Questions about book "Honey in the Hive"

[Brian D. Bray]

If you're concerned about being female and lacking upper body strength do what I do and use all medium sized boxes.  You'll find that the ability to put any frame from any hive anywhere in anyother hive is pure joy when boosting a weak or queenless hive with brood frames, feeding with drawn and capped combs, etc.

I have to occasionally (since corrective surgery) still use a wheelchair when working my bees so using a deep hive body is out of the question.  Also I use 8 frames instead of 10, those extra 2 frames makes a radical difference in the balance point from a sitting position.

[DayValleyDahlias]

I should have waited but I am glad I didn't... :-D...I was talking about beekeeping on a Saturday, touring an apiary Sunday, offered free 8 frame hives, and a fat nuc of bees from the apiary folks...had bees within a few weeks, felt totally unprepared ( which I was )...and jumped in with both feet first!

Worried a lot, still worry (it has been barely one year )...and thanks to the amazing help from people here and the luck of nature, looks like the bees are doing pretty good over this Winter.  Like many jobs, hobbies etc, nothing quite beats OJT ( on the job training )...This Spring I am going to install 2 packages of bees and their queenies...trial and error..learn learn learn!

[tillie]

Welcome - this is my second year and I find the people on this forum to be generous, caring, incredibly wise and willing to answer almost any question. 

I come here with all of my problems and get lots of ideas about how to handle everything that comes up. 

I'd like to add a book to your choices for beekeeping reading:  The Backyard Beekeeper by Kim Flottum.  He writes really well and his book is quite inclusive and up to date.  I've just  finished making two recipes of lip balm from the recipes in the back of his book!

Good luck learning and getting started.

Linda T in Atlanta

[johnnybigfish]

Hi Fillycate!
Welcome to the forums!
  Just GO for it!!
 I also think you may go insane waiting so long! I just started last spring and Bees really do me good!!
 Having bees will make you look at EVERYTHING on your land and on the roadsides and everywhere DIFFERENT.
 I'm just barely keeping it together just waiting for SPRING!!
I just put out 5 more empty hiveboxes this past weekend in anticipation of me getting more bees, probably by catching them during the spring and summer.
 My first swarm I caught was easy as pie! It was in my own back yard!I only got stung about 13 times(Its more fun battling with bees knowing that they STING).
Really, as mentioned before, this bee forum is a GREAT place to ask about bees and get answers.
 The Beekeeping for Dummies is an excellent book! After you read this book, it opens windows to where you can understand what other bee books are talking about. I like doing bees for many reasons, but i think my favorite excuse is that theres not many people who are gutsy enuff to do it.
THERE WERE MORE THINGS i WANTED TO SAY BUT I forgot...I tend to loose track alot..And I tend to type to much.
 In here, one minute its talking about bees, the next minute a person may ask what kind of wipers you have on your truck!
 Anyways, I bet you can have bees going at your place in 3 months!
 2 hives, a nice white suit, a smoker, and perhaps a helper to help you with your bees(if youre lucky, like me.)
 Also You'll be strong enough to work your bees!...If you can handle bales of hay, and sacks of feed, and goats.....You're ready!!
 Dont take my words as gospel...They're just "My words"....and theyve worked for me!
your friend,
john

[Gena]

Fillycate - You can only read so much and listen so much - OJT and a mentor are the path.  Like Annette said - "Beekeeping for Dummies" is a good reference and this place is the sounding board.  Do what Brian says and use mediums - I use all mediums because they weigh less.  As for catching swarms - just put the word out - like city hall, exterminators and contractors.  I would suggest getting your first hive from a beek or package - but get extra woodenware because the swarms are there.  I caught 7 this spring - I work full time and couldn't get to all of them... Good luck & welcome.  Gena in LA

[indypartridge]

Welcome!
Get connected with local beekeepers. Looks like there a Willamet Valley group:
http://www.orsba.org/htdocs/regionalbranch.htm

and they're having bee classes in February!:
http://www.orsba.org/htdocs/wvbabranch.htm

Online forums such as this are great sources of info, (and be sure to spend time reading at Michael Bush's site!), but much of beekeeping is "local". Finding a mentor and/or some local beeks who you can talk to & ask questions is very valuable.

[annette]

Yes, yes, forgot to mention that the medium supers are the way to go. Much lighter to lift. All mediums would be good for you as it is for me. Three mediums are equal to 2 full size supers.  Also you can interchange all frames as they would all be the same size.  Also there is an 8 frame hive available which sounds even better, but I started this way, so right now I will stay with the 10 frame supers.

Annette

[fillycate]

Thanks, Michael Bush, I will get to work reading!  :)

Medium boxes it is then.  Now I just have to decide, 8 or 10.  I like the idea of interchangability. 

Day Valley, for all I know I might find myself tripping right into beekeeping this year inspite of my best efforts at self-control.  :) 

I'll add "Backyard Beekeeper" to my list of books to get my hands on.  :)

Jonny, that is interesting about looking at things differently.  I remember someone telling me that bees might not have enough food available to them on our land.  But I thought about how last year something was always in bloom!  Then I read that bees prefer to gather from just one kind of flower at a time.  Now I am concerned!  Will the variety on my land (with not a lot of any one thing) be a problem, I wonder?

Indypartridge, I am not sure, but I think that is the group I am planning to get in touch with.  I got an email and a phone number to call.  Incidentally, February is also the time for the Dairy Goat Conference....  I hope I can do both! 

[sean]

i wouldnt worry, a variety of stuff blooming is good, Remember they forage out to a mile and change from the hive so you are looking a quite a large area for food.

[tig]

if you were me, i'd want my bees like YESTERDAY!  i don't have the patience to wait LOL.  a word of caution, i'd find out if you have africanized bees in your area before venturing out to capture swarms.  for a newbie to face an angry colony of africanized bees may be daunting, not to mention dangerous if you aren't prepared.

[Kimbrell]

Hi Fillycate,
I also recommend Beekeeping for Dummies.  But my favorite book is The Beekeepers Handbook by Diana Sammataro and Alphonse Avitabile.  Lots of illustrations and written in a way I could understand.
Go ahead and plan to get your bees this year.  Winter is usually a down time on the farm.  You should have plenty of time to get your woodenware built and painted.  Gena is right.  You can only learn so much by reading and listening.  You have to do it for yourself.  This is my third year and I can't wait for spring!