garden nucs

[Mike Mundy]

An article today in our Kansas City Star newspaper suggested that lovers of gardening ought to try and draw honey bees to their yards to aid in pollination. I have lots of friends that garden and surley my bees travel as far as a few of their yards, but some live too far away. I wonder if it would be a good idea to make garden Nucs for them to keep... Is this a good idea for the bees? I have kept a Nuc each year so that I'd have a queen and brood on hand for emergencies. The colony doesn't do much honey production and I could always swap out the outer frames with empties to encourage activity in the gardens. Has anyone got advice or experience on this? I'd like to offer it as a service with a small charge or barter for my time. Thanks-

[Michael Bush]

Sure you can put nucs in gardens. How big of a nuc do you want to put there? Five deeps frames? Five medium frames? The smaller it is the more you'll have to tend to it so it doesn't swarm. The larger it is the less often you'll have to intervene.

[George Fergusson]

Sounds like a great idea! Like Michael said, a nuc would require more tending and maintainance than a larger hive but if you can get compensated for the time it could be well worth it, especially if you had a few in one area. Sort of like a bottled water business catering to people who want a water cooler in their office. Think scheduled visits. Restocking. Inventory.

People interested in having a small bee hive in their garden probably aren't looking at it from a cost/profit perspective so traditional pollination pricing/hive rental thinking goes out the window. It would also be a great educational and public relations opportunity. Making them really attractive- nicely painted, with little peaked copper covered roofs, why everyone would want one smile.gif

You might find it easier to think bigger than a typical 5 frame deep or medium nuc but smaller than a full sized hive, maybe a single 8 or 10 frame medium or deep- less maintainance, but you'd still have to keep your eye on `em.

George-

[Mike Mundy]

Thanks for your suggestions! Since I started keeping bees 4 years ago I've gotten 5 friends started. This will be another way to help spread the word that beekeeping is an exciting and rewarding hobby. I call it Extreme Ranching.

I think I've seen a peaked copper roof hive in a cataloge! Maybe I'll try that. I could start with a new queen and a small colony out of a strong hive. I think I'll use a full deep.

[chief]

I would make sure you give them nice bees. Other than that it sounds like a great idea. I hate to admit that I keep some bees I wouldn't give to my worst enemy. (They are feral bees that are showing great signs of being varroa resistant and thats the only reason the queens are still alive)

[Michael Bush]

If you have a hive in someones yard and it gets at all hot you can move the box behind the original space about ten feet or more and requeen it and put an empty at the old space and wait for the field bees to return. Then take the field bees home and combine them with another hive and move the old box back to the old spot. Instantly (well, in a couple of hours) nicer bees.

[George Fergusson]

Anne Marie (I think) posted a picture of her hive "by the sea" and I believe it had a peaked copper roof. I've seen them in catalogs too.

I've been thinking more about your idea- I'd try it myself except I'm not in the right area. You'd need a fairly upscale neighborhood, 2 car garages, etc. I'd have to travel quite a ways to find the right people interested in renting a small hive. Whitefield and it's surrounding area are anything but "upscale"... we're all pretty economically depressed, or cheap... wait a minute, there's Wiscasset... and Damariscotta.. and Manchester...

George-

[George Fergusson]

Doh! Donna Marie (sorry ma`am). Here's a link showing her really pretty hives:

http://www.blackortholux.com/imgfiles/Honeybees%20by-the-Sea.jpg

I *think* those have copper roofs.

BTW, along the same lines as your garden nuc idea Mike is renting observation hives. That might be fruitful.

George-