Beginner Questions

jbaumgardner · December 31, 2007, 07:23:50 PM

I am just getting started with beekeeping here in Peoria, Illinois. I would like to add beekeeping to my list of hobbies, and after reading up on it here is my initial plan. Please punch holes in it and center me on reality, if necessary.

I have a nice area surrounded by clover fields to place my hives (10-frame Langstroth's soon to be built). For the first year I am planning on having a couple hives ready and putting out 3-4 bait hives in various locations this spring. I'm inquiring about joining the local beekeeping organization to learn what I can in person, as well as absorbing the available books at the local library. My wife got me the ABC and XYZ..., and while it is great it is more of a reference than a beginner's guide. Can somebody suggest to me a good book that can walk me through this first year?

Should I pony up the money for package bees or stick with my current plan of bait hives? If I build 3-4 (or more?) bait hives according to Root's instructions in ABC and XYZ, do I stand a reasonable chance of success at catching a swarm or two? And if I do catch a couple swarms at successfully transfer them to my hives, how often will I need to be going out there to check on the hives?

mudlakee · December 31, 2007, 07:31:22 PM

Try Beekeeping For Dummies. Good Luck Tony

Michael Bush · December 31, 2007, 07:36:30 PM

>Should I pony up the money for package bees or stick with my current plan of bait hives?

If you want fish for dinner, you buy some fish. If you want the adventure of fishing, you fish.

Buy some package bees.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesferal.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnewbees.htm

More reading material:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesbasics.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beespests.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com

asprince · December 31, 2007, 07:46:30 PM

>If you want fish for dinner, you buy some fish. If you want the adventure of fishing, you fish.

>Buy some package bees.

Micheal, I love your reply. That is a classic.

jbaumgardner, Excellent advice from mudlakee and Michael. However you start, bee sure to have at least two hives at the same location.

Good luck, Steve

Kathyp · December 31, 2007, 08:27:28 PM

do both. buy a couple of packages and try for the swarms. if you don't catch anything, you won't have a disappointing first year and you'll have a year to learn. if you do catch some, you'll be that much farther ahead. last year, seems some areas had swarms all over the place. other areas, like mine, had very few.

johnnybigfish · December 31, 2007, 11:00:16 PM

Yep,... Buy and catch..I bought my first 2 packages last spring. Then I caught my first swarm in my own back yard! Then I got calls for catching more swarms! And I knew then about what you know now!
The beekeeping for dummies is the book that opened my eyes to what other books were trying to tell me. The other books, at first, were rather daunting to me but "Dummies" helped me understand what the other books were saying better.
After I got my first bees I looked in them alot as they are really close to my house. I had read to not look so often. I guess I can compare peeking at my bees was like peeking in the top of my parents closet for Christmas presents when i was a kid...Just couldnt help myself!
I think at first, with package bees at least, the place i got them from recommended me to look every 7 to 10 days.
I am in a local bee club but I havent been back in about 3 months. No particular reason for not going. I think a person should go to a local bee club, especially if you need to know someone with hands on experience. For me, I have a friend who I used to fish with who tells me things and would come over if I asked him to. And then theres "This Place"!! You'll get lots of help from here, and the people are nice! Sometimes I've seen a little arguing but it never seems to get out of hand..I think you'll like it here!
Anyways, I gotta go eat now...Good luck and have fun with the bees!
your friend,
john

jbaumgardner · January 01, 2008, 10:17:33 AM

Thank you all for your help. The information and links are providing me with a lot of good reading. I'll definitly keep up with this website in the future, it is great.

Cindi · January 01, 2008, 10:47:43 AM

jbaumgardner. Welcome to our forum, you have already discovered it is a great place to spend some time and get some wonderful advice. Yep, stay here many times, enjoy your stay, so many seasoned beekeepers and so many new ones too. We all have that important space in time.

John, I totally think that for the first year of keeping bees, it is important to go into the hives as often as one feels that they need to. The supplier of your bees said every 7-10 days -- that is probably correct.

But.....I am of the mind that it is more important to get to know your bees. How they live, how they work and what the hives look like inside and outside. Disturbing the bees too much is not really a great thing to do, but I 100% believe to take great care of bees, one really needs to know everything they can about them. And...this means going into the hives frequently. If it sets them back a little, so be it. The knowledge that the beekeeper gains by observing these beauties of nature will assist the bees even better come the second year of the beekeeping experiences.

The first year of my beekeeping, I was looking inside the hive every couple of days. My curiosity was intense and I could not help myself, I was compelled. That first year my three colonies went well into winter, overwintered wonderfully, I built them up the next year and bought more packages. If they were set back from me being a nosey parker that first year, they sure didn't act like it. That year was a wonderful year of gleaning knowledge of the bees through intense hands-on experience. Lovin' it, have the best and most wonderful day. Observe your bees lots, my strongest advice. Cindi

annette · January 01, 2008, 06:14:54 PM

I went into my hives once a week the first year, because I wanted to stay on top of what was happening with them. It was amazing how much they did in one week and I felt that I could keep on top of the situation watching them like this.

I liked starting with the package bees, because you see how it all starts from the very beginning. Well, yes the swarms would be the same situation (only better because they are ready to get going).

Have fun but be prepared for obstacles. It is not all fun and games. The bees come first. I had to drag myself up to the hives sometimes to work with them when I was not in the mood. But I have to give them what they need, when they need it.

I truly love these little creatures and have gotten very attached to them, as we all do here on this forum. They become like your favorite pet.

Good luck
Annette

tig · January 01, 2008, 08:27:17 PM

when you start with a swarm, package or nuc, initially you would have to make several visits. in a package you would have to check that the queen is released and remove the queen cage if so, then check and probably feed. if theres no nectar flow, you would have to feed quite often so they can build up. the same would probably be true with a swarm since they would also have to build up and a nuc. anytime you start with something new, you would have to make several visits to see how they are getting along and adding frames or food.

normally you don't want to be opening the hives very often because each time you do, you destroy the harmony inside and it sets them back one full day. more so if you move the frames around. plus you increase the chances of crushing your queen accidentaly. 7-10 days is a good rule of thumb if the hives are strong and well established.

i agree for starters get some packages or nucs to start with and try and capture the rest for apiary expansion. and another good book to read is The Hive and the Honeybee which is sold by Dadant and sons....very informative reading.