Author Topic: My Uncle gave me a bunch of bee keeping equipment and live bees (Read 8513 times)

daniel-delarosa · « **on:** July 15, 2009, 10:04:15 pm »

My uncle inherited an estate and the previous owner kept bees. He didn't want to mess with them so he gave all of the equipment and bees to me. I know absolutely nothing about bees!
Here's what I have: Two live hives, an extractor, a weird knife that plugs in the wall and gets hot, two big boxes of frame pieces and box pieces, tons of mason jars, smoker, bee suits,gloves,hoods and some other things We haven't drug out of the storage building yet.
I dont have a clue how to use any of it! I guess I will attempt to keep them, anyone have any advise to a newbie?

asprince · « **Reply #1 on:** July 15, 2009, 10:12:04 pm »

Read, read and read some more. Start with topics on this forum. Ask questions. There are lots of patient experience beeks here that would like nothing more than to answer your questions. Many here will envy your good fortune!

Please fill in your profile information so we will know where you live.

Glad you found us and good luck with your new hobby,

Steve

Kathyp · « **Reply #2 on:** July 15, 2009, 10:21:56 pm »

welcome to beekeeping! it is an addicting hobby. depending on where you are, you will begin getting your hives ready for winter soon. that usually does not require much effort on your part except making sure they have enough honey stored.

read on feeding and winter stores. you can do keyword searches on here, and feel free to ask away.

that funny knife that plugs in is for uncapping frames of honey. nice that you got one for free! they are a little spendy. :-D

John Schwartz · « **Reply #3 on:** July 15, 2009, 10:27:22 pm »

Quote from: daniel-delarosa on July 15, 2009, 10:04:15 pm

I dont have a clue how to use any of it! I guess I will attempt to keep them, anyone have any advise to a newbie?

Hiya Daniel -- Beekeeping definitely is cyclical with different things to do throughout the year. I would suggest hitting the library/Amazon and curl up with some books over the next few months. You'll want to be ready/prepared for your first bees come early Spring (in your area) next year. Have fun!

bailey · « **Reply #4 on:** July 15, 2009, 10:37:59 pm »

WELCOME TO BEEKEEPING! you want to read this site well! start asking questions after you spend some time looking at what the bees are doing.

look at the bees everyday if you can.
read the forum everyday if you can.
you will be up and running in no time.

ask questions

did i say ask questions? ;)

bailey

G3farms · « **Reply #5 on:** July 15, 2009, 10:58:10 pm »

WOW, that was a great freeby. Ask your uncle if there are any beek books in the estate that you can get started reading on. Sounds like you are set up and ready to go.

Are you close to the hives and can you leave them where they are at or will you have to move them?

check around for other beeks in the area and a beek club to join, they can be great mentors for newbees.

Good luck and ask plenty of questions.

G3

gguidester · « **Reply #6 on:** July 15, 2009, 11:10:55 pm »

That is so sad. Do not get interested in bees. Its all consuming. Your'e likely to loose your family and friends. E-mail me, and I will come from Wisconsin and pick up all that junk and those nasty bugs and get them out of there. Please don't ruin your life!! :'(

daniel-delarosa · « **Reply #7 on:** July 15, 2009, 11:12:02 pm »

I found a few books and Yes, I will have to move the hives. He only lives about 12 miles away though. The boxes they are in are a little rough looking, I wonder how hard it would be to put the frames in new boxes?

daniel-delarosa · « **Reply #8 on:** July 15, 2009, 11:12:55 pm »

Quote from: gguidester on July 15, 2009, 11:10:55 pm

That is so sad. Do not get interested in bees. Its all consuming. Your'e likely to loose your family and friends. E-mail me, and I will come from Wisconsin and pick up all that junk and those nasty bugs and get them out of there. Please don't ruin your life!! :'(

LOL :)

Kathyp · « **Reply #9 on:** July 15, 2009, 11:28:24 pm »

in theory, moving the frames to new boxes would be easy. it depends on what kind of shape they are in, inside. when you get the chance, have done enough reading and questioning to feel comfortable, suit up and take some pictures. when you are close to doing this, let us know and we can give you a step by step of what to look for and how to inspect.

even a superficial inspection with some good flash pics of the inside would be helpful. until you have enough posts, you'll need to ask a moderator to post your pics, but we'll be happy to look at them for you and help where we can.

daniel-delarosa · « **Reply #10 on:** July 15, 2009, 11:40:08 pm »

Im supposed to get them this week. I have to figure out where to put them though. My wife is super allergic to bees, she has to carry an Epi Pen in her purse just in case she gets stung. So Im afraid to keep them in the back yard. How far do bees wonder away from their hives?

adgjoan · « **Reply #11 on:** July 16, 2009, 06:08:28 am »

Your wife is in no more danger from a hive of bees than any bees that are naturally in your yard. Have you been interested in bees? Is that why you toke up your uncle's offer?
Read everything you can get your hands on and join a bee club. I read this forum every day and can honestly say I learn something every day from it. Good luck with your new hobby.

Joan

daniel-delarosa · « **Reply #12 on:** July 16, 2009, 11:14:34 pm »

Well, I got the first load of stuff today. I don't know the beekeeping lingo, so don't laugh at me too hard! Here's what I got:
8 bee suits, a mesh hood, some long gloves.
new pieces to make about 25 small boxes
5 five gallon buckets of frame bottoms
One five gallon bucket of frame sides
A couple old hives
A couple hive bases?
8 things to keep the queen in the bottom box
Few feeders
50 mason jars

I haven't even put a dent in the mound of stuff yet. I dont know how many posts I have to do till I can post pictures, but I will as soon as I can.

Kathyp · « **Reply #13 on:** July 16, 2009, 11:25:09 pm »

a moderator can post your pics if you need help quickly.

some things to look for, and you can ID them online if you need to.

1. smoker
2. hive tool(s)

those two things you will need, and they are probably in there.

Quote

8 things to keep the queen in the bottom box

are these the dimension of the hive and wire or plastic slatted?

can you id the type of feeder or give a description?

also, what are the measurements of the small boxes. there is not much difference in size between a medium and small.

do you have the bees yet? when you are ready to place them, we can give you some ideas about where to put them so that they will be less apt to have an encounter with your wife.

daniel-delarosa · « **Reply #14 on:** July 17, 2009, 12:13:13 am »

Quote from: kathyp on July 16, 2009, 11:25:09 pm

Quote
8 things to keep the queen in the bottom box

are these the dimension of the hive and wire or plastic slatted?

can you id the type of feeder or give a description?

also, what are the measurements of the small boxes. there is not much difference in size between a medium and small.

do you have the bees yet? when you are ready to place them, we can give you some ideas about where to put them so that they will be less apt to have an encounter with your wife.

they are the size of the boxes and they are wire.
The feeder is a mason jar with small holes in the lid, and a wood thing it sets in. Looks like one of those auto dog water bowls.
The small boxes are 20x16 1/4 x 5 3/4 tall
I haven't got the bees yet.
One more thing I forgot about getting today, I got some all plastic frames.

DaveKow · « **Reply #15 on:** July 17, 2009, 06:50:16 am »

I watched a lot of you tube videos before I got my first bees. It helps to see other people opening their hives and doing inspections.

Good luck.

G3farms · « **Reply #16 on:** July 17, 2009, 12:31:39 pm »

Look around for some of the bee supplier catalogs, they will help identify what you have and maybe give you an idea of how to use them.

Move your bees after dark or at least very late in the evening, that way you get most of the forgers that are out and about. You might need a smoker to drive them to the inside off of the front of the hive. Put some screen wire in the entrance and a staple or two to hold it in. Put a ratchet strap around the hive to hold it together, load it in your truck and get gone. If it is really hot a screen on the top of the hive would be nice to keep them from over heating. How far do you have to take them?

Where to set them up.....how big of a place do you have, in the city or in the country. Full sun would be best if possible, face the entrance toward the south to south-east. Nice if they had some kind of a wind break to the west. Mine are sitting on 4 x 4 which are sitting on cinder blocks. Bees are picky about some things and other things they could care less about.

Sounds like you have everything you are going to need to get started.

G3

lenape13 · « **Reply #17 on:** July 17, 2009, 12:44:20 pm »

I've a lovely spot to place your hives, and I'm sure they would be out of the way of your wife. You can put them in my back yard with my hives and I'll see that they are well taken care of...LOL :-D

charmd2 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 17, 2009, 04:08:33 pm »

Seriously, if your wife is epipen allergic, anaphalactic shock (I really have no clue how that is spelled, spell check no help) unless you have a very large yard, please don't put them in your yard. God forbid she is out in the back yard, mowing, gardening, etc, crosses the flight line and gets stung with no one around to help her out. I would not feel comfortable with that. I know that before I kept bees my kids, or I could run around all day in the yard barefoot without the fear of being stung. Now we have to be much more careful not to step on the bees in the dandelions or clover.

I am aware I could be stung at a nonbeekeepers house as well. But I get stung more in my yard than I do in my inlaws or my parents yards, neither with bees. Actually I'm pretty sure I never got stung in my parents yard while I was growing up. But my kids get stung once a month or so without messing with the hives.

daniel-delarosa · « **Reply #19 on:** July 17, 2009, 04:23:18 pm »

I found a store that had bee keeping supplies. I got two new big boxes, frames and foundations. Im about ready to get the bees now. the boxes they are in are rotten at the bottom, Im afraid they wont make the trip. Can I just pull the frames out and put them in a new box?? Or should I just set the new box in front of the old box since it looks like they are fixing to swarm anyways?