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Offline Jerrymac

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When would I need to order?
« on: November 10, 2004, 06:56:16 am »
Some flowers start blooming in March around here. When would I need to order and from where to get bees about mid-March I guess is what I should be asking.




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Offline Jerrymac

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When would I need to order?
« Reply #1 on: November 10, 2004, 02:51:41 pm »
I've been looking around and it seems No one is gonna ship before mid-April. Bummer in a way. I am not a patient person as far as when I get an Idea I want to act on it. So even waiting until first of March is gonna give me many sleepless nights. Can you believe I already am dreaming about bees? No really just last night.

I'm about to order a bunch of bulbs and mixed packages of wild flowers to plant on some of my five acres so that I will have something for bees when they get here.

I am really excited about this, hope I don't lose the urge before spring time.
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Offline Finman

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When would I need to order?
« Reply #2 on: November 10, 2004, 03:32:12 pm »
Quote from: Jerrymac
I am not a patient person as far as when I get an Idea I want to act on it.


Don't worry! At least in Finland beekeepers are the most stubborn individuals on the earth. Welcome to group (not a team). Beekeeper knows everything. That is the basic. Ther worst enemy is the bee sting. :wink:

Do you have bee keeping courses in your home district? It takes at least 5 years to learn beekeeping.  Good course will help a lot.

Offline Beth Kirkley

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When would I need to order?
« Reply #3 on: November 10, 2004, 08:45:18 pm »
You're not the first to catch "the bug" of wanting to become a beekeeper. LOL :) There are many here that have had to deal with that very feeling.

You'll survive...... but not easily at first. Like I told someone else a few weeks ago - just try to relax, spend the winter here at the forum, spend the winter learning/building hives/buying equiptment, maybe join a bee club, find some local beekeepers and get in their hive.
But really, the urgency to get bees will pass...... once you realize fully that there just isn't anything you can do about it until spring. But it's ok. Here at this forum you can learn alot, and make some friends too. It's a great bunch of people here. We talk about bees ALOT, even in the chat room, but we also share other parts of our lives too.

And you are certainly not alone, on this forum, in having to wait until spring for your first hive. There are alot on this forum that found this place while researching about bees. And now, they stay, and learn....... and I think they feel they've found a family on the net too.

It all sounds mushy, but I think I'm right. :)

Beth

Anonymous

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When would I need to order?
« Reply #4 on: November 10, 2004, 09:36:40 pm »
Here, Here Beth!  If you can't do anything about it,  the next best thing is to talk about it. And there is certainly a lot to talk about. I have been building two new hives for the past month. Got some rough sawn lumber and planed it down and built 4 new brood boxes and 6 medium supers for $36. Hopefully I will have some pictures to show for it soon!
Talk on dudes!

Offline Jay

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When would I need to order?
« Reply #5 on: November 10, 2004, 09:38:35 pm »
Sorry, that last post was me. Forgot to sign in. :D
By the rude bridge that arched the flood
Their flag to Aprils breeze unfurled
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world
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Offline Beth Kirkley

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When would I need to order?
« Reply #6 on: November 11, 2004, 03:28:27 am »
Good job on all that building Jay! And definately share some pics. Maybe even post it in the Basic Tools and Hive Construction area. Building hives can actually be a really simple thing, but unless it's seen, not everyone knows how easy it is.

Beth

Offline Jerrymac

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When would I need to order?
« Reply #7 on: November 11, 2004, 03:41:24 am »
I downloaded a bunch of blue prints yesterday. Since a cold front has just rolled in I will probably go to my buddy's shop and scrounge some wood and see if I can make something out of it all.

Back to original question. I just was reading a lot of back post from earlier this year, about what everyone paid for bees, and noticed some people placed orders in Febuary. But didn't get bees until May.

I've got some inlaws in East Texas and wouldn't mind trveling that far to buy and pick up bees from an individual or Supplier. The only place I found in Texas is away over in that direction.

We have been having really mild winters in this area and as mentioned earlier things start popping out as early as the last week in Febuary. Sure would like to have some leads on bees by then.
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Offline Beth Kirkley

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When would I need to order?
« Reply #8 on: November 11, 2004, 04:27:38 am »
Well most people order bees in Febuary to ENSURE they get them in the spring. Some companies run out of bees rather early on in the year. Some people, having waited UNTIL spring to order, didn't have an easy time finding a supplier.
And by the way, you can have them mailed to you, as long as the weather is not too cold or too hot. You don't have to pick them up. But because bees don't lay much during the winter, but have the biggest growth in the begining of spring, then that's just the time frame bee businesses have to work with.
Building your hives now is the best way to start. And build plenty, bees can multiply quickly with good management. Don't let yourself get caught short on supplies like extra hive boxes and frames. You never know how your bee hobby can grow. Ask Trail Twister about it....... he started his bees interest with a bee hive in a log, and now a year later is out swarm catching!! I think he has about 10 hives now....... ? ........ all in just one year.
So build some hives, buy some books, learn all you can, and save up some cash to get some bees and tools. (It can be a slightly expensive hobby to start.)

Beth

Anonymous

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When would I need to order?
« Reply #9 on: November 11, 2004, 10:18:26 am »
As Beth said, the bee suppliers can't do anything about when they will be ready to ship bees, they have to wait until the spring build-up before they can remove enough bees from their hives to ship them.

If you have a library or a book store near you I would recommend that you visit them and see if they have, or can get, any beekeeping books. To be honest with you most of them don't but it's worth a try. Some of the good books are either out of print or just plain difficult to get your hands on.

If you get into eBay and do a search on 'beekeeping' you will be surprised at the number of listiings that appear. You can find everything from hive equipment, to extractors, to uncapping knifes, to books, to just about anything remotely related to beekeeping. I bought a good uncapping knife there that was slightly used but in great condition for just a little bit more than half the retail price of a new one. I also bought a used 4 frame reversing extractor from a beekeeper that was retireing that lived about 30 miles from me. I bid on it knowing that I could pick it up myself and not have to pay for shipping. I also bought it with the intention of modifing it so that it could extract more than 4 frames at once. It now extracts 20 frames of honey at a time.

If you're into working with your hands and have some 'spare' time this winter you can build your own hive bodies and supers. I figure out how much I want to expand my apiary in the next spring and build enough hive bodies and supers to accomodate the expansion. (always build more than you think you'll need, because you'll always need more than you think)-lol. I can get 6 complete hive bodies or 10 complete supers out of 1 sheet of 3/4" exterior grade plywood. I highly recommend that you build your equipment to standard Langstroth dimensions in order for your hives to match up with any other hives or components that you buy in the future.

Well, I've rambled long enough. In case you can't tell I simply love to talk and work on beekeeping. Best of luck in your endeavors.

Tom

Offline Jerrymac

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When would I need to order?
« Reply #10 on: November 11, 2004, 10:50:01 am »
Walden Books has ordered "Bee Keeping for Dummies" And should recieve it in a few more days,

I am really good with my hands, no brag, just fact, but I have a hard time doing nit-picking stuff. Big stuff that can be whipped out real fast is great, But the slow detailed work drives me nuts.
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Re: When would I need to order?
« Reply #11 on: November 11, 2004, 11:31:34 am »
Quote from: Jerrymac
Some flowers start blooming in March around here. When would I need to order and from where to get bees about mid-March I guess is what I should be asking.

in the early february, i have to order to a good beekeeper for bees.


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