I've been wanting to keep bees for a long time, just a hive or two in my backyard, but I have a unusual work schedule. I am away from home at work for 31 days and then home for 23 days. This schedule never changes. Do you think I will be able to keep bees? I have a brother that might be able to check on the hives once every week or ten days while I am away. I live in a small town and my backyard has a privacy fence and some tall shrubs around the perimeter.
It would be difficult. Another concern I'd have would be a swarm of Africanized bees moving in while you're gone and terrorizing the neighbors.
There appears to be lakes and ponds in your area so I assume there is forage. If you were to acquire a nuc or even an established hive / hives I think you could be successful. You will have to have an emergency plan in place if there is a problem in your neighborhood while you are away. Depending on how strong the flows are in your area you may need someone to add a super while you are gone. Being away for a month and then micro managing the hives for 23 days would not be a good plan.
I have thought about the AHB and me not being home. I am still in the planning stage and reading books and going to start visiting a local bee club. I won't be doing anything until 2018 so maybe by that time I can find a place outside of town.
AHB is much more media hype in our area (and others) than reality and though it is likely some of the feral bees carry the genes out of our 6 hives 4 are feral and act no differently that the Italian Bees when inspecting. Yes this is the end of my first year keeping bees myself, but there are some very large bee yards in Maricopa CO, AZ and there is not a problem for them either and I did much research and asking other beekeepers before getting into it at all. We have allot of washes here with feral hives in caves and again they to not "harass" anyone and do what bees do unless disturbed. My experience is simply being shared here and not trying to ruffle feathers, I live here and this is what we see....
On being gone allot it could be difficult inspection wise I would agree.
First of all if you are not raising local queens there is no issue at all until supercedure or a swarm occurs.
Maybe there's somebody at your local club who would like to team up?
First, welcome :happy:
Second, I agree with the others that it would be difficult to manage a hive properly being away for a month. In my opinion you would need a partner of some sort. Maybe someone from the local club would check on your hives while your away in exchange with you helping with his hives when you're home.
Welcome to Beemaster.
2 years age I had one hive that I had at a neighbors house at their request. Being away from my main apiary it was left alone more often than not. Most of the time I just checked it for adding supers. Often times it was untouched for over 30 days. It was a poor year but that one hive made half of the honey that I collected. It was in full sun on an old dog cage that had a cement pad.
I say go for it. Bees have been taking care of them selves for millions of years with out our help.
Jim
Thanks for all the replies. I'm not giving up yet and I think the idea of finding someone at the local club is a good idea. My brother also wants to learn and could help, he only lives 30 miles away and I still have over a year to find a place somewhere on the edge of town. Until then I will keep reading and go the bee club when I'm home.
I think teaming-up with another person would be my favourite solution ...
Another approach would be a set-up similar to that of Emile Warre, where inspections are only carried out twice a year. Now while I do have reservations about the size of his boxes viz-a-viz your own location - if you were to provide much larger boxes, and place several supers on at the same time, then - whilst not being ideal - this could be workable.
Some kind of emergency facility - just in case things should go pear-shaped whilst you're away - would certainly be a good idea. Good luck.
LJ
I like the lazy beekeeper approcch which i had to do this past year. placed two brood boxes with four mid superss and let them go. this winter I'm glad i did because of the wiered temps the bees have gone thru at least half of the supers if not more. so that may get them thru till the spring. i have not been able phiysicaly to breake them down for inspection but have checked wieghts by crowbar lift testing.
john
Concerning the AHB, Teaming up with a local bee club would be a great idea. Others in that club could share their experiences concerning AHB. I have zero experience with AHB, but I have some Italians that explode with you open the inner cover.
I doubt that a beekeeper in Bowie, TX, needs to worry a lot about AHBs. Bowie is northwest of Dallas/Fort Worth and there shouldn't be a lot of feral bees of any kind there, since it's more ranchland than farming country. In other words, not a lot of forage for bees. Of course, the Sonoran desert of southern Arizona has AHBs, so who knows.
Update, I found a place to keep the bees. Its 300 acres of ranchland, mostly mesquite trees with several ponds and some farming around. Its about 1 1/2 miles from the Red River. Now I just have to wait for Nov or Dec to order bees. I will be getting the equipment this spring and summer. One thing is this place has lots of varmints and wild hogs, so I will have to put hives in some kind of a pen.
An electric fence comes to mind. Search here for bear fence.
As omnivorous critters that like to root in the ground, hogs present about the same problem as black bears.
I live in NE Texas and the hogs are on my place in droves of 40+ I have never had any trouble from hogs bothering bees. Lots of other trouble though. There are roads I take the Gkids and GGkids on that an ATV has trouble with because of hogs. No one in Caddo Trace Bee Club has had any hog trouble with bees. This does not seem logical but???
Well nothing is ideal, but that shouldn't be an issue. You just have to plan ahead. I keep bees and I was out of the country for three years...
I am going to the property tomorrow and scout out a place to place the hives. I am thinking of using T-posts, cattle panels + electric fence. The good thing is I am not planning to get the bees until next year and the place is owned by a relative so is long term. Excited I have a place that is close and remote.
Quote from: paus on February 13, 2017, 10:57:25 AM
I live in NE Texas and the hogs are on my place in droves of 40+ I have never had any trouble from hogs bothering bees. Lots of other trouble though. There are roads I take the Gkids and GGkids on that an ATV has trouble with because of hogs. No one in Caddo Trace Bee Club has had any hog trouble with bees. This does not seem logical but???
I'd be more than happy to help relocate some of those hogs to my freezer.
I just got back from doing some work on leveling and carpeting some SHB hives. There were hog tracks within fifty or sixty feet of these hives The ground is plowed and any thing leaves a track, if the hogs were interested in bees they would have checked them out. I hope I am not speaking to quick.
I have no experience in this area but everything I've read concerning wild hogs and bees is no problems. About the worst thing I've saw is something about a hog using a hive as a scratching post.
Quote from: GSF on February 17, 2017, 08:14:56 AM
I have no experience in this area but everything I've read concerning wild hogs and bees is no problems. About the worst thing I've saw is something about a hog using a hive as a scratching post.
And he probably only did it once. :cry:
Jim
Put out a hive you may get lucky and catch a swarm and not wait until next for bees.