Worldwide Beekeeping
Beekeeping => General Beekeeping => Topic started by: LindsayBrower1 on May 27, 2014, 09:47:36 pm
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Hey everyone I wanted to give an update on becoming a beekeeper! I received my nucs at the end of April and Im so glad I took the advice of getting 2... Im in the process of re-queening a hive that is struggling to make much progress with building wax. Making comparisons against each other has been so helpful! And of course having an experienced beekeeper Im able to pester with questions and advice makes life a lot less stressful too! Thanks Rob Overton :) ;D C:-) I absolutely love having the bees! They are so fascinating, I thoroughly enjoy them even after a few stings :-[
Here are a few pics I happen to have so far
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs10.postimg.cc%2Fu3byo48it%2Fimage.jpg&hash=cfd50479dbfed57f430db867dea2cc7b6aabd6d9) (http://postimg.cc/image/u3byo48it/)
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs30.postimg.cc%2Fukefypcct%2Fimage.jpg&hash=485e14a3ea9b44263ff81f233181df4b753541bd) (http://postimg.cc/image/ukefypcct/)
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs21.postimg.cc%2F5ev6nbw77%2Fimage.jpg&hash=48ec49a8bf11bdd5ede987733a9a9444b764c170) (http://postimg.cc/image/5ev6nbw77/)
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs28.postimg.cc%2Fo2vzypgdl%2Fimage.jpg&hash=2e94dea4a00a4d8e95f4b2423a150cd8ce74e30b) (http://postimg.cc/image/o2vzypgdl/)
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hey lindsay!!!
where have you been?! AWESOME PHOTOS!!! love the first one and the expression on your face! love the bear fence, the chickens, the pool party, and the bees, very cool!
about rob?......absolutely!
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That is a nice looking bee yard. Good job.
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Riverbee!! I know I felt like I had to give an update! Spring has been a busy one for me... And thank you! All these additions to my life have made my days a little brighter ;D Glad you enjoyed my pics! And yes Rob.. He deserves a huge shout out. He's GREAT! He even came to my house to help me install my nucs and mark my queens. I worked in his bee yard sunday, Im just very thankful!
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rcannon- Thank you! ;D
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I can see how it would be a busy spring with those new chicks and ducks and bees! Not only that, but it appears you have young children. Congratulations!
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Excellent! Especially like the bee icon on the front of the hives!
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Awesome pics!
(I hope it's not too late, but, one of your chicks is outside the fence). :laugh:
Thanks for the update.
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Very nice Lindsay! The chickens will intercept a lot of the little critters that might like to get into your hives and they will keep the dead bees and anything else the housekeeper bees toss out tidied up. One thing to be careful about, though, is that bees have been known to attack livestock, including chickens, that were perceived as threatening.
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tbonekel- That sums it up! I rarely have "down time" with my two children who are 4 and 2. The 2 year old really gives me a run for my money!! Thank you :D
blueblood- Thank you! I made the stencil and then painted it with spray paint, it was easy.
Perry- haha :laugh: That little bantom silkie could still squeeze through the fence... They are rarely in their run though, they free range all over the place. I've only lost 2 of 16 so far, one to a hawk ( so I think) while I was out hanging swarm traps, and another to bumble foot. I've got guinea hens coming soon as well!
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DMLinton- I have heard that! So far no issues at all.. The chickens don't pay much mind to them at all. I put fencing in between them to keep the chickens and bees separate but I haven't needed to close it yet. Worse comes to worse we will have chciken dinner and I didn;t have to do any of the dirty work :D
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I like your outlook and perspective, Linsay!
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Getting your queens marked was a good move. Looking at the whole frames covered with bees, they seem to jump out at you. No searching needed. you'll appreciate that more and more as the populations grow. When in the future you have some hives with unmarked queens you'll know just what I mean.
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Marking that tiger striped queen will help find her. They can be a bear to find when they have stripes like that.
Great pictures, and dont feel bad when Life yanks you away. I am pretty swamped right now, not much time to get on the forum. Happens to us all once in a while. Looks like a great place you have going. Keep the pics and updates coming.
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In strong colonies even marked queens are difficult to find, with all the workers climbing all over everything. while its nice to find her, as long as you can find all stages of brood, I'm happy.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
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I may just have to create a unique icon for my and stencil it on my hives. Serves two purposes, it's cool for one and the other, unique identifier.
I remember reading somewhere here on the web that chickens, are believe it or not, smart enough to avoid the forager and eat the drones. Not sure on the authenticity of that statement but like I said, read over it somewhere.
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Marking that tiger striped queen will help find her. They can be a bear to find when they have stripes like that.
Great pictures, and dont feel bad when Life yanks you away. I am pretty swamped right now, not much time to get on the forum. Happens to us all once in a while. Looks like a great place you have going. Keep the pics and updates coming.
Yes she was a hard one for my eyes to spot... we are replacing her though. I wasn't very impressed with that colony drawing out comb, they were way behind my other hive. And thank you!
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Marking that tiger striped queen will help find her. They can be a bear to find when they have stripes like that.
Great pictures, and dont feel bad when Life yanks you away. I am pretty swamped right now, not much time to get on the forum. Happens to us all once in a while. Looks like a great place you have going. Keep the pics and updates coming.
Exactly! Now I just look for eggs if I don't spot her. :yes:
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I may just have to create a unique icon for my and stencil it on my hives. Serves two purposes, it's cool for one and the other, unique identifier.
I remember reading somewhere here on the web that chickens, are believe it or not, smart enough to avoid the forager and eat the drones. Not sure on the authenticity of that statement but like I said, read over it somewhere.
Thats very interesting information about the chickens! Ill have to look it up. My chickens tend to avoid them all together but occasionally pick around the ground in there.
The way I did it was trace an image I liked by taping a piece of paper to my laptop, and turning the brightness as high as it would go. Trace the image on the paper and then you can take it off the computer. After that I placed a very thin piece of plastic over the paper and repeated the tracing process. When thats finished just carefully cut it out with a razor blade. This image is better for seeing the icon.
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs27.postimg.cc%2Fnmlj5uqmn%2Fhive.jpg&hash=3b3919174cc9716f1401b586171f28914530babe) (http://postimg.cc/image/nmlj5uqmn/)
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That looks great!
I have been toying with the idea of branding my boxes... I have a friend who creates them, just need to decide on design...
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That looks great!
I have been toying with the idea of branding my boxes... I have a friend who creates them, just need to decide on design...
That would be neat! Post pics if you decide to do it!!
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This question deserves a thread of its' own, but it is in place here too: Does anyone know of an individual or a firm that commercially makes branding irons for woodwork that could be used for branding hives?
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An actual branded hive would be so cool!
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I brand all my boxes!
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi207.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fbb207%2FBeeracuda%2F2013-03-17183511_zpscd1fe72e.jpg&hash=9861139d8e9a3907511aa4d81f32b8f5542a7496)
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lindsey love it!
okay did you burn this image into the hive? looks like it, what did you use?
my father and brothers are all welders and have offered to make a branding iron for me for my hives but have never taken them up on this......but.......bears can't read........ :D
ps cool beeracuda!
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In most bee acts it states that the hives must have the identification of the owner on the hives or yard. The hobbits hives are identified by the fact that they are left in the one location most of the time on the beekeepers own land, so no further identification is required. Once a beekeeper gets to a point there hives are being kept in out yards away from the identifiable property of the beekeeper the hives of yard should be marked. Once hives are being places in areas that are not secure or guarded more predominant markings such as branding will make you equipment identifiable to other beekeepers and inspectors. there are beekeepers that brand every frame as well as all boxes covers and bottom boards.
Efmesh Mann Lake stokes / gets branding head casts made for beekeepers.http://www.mannlakeltd.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=mannlake&Screen=SRCH&sType=1&Search=branding#!HD-030/0/ (http://www.mannlakeltd.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=mannlake&Screen=SRCH&sType=1&Search=branding#!HD-030/0/)
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I've had a branding iron since a very early age to mark the woodworking projects I've made. It's torch-heated. I believe I only paid about $30 for at the time. It's my first initial, last name. I'll eventually upgrade to something a bit fancier, but I will be using that to mark my equipment at some point. It's a great idea. I certainly recommend shopping around, though. This place offers a variety of sizes and a great assortment of price ranges:
http://www.brandnew.net/estore/shopdisplaycategories.asp?id=3&cat=Custom+Irons&gclid=CLHxrouj1L4CFXTl7AoddEQA1w
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If I get a brand, it will more than likely have something to do with Rock n Roll. Cause My Bees Rock!
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and you roll jen......... :D
i have no need to mark my hives as they are stationary and behind a 'fortress'. i don't move my hives around, i have occasionally to local apple orchards, but this has been a great deal of work and effort on my part, not to mention the work on e fencing because of the bears. i quit doing it. also i didn't worry too much about my hives being stolen then, i was more concerned about bears....but more concerned about the local juvenile delinquents blowing holes in the hives. for some reason the jd's blow holes in the windows of the outbuildings and shoot up or take out the mailbox on a frequent basis, and many other nefarious activities but leave my hives alone.