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Who's keeping honeybees?

 
Bart Wallace
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posted 3 years ago
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Any bee keepers on this forum or am I the only one.
 
Todd Parr
pollinator
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Location: Wisconsin, zone 4
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posted 3 years ago
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There are quite a few.  That's why there is a forum here for us

"People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do."

 
Bart Wallace
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Ok. That is good to know. How did they fair so far in this winter?
 
Todd Parr
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Location: Wisconsin, zone 4
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I only have my one huge Perone hive right now, but this is the second winter I've had them and they are doing great as far as I can tell.  My Warre hives didn't make it.  I'm going to build a couple more Perone hives to populate this spring I think.  I have high hopes that the Perone hives will do really well in this climate.  The first year I worry about them thriving well enough to build a good population by winter when they have those huge boxes to fill, but if they make the first winter, they should do great.  Mine did well enough to send off a swarm last summer.

"People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do."

 
Bart Wallace
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What is a Perone hive and why do you think they did better? I have never heard of one.
 
Todd Parr
pollinator
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Location: Wisconsin, zone 4
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They are much, much larger than "normal" hives.  They can hold a very large population and I would think they would be better equipped to deal with our very cold winters.

"People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do."

 
Bart Wallace
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Oh ok. Yeah I live in Alabama even on our "cold" winters they really are not that cold.
 
Todd Parr
pollinator
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Location: Wisconsin, zone 4
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The Perone hives were "invented" by a guy in Argentina, so they should work really well in your climate too.  The idea is that a much bigger hive population should be stronger and more able to survive.  They are easy to build, so it may be worth trying there if it is something you are interested in.

"People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do."

 
Bart Wallace
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THanks
 
D. Klaer
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Location: Queensland Australia
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I was working up to a pretty serious number of hives before developing an allergy. Now I only keep meliponids (stingless bees). Still love following all the honeybee stuff.

We never have wintering problems here so that is a challenge I am always interested to hear about.

Practical Primate

 
Todd Parr
pollinator
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Location: Wisconsin, zone 4
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I wish we could get the stingless bees here, but as far as I know, they aren't available yet.

I'm a big fan of all kinds of bees.  I build as many natural habitats as I can to try to draw more kinds.  I especially love my bumblebees

"People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do."

 
Bart Wallace
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How did you develop an allergy. Yeah I also try to create landscapes for my native pollinators also.
 
D. Klaer
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Location: Queensland Australia
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Bart Wallace wrote:How did you develop an allergy. Yeah I also try to create landscapes for my native pollinators also.



Sorry Bart just saw this. Basically got stung a lot over time. It happens.

Practical Primate

 
Michael Cox
pollinator
Posts: 2736
Location: Kent, UK - Zone 8
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Bart Wallace wrote:Any bee keepers on this forum or am I the only one.



There are beekeepers here, but this forum isn't terribly active.

For a very active beekeeping group aligned with permaculture ethos you might try the Treatment Free Beekeepers group on facebook, where we aim to breed locally adapted bees that are resistant to diseases - in particular varroa mites and associated viruses.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/treatmentfreebeekeepers/

Moderator, Treatment Free Beekeepers group on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/treatmentfreebeekeepers/

 
Joseph Lofthouse
steward
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Location: Cache Valley, zone 4b, Irrigated, 9" rain in badlands.
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I'm an active beekeeper, but am not much interested in on-line discussions about beekeeping, so my primary contribution to beekeeping forums is an occasional photo of robbing honey, or hiving a swarm.

Here's a photo of the swarm I caught last week.



bees.jpg
[Thumbnail for bees.jpg]
Homing a captured swarm

World Tomato Society ambassador

 
Peter VanDerWal
pollinator
Posts: 596
Location: Southern Arizona. Zone 8b
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Bart Wallace wrote:Any bee keepers on this forum or am I the only one.



I have a hive of Killer bees in a home made top bar hive.  Haven't harvested any honey/wax yet, but I've only had them for a bit over 1 year.

My opinions are barely worth the paper they are written on here, but hopefully they can spark some new ideas, or at least a different train of thought

 
David Livingston
pollinator
Posts: 4328
Location: Anjou ,France
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Until a couple of weeks ago I would have said me but unfortunately they have died . No sign of desease not foul brood or Nosema or anything else both my hives empty of everything apart from a little honey and pollen. I blame the pesticides on the colza / osr we have lots of it hereabouts for queen failure . I will try to catch more swarms in the future but it's a real bugger

David

Living in Anjou , France,
For the many not for the few
http://www.permies.com/t/80/31583/projects/Permie-Pennies-France#330873

 
bruce Fine
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I have a wild swarm in an old gas barbque that has not been moved in 10+ years. A swarm split off of it this spring and gathered on branch of a tree about 20 yards from the old grill and since I did not have a super built I called a local keeper to come and get it. The barbque swarm is still strong and I'm thinking I need to build a proper hive box and start collecting honey and wax and future expansion swarms.
 
Ken W Wilson
pollinator
Posts: 1159
Location: Nevada, Mo 64772
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My bees died last year. I have a new hive from a nuc and three splits from it. I know that's a lot  to take from a new hive, but it got huge fast. They are still more interested in raising brood than honey. Well hopefully they'll let up now, probably about to have a dearth.

I also have a small hive from a small swarm I caught. Not one of mine. It's expanding fast but only about 8 medium frames.
 
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