My bees are gone

[Ben Framed]

Even though you don't plan on keeping bees, will you remain a member on our forum?

I don't plan on quitting the forum.  I am going to have to learn all over again to be successful in FL with bees.  I am going to have to pay more attention to the posts from the south and less from the north.  Back to being a newbie you might say.  I wasn't much more than that to begin with.

Glad to hear that... I feel  certain that you will do very well. Once you are reestablished and settled with your new home,  I bet it won't be long before you are back in the bee business !!  Wishing you and your family the best !! 

[Acebird]

Thanks a lot Ben.

[iddee]

""I wasn't much more than that to begin with.""

Whatta ya mean "wasn't"?      

Just cause you're moving south doesn't mean I'm cutting you any slack.   

[beepro]

You don't have to find a bee partner to start again 2 hives.  Start small and see what drones you
have when making splits in your local area.   If they are mean bees then hook up with the local
bee club to source their gentle bees to keep.   It is still doable and not completely over yet. 

Also, next time you are close to a hive, whether or not you are the hive inspector, put on a full vented
bee suit.   This way you don't have to run away and cut your head or other body part.   Remember, a veil is better than
having nothing on!  Rule #1 of beekeeping from now on.

[Acebird]

Also, next time you are close to a hive, whether or not you are the hive inspector, put on a full vented
bee suit.

I wasn't next to the hive.  The beekeeper covered in bees with a veil on walked over to me.  He never gave it a thought what he was doing.  I don't think I will ever wear a full suit.
If it is one thing I have learned it is hard for a backyard beek to stay small.  If you try to stay at just 2 hives there will be times of being bee less or times you have 4 hives.  I built up to 4 hives of all medium equipment.  So 24 boxes and nearly 200 frames.  That is probably what you are going to need to maintain 2-3 hives.  At least that is what I had to do.  Maybe I can learn a new way to just keep two hives.

[Dallasbeek]

It's an opportunity to learn a new way, like top bar hives.  With a tbh, you only expose part of the hive at a time, so you don't have the whole bunch coming at you at once.  I have a TBH body and bars almost ready to go when I get another swarm.  Looking forward to trying that.

[Acebird]

I see two groups of beekeepers with TBH's  Those that are micro managers and want to control the bees and those that want very little interaction with the bees.  I am in between.

[Dallasbeek]

That may be a good place to be.

[Michael Bush]

Most of the people with nice bees in AHB areas are not buying queens, but they are also not afraid to requeen with queens from their nicer hives.

[Ben Framed]

Most of the people with nice bees in AHB areas are not buying queens, but they are also not afraid to requeen with queens from their nicer hives.

Michael, educate  me 😁.  The people in AHB areas are not buying nice queens, this brings a question. If the virgin queens from these  nice hives mate with AHB drones, what will the results from the mated queen be. They will definitely be a cross but which way will they go? Sometimes nice, and sometimes mean? Or some other answer? Thanks Phillip

[Michael Bush]

The only vicious bees I find are F1 crosses.  AHB that I have seen in New Mexico, Arizona, the Virgin Islands etc. have bee workable.  It's the F1 crosses with European bees that are unworkable.  Breeding from the local bees that are nice is the best way I've seen to avoid unworkable bees.