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Author Topic: Three biggest Do's and Don'ts  (Read 7140 times)

Offline PLAN-B

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Re: Three biggest Do's and Don'ts
« Reply #20 on: January 25, 2013, 10:25:10 pm »
I cant express enough my gratitude for everyone taking a minute to give some advice... BuzzBee i will surely look up Bud5. Frantz, i am doing this as something for the whole family to enjoy so i will definitely check out an observation hive as my kids and i could learn a lot. Bjornbee and 10framer i appreciate both of your points of view and will certainly give thought to both moving forward. I am going with the 8 frame hives mostly because i would love for my father to be able to help and hes not getting any younger...lol   Thanks everyone
Marshall

Offline Bees In Miami

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Re: Three biggest Do's and Don'ts
« Reply #21 on: January 25, 2013, 11:05:56 pm »
I know there are a million answers to this....but, for ME???

#1 DO....Have a full bee suit with veil, especially if you react badly to stings (which is a 5 day recovery for me).  Once a hive turns on you, you will be glad you have it!  Approaching a hive knowing I am protected keeps me, and my bees, calm. 

#2 DO...Plan for expansion.  I didn't expect to go from 1 hive to 6 in a matter of a few warm months.  And we haven't even hit our swarm season yet!   X:X

#3 DO...Join a local club or association, and get to know them.  Find out who may be willing to help you when you have to do things you may not be comfortable with.  Be willing to help them with their hives and harvest at any time. 

#4 DO...Watch lots of You Tube videos on beekeeping.  JP The Beeman can keep you viewing for days, and Fat Beeman is another good one.  There are tons out there, and you will quickly be able to determine who knows what they are doing, and who does not. 

#1 Do NOT...Do not allow yourself to get over confident or careless.  The bees will quickly put you in your place!  Don't ask me how I know that...  :oops:

#2 Do NOT....Do not be afraid to ask questions, before attempting doing something to your hives.   One bad timed mite treatment or whatever can cost you your entire colony. 

#3 Do NOT...Approach your hives if your are stinky, either bad, or good.  Bees don't like BO, perfumes, hairspray, bad breath, etc.   Stay clean!  They sure do! 

Best to you and your new addiction!!  Errr...I mean adventure!   :laugh: 

Offline T Beek

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Re: Three biggest Do's and Don'ts
« Reply #22 on: January 26, 2013, 10:06:58 am »
Beekeeping and Beekeepers; Yikes!!

As one sinks deeper into this life w/ insects they'll find both the endeavor itself and those offering advise can/will provide many 'personal' opinions, choices, anecdotal and scientific evidence, advise, attitudes, confusion, condescending and/or denigrating insults (veiled and not), ridicule, great joys, helpful assistance and great disservice and disappointments.  The whole ball of 'beeswax.' 

Advise from Canada may not match up to advise from Florida, in that regard Beekeeping IS a local practice and those local Beeks are the ones that s/b sought for advise, whenever possible. 

Beekeeping has one of the sharpest learning curves out there.  Best to 'pick a like-minded' Beek 'if' one is available and follow their methods for a few years. 

You WILL eventually develop your own style and method of keeping bees, we 'all' do  8-).  If its not possible to find a willing Beek to show you the ropes, don't despair, there are plenty of Beeks around who've never had anyone show them anything about the art and science of this wonderful world of beekeeping, but somehow figured out how to 'keep' bees (alive) very well.

Always; trust your bees and your heart, even before trusting another beek.  Investigate any problem until YOU are satisfied w/ the solution.  Like people, no 2 colonies are the same.  Keeping that in mind will keep you on your toes and observant of the differences and changes occurring in your hives.  Good Luck

(seems this has become considerably more than the OP asked for, so it goes w/ beekeepers during winter  :-D
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Offline bud1

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Re: Three biggest Do's and Don'ts
« Reply #23 on: January 26, 2013, 12:32:00 pm »
plan b; first thing i always do is lite my smoker, ken has given you the invite and i will second it to bud 5   3 of the people putting on the event are from your area    shawee. jp. and baily. contact them and all 3 go d folks and will be glad to help you out
to bee or not to bee

Offline 10framer

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Re: Three biggest Do's and Don'ts
« Reply #24 on: January 26, 2013, 09:17:09 pm »
I know there are a million answers to this....but, for ME???

#1 DO....Have a full bee suit with veil, especially if you react badly to stings (which is a 5 day recovery for me).  Once a hive turns on you, you will be glad you have it!  Approaching a hive knowing I am protected keeps me, and my bees, calm. 

#2 DO...Plan for expansion.  I didn't expect to go from 1 hive to 6 in a matter of a few warm months.  And we haven't even hit our swarm season yet!   X:X

#3 DO...Join a local club or association, and get to know them.  Find out who may be willing to help you when you have to do things you may not be comfortable with.  Be willing to help them with their hives and harvest at any time. 

#4 DO...Watch lots of You Tube videos on beekeeping.  JP The Beeman can keep you viewing for days, and Fat Beeman is another good one.  There are tons out there, and you will quickly be able to determine who knows what they are doing, and who does not. 

#1 Do NOT...Do not allow yourself to get over confident or careless.  The bees will quickly put you in your place!  Don't ask me how I know that...  :oops:

#2 Do NOT....Do not be afraid to ask questions, before attempting doing something to your hives.   One bad timed mite treatment or whatever can cost you your entire colony. 

#3 Do NOT...Approach your hives if your are stinky, either bad, or good.  Bees don't like BO, perfumes, hairspray, bad breath, etc.   Stay clean!  They sure do! 

Best to you and your new addiction!!  Errr...I mean adventure!   :laugh:

how can you stand a full suit in florida?  i cook in a tee shirt and jeans up here. 


Offline PLAN-B

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Re: Three biggest Do's and Don'ts
« Reply #25 on: January 26, 2013, 11:11:59 pm »
Thanks bud1... I am getting my first nucs from bailey. We have not met yet, but will in the near future. Thanks for your hospitality...
Marshall

Offline yantabulla

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Re: Three biggest Do's and Don'ts
« Reply #26 on: January 27, 2013, 05:05:10 am »
use a smoker!

Offline edward

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Re: Three biggest Do's and Don'ts
« Reply #27 on: January 27, 2013, 06:15:27 am »
Try doing everything in a soft smooth slow motion movement even when you work quickly.

It keeps the bees calm when you don't jolt, bang, hit, bump, crack the frames and hive when you work them.

HAVE FUN and take the time to enjoy watching your bees  :-D

mvh edward  :-P

Offline Bees In Miami

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Re: Three biggest Do's and Don'ts
« Reply #28 on: January 27, 2013, 02:33:19 pm »
@ 10framer....I pretty much melt!   :shock:  Truly, it's not a choice for me.  My reaction to stings is so bad, I can't trade being cooler for the possible stings.  I've been using a 'sauna' jacket with a pair of baggy chef pants over jeans and  taped to my boots (after a few bad incidents).  I just pulled the trigger for a ventilated suit since I'm doing some removals and such now.  I am hoping that will help!   Three layers of mesh HAS to be better than two layers of solid fabric! 

Offline jredburn

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Re: Three biggest Do's and Don'ts
« Reply #29 on: January 27, 2013, 03:32:10 pm »
DO
Get the boxes up off the ground on a stand.
Put ant traps on the stand legs
Put the hive in full sun
GET A MENTOR from the local bee club
Join Bee Culture Mag.  Read all the back issues
Take all advice with a grain of salt. 

DON'T
Go it alone
Expect your first hive to last the first year.  See last months Bee Culture
regards
Joe

Offline PLAN-B

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Re: Three biggest Do's and Don'ts
« Reply #30 on: February 19, 2013, 09:53:52 pm »
plan b; first thing i always do is lite my smoker, ken has given you the invite and i will second it to bud 5   3 of the people putting on the event are from your area    shawee. jp. and baily. contact them and all 3 go d folks and will be glad to help you out
Bud when you extended the invite I had only been on this site for a few days I believe and didn't even know what you and ken meant about bud 5, but I keep hearing more and more about it and am surely thinking of coming if the invite still stands...
Marshall

Offline hardwood

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Re: Three biggest Do's and Don'ts
« Reply #31 on: February 19, 2013, 10:03:38 pm »
Plan B, One thing about big Bud, if he said it once he meant it! Don't go makin' him wear out his jaw havin' to say it again!

Scott
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

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Online Michael Bush

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Re: Three biggest Do's and Don'ts
« Reply #32 on: February 20, 2013, 09:48:41 am »
> Guard against those that say "When confronted with a problem in the apiary and you do not know what to do, then do nothing".

Yea... that Richard Taylor was always giving bad advice...
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My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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Offline T Beek

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Re: Three biggest Do's and Don'ts
« Reply #33 on: February 20, 2013, 10:09:03 am »
Richard Taylor IMO, has provided us some of the most common sense approaches to keeping bees I know of, along w/ MB of course. 

I have a few of his quotes still hanging in the garage.
"Trust those who seek the truth, doubt those who say they've found it."