Is anyone here engaged in such a reputable, ancient, and cool hobby? I would like to for lack of a better term, "Get a Hive". I have no clue how to do it other than basic by using my Google-Fu which is very weak.

I understand the Bee-Suit(duh) and the smoker, and why it effects the bees the way it does, but not much else other than that.

Do Bees need constant mntc.? How long can they be left alone? I guess they have been doing it alright in nature for a long damn time....
What happens if they fill up their box / Hive?
Are they going to freak my neighbors out?
How many bees to I need to make a jar of Honey?
How much do Bees cost? I assume they are self replicating Bees, and will make more of themselfs? How many do you start with? What about wild bees? How do I get them? Is that even possible?


I do not want to make any of $ off of Honey, but I sure would like to have some for myself to naturally sweeten my food, and drink, and I think it would be doing the local flora a BIG favor. BeesWax is Kick ass also.

Should I buy a beekeeping starter kit? Shoull I beefriend(had to do it in here somewhere) a local Beekeeper?

Hopefully this will be 1 Thread in a series of Returning to basics series that I have planned. I have a HUGE project on my hands, and plan to reveal it here soon. The folks here are what I would call my Online Family, and I think they would be most interested in what I am doing. I mean HUGE project. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

SO who knows about Bees? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" />

Sorry, brother, I know nothing about bees except that it hurts like hell when they sting me. The only hobby I can think of that would be more horrifying is spider-keeping. Good luck and I'll read about how it goes for you... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

My Pappy (adopted Grandfather) kept bees when I was growing up. He didn't tend to them all the time. He'd be gone on trips for a week or so at a time. He collected the combs, I think, every other month. I remember him giving me a book about it that, he said, pretty much covers it. Check out the library or amazon or something. I can't remember the name of the book, though. Good luck with your HUGE project <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> Missed that the first time in my early morning fog.

If I'm not mistaken Kewlynx(or maybe it's her dad) keeps bees, that's going to bee the person you'll want to talk to.

Just remember that the smoke stuff keeps them calm. I prefer the smoke stuff in the black aerosol can <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> I kid.

Seriously though, I think this is a cool idea. Not for me at all, but a cool idea.

Next thing you know, Landraider will be off the grid, using a swimming pool to stabilize the temperature in his house and sustaining himself with his own backyard crops <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Hopefully not shopping for a hooded sweatshirt and aviator glasses.

My best friend was in the bee business for years. He really loved it, other than it's become a very tough business to make a living in unless you're a huge outfit. Basically, they need to be placed where they can get food... pollen. The honey that they produce is their food. We just steal it from them for our benefit. The largest cash reason for bees is not honey, but pollination. Where we live, the "stuff" they make their honey out of does not make for good clear sale able honey, so he made his money on pollination. He'd make an average of $25/box for a season. The goal is to get boxes into multiple seasons and pollinating different crops throughout the year.
In winter, at least around here, he had to buy syrup to feed them with, which of course costs more money.
As for when the box gets full... they may swarm. They will go looking for another place to live, and either find or create a new queen. Sometimes the colony will split itself, but usually they will all leave and leave you with an empty box or "dead-out". To some extent, they will self-regulate the colony size, but it'd be tough to keep one box alive for long. Usually, they are split up, and a new box is created. That's the easiest way to grow your "business".
I think it'd be great for you to try, as there are not enough bees to go around right now. They are suffering from something they've termed "colony collapse" right now. Beekeepers all over the country are trying to figure it out. They have come up with every reason under the sun, from mites, to pesticide, to cell phone radiation. My buddy spent his winters in the almond groves in Kalifornia, and said that last winter was crazy. It'd be the middle of the night, and here would come guys in ties from universities all over the world wanting to interview him... in the middle of the orchard!!! What's happening is the queen will go sterile after a period of only about a few weeks. The colony will boot her and attempt to create a new one. Over time, the colony can't sustain itself. When my friend left the almonds in the spring of '06, he had nearly a thousand colonies. By the time he loaded up the truck in fall of '06, he had just over 400. That's a $15,000.00 loss before he even expenses anything out.
Bees also have predators. Around here, the biggest one is skunks. They will scratch the front of the box and just sit and lap up the bees as they exit the hive. A family of skunks can wipe out a bee yard in just a few evenings. That makes it necessary to be in the field at least a few times a week checking your yards.
Most beekeepers are really nice, so yeah... find one and BEEfriend him. It will be important when it comes to things like medicating, feeding, extracting honey, etc. You sure don't want to buy all that equipment for just a hive or two. Then, go start knocking on doors of farmers, ranchers, and the like and find a place to put 'em. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

I grew up in a similar situation. No bees but my parents were pretty close to being self-sufficient. Sounds like fun Curtis <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

I can respect that. There is nothing but money holding me back from building the most efficient self sustained house on 400 acres. My plan is to buy acrage and logging rights and show up with a mill. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Live in a single wide until I finish my dream home....ye haw!

I read Mother Earth News on a regular basis........If I had the money. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" /> My house would reduntant as to how I got my power. Solar panels across the entire roof with wind and water turning generators. Build one entire room for batteries. If you could find land with hot springs on it you'd be set. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />