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Author Topic: looking forward to beekeeping in Rochester NY  (Read 4599 times)

Offline jamiev

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looking forward to beekeeping in Rochester NY
« on: September 07, 2005, 11:37:29 pm »
I can't seem to get my messages to post.  I am a new bee enthusiast and I have just read beekeeping for dummies cover to cover.  I can't wait to start my new hobby.  Yes I am looking for input.  I will share my experiences with you next yr. Hope this works
jamiev  in rochester NY

Offline Michael Bush

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looking forward to beekeeping in Rochester NY
« Reply #1 on: September 08, 2005, 12:22:00 pm »
The first decisions that you need to make, because you will be "stuck" with them, are what size equipment and what cell size foundation.

Most books and most beekeepers have two 10 frame Langstroth deeps for the brood chamber.  A 10 frame Langstroth deep full of honey weighs 90 pounds.  My brood chambers are three eight frame mediums (western, illinois, 6 5/8").  An eight frame medium box full of honey weighs 48 pounds.  A lot of people use three 10 frame mediums for for the brood chamber.  A 10 frame medium full of honey weighs 60 pounds.

I bring this up because the boxes and frames are a long term investment.  I have boxes and frames that I bought new 31 years ago.  So getting them in the size you will like in the long run is an issue.

All the same size frames makes life as a beekeeper much easier.  It means you can pull frames of honey from the supers and beef up light hives for the winter.  It also means all your equipment is interchanable.  I've standardized on mediums.

As far as cell size, if you want to go to natural sized cells or small cell to control Varroa, it will save you a lot of work and frustration to start out that way.  Just buying 4.9mm foundation or using foundationless from the start will be a huge head start in that direction.

After that other decisions aren't so hard to recover from.  You can decide to use or not use a queen excluder (I don't use them) easily enough and having one around is handy anyway.  You can decide you don't like a particular kind of feeder (I don't like most of them) and you don't have that much invested in most of them.  But even those kinds of things you're liable to find frustrating.  When you buy a frame feeder and get frustrated by the drowned bees and it's now setting in your garage, you wonder why you bought it.  When you buy a boardman feeder (usually shipped with a beginner's kit) and it sets off robbing every time you use, it you'll wonder why you bought that.  Once you discover a really good hive tool like the Italian hive tool from Brushy Mt. you'll wonder why you bought a regular one.  Once you find out that a large smoker stays lit much easier than a small one, you'll wonder why you bought the small one.

Basically, there's not one item in the typical beginners kit that I would buy.
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
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

manowar422

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looking forward to beekeeping in Rochester NY
« Reply #2 on: September 08, 2005, 08:44:58 pm »
Welcome to the forum jamiev :)
IMO you have found here, an excellent source of info on the hobby
of beekeeping. I personally don't think books are enough.
I know I'm a better beekeeper, being a part of this forum.
Time spent here will benefit you, and your bees.
Read your books, use the search feature to read past posts, and
then ask those questions, there are lots of good folks here that
will help make this hobby very rewarding.
David

Offline jamiev

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« Reply #3 on: September 08, 2005, 11:50:53 pm »
thanks micheal and manowar
Three mediums for the usual two deeps?  Does this mean a longer wait to be able to add the honey super(s) ?
I really did not know there was a choice in foundation cell size.  I am learning already.

you don't like top feeders either?  Drowning?
 You are right manowar,  I can't learn all this  from reading  I am anxious to get to handle a hive(protected of course)   Hands on is the best, I am sure.

In the northeast, I assume it is time to buy  and set up equip and tools for the spring bee delivery? Too late to start a new hive?

Offline Michael Bush

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looking forward to beekeeping in Rochester NY
« Reply #4 on: September 09, 2005, 08:27:23 am »
>Three mediums for the usual two deeps? Does this mean a longer wait to be able to add the honey super(s) ?

Not at all.  I start packages in five frame medium nucs that hold a total of five frames.  They build up faster than in a ten frame deep because they can mainatain the heat and humidity to raise brood and they can control the space they have from wax moths, ants, robbers etc.  You will just add space in smaller increments.

>I really did not know there was a choice in foundation cell size. I am learning already.

Bees naturually, typically build worker brood cells somewhere in the range of 4.8 to 5.0mm with a few outside that at either end.  Standard foundation is 5.4mm.  "Small cell" foundation is 4.9mm.  I run mostly natural cell by using starter strips or foundationless frames, so the bees build what they want.

Varroa are the biggest problem in recent years and they reproduce in the capped cells.  Since bees on natural sized cells cap them sooner and emerge sooner there are less Varroa reproduced.

>you don't like top feeders either? Drowning?

About the only feeders I've really liked are a mason jar over the inner cover or, my favorite, a Rapid Feeder from www.beeworks.com.  I have most every kind of feeder except maybe a candibox and the new Mann Lake hive top feeders.  There are several things I don't like about a hive top feeder.  If it's a "miller" with the screen to keep the bees out of all but a small amount of syrup I like them better, but they still sometimes find an entrance to the syrup from the top and drown in large numbers.  They are hard to take on and off the hive without spilling syrup.  They have a large surface area that gives off a lot of smell and tends to set off robbing.  Still I like them better than most.  The Brushy Mt style with floats has even more drowning.  Then if they leak (which sooner or later they will) you have a LOT of drowned bees who where even in the feeder.

>In the northeast, I assume it is time to buy and set up equip and tools for the spring bee delivery? Too late to start a new hive?

If you can find someone selling an established hive, you could start now, but a nuc or package you should wait for spring now.
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
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline jamiev

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« Reply #5 on: September 12, 2005, 10:53:09 am »
Michael, how do i contact Brushy Mt for that italian hive tool you write about?  Also i want to order my woodenware and other equip.  The three mediums brood chamber  you suggest will require me to order separate components.  Also , any specific smoker you like or do I just order one that is larger than all the others in the catalog? I am prepared to spend more money if necessary.  I  want to  buy 4.9mm foundation as you suggest.
 What exactly is foundationless and does it require more skill and effort from a novice like me?   I am sure i will be overwhelmed early on this spring.  
Unfortunately,  I have not found too many local beekeepers although one seems willing to answer  my questions. But i feel like I am bothering him too. He has 1500 hives and is not close by.
Anyone have any comments. Thanks in advance.

Offline Michael Bush

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« Reply #6 on: September 12, 2005, 11:28:54 am »
>Michael, how do i contact Brushy Mt for that italian hive tool you write about?


http://www.beeequipment.com/products.asp?pcode=591
http://www.beeequipment.com

>Also i want to order my woodenware and other equip. The three mediums brood chamber you suggest will require me to order separate components.

Since all of the components in a typical starter kit aren't what I would buy I don't see this as a loss.  

I'd buy several eight frame medium boxes from Brushy Mt, a screened bottom board (which Brushy Mt calls an IPM bottom board) a migratory top or an inner cover and a telescopic cover.  I get my frames from Walter T. Kelley with no groove in the top or bottom (custom ordered)  but they (Walter T. Kelley) have solid bottom bars as stock and you can get groved top bars and do starter strips or wood starter strips.

http://go.netgrab.com/secure/kelleystore/asp/home.asp

I'd set them on treated four by fours for a stand, but two concrete blocks will work.

>Also , any specific smoker you like or do I just order one that is larger than all the others in the catalog?

My favorite smoker:

http://members.westnet.com.au/web/beekeepers3/smokers.htm

Other good ones:

http://www.dadant.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=46&osCsid=76c66aead9c1820846b763e3ce62ab9f


the 4 by 10 here:

http://go.netgrab.com/secure/kelleystore/asp/product.asp?product=101

You can put an insert in it:

http://www.bushfarms.com/images/SmokerInsert3.jpg
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/SmokerInsert2.JPG

>I am prepared to spend more money if necessary. I want to buy 4.9mm foundation as you suggest.

4.9mm (small cell) foundation is available from Brushy Mt and from Dadant.

http://www.dadant.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?osCsid=44556a8de0d142ad932cca708d04fcf1&search_in_description=1&keywords=small+cell&osCsid=44556a8de0d142ad932cca708d04fcf1

http://www.beeequipment.com/products.asp?cat=6&pg=2

>What exactly is foundationless and does it require more skill and effort from a novice like me?

Actually less skill.  You won't have to wire and embedd.  Check my website for pictures:

www.bushfarms.com

>I am sure i will be overwhelmed early on this spring.

Of course.

>Unfortunately, I have not found too many local beekeepers although one seems willing to answer my questions. But i feel like I am bothering him too. He has 1500 hives and is not close by.

And probably will not be sympathetic to most of these concepts.
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
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin