I started two new beehives

[Sloppy Mexican]

Now that Puppy has flown the nest, it’s time to restart one of my favorite hobbies. I just received two new boxes of bees with mated queens for my top-bar hives. These hives are different from hives most people are aware of, bought a kit and put them together. I also built the roof for each and had my kids paint an original design on each so the bees would recognize home.

I’ll try to keep the board updated on the bees progress. Here’s a pic of my setup.

 

[shiv]

Make sure you get @PawPower1981 over to take pictures of the bees.

 

[Mmal7777]

That’s an awesome hobby. My family keeps bee’s as a hobby and to pollinate their small garden.it’s a task; those fuckers are needy.
It’s a tough task. Good luck brother.

 

[Sloppy Mexican]

That’s an awesome hobby. My family keeps bee’s as a hobby and to pollinate their small garden.it’s a task; those fuckers are needy.
It’s a tough task. Good luck brother.

It can be tough. I’ve never kept more than a few colonies at once so I’ll try to keep em going.

 

[PawPower1981]

Make sure you get @PawPower1981 over to take pictures of the bees.

I do mothras also

 

[RJ2kWJ]

Now that Puppy has flown the nest, it’s time to restart one of my favorite hobbies. I just received two new boxes of bees with mated queens for my top-bar hives. These hives are different from hives most people are aware of, bought a kit and put them together. I also built the roof for each and had my kids paint an original design on each so the bees would recognize home.

I’ll try to keep the board updated on the bees progress. Here’s a pic of my setup.
View attachment 17995

I love what bees do. Can I have just one to put on a leash? I swear it’ll be fine. Looking forward to this thread almost as much as the last.

 

[Ttuplm05]

Explain these top bar hives

 

[hmt5000]

So would you say that you could effectively explain both the birds and the bees to us?

 

[Sloppy Mexican]

Explain these top bar hives

Basically the bees build comb suspended from wooden slats or bars. Each bar containing a comb where the queen lays eggs and nectar and honey are stored. This is a pretty cool video illustrating tob bar principles.

 

[quickfeet]

Hell yeah another @Sloppy Mexican thread

 

[Chris Farley]

 

[TJHall1]

Do owls eat bees?

 

[GreenNewMe]

I love this. It's great to see you care about the dying bee population.

 

[Cre8ive]

Way to go. Many people do not realize how critical honey bees are to life on this planet. You obviously do.

 

[GarnetPild]

Username checks out...we still doing that?

 

[Chris Farley]

Username checks out...we still doing that?

Any time I can incorporate a Farley gif, I do so!

 

[sclaw03]

Justed started a 10 frame hive last week:

 

[imprimis]

Way to go. Many people do not realize how critical honey bees are to life on this planet. You obviously do.

I'm amazed at the lack of beekeepers who want to harvest bee colonies. Most people just want bees that invade their homes to be killed. They gag at the costs to remove the colonies containing bees or removing the honeycomb after they have been killed.

 

[yankmenoodle]

Basically the bees build comb suspended from wooden slats or bars. Each bar containing a comb where the queen lays eggs and nectar and honey are stored. This is a pretty cool video illustrating tob bar principles.

"Respect the honey bee." I can't watch it.

 

[yankmenoodle]

Way to go. Many people do not realize how critical honey bees are to life on this planet. You obviously do.

GreenNewMe. This guys troll was better.

 

[Sloppy Mexican]

Justed started a 10 frame hive last week: View attachment 18066

Awesome! Please feel free to post updates itt.

 

[quickfeet]

Awesome! Please feel free to post updates itt.

What do you guys think this is? The Free Bee Forum?

 

[Sloppy Mexican]

What do you guys think this is? The Free Bee Forum?

 

[quickfeet]

View attachment 18269

I’m just kidding mane! Loved the last thread and looking forward to this one

 

[Sloppy Mexican]

I’m just kidding mane! Loved the last thread and looking forward to this one

I know bruh, just had to rag on you for that stellar joke.

 

[Renegadenole]

Fellow bee keeper here. I have three hives now and picking up a nuc later today to make it four. Also have queens on order from a local supplier for a few splits. Should be at 7 hives in about a month if all goes well.

 

[imprimis]

Fellow bee keeper here. I have three hives now and picking up a nuc later today to make it four. Also have queens on order from a local supplier for a few splits. Should be at 7 hives in about a month if all goes well.

You don't happen to live in Dallas?

I could give 4-5 beekeepers 2-3 colonies a year I'm asked to eliminate. Would love to find a beekeeper or two who wanted these AND property owner's who will pay the cost to remove the bees, remove the honeycomb and clean the residue. All want the bees gone but few want to pay to remove and clean up. It can cost plenty to repair the damage caused by an unremoved honeycomb with no bees to tend to the honey.

 

[Sloppy Mexican]

Fellow bee keeper here. I have three hives now and picking up a nuc later today to make it four. Also have queens on order from a local supplier for a few splits. Should be at 7 hives in about a month if all goes well.

That’s awesome, good work. You all Langstroth?

 

[scanodd]

You don't happen to live in Dallas?

I could give 4-5 beekeepers 2-3 colonies a year I'm asked to eliminate. Would love to find a beekeeper or two who wanted these AND property owner's who will pay the cost to remove the bees, remove the honeycomb and clean the residue. All want the bees gone but few want to pay to remove and clean up. It can cost plenty to repair the damage caused by an unremoved honeycomb with no bees to tend to the honey.

Ballpark, just curious?

 

[Renegadenole]

You don't happen to live in Dallas?

I could give 4-5 beekeepers 2-3 colonies a year I'm asked to eliminate. Would love to find a beekeeper or two who wanted these AND property owner's who will pay the cost to remove the bees, remove the honeycomb and clean the residue. All want the bees gone but few want to pay to remove and clean up. It can cost plenty to repair the damage caused by an unremoved honeycomb with no bees to tend to the honey.

Would be glad for the opportunity but I live in Ohio.

 

[Renegadenole]

That’s awesome, good work. You all Langstroth?

All 8 frame medium Langstroth. My back sucks to much for the heavy stuff.

 

[imprimis]

Ballpark, just curious?

It all depends on what one does and where the bees are. I removed a 5 x 10 foot section of ceiling and dropped over 400 pounds of honeycomb, honey, sheet rock and dead bees on plastic sheeting from an apartment 15 or so years ago and charged $950 and the maintenance people patched the ceiling and removed the mess on the tarp. That included steaming the joists to remove the remainder of the honey. Bees leave pheromones in their honeycombs. When the honeycomb is not removed it doesn't take long for another colony to move in and take over. Part of it likely has turned black and died but the bees will rebuild what it left and the homeowner is faced with this again a year or two later.

BTW, a bee colony is fascinating to see hanging between joists. There are 8-10 honeycombs aligned parallel to the joists with only enough room between each comb (1/2") for a bee to move around. The architecture is amazing.

 

[Sloppy Mexican]

Quick update for your Friday morning. I inspected both hives yesterday afternoon and as usual, I was amazed to see how quickly bees work. Both queens had been released from their cages and were already actively laying eggs in the brand new comb. These are going to be good bees - they’ve already build a good bit of new comb since being introduced to a brand new hive on Sunday.

When you purchase a package of bees, which is a screen box with a can of sugar water for food (pic below), the newly mated queen comes in a separate cage to give the workers time to accept her as their new queen. This cage is small, about 1x3 inches and is sealed with a candy plug. It takes the bees about 4 to 5 days to eat through this candy and release their new queen. This gives them time to build new comb so she can immediately lay new brood eggs. It’s basically a natural time release. Pretty damn cool.

 

[imprimis]

Quick update for your Friday morning. I inspected both hives yesterday afternoon and as usual, I was amazed to see how quickly bees work. Both queens had been released from their cages and were already actively laying eggs in the brand new comb. These are going to be good bees - they’ve already build a good bit of new comb since being introduced to a brand new hive on Sunday.

When you purchase a package of bees, which is a screen box with a can of sugar water for food (pic below), the newly mated queen comes in a separate cage to give the workers time to accept her as their new queen. This cage is small, about 1x3 inches and is sealed with a candy plug. It takes the bees about 4 to 5 days to eat through this candy and release their new queen. This gives them time to build new comb so she can immediately lay new brood eggs. It’s basically a natural time release. Pretty damn cool.
View attachment 18383View attachment 18384

It's amazing how fast bees can build a honeycomb. I've seen them land on a tree limb and by the next morning there was a honeycomb about the size of your open palm attached to the limb. Don't know why they built it on the limb and not find a void to go into. Most of the time swarms only stay overnight and then flies off.

 

[scanodd]

It all depends on what one does and where the bees are. I removed a 5 x 10 foot section of ceiling and dropped over 400 pounds of honeycomb, honey, sheet rock and dead bees on plastic sheeting from an apartment 15 or so years ago and charged $950 and the maintenance people patched the ceiling and removed the mess on the tarp. That included steaming the joists to remove the remainder of the honey. Bees leave pheromones in their honeycombs. When the honeycomb is not removed it doesn't take long for another colony to move in and take over. Part of it likely has turned black and died but the bees will rebuild what it left and the homeowner is faced with this again a year or two later.

BTW, a bee colony is fascinating to see hanging between joists. There are 8-10 honeycombs aligned parallel to the joists with only enough room between each comb (1/2") for a bee to move around. The architecture is amazing.

Thanks for the reply and info.

 

[imprimis]

Thanks for the reply and info.

That was just one job and it depends on many factors.

I recently was asked to remove a bee colony in an eave by a garage. I quoted $650 to eliminate the bees, remove the honeycomb and replace the soffit. I was turned down although the homeowner said I was the cheapest and they could not find a beekeeper. The bees are still there as I see them every time I drive by. They are going to have to pay someone as they are wanting to sell the house.

 

[22*43*51]

This would be me at every backyard party.

 

[Mud flap]

My wife keeps bees, last summer a hive split and I had no idea it was hanging under a low branch.

I drove under it with my lawnmower when the assault occurred. I took over 100 direct hits to my neck, face and ears. It was a miserable night sweating that venom out.

 

[imprimis]

My wife keeps bees, last summer a hive split and I had no idea it was hanging under a low branch.

I drove under it with my lawnmower when the assault occurred. I took over 100 direct hits to my neck, face and ears. It was a miserable night sweating that venom out.

Been there---done that.

 

[Cards1968]

Cool thread.