Suggestions

[Shawn]

A doctor friend of mine wants to have a hive aset up on his property for his apple orchard. He is only around three days a week and spends the rest of the time in the mountains. He is willing to buy what ever but may not have time to check on the bees regularly. He also does not want people on his property messing around. I suggested he just buy two deep hives and two shallow suppers with european bees From what I have read and what you guys have suggested for me I think the european's pretty much take care of them selves in regards to raising queens when needed. I also suggested Russians for the fact that they show signs of resistances to mites and he "might not" have to medicate. I did tell him the russians tend to swarm according to other people and books so he would need to check to make sure is colony is still there. He told me he is not interested in honey and only wants the bees for pollination.

Now for your part. Anyone have suggestions on what a part time bekeper might want to get, types of hives or bees.

[doak]

As for swarming, any bees will swarm, swarm and swarm again.
If he is not going to work the bees and do what he should do as a beekeeper, He needs to pay some one pollination fees.He only wants pollination.
If he wants to do it his-self,He would only have to see them once a week in the spring and during harvest. If he doesn't want the honey and doesn't want anyone "messing" around on his property, he needs two or three deeps with at least 4 mediums. Then you need to tell him if he leaves the full supers of honey on he is asking for all kind things to happen. All these things come under the "Title" (Disaster) for his equipment and his bees.
Bees do OK  left to their own in their on habitat. They will not do the same in man's habit if left to their own.
You need to explain to him what has to take place with be hives/colonies.
Explain to him the difference between a Bee Keeper and a Bee Haver.
Sounds like he wants to be a Bee haver.
And believe me, Be Havers do make True Hobby Bee Keepers look bad.
Best I can do. Don't mean to sound so mean sounding and be so blunt but this is(COLD HARD FACTS).
:'(doak

[Kathyp]

maybe he can find someone local who would put hives there for free during the time he need them.

lots of people keep bees in out yards and only visit them once a week or so, but they still need some care and attention.  look at this year and how many of us are feeding.  my bees would probably have taken off in search of food if i had not tended to them.  also, untended hives that carry disease or might carry heavy mite loads would be unfair to those around who do take care of their bees.

[sean]

do the "people" include you? if not why not let him buy the equipment you do the managing and reap the honey, plus you'd have an additional spot to place your bees

[Shawn]

True, I thought of asking to put my hive out there but it is about a 25 minute drive each way. Its not far but with the price of gas it is far. I would like my hive close so I can sit outside, drink my coffee, and watch the bees work. I find it very relaxing. Im not really worried about food for the bees because he too has high numbers of sunflowers, hay fields, and other sources for the bees. We are going to tranplant lots of raspberry plants out to his property.

[Old Timer]

you should put a hive or two of your own there and charge the doctor. i'm sure he has the money. let him know that if he buys bees and equipment that it would cost a lot more than renting a few of your hives. this way you won't be out the gasoline expense. if he does buy bees and not care for them, they could develop disease and spread it to other peoples' bees, die out from parasites, swarm them selves to death, etc... but not caring for the bees in a timely manner, he could have to buy new packages every year and/or equipment. i personally feel it is totally irresponsible of any one to have bees and not properly care for them.  if he did get any, who do you think would be driving out there to hive them and check on them. probably you. how much will you be reimbursed. probably nothing. so save yourself some time and money and just rent him a few of yours for a few weeks while the apples are in bloom so he can avoid having uncared for bees.

[UtahBees]

you should put a hive or two of your own there and charge the doctor. i'm sure he has the money. let him know that if he buys bees and equipment that it would cost a lot more than renting a few of your hives.

Great advice. My brother-in-law did this, this year, and had good success with the relationship. As a latter of fact, he saw the bees less than once per week, but 2-3 times during a month, and had good success.

You just decide to take 2 hrs on a Saturday to go see your hive, make sure everything is OK (bringing all you equipment and spare supers). The benefactors commented that they had never seen so many fruit, so early, and so delicious. Let the doctor know that he'll need to worry more about pruning this next year than he ever has - so for him to worry about the trees is his highest priority, and your priority is to take care of the bees and reap the honey.

The year after this one, expect his neighbors to ask you for a hive or two for their orchards.

Good luck!

UtahBees

[Cindi]

UtahBees.  As an aside.  You spoke of the dude pruning next year more than ever.  Can you elaborate on this a little further.  I have a couple of fruit trees. I know nothing of pruning trees.  My expertise lies in the horticulture area of plant and seed propagation.

I understand fruit trees require pruning, but do you know to what extent the importance of proper pruning is?  I really need to know this information to work the fruit trees on my property properly.  I only have a couple of apple trees, cherry, but I need to help them out.  The other fruits I can deal with with the yearly upkeep, but need assistance with apple and cherry.  Have an excellent and wonderful day and life.  Cindi

[Old Timer]

cindi, you might want to consider doing some grafts on those apple trees too.

[Brian D. Bray]

With bees for pollenation in close proximity to the orchard they will have more fruit than ever before.  A heavily branched tree will suffer from a lot of broken limbs due to the weight overload.  Thin the trees removing spindlely branches and shorten others so that the total weight on a limb will not cause it the break at the trunk, which can kill the tree by allowing it to rot from the inside out in just a few years.

[Cindi]

Old Timer, I do not understand why to graft?  I have not experimented with grafting, but I know it is not that hard to do.  I air-layer plants in my home, I think that grafting is similar.  Please elaborate on your comment.

Brian, yes, keeping the branches short, so not to burden the tree with excess fruit on "long" limbs, makes complete sense.  I do minute amounts of pruning, probably not very well.  But what I do know is that:  remove all crossing (touching) branches, open up the interior of the tree to allow air flow.  That is about the depth of my knowledge, minute.  I need to learn more.

Have a wonderful and beautiful day in our great life.  Cindi

[Brian D. Bray]

If left alone branches can become unweildy.  This past winter I had to prune several large limbs back because they had grown to the point that the only thing holding them up was a sagging fence (the fence was sagging because of the weight of the limbs).  Opening up the center of the tree can help.

The primary rule in pruning smaller branches is, remove 1, cut 1 in 1/2, leave 1, repeat.  That is for general year to year pruning when it is done annually. If it has been several years since the trees have been pruned it can be better to forego the next years crop and prune severely--which is what I had to do.

[Cindi]

Brian.  Good, I don't fully understand yet, but I am getting a glimpse into what may be required.  My cherry tree has not been pruned properly, ever, it is about 15 years old.  I have in years past now and then, just wacked it down to a livable size.  For two years I have done nothing and it looks like a piece of crap and didn't even get a cherry this year.  I am going to do some hard work with this poor ol' tree, maybe reviving it from the brink of the outer space.  That is what it looks like, so huge and ugly as the day is long!!!!!  Beautiful and greatest of this day.  Cindi

[Brian D. Bray]

Cindi, do some online research: Google Pruning.  Go to online nurseries like Starks, etc., and see what they advise on pruning, or go to your local library.

Your cherry tree sounds like my apple trees.  All limbs and no fruit.  Fruit grows on new (last years) growth so if a tree isn't pruned it will adventually quit producing because there is no longer any place for new branches to grow from.  I would recommend removing 90% of your non-main branches and cutting the remainder back.  It won't bear fruit next year either but you will see a lot of new growth, prune those per my last post, and you'll have lots of fruit on that tree the following year as well as more new growth. The next year prune out (remove) the longer shoots and cut the new ones in 1/2, the following year remove the branches that were 1/2d the first time. Repeat.

[Cindi]

Brian, beauty, now I seem to be catching onto what you are saying.  100% good sense, and yes, I have another adventure for learning this wintertime.  I know the window for pruning is not that long eh?  After leaf fall, and before the new buds begin to grow for next year.  I would venture this would mean, no pruning after around the middle of January.  I will do some research soon.  Have a wonderful day, best of this great life we live.  Cindi

[Old Timer]

>Old Timer, I do not understand why to graft? Please elaborate on your comment.


http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG0532.html#what

[Scadsobees]

If your friend don't care about the honey, then maybe he can purchase the hives, but if you maintain them occasionally during the year (2or3 hive checks, pull honey and medicate if needed in the fall) then you get the honey!

Pruning...grafting...

As far as grafting, if you purchased your trees, they probably have the cultivar already grafted on that you want.  If you want to try some other stuff, it is fun to graft on to them and mix it up a little with different varieties.

Pruning....I have 2 old tart cherry trees that never produced hardly any cherries (tons of flowers).  I got a beehive and they were so heavy with fruit that now after 3 years they are 1/2 the size they were...so many branches broke off.  Every year I'd lose a major branch or two (the kids climbing in them didn't help any...).

Rick

[sean]

Shawn, visits once or twice a month, more honey(you can sell), experience and apples  :evil: