Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: mlewis48 on November 09, 2007, 12:02:29 pm
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This is my first year as a beekeeper. What started out as 1 hive to help in my orchard has turned into 7 hives. The "sting" has turned into an addiction, you could say. I wish that I would have found this hobby 20 years ago. This web site has helped in so many ways, the advise that you can get is priceless. Not many beekeepers in my age group. But, now that winter is coming fast, in southern ohio, and I can't spend the time working with the "ladies" that I got to do in the summer. Do you build equipment in the down months? Plan next years hive locations?
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i'm building stuff.
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This is my first year as a beekeeper. What started out as 1 hive to help in my orchard has turned into 7 hives. The "sting" has turned into an addiction, you could say. I wish that I would have found this hobby 20 years ago. This web site has helped in so many ways, the advise that you can get is priceless. Not many beekeepers in my age group. But, now that winter is coming fast, in southern ohio, and I can't spend the time working with the "ladies" that I got to do in the summer. Do you build equipment in the down months? Plan next years hive locations?
Get ready for the coming spring. Build enough honey supers that you don't have to do it come spring time. If you're using all mediums paint them as well. Some paint the honey supers some don't, I don't usually, perhaps I can now. Have enough brood chambers ready for new hives you may house. If you want to catch swarms, purchase swarm traps now. I can think of others but you know what you want to acomplish, think ahead so you don't get jammed up once things get cranking.
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What does a beek do in the winter?
Make money to support the hobby next year! At least, that's how it feels for me.
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I have a part-time job at a ski resort south of town as a chair lift operator and tram operator. So I go skiing while the bees are taking the winter off.
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I like to ride my bike and have alot of fun while the girls are hanging about in their home. Well that and go hunting and such. Time of the year to put some venison on the table. Cut more firewood for the next winter and other winter chores.....
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This is my first year as a beekeeper. What started out as 1 hive to help in my orchard has turned into 7 hives. The "sting" has turned into an addiction, you could say. I wish that I would have found this hobby 20 years ago. This web site has helped in so many ways, the advise that you can get is priceless. Not many beekeepers in my age group. But, now that winter is coming fast, in southern ohio, and I can't spend the time working with the "ladies" that I got to do in the summer. Do you build equipment in the down months? Plan next years hive locations?
You plan, then you build.
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Yeah, build stuff. A few years ago it was beekeeping equipment, now it is stuff like bookshelves, bunny cages, and bug boxes for the kids... :roll:
And relax a little and catch up on sleep. I tried to play a video game the last few years, but boy, I don't have time for that anymore even in the winter.
Rick
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Deliver Propane gas on weekends to supplement my endeavor, plus build new hives :-D
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Winter?
We sit outside in shorts and drink frozen margaritas and call our friends in the north.
Sincerely,
Brendhan
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i don't have a winter in my country but a very rainy season that lasts about 2 months. during that time is when i inspect all the equiptment, give it a thorough cleaning, scrape off the propolis from the frames and boxes, do some painting and carpentry repair and inventory and restocking things like wax foundation sheets. if you have a lot of hives like i do, its enough to keep you busy the whole 2 months and more!
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Winter?
We sit outside in shorts and drink frozen margaritas and call our friends in the north.
Sincerely,
Brendhan
We don't have much of a winter either, I guess you can say we get teased.
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Winter?
We sit outside in shorts and drink frozen margaritas and call our friends in the north.
Sincerely,
Brendhan
Frozen margaritas :shock: I hate you :-D
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Frozen margaritas :shock: I hate you :-D
We can make those, too, just leave the mix outside! All without using any electricity!
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I BUZZZZZZZ OFFFFFF :-D
The people I wrok for just got some new land may be 2 miles from me well on the land there is a huge concret milk barn. Well the guy that had it was a beekeeper so the lady and hasband I work for GAVE me the milk barn. It has city water and well water and power. + in the barn is a bunch of keeping stuff. And the stainless steel pipe the mik went in is all mine. So in the cold ill be cleening it all up. It even has a bath room. There is 3 rooms the bath room and the back part where the cows came in at and then the frist room. Where the cows came in at is about 4 feet higher about 6 feet wide well thats where im puting all my supers it even has a ramp so I can back a truck up to it and unload stuff. The hole place is about 35 45 feet long and about 30 feet wide. So ill have a lot of room for a honey house. The pipe is 2 inch pipe and I have about 60 feet of it and the good thing is aobut that its all clamps that lock in it place just pull a leaver and its taken apart. Then theres 5 3 hp engines in there so that can run my pump the honey in the pipe line. Any ways thats what ill be doing the rest of the year :shock: lot of work
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What does a beek do in the winter?
Make money to support the hobby next year! At least, that's how it feels for me.
Winters are spent fixing, repairing, buying new stuff, putting it together, painting, embedding foundation into frames, planning for next season, and a host of other things that needs doing. Spare time? What spare time? I have 2 hobbies and an 1 1/2 acre farm. Oh, yeah....I'm on a disability retirement.
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Winter?
We sit outside in shorts and drink frozen margaritas and call our friends in the north.
Sincerely,
Brendhan
dont forget white rum and appleton. If you want to get more exotic then "sex on the beach", "dirty bananas"
or anything with "Tia Maria" in it. Of course you need the right ambiance to go with it, The Beach, with your tongue hanging out.
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I build nuc's, hives bodies, supers, feeders, tops, Bottom boards, ect.
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Type in old bee books, update my web pages, take care of my horses, build equipment, repair equipment, plan, go crazy...
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Hey Michael, ya mean crazier right? :-D
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>ya mean crazier right?
Of course.
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i I follow stock markets in my stone cave
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i I follow stock markets in my stone cave
I check all my light bulbs.
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I check all my light bulbs.
who check all your candles?
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I watch beekeeping debates at Beemaster!
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I plan on learning about top bar hives this winter so I can purchase one someday. Getting frames ready with starter strips and reorganizing the bee shelves. Also visiting the girls in the winter and dreaming about seeing them again.
We have a very short winter also, and by February when the sun comes out we can be up to 70 somedays.
Annette
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I'm planning to yes, build stuff, but also I want to learn how to make candles and to make lip balm with all the wax from my crush and strain. Beekeeping has taught me so many outside of beekeeping things like:
1. A 1X2 is not 1" X 2"
2. How to use a drill and hammer
3. What the different sizes of hardware cloth are all about
4. How to melt and mold wax
So I'm on to making candles, etc. This morning I ordered containers for lip balm, coconut oil, and 1" round craft mirrors to glue on the bottom of the lip balm containers ----- so I'm off and running in the lip balm direction for all those chapped winter lips!
Linda T in Atlanta ;)
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Make sure you're on the mailing list of all the bee supply companies so you gets lots of catalogues! Then curl up in front of the fireplace and look at all the stuff you think you'll need.
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I will be building hive boxes, and studying for next year.
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Hardware cloth sizes:
1/8" (#8) no bees can get through. Pollen tends not to fall through
much but will some. Great for anything that needs to be beeproof, like a push in cage, a queen cage, an entrance closer etc.
1/7" (#7) pollen will fall through easily. If wires are bent
sometimes bees can get through. If wires are straight it is beeproof. Good to have directly over the pollen trap drawer and under the #5 that they are entering the hive through.
1/6" (#6) worker bees can and will squeeze through but they have to
really work at it.
1/5" (#5) worker bees can get through pretty easily but they lose at
least one pollen grain in the process. Good for a pollen trap above
the #7 that lets it fall into the drawer. Also good for push in cages
for queen rearing to get the queen to lay eggs of a specific age in a
specific area.
1/4" (#4) Workers, drones and queens can get through but not mice.
1/2" (#2) Workers, drones, queens and mice can get through.
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Make sure you're on the mailing list of all the bee supply companies so you gets lots of catalogues! Then curl up in front of the fireplace and look at all the stuff you think you'll need.
This beek curls up with seed catalogs, too, dreaming about the flowers for both the bees and her gardens! :) Hubby builds more supers and dreams about increasing the number of hives in the spring.
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I fire up the old ham radio on 40 meters and chitchat. Or I'm at work delivering gas to angry people (hey man, it's not my fault the prices are high, I just deliver the stuff).
Of course the rest of the time I spend drooling over beekeeping catalogs.
Sean Kelly
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I dread over the winter. I hate it. While I am doing that, I am inside staying warm and prepping for the upcoming bee season. I don't know how Finsky does it where he is. Winter 9 months out of the year would drive me batty.
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Wintertime, the time of short days and long nights. Dinners at 5:00 so I can have the evening for "me" stuff. The time for great food, wintery type foods, like meat and gravies, mashed potatoes, eating the vegetables put down from the gardens in the summer. Creating great soups and stews, dumplings, home made bread. Lots of M&Ms peanuts (I get sugar craves in the winter, think I may have SAD), hee, hee.
Reading over the seed catalogues and deciding what more additions to my bees' gardens, probably mind-melding with Ann as she does the same thing. Studying bee books and internet research on this favourite subject.
Still spending time outside working, I can work outside almost 365 days a year, we only have deep freezing for a short time in January, maybe 2 weeks at the tops. Oh ya, and spending lots of time on this forum with my friends. Did I have enough time for all this, doubtful, only daydreaming of days to come. Spring will soon be here. Have a wonderful and beautiful day, enjoy this winter sleep. Cindi
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Re-reading the book Hive Management and other books trying to learn as much as possible to help the ladies do well next year. And recall how much fun I had this past year, my first year. This is done after work, of course. (have to pay for it somehow)
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. I don't know how Finsky does it where he is.
We have TV and video shop behind the corner. We look Bold and Beauties :lol:
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keep the fire going till its spring and I can hook the vulcan # 10 hillside to the team and turn some ground for taters and greens. :-D
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CBEE, I was trying to get what you meant about hooking the Vulcan #10 hillside to the team. What does that mean? It sounds to me like you have a team of work horses. Can you elaborate on this for me? It sounded interesting and I want to more, curiosity never once got this cat!!!!! Have the best of a beautiful day, great health to us all. Cindi
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That would be a team of work horses and an old hillside walking plow. I am kind of partial to 4 hoof drive
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CBEE. When I hear of people still using horses to plow their fields, and whatever they have, this takes me back to thoughts of when times were so basic. It makes me think of the hard working souls that took their trustful teams out to do the work they did to bring food to the table. I don't know why, but it makes me feel happy.
You are fortunate to have a team of horses to work with you. I envy that, and I admire that at the same time. I know it is so much easier to get on a tractor and do this work, but the commune with nature that you must feel is something that I could only long for. The earth beneath your feet, the scent of the horses' sweat, beautiful and wonderful thoughts.
We used to keep horses for pleasure uses. There is not a flower, a herb or anything in my mind's eye, that is more sweet than the smell of these animals. Their scent is unique and I love it, even more than the scent of the beehive.
We have a fellow in a neighbouring town that still has his team of horses that work his fields with him. When I happen to see this man and his team if I am driving by in my car, I watch with the greatest intent. It is a beautiful sight, and I am enthralled by it. I see him now and then take his team down the road to his other fields, the traffic slows, and the horses carry on.
I take my hat off to you to have this belief in your team of horses. You are a fortunate human to have these animals by your side. Have a wonderful and beautiful day, enjoy your life you're livin'. Cindi
P.S. Do you have a specific breed that you use? This team of horses that I see are Percherons, if I am not mistaken. They are a beautiful piece of animal.
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Cindy,
They are belgian / quarter crosses. I call them heinz 57's cause the quarters weren't reginstered and dont really know what all was in them :-D. What matters is there attitude and willingness to work. speaking of the tractor in your post reminds me of when I was very young. My grandfather had mules and horses. We had 2 hay wagons and when putting up hay 2 people stayed in the field and a couple stayed at the barn. We hooked the 1st wagon to the mules and loaded it and all grandpa had to do was holler " Take this load to the barn " and the mules would take the full wagon to the barn by themselves. No one had to drive the wagon with them. We hooked to horses to the other wagon and loaded it while the mule wagon was being unloaded at the barn. When it was unloaded at the barn you told the mules to take it back to the field and they did. Now the horses would not do this so we would unhook the wagons and give the mules the load and let them take it back to the barn while the other wagon was loaded. Try and do that with a tractor ! He got these mules from down in the mountains of eastern KY where they were trained to snake logs from where they were cut to where they were loaded. We had horses that would work well with voice commands but NONE would ever do what those mules would. Believe me, mules are not like horses. They are smarter and will carry a grudge :evil: My grandpa had a little saying. Treat a horse like a mule and trouble you'll have little. Treat a mule like a horse you'll wind up in the hospitle :-D Is it easier to stick a roll bail on the back of the tractor ? Yea, but not as satisfying or memorable. I feel sorry for people that did not grow up in the country or on a farm :(
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Make lots of Mead!
Start drinking last years batch!
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CBEE, again, you have painted another beautiful part of how things were, a long time ago. Those mules, astounding, I love to hear of these things, when you have time, tell some more, I love to listen.
I think that is why I would sit for hours, enthralled with the stories that my Husband's Grandma would tell us. The old, hard times, days of growing up on the plains of Saskatchewan, farmers.
I have lived my entire life with farming folk. My maternal Grandmother was a farmer, her Husband having built their home out of timber that he cut down from their property. Memories of a child, some really scarey memories that my Uncles who still lived at home would tell me of the dark woods that were beyond the cleared part of their farm, -- to venture there -- we only looked off into the scarey dark bush and the beaten path that would lead through it, there were surely demons and scarey monsters in those thar woods.
Every day I am grateful that I am a country girl, that blood is there, it can never be removed. I have tried the city life, for a few short years, and I have to say, I am back to the country, livin' and lovin' life, as do my Daughters. Have a wonderful, beautiful day, greatest of health. Cindi
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I take some of the corn harvest, make up some mash barrels, and do a few runs through the still. Nothing like a little bit of shine to keep you warm in the winter. You can keep those margaritas, I'll stick to the real stuff.
I usually wait until March to start repairing and painting old bee equipment. I keep enough stuff on hand I rarely need to order anything through the winter.
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We go ice fishing. Then we eat fresh fish with homemade bread and honey on it. :) mmm good.
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I take some of the corn harvest, make up some mash barrels, and do a few runs through the still. Nothing like a little bit of shine to keep you warm in the winter. You can keep those margaritas, I'll stick to the real stuff.
Is it legal to make shine? I was always under the impression that you could only make beer and wine legally. I've always wanted to put together a still but have been afraid I'd get in trouble.
Sean Kelly
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Sean, I believe it would be illegal in the days of prohibition, but unless you're in a dry county I think you'd have the green light.
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As long as you are making it for home consumption you shouldn't run into problems--it's when you start selling without paying the taxes etc that you get into trouble.
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Stills are illegal, period. Hard liquor is heavily taxed at the point of manufacture, as well as at the state level, and unless you are licensed, monitored and paying taxes at the time of manufacture then you are asking for the BATF to knock at your door.
Now, that being said, my Uncle still runs his still in upstate Pa., and I have a Boss that runs a small still in his backyard in Salisbury Md.
Small operations for personal consumption rarely get noticed until someone goes blind.
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distilling is illegal. You can make 100gallons of wine/year, or 200/year per two or more person household. I still want to learn how to distill. I would love a mini-barel of wiskey or bourbon. I have to ask, is it dangerous? Can you explode your basment up? Anyone giving a class?
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I would love a mini-barel of wiskey or bourbon
I won't tell on you if you send me one!! :-D Wait...I think blackmail is illegal too, forget it... :roll:
:-P
I'm sticking to the soft stuff. Although at 18% it still has a kick!!!
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distilling is illegal. You can make 100gallons of wine/year, or 200/year per two or more person household. I still want to learn how to distill. I would love a mini-barel of wiskey or bourbon. I have to ask, is it dangerous? Can you explode your basment up? Anyone giving a class?
As I make my mead during the winter, I visit the local homebrew shop that does sell distilling equipment. Their signs clearly say "...purposes of water distillation, and the production of essential oils and herbal extracts..." ;) ;)
(http://www.hivebuilder.com/custom/images/SSsuperreflux25.jpg)
You can find this stuff at a lot of homebrew places.
FYI - You can also do cold distilling. Reduce temp until the water freezes, scoop out the ice leaving more ...
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If you search hard enough you will find small companies selling fairly large stills to make ethanol - I think you have to register it and are suppose to put something in the batch to make it undrink able
RDY-B http://www.michael-ramsey.com/link7.html
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I take some of the corn harvest, make up some mash barrels, and do a few runs through the still. Nothing like a little bit of shine to keep you warm in the winter. You can keep those margaritas, I'll stick to the real stuff.
Is it legal to make shine? I was always under the impression that you could only make beer and wine legally. I've always wanted to put together a still but have been afraid I'd get in trouble.
Sean Kelly
Well why don't you move to arkansas!!!! :-D where am at!! There is stills all over the place where im at. But there from the 20s and 30s. Well even pot grows wild!!! Theres some a mile down the road from me lol. Be for you ask how do I know!! Well I had one of my friends thats a cop show me. See im 10 miles out of town so they have hunting cams where the pot is at!! so they get a photo of who is there.
This town is dry but I do know some people that have a still under there house. But I wont dare to go over there and its not like I woud get in jail, I know ever arm of the law for 60 miles. 8-) If you had a little one and did not tell ever one you know I woud think you woud be ok!
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Folks
Brendhan and i will shortly be entering into negotiations to start up a winter nursery. We will keep your bees during your winter/colder/snowbound months. carry hme to us us and you arer free to catch up on your reading, sewing, knitting in fact anything you want to do. Juast leave em and forget em. Pick them back up in spring.
No building up period, no feeding required, you get back hives ready and rearing to go.
Disclaimer: Bees may return with tans and excess luggage i.e. bikinis. Bees will also display erratic behavior do to excess alcohol in their system and will need approximately 3 weeks to de-toxify. :-D :-D :-D
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Sean, what a great idea, you are going to be overloaded with bees for sure, hee, hee :) :) :) Have a wonderful and beautiful day, enjoy your sunshine. Cindi
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Cindi,
They are joking!!
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Folks
Brendhan and i will shortly be entering into negotiations to start up a winter nursery. We will keep your bees during your winter/colder/snowbound months. carry hme to us us and you arer free to catch up on your reading, sewing, knitting in fact anything you want to do. Juast leave em and forget em. Pick them back up in spring.
No building up period, no feeding required, you get back hives ready and rearing to go.
Disclaimer: Bees may return with tans and excess luggage i.e. bikinis. Bees will also display erratic behavior do to excess alcohol in their system and will need approximately 3 weeks to de-toxify. :-D :-D :-D
Brilliant!!!
We just want the bees not their owners right? :lol: :lol: :lol:
Sincerely,
Brendhan
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Cindi,
They are joking!!
are we? Hmm.
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Folks
Brendhan and i will shortly be entering into negotiations to start up a winter nursery. We will keep your bees during your winter/colder/snowbound months. carry hme to us us and you arer free to catch up on your reading, sewing, knitting in fact anything you want to do. Juast leave em and forget em. Pick them back up in spring.
No building up period, no feeding required, you get back hives ready and rearing to go.
Disclaimer: Bees may return with tans and excess luggage i.e. bikinis. Bees will also display erratic behavior do to excess alcohol in their system and will need approximately 3 weeks to de-toxify. :-D :-D :-D
Brilliant!!!
We just want the bees not their owners right? :lol: :lol: :lol:
Sincerely,
Brendhan
Uh oh. Belay that order. I may be in need of assistance my self
(http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/8190/at200717rn1.th.gif) (http://img144.imageshack.us/my.php?image=at200717rn1.gif)
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sean
Olga is kite flying weather. I don't even think it will make Cat 1.
One day of winds and rain compared to months of ice and snow. I will stick with the storms.
My paypas are going nuts. Wife fried up some Plantains Sunday night. And I have been giving bananas away to my friends and neighbors.
I hear Konasdad may be heading your way. You will have a great time.
Sincerely,
Brendhan
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yeah under normal circumstances it should be mild but we had a protracted period of rain almost all of october and the ground is real saturated. Linked up with Konasdad already and we'll be in touch
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Sean, I hope all will be well, my thoughts are there. Have fun with Konasdad, you guys are all lucky to be meeting up with our forum friends.
Annette, I know that they are just kidding, I was just kidding too, hee, hee ;) :) :) Beautiful and wonderful day, Cindi