I am looking to start up my hives in the spring, and I've heard that I need to purchase my bees early. Could anyone give me some recommendations on reputable people who are selling bees in my area?
A lot of question there to be answered. Are you looking for local nucs, local packages, or you wanting early bees. Early bees or more than likely going to be shipped out of Georgia and of the Italian line. If nucs are you looking for mediums frame or deep frame? And as far as bee... Italian, Russian, VSH. etc... Some question you may ponder. And places for you to start asking questions.
BeezNeedz has nucs and packages. Packages from Georgia and nucs from both NC and Calif. The Calif. nucs are available much earlier than local nucs. They also have Waynes queens available.
www.waynesbees.com
www.beezneedz.com
Quote from: sc-bee on September 15, 2017, 02:22:33 PM
A lot of question there to be answered. Are you looking for local nucs, local packages, or you wanting early bees. Early bees or more than likely going to be shipped out of Georgia and of the Italian line. If nucs are you looking for mediums frame or deep frame? And as far as bee... Italian, Russian, VSH. etc... Some question you may ponder. And places for you to start asking questions.
I am planning on running all mediums, but I'm not sure about nuc or package yet, and I don't really have a preference. I'm looking at just Italians or Carniolans, as far as race goes. By "early bees", do you mean "do I want them now"? If so, then no, I'm not looking for early bees. I just have read that I should probably have them ordered by like Thanksgiving, so I thought I'd put out some feelers to see who was around and then I could narrow down the specifics based on what was available.
Thanks for the links iddee, I like the sound of the varroa resistance on those bees.
I mean early as in early season like March...most early bees will not be local to NC but shipped in. A nuc can be the best deal for the money if you find a honest supplier. Ask around about the supplier as you are doing now. Unfortunately some folks will sell you their trash. And if you want a medium nuc you need to be sure what your are ordering is mediums. Deeps are easier to come by but mediums have gained a lot of popularity over the last few years.
If you were interested in Russians as a choice...the Webs' are in Upper Georgia.. Without getting into the the details at this point research Russian stock and see if you may be interested. They will run more $$$, and you will need to order early and get them from a certified Russian breeder if you decide to go that route, not just someone who claims to have Russian bees :wink:
"Mountain sweet honey" in Georgia will ship packages. They are accepting orders now (credit card ok) for spring of 2018. They are good folks to deal with and ship outstanding queens with your package(s).
I live in Arkansas, I am not associated with these folks and I have purchased their packages of bees so I offer an unbiased opinion.
Do some checking yourself, they are good people to deal with.
Blessings
By early, I mean Calif. nucs in March. Packages from Ga. come the first 2 weeks in April. Local nucs don't come until May.
I am associated with them. I help them just to have something to do in my retirement. I also am the one who named and propagated the Waynes bees.
If you drive here from western NC, I am also the one that will show you around and take you to dinner.
Quote from: sc-bee on September 15, 2017, 06:26:39 PM
If you were interested in Russians as a choice...the Webs' are in Upper Georgia.. Without getting into the the details at this point research Russian stock and see if you may be interested.
I will definitely look into that. I had written Russians off as inaccessible and not worth the effort, so that's good to know.
Quote from: iddee on September 15, 2017, 06:38:02 PM
If you drive here from western NC, I am also the one that will show you around and take you to dinner.
Haha, good sales pitch! I'll keep in mind that the perk of free food comes with your bees! :cheesy:
Local beek club? Start going to meetings now, taking notes on winterizing etc, especially dates and methods. Pay attention to whose opinions are respected by the club members, who's been around a while with a good reputation. Make a friend or two. In January ask that person or those persons where to get bees. And you'll get good local info and mentoring relationships to boot.
I've been to Beezneedz and am confident you would be taken care of there.
If I was starting over and had enough $$ I would buy two nucs. Maybe from different places even.
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Quote from: yes2matt on September 16, 2017, 11:18:35 AM
If I was starting over and had enough $$ I would buy two nucs. Maybe from different places even.
Hey, that's a good idea, getting 2 from different places. That way I wouldn't be putting all my bees in one basket, so to speak. :cheesy:
I did some research on Russian bees last night, and I don't think I'm going to go that route. They just seem a little challenging, and I'd rather not add any extra variables into the equation as a newbee.
As I've been perusing around the forum, I've heard great things about Fat Bee Man's bees. He's actually not terribly far from me. Most of the posts about his bees are pretty old however. Are people still having good luck with his bees being nice and calm?
Quote from: The15thMember on September 16, 2017, 02:27:27 PM
Quote from: yes2matt on September 16, 2017, 11:18:35 AM
If I was starting over and had enough $$ I would buy two nucs. Maybe from different places even.
As I've been perusing around the forum, I've heard great things about Fat Bee Man's bees. He's actually not terribly far from me. Most of the posts about his bees are pretty old however. Are people still having good luck with his bees being nice and calm?
I tried to sent you a PM ... says you have me blocked.
Quote from: sc-bee on September 16, 2017, 03:01:21 PM
I tried to sent you a PM ... says you have me blocked.
Sorry, I had it set to Buddies and Administrators Only. I changed it, so it should work now.
Quote from: sc-bee on September 15, 2017, 06:26:39 PM
I mean early as in early season like March...most early bees will not be local to NC but shipped in.
The year I tried to get started, every package and nuc supplier was sold out by January - and I was told I should have bought in december. The year I did get started, I paid for a package in december, and received it in april.
I can't speak for there bee's, but I can speak for them being easy to deal with , mountain sweet honey is 10 min from my house. I've got some supplies from them. They are super nice people.
Don't know where your at in WNC, but almost every county has a bee club who could direct you. You can get packages around the first of April, but order them by December. Nucs will not be available until mid May. Either way plan on feeding most of the first year.
I got my packages this year from Wild Mountain Bees in Weaverville. Friend went to Anderson SC to pick some up. There are probably a dozen suppliers within a couple of hours.
Quote from: HillBilly2 on September 28, 2017, 10:51:35 AM
Don't know where your at in WNC, but almost every county has a bee club who could direct you. You can get packages around the first of April, but order them by December. Nucs will not be available until mid May. Either way plan on feeding most of the first year.
I got my packages this year from Wild Mountain Bees in Weaverville. Friend went to Anderson SC to pick some up. There are probably a dozen suppliers within a couple of hours.
Thanks, Hillbilly! Wild Mountain is the closest recommendation I've gotten thus far. They are only about an hour east of me. Do you know of any other places around here that I could start looking into?
Here are the NC approved bee sellers:
http://www.ncagr.gov/plantindustry/plant/apiary/documents/PermitToSellBees2017.pdf (http://www.ncagr.gov/plantindustry/plant/apiary/documents/PermitToSellBees2017.pdf)
Quote from: HillBilly2 on September 30, 2017, 08:59:27 AM
Here are the NC approved bee sellers:
http://www.ncagr.gov/plantindustry/plant/apiary/documents/PermitToSellBees2017.pdf (http://www.ncagr.gov/plantindustry/plant/apiary/documents/PermitToSellBees2017.pdf)
Thanks a bunch! That is a great resource.
Some more resources:
https://growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu/growingsmallfarms-beelist/ (https://growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu/growingsmallfarms-beelist/)
Quote from: HillBilly2 on September 30, 2017, 08:30:05 PM
Some more resources:
https://growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu/growingsmallfarms-beelist/ (https://growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu/growingsmallfarms-beelist/)
I'll take anything you got! :grin:
If you haven't, give some serious thought to building and setting out swarm traps next year. This year, I placed 14 traps and caught a 16 swarms in the traps. (After I catch a swarm, I replace the trap) You can get a local stock of over-wintered bees this way. One sheet of plywood makes a couple of traps. Just a thought.
Quote from: chux on October 05, 2017, 09:46:37 AM
If you haven't, give some serious thought to building and setting out swarm traps next year. This year, I placed 14 traps and caught a 16 swarms in the traps. (After I catch a swarm, I replace the trap) You can get a local stock of over-wintered bees this way. One sheet of plywood makes a couple of traps. Just a thought.
I hadn't really given it serious thought, but you're right, why not take a stab at it. Got any tips for catching them?
A deep box is about the right size for a large swarm. I have a bunch of deep nucs but the large swarms won't use them.
Place one frame of old drawn comb in the box and fill the box with empty frames that have a thin strip of wood in the top slot, popsicle sticks will do.
Get a small jar of Lemon Grass Oil, put a drop of it on a q-tip, wipe it around the entrance, put the q-tip in a small baggy, seal it and drop it in the bottom of the box.
Set the hive about 6-8 feet of of the ground.
Good luck.
Jim
Saw dust is exactly right. I caught 60% last year, and I have a beek friend that caught 43 with 26 swarm traps He removes them the minute he finds them. I let them almost fill the box before I move and rehive or visa versa The surest way to keep them is rehive and let them get settled before you move them if possible. But don't wait until they fill the trap. Give them some ventilation in warm areas.
Catching swarms is a great way to increase your bee yard, but it brings some challenges to a new beekeeper. Having an old drawn comb to entice bees into a swarm trap is very hard to come by if you don't already have bees. Then you have to live in an area where there are other bee keepers who lose swarms. If you can't remember seeing swarms in the past then you will probably not catch too many.
Quote from: HillBilly2 on October 06, 2017, 12:49:28 PM
Catching swarms is a great way to increase your bee yard, but it brings some challenges to a new beekeeper. Having an old drawn comb to entice bees into a swarm trap is very hard to come by if you don't already have bees. Then you have to live in an area where there are other bee keepers who lose swarms. If you can't remember seeing swarms in the past then you will probably not catch too many.
I have never seen a swarm of bees in my whole life. :shocked: :sad: It might be something to try once I have the resources, but I certainly won't bank on catching any.
Quote from: sawdstmakr on October 06, 2017, 09:53:09 AM
A deep box is about the right size for a large swarm. I have a bunch of deep nucs but the large swarms won't use them.
I'm planning on using all mediums but I haven't purchased my woodenware yet. Should I get a couple deeps in case my own bees swarm?
Quote from: sawdstmakr on October 06, 2017, 09:53:09 AM
Get a small jar of Lemon Grass Oil, put a drop of it on a q-tip, wipe it around the entrance, put the q-tip in a small baggy, seal it and drop it in the bottom of the box.
Okay, someone is going to have to explain this part of the process. Why the lemon grass oil (something to do with pheromones, I presume?), and why do you seal it and then leave it in there? To someone who doesn't know anything at all about swarm catching, this sounds totally random. :grin:
Check out Jason Bruns' website. Letmbee. He is in Indiana, and knows how to do it. He tells you everything you need to know to build and place swarm traps. Old comb helps, but isn't required. Put a little lemon grass oil in the right size box in a tree, and you can catch a swarm. There are lots of bees in NC. I never saw a swarm in my life, until I started catching them. It is very simple. You can do it. They are in western NC. I know of at least one major commercial operation out that way, and there are tons of backyard beekeepers and sideliners. And bees in trees and old barns and such. The swarms are there.
Quote from: The15thMember on October 06, 2017, 08:17:16 PM
Quote from: HillBilly2 on October 06, 2017, 12:49:28 PM
Catching swarms is a great way to increase your bee yard, but it brings some challenges to a new beekeeper. Having an old drawn comb to entice bees into a swarm trap is very hard to come by if you don't already have bees. Then you have to live in an area where there are other bee keepers who lose swarms. If you can't remember seeing swarms in the past then you will probably not catch too many.
I have never seen a swarm of bees in my whole life. :shocked: :sad: It might be something to try once I have the resources, but I certainly won't bank on catching any.
Quote from: sawdstmakr on October 06, 2017, 09:53:09 AM
A deep box is about the right size for a large swarm. I have a bunch of deep nucs but the large swarms won't use them.
I'm planning on using all mediums but I haven't purchased my woodenware yet. Should I get a couple deeps in case my own bees swarm?
Quote from: sawdstmakr on October 06, 2017, 09:53:09 AM
Get a small jar of Lemon Grass Oil, put a drop of it on a q-tip, wipe it around the entrance, put the q-tip in a small baggy, seal it and drop it in the bottom of the box.
Okay, someone is going to have to explain this part of the process. Why the lemon grass oil (something to do with pheromones, I presume?), and why do you seal it and then leave it in there? To someone who doesn't know anything at all about swarm catching, this sounds totally random. :grin:
If you have all mediums, use 2 of them. My best swarm catcher is a stack of 5 mediums that, one day I decided to add a top entrance and added lemon grass oil and frames. I have caught 3 massive swarms in it already.
Lemon Grass Oil is almost the same exact chemical makeup of the pheromone that bees make for marking a possible hive location. When they find a suitable new home, they mark it and then tell other scouts the direction and distance. The scouts then fly to the designated area and then look for the the scent via smell.
The oil evaporates very quickly so we seal it in a baggie and the smell prelates slowly
Through the bag. If you put too much LGO in the trap it can drive the bees back out of the hive.
Jim
Quote from: chux on October 06, 2017, 10:02:33 PM
Check out Jason Bruns' website. Letmbee. He is in Indiana, and knows how to do it. He tells you everything you need to know to build and place swarm traps. Old comb helps, but isn't required. Put a little lemon grass oil in the right size box in a tree, and you can catch a swarm. There are lots of bees in NC. I never saw a swarm in my life, until I started catching them. It is very simple. You can do it. They are in western NC. I know of at least one major commercial operation out that way, and there are tons of backyard beekeepers and sideliners. And bees in trees and old barns and such. The swarms are there.
Thanks for the encouragement, chux. I'll give it a try. :happy:
Quote from: sawdstmakr on October 07, 2017, 12:21:41 AM
If you have all mediums, use 2 of them. My best swarm catcher is a stack of 5 mediums that, one day I decided to add a top entrance and added lemon grass oil and frames. I have caught 3 massive swarms in it already.
Lemon Grass Oil is almost the same exact chemical makeup of the pheromone that bees make for marking a possible hive location. When they find a suitable new home, they mark it and then tell other scouts the direction and distance. The scouts then fly to the designated area and then look for the the scent via smell.
The oil evaporates very quickly so we seal it in a baggie and the smell prelates slowly
Through the bag. If you put too much LGO in the trap it can drive the bees back out of the hive.
Jim
As Mr. Spock would say, fascinating. :cool: