Do you or would you keep bees?

Emily H

7 years ago

Do you keep bees at your home? Is that something you are interested in?

Tell us about it here! (Photos encouraged)

DIY Backyard Beekeeping - How To Start Backyard Beekeeping - The Daily Green · More Info

Featured Answer

Debbie Atkinson

7 years ago

I do keep bees in our backyard, 2 hives, we used to have more offsite, but this way we can enjoy watching their work. There is very little maintenance annually. You do have to invest some time up front. Do join a local beekeepers association, you do gain a lot from other local beekeepers.

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Comments (33)

carolynflinchum
7 years ago
I would love to!!!
Emily H thanked carolynflinchum
bubblyjock
7 years ago
I don't, but I do like honey, and I'm happy we have lots of wild flowers on our farm for the bees to make the most of, and I'm sad that farmers still have to use pesticides in many places to stay competitive.

You do come up with the most interesting topics, Emily!
Emily H thanked bubblyjock
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bluenan
7 years ago
We've had bees for many years, but recently our hives have fallen victim to wax moths that have wiped them out... so sad. Fortunately, we still have several gallons of honey and might try to establish two new hives in the Spring.
Emily H thanked bluenan
PRO
Barnhart Gallery
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
No, but neighboring farms do, and we use it to home brew a delicate high proof meade. Sometimes, perhaps after a few, I'm certain I can taste my own garden in the glass.
bluenan
7 years ago
Barnhart, you probably know that meade is the oldest known fermented drink. That's exactly what we had planned with our harvest before the wax moth debacle.
PRO
Barnhart Gallery
7 years ago
Sorry about your bees bluenan!
dclostboy
7 years ago
I would like to keep bees...be wondering if my HOA would classify them as livestock?
Emily H thanked dclostboy
Magdalene Bosman
7 years ago
Yes I would like to, but in urban circumstances I need non-agressive bees. Is that possible?
Emily H thanked Magdalene Bosman
pennies
7 years ago
i currently have 2 hives in my yard. it is a wonderful thing to do, knowing we are supporting the earth's food supply! and the pollination that we get for our fruits and vegetables is an added bonus! and Honey Bees are not aggressive at all.
Emily H thanked pennies
bibbster
7 years ago
Still toying with the idea. I'm really liking the idea of using top bar hives.
Emily H thanked bibbster
moreeni
7 years ago
we kept honeybees for 5 years, lost them to foul brood this past season. if and when we start again we will try top bar hives. I miss my bees, they were gentle and such hard workers!
Emily H thanked moreeni
nsdeb
7 years ago
Late summer every year our *lazy* form of gardening brings in tens of thousands of wild honey bees to feast on the large swaths of oregano gone wild. Seriously between the oregano and comfrey both of which are prolific reproducers we have become a wild honey bee farm. While we have never attempted to follow the bees back to their hive our enjoyment comes from the gentle constant hum of these tiny winged workers as they move from plant to plant.
Emily H thanked nsdeb
Robert Hollingsworth
7 years ago
I would very much like to.
Emily H thanked Robert Hollingsworth
hanazair
7 years ago
I would love to!! But my neighbor is allergic to bees. But having real honey is the best!

The situation with bees dying out in such vast numbers from all the chemicals humans use is very sad :(
Emily H thanked hanazair
PRO
Barnhart Gallery
7 years ago
hanazair, you're a great neighbor to take that into consideration.
nsdeb
7 years ago
Berkley University offers a great lecture on the decline of the Honeybee and anyone interested in the science behind what is happening can access great links from this site.

http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/News/Honey_Bees_Are_More_Effective_at_Pollinating_Almonds_When_Other_Species_of_Bees_Are_Present/

Hey Emily, what about bats?
pollygoose
7 years ago
I have a three year old top bar hive that split (swarmed) twice this spring. They are very healthy and happy. I'll be adding traditional hives in the spring so I can begin honey production on my new place.

Looking for less aggressive bees? These may be to your liking!

The Carniolan honey bee (Apis mellifera carnica Pollmann)

Want some good information on the Honey Bee varieties, health and temperament?

Look here: http://www.beesource.com/resources/usda/the-different-types-of-honey-bees/

For the uninitiated, working top bar hives is not as easy as they say it is. I find I lose a lot of comb using the top bars because the bees attach their comb to the sides. Working to release the bonds makes the comb break off the bar too easily. If someone out there has, or knows of, a TB design that works really well, then I would love to know about it! Thanks!

Love my bees! :D
Emily H thanked pollygoose
mcbriec
7 years ago
My neighbor keeps hives at our house because we have so many flowers. You do have to make sure you have a gentle queen who apparently somehow replicates her temperment in the hive. The overwhelming majority of the bees were extremely gentle. However, one time there was a bad seed queen who was very ill-tempered . She had to be sent away as the bees became territorial and aggressive.
Emily H thanked mcbriec
Emily H
Original Author
7 years ago
I am unspeakably jealous of all the honey. Little known fact: I actually have a degree in entomology. One of my favorite classes for my major was "Honey Bee Behavior" and there was a particular 3 hour lab period where we sampled at least 100 different varieties of honey from around the world, including some from the hives we kept on campus. It was amazing.

I'd love to keep bees!
bibbster
7 years ago
@llswink - In doing research for keeping bees in TBH's, inspection of the hive has to occur more frequently during comb/honey production, twice a week seems to be the norm. In doing so, you can prevent the comb from attaching to the sides.

Again, from what I have read, the comb attaching usually is associated with a hive that is not built to the right proportions. Based on all this reading, the hive I plan to build can be found here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/168332145/How-to-Build-a-Simple-Top-Bar-Hive
pollygoose
7 years ago
OH Dear... I thought I could come back and add the images to my original comment, but apparently I can't! :\

Oh well, here is me and my girls when I first got my TBH!

-The third photo shows how the comb should (idealistically) look.
-The fourth shows how the comb can become a work of mischief by the bees! A spur that they never did stop replicating no matter how hard I tried to convince them otherwise! '-)

NOTE: I have since ordered the complete bee suit and feel much more confident working with them now! :D

Enjoy your bees!
Emily H thanked pollygoose
bibbster
7 years ago
@llswink, great photos!

And for anyone interested in beekeeping on a budget, this is a great initial read with links to other more detailed information: http://biobees.com/how_to_start_beekeeping.php
Kari D
7 years ago
I don't, but at our last house we put in a few patches of prairie flowers for the bees and butterflies. I will do the same at our new home over the next couple years. I use to be a big fan of honey, but thanks to the miracle of pregnancy I now come down with fever and chills when I eat it.
tamrhal
7 years ago
I kept bees for the first time in 2012. I enjoyed it very much. However, I lost them due to my queen leaving and another hive robbing my bees of honey. Once we have moved into the new house, I plan on trying again.
Rachel Benson
7 years ago
Hope to try next spring. Plan on taking a bee class this winter.
PRO
GreenTowers, LLC
5 years ago
After working in a honeybee research lab, we decided to make an indoor/outdoor beehive. Tests have been going pretty well, I would love some of your feedback about the hive. It seems like a lot of people on here keep bees for the honey - this is much more of a display hive and our goal is to help promote honey bees in our area. What do you think? Would people be interested in having this at their home?
Display Beehive at State College Area House · More Info
bluenan
5 years ago
After a wax moth infestation, we are starting again this year. They should arrive any day. We usually get a frantic call from the local post office to please come pick up your shipment, ASAP!! They do tend to make the postal employees a bit nervous....
momof5x
5 years ago
We do have some at our farm but in all our houses ( ones we lived in before our own home) we have had bee hive grow on our windows and one always above the kitchen door, for that we had to bring in specialist to give us the honey ( of course) and remove the bees.

Now, in our new home, we have two bee hives on two bedroom windows, one that has become larger each time and one starting, I know it is because they have found a local source of flowers in our garden :o They are peaceful if left well alone ( give me a great excuse to exempt cleaning those specific windows today-did all windows upstairs!) , I see them as a blessing really.
Rachel Benson
5 years ago
GreenTowers, LLC, it looks cute, but is it just made up of those 2 frames? How would they overwinter in that? Something that small I would imagine they'd outgrow it in 2 weeks. Is the cost really $400? I could get a whole langsroth set up & beginners equipment for $400.
PRO
GreenTowers, LLC
5 years ago
Rachel, great questions. There are a total of 6 frames - it is about the size of a nuc hive. The idea is you would scale this so that your hive could grow along your wall over time (see picture). We are not sure how the overwintering process would work for an indoor installment, but our advisors from Penn State are confident they will be able to survive with supplemental sugar water. The cost is just a placeholder at the moment, but I expect that to come down quite a bit. What cost would get you interested?
Darla Silva
3 years ago
I've got a tree with bees nesting in it. The tree is gonna have to go. Who would be interested in saving them? 9032532969
hatetoshop
3 years ago
Darla -- search for a bee removal / relocation service in your area. Here's one in Texas (Just going by the number you posted): Bee relocation service

Do you or would you keep bees?

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