Howdy from northern California

kustomizer · February 12, 2009, 12:41:16 AM

I had a job years ago with a small apiary raising queens and sending them all over, I spent a lot of my time there moving bees around the state to pollinate crops, and building frames and boxes. It was a fun job and I have missed watching the bees. I have 25 acres in the foothills 70 miles east of Sacramento where we live and operate a solar powered machine shop. We have a few chickens for bug/weed control, 17 goats who work every day cleaning up underbrush, a huge white dog who keeps the mountain lions from eating the goats, and a Rotty that keeps my wife happy by always being under her feet.
I have been wanting to have a few bees for some time and keep forgetting to order them, well this year I got them on their way and am busy building boxes and painting stuff, reading books, and beekeeping stuff on the internet. I ordered 4, three pound packages with Italian queens, and will have their hotels ready when they show up.
We were helping a rancher friend brand cattle the other day and we gor to talking about the bees, he and several other cowboys want to come by next spring to help us with the round up and branding of the bees, so I had best get back in the shop as it seems I have several tiny branding irons to get built. Although from what I could tell the cattle branding was more about the historic process and drinking beer than the result, and unless you were a calf, it was a lot of fun.

JP · February 12, 2009, 12:45:40 AM

There's gonna be a lot of branding going on. You gonna brand all 36,000 of 'em? Welcome aboard.

...JP

kustomizer · February 12, 2009, 12:55:30 AM

I think I will work on the drinking part and let the pro's do the rounding up and branding, at least for the first year so I can see how it is done.

BjornBee · February 12, 2009, 02:10:12 PM

Nice intro.

I'd think twice about branding them. I did that once, and someone found out it was my bee that stung them. So now, I just name each one. I can stand at the entrance and call out their names, and wouldn't you know it, each and every time, a bee by that very name shows up and lands on the front.

Once I got lazy and did the whole George Foreman thing, and called them all by the same name. Seems that I confused them, and half the bees thought I was calling them out of the hive. They ended up swarming.... :roll:

JP · February 12, 2009, 05:41:50 PM

Now Mike, you really should know better than to name all the girls in your hive George! :-D Mine are named Bea.

...JP

1reb · February 12, 2009, 09:33:17 PM

Hello and Welcome kustomizer
There is alot of great information on the forum !!
The members here are willing help and answer your questions, all you need to do is to ask
Johnny

Brian D. Bray · February 12, 2009, 11:35:19 PM

Yes branding can become a liability if someone is stung the they can trace the bee back to you. I'm now busy trying to train my bees to sit, play dead, roll over, stay, and come when I call. They just don't seem to understand the play dead part, they think it means sting so I don't know what I'm going to do when I get to "sic' 'em."

kustomizer · February 12, 2009, 11:58:58 PM

I guess that is why we invented the running ( or in this case the flying ) brand. you have to keep in mind it is all about the experiance, and the drinking while you have the experiance. All of the sudden I have the need to head for the beach.

Cindi · February 13, 2009, 12:10:50 PM

Kustomizer, welcome to our forum, and that was an interesting introduction, I might say. You are up to some very interesting stuff. Now, wait until you get your bees, you ain't seen nuthin' yet. This will be a place where you can learn, ask questions, all questions are important, a place to tell your tales, stories and experiences (and it sounds like you will have many, hee, hee, smiling). You will also make some new friends, we are a great group of people, this you will see. Have a most wonderful, awesome day and life, great health. Cindi