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Author Topic: What does a beekeeper do in the winter?  (Read 13509 times)

Offline CBEE

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Re: What does a beekeeper do in the winter?
« Reply #40 on: November 18, 2007, 09:49:35 pm »
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 :(

Offline MBrowne

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Re: What does a beekeeper do in the winter?
« Reply #41 on: November 19, 2007, 12:56:41 am »
Make lots of Mead!

Start drinking last years batch!

Offline Cindi

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Re: What does a beekeeper do in the winter?
« Reply #42 on: November 19, 2007, 10:16:11 am »
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
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Old Timer

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Re: What does a beekeeper do in the winter?
« Reply #43 on: November 19, 2007, 07:02:19 pm »
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.

Offline twb

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Re: What does a beekeeper do in the winter?
« Reply #44 on: November 19, 2007, 08:37:16 pm »
We go ice fishing.  Then we eat fresh fish with homemade bread and honey on it. :) mmm good.
"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."  Proverbs 16:24

Sincerely,
TWB

Offline Sean Kelly

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Re: What does a beekeeper do in the winter?
« Reply #45 on: December 02, 2007, 08:07:51 pm »
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
"My son,  eat  thou honey,  because it is good;  and the honeycomb,  which is sweet  to thy taste"          - Proverbs 24:13

Offline JP

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Re: What does a beekeeper do in the winter?
« Reply #46 on: December 02, 2007, 08:42:00 pm »
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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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: What does a beekeeper do in the winter?
« Reply #47 on: December 03, 2007, 03:59:17 pm »
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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Offline Bennettoid

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Re: What does a beekeeper do in the winter?
« Reply #48 on: December 03, 2007, 04:14:50 pm »
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.

Offline KONASDAD

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Re: What does a beekeeper do in the winter?
« Reply #49 on: December 03, 2007, 04:24:21 pm »
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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Offline Scadsobees

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Re: What does a beekeeper do in the winter?
« Reply #50 on: December 03, 2007, 05:28:32 pm »
Quote
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!!!

Rick

Offline MBrowne

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Re: What does a beekeeper do in the winter?
« Reply #51 on: December 03, 2007, 09:13:40 pm »
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..."  ;) ;)




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 ...

Offline rdy-b

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Re: What does a beekeeper do in the winter?
« Reply #52 on: December 03, 2007, 10:05:54 pm »
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
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Offline beeginner

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Re: What does a beekeeper do in the winter?
« Reply #53 on: December 04, 2007, 01:08:26 am »
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!

Offline sean

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Re: What does a beekeeper do in the winter?
« Reply #54 on: December 11, 2007, 08:29:20 am »
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     

Offline Cindi

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Re: What does a beekeeper do in the winter?
« Reply #55 on: December 11, 2007, 10:18:16 am »
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
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline annette

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Re: What does a beekeeper do in the winter?
« Reply #56 on: December 11, 2007, 04:16:52 pm »
Cindi,
They are joking!!

Offline Understudy

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Re: What does a beekeeper do in the winter?
« Reply #57 on: December 11, 2007, 04:21:54 pm »
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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Offline sean

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Re: What does a beekeeper do in the winter?
« Reply #58 on: December 11, 2007, 07:00:31 pm »

Offline sean

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Re: What does a beekeeper do in the winter?
« Reply #59 on: December 11, 2007, 07:29:15 pm »
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

 

anything