we decided to add bees to the list of projects

[iowabow]

Annette wanted to start raising bees and I am excided the bees wax that can be used for my primitive archery. It was fun to support her idea and be involved with her new project like she has been for me with primitive archery. It has been fun to listen as she reads and researches beekeeping.  I am now catching the beekeeping bug and am starting warm to the idea. Yesterday we ordered 3.5# of bees wow! They will arrive in mid april and that should give us time to make some arrangements. We still have to buy all of the equipment and pick a place for the hive.

It seems that more and more of our activities are shifting toward interactive family

Type activities.

So now we will can blackberry jelly, maple syrup,and honey from our little homestead. If we are lucky we will get a crop of black walnuts this year as well. These activities really have brought us together as a family kinda better than sitting in front of a tv. Isaac made three trip to the valley yesterday to get sap and is really getting excited about  his independence and participation.

[PrimitiveTim]

That's awesome!  My dad got into bee keeping when I was a kid and it was an awesome experience for me.  I even got to dress up in a bee robbing suit that was way to big for me and "help" my dad rob the bees.  Then we'd spend all day getting the honey out and I remember chewing the honey comb.  We had them right next to an orange grove and that was the best honey in the world.  Dang, those were the days.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I have a few friends that do it. They keep me in wax and honey, nothing better than local honey from local flowers . He swears bee's honey will cure anything. He uses it as an oinment for cuts.

[Roy]

My uncle used to have bees, talk about good fresh Honey.

[KShip85]

I have a few friends that do it. They keep me in wax and honey, nothing better than local honey from local flowers . He swears bee's honey will cure anything. He uses it as an oinment for cuts.

My wife's paternal grandfather says the same thing and I'm inclined to believe it.  I've seen a mixture of raw honey and neosporin cause skin to regrow on a bed sore that was clear to the bone.

Kip

[Adam]

That sounds like a very interesting undertaking.   I'd love to give that a try, but it wouldn't be possible where I live.  I'm looking forward to hearing how it goes for you.

[seabass]

that is awesome John.let me know how it goes.i also want to do this.bees are on the decline and we all need to do this.if the bees are gone,so are we.

[Poggins]

Be sure and get a feeder of some kind, a lot of people think they can just put the bees in a hive and they will do everything on their own but if there is not enough flowers blooming they will starve out . I have been keeping bees for over ten years now and it is fun , and there is a sweet reward for your efforts , you may not get very much honey the first year but the first year is when they do all their comb building and get their numbers up .
When you feed them use sugar disoveled in water or high fructose corn surrop that doesn't have any additives in it , you can get a hive front feeder if there are no other hives around if there are other hives around you may want a hive top feeder. The only problem with hive front feeders is other bees may try to rob the feed and it can be hard to stop the other bees and you can lose your bees.
Even though we had a bad drought in Oklahoma last year I had one of my best honey crops ( the clover bloomed like crazy when it did rain a little).
I have six hives in my front yard and my brother has four or five behind his house and others scattered around at other places.
I still get stung from time to time even suited up ( I smash one every once and a while on accident and the suites arn't sting proof). Be sure they have a water sorce Close by , they use it to cool the hive when it's hot and ditute honey when they need to .
Sorry for the long post just trying to help hot a little.

[BowEd]

That's the way it's done with family in a perfect world.Farming is the same way.All for the same purpose.Taking on responsibilities by the younger folk teaches accountability.Ai'nt nothing like it.Nice to hear you all are getting involved together.I've told you this before but your place could easily have fruit trees around too.Which you may have talked about.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Good point Ed, accountability is one of lifes most important lessons and seems to be getting shoved farther back each year.

[bowtarist]

John,

I've been keeping bees since 2001.  It's been a big challenge.  You can't just be a bee haver any longer, since the early "80's when traceal mites came in, then the '90's with varroa, now small hive beatle and what ever is next.  I have two good hives right now, I fed them yesterday with my boys.  I don't wear a suit, and rarely a vail, just smoke em.  Make sure you guys are reading up to date books, anything pre 1980's, won't have the pest management issues that you will face now a days.  I use a mason jar on top of my inner cover to feed with.  The book, "The ABCs and XYZs of Bee Keeping" is a gooder if you can get a hold of one. Bee Fever is a killer, it took me several years to learn to control myself and not get into the hive as often as I thought I needed to.  It takes about 10 days for the bees to recoup from a keeper with bee fever. 

 If you have any questions, don't hesitate to PM me.

Good luck, and have fun!! dpg

Check out the bee venom theorys too.  I use it several times a year on my elbow.
I've used it as an ointment on cuts and bruises too, and when I get it there to remove queen cells to prevent swaming, I like to eat the queen cells.... .  That's enough for now.  I don't want to freak anyone out. 

[Poggins]

The only reason I suit up is no matter how dosiel the bees are they still want to sting me ( I'm a tick and skeeter magnet too) , a friend of mine can stand beside me with only a veil on in a sleeveless shirt and shorts no problem and the bees will be trying to get to me. Most of the time I can walk around the hives in my yard no problem , the horse keeps the grass short around the hives also without the bees getting exited .

[crooketarrow]

  Hey BOW I though I was the only one thats done that. My granddad did the same. thats how I got to try it.
  Growing up my granddad always had 4 or 6 hives. Lots of cover and orchards around here. I been sturng quite a few times over the years.  Granddad was old schoolllllllll and it's weird we never had any suits just smoke. He'd hardly ever get stung. I'd be running through the fields all the time trying to get away. He's just laugh and say they can feel your heart beat or see you sweat and fear.
  He'd just feed pie pans of suger water. But not right at the hive he told me why I can't remember the reasoning dose anyone know the answer.
 

[Poggins]

Feeding sugar water or any other sweet liquid at the hive can cause robing , once robing starts it's hard to stop , about the only good way is to move the hives at least a mile away . Any time you move a hive it needs to be at least one mile , more is better , because the foraging bees will return to the original hive site.

Don't let all negative stuff scare you , just want to get you started in the right direction.
One more bit of advice , in the winter put something across the intrance just big enough for the bees to go in and out but small enough to keep field mice out , they will build a nest in the hives in the winter and chew the comb up to make their nest leaving more work for the bees the following spring.
Oh , just about forgot , if you have hummingbird feeders be sure the bees can't reach the liquid or you will have a cloud of bees and no hummingbirds, and if it is on your front porch that could be a problem.

keep us posted and if you have any questions we'll try to answer them.

[RidgeRunner]

I Daddy kept bees for about 20 years.  He started about 1970.
At one time, around 1980, he had 15 hives.  Beekeeping was easy back them.
By 91 or 92 all of his hives had died out.   Beekeeping was no longer easy.

It is possible that a lot of these genetic engineered plants have pollen that is poison to bees... Cant say that I know that for sure.....
 
Fresh Honey is good..  But the best stuff is the nectar that the bees have yet to convert all the way to honey.  Man is it ever good.

David