Jerrymac

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Re: Questions about book "Honey in the Hive"
« Reply #16 on: January 15, 2008, 06:54:46 pm »
Here is my introduction story from November 2004 if you care to read it. By February I was digging bees out of the wall of some guy's barn. I was already chomping at the bit by that time.

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php?topic=1442.msg6785#msg6785

If you don't get the bees by this summer you will go nuts during the next fall and winter. Unless you have a whole lot more patience than most of us.

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Offline Jerrymac

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Re: Questions about book "Honey in the Hive"
« Reply #17 on: January 15, 2008, 07:00:14 pm »
:rainbowflower:  Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.   :rainbowflower:

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Offline fillycate

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Re: Questions about book "Honey in the Hive"
« Reply #18 on: January 15, 2008, 08:34:43 pm »
Quite a story there!  :)  I loved the pictures! 

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Questions about book "Honey in the Hive"
« Reply #19 on: January 15, 2008, 09:22:08 pm »
>Sooo... how much of beekeeping is swarm catching?

If you get your name out there, more.  If not, less.  Mostly it's managing hives so you don't have to catch swarms.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesswarmcontrol.htm

> Can a person get all or most of their bees that way?

Can you get all your food by fishing?  If you find a good spot and you're a good fisherman...


>Is it really as easy as she makes it sound?  Could a beginner like me get my first batch of bees that way?

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesferal.htm#capturingaswarm

>  Are there not very many swarms to be found "out there" anymore due to the decline in bee populations?

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnaturalcell.htm#feralbees

Starting off advice:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnewbees.htm

Basics:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesbasics.htm

Terminology:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesterms.htm

Acronyms:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesglossary.htm
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
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