Hello!

[VincentGrey]

Hello.

My name's Vince* and I will be becoming a beekeeper in a few months. Right now my experience is that I've read some of a single book, so, not much. Come February, 2013, I will be moving with my landlords from the US to Panama. Once we get there, we're hoping to have enclosed Apiaries for very specific types of honey**. Now, right now we're just thinking about how to care for the bees, but a lot of what we are planning requires knowing the land we'll be keeping them on.

I plan to do a lot of watching and reading via these forums, so if you feel there is something important I need to know (and I'll be doing my best to find it myself) then be sure to scoot me in the right direction.



*: My name is kinda obvious, given my screen name...
**: I've been told it's not practical to be able to net in bees to keep them confined to certain plant types.

[Bee Curious]

Welcome, Vince! 
I am eagerly waiting for next spring to set up my first hive too.  Keep reading--there's a lot of good bee books out there.  And reading will create lots of questions in your mind.  You've come to the right place to find answers.  First try the search function and you'll usually get plenty of info on the subject you are wondering about.  If you don't find the answer, just post a question and you'll have plenty of answers soon.

[VincentGrey]

Welcome, Vince! 
I am eagerly waiting for next spring to set up my first hive too.  Keep reading--there's a lot of good bee books out there.  And reading will create lots of questions in your mind.  You've come to the right place to find answers.  First try the search function and you'll usually get plenty of info on the subject you are wondering about.  If you don't find the answer, just post a question and you'll have plenty of answers soon.

Thanks, BC!

[Joe D]

Welcome to the forum, Vince.  Good luck to you and your bees.




Joe

[BeeMaster2]

Welcome to the forum, Vince. Are you planning on raising African Bees in Panama or is that why you are only going to work your bees in an enclosed area?  Is your landlord an experienced beek?
Jim

[VincentGrey]

I plan on using LOCAL bees, and no, he's not experienced.... none of us are :/ We were planning to enclose to ensure 'pure' flavors. But we likely won't end up enclosing, due to the sheer amount of area bees need.

[BeeMaster2]

Panama Central America has African bees, probable the main bee there. You can manage them but do not try to do it without having an instructor teach you how to do it. With the proper techniques you can open a AHB hive and do a full inspection but make one wrong move and you will have the whole hive after you. Be sure to get a good full body vented suite here in the states before you go. You should really spend some time here with European bees before trying to work AHB's.
Jim

[VincentGrey]

Hmm, good to know. I might consider looking at nicer bees, if the ABH prove to be too aggressive. I will get that suite, if I can, or I will make my own (I have a background in Fashion Design).... Once I can see the type of fabric they use, I'd easily be able to whip up something that works for me.

[BeeMaster2]

I spent a little time in Panama. The weather  is hot and humid. One problem you will have is  rain. Their annual rain fall is measured in feet not inches. Do not try to open a hive in the rain.  Even Italian bees can get pretty pissy in the rain, AHB' will not tolerate it. Even with full suits, when AHB's empty the hive on you, you have to bail out.
At the conference in Tampa last month, there were several vender's with vented suits. The one I liked had 3 layers. The inner and outer layers were a 1/8 inch mesh, the middle layer was a 1/2 mesh. Th whole suit was made with these materials. I think it was D and J Apiary, Umatilla FL. That had the suit.
Jim