Newbie trying to find alternative ways to get involved with beekeeping

[AUXCOM]

For those of you that are on a VERY low budget...lol

I sent out email to various local universities here in FL and asked if there was the possibility of finding some to donate a hive. Lo and behold...someone passed my request along the "net" and I was able to pick up a donated hive (2 deeps, 10 frames each) with a nice Italian queen.

It was already inspected by the state (as required in FL) so all I have to do was go get it!!

If you do it this way...make sure you strap the hive together very carefully!!!! You don't want to be seen going down the highway wearing your bee suit....lol

Bobby

[Acebird]

I wonder if catching a swarm would be analogous to "first one's free" and I will be saddled with an incurable addiction?

It's happened before.

[Rader Sidetrack]

VA just passed a law providing a grant of $200 per hive for anyone starting a new hive in 2013 and beyond.

More info on this here:
http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/news/r...ivegrant.shtml

[urbanoutlaw]

[Deleted] - not sure how to delete post.

[urbanoutlaw]

As you may know, looks like the grant may be history. Luckily I made a few sales on CL and things are looking good (had some cool hobbies in a past life).

Now that we have some seed money, bought plywood for the nucs/boxes and cut them using a circular saw. Is there a trick to nailing the pieces together? Seems like I'm trying to nail rocks together -- are these things intended to be nailed together with a staple/nail gun?

[Acebird]

When you are trying to make a corner joint with plywood it is easier and stronger if you glue / nail a 3/4 sq piece of pine on one of the pieces. I would put it on the front and back pieces. You can then nail better or use a drywall screw into the pine to hold the side pieces together.

[urbanoutlaw]

I should take this to the equipment forum, but thanks for the tip.

I haven't done much in the way of woodworking and don't recall having worked with plywood before.

[Che Guebuddha]

Im building my Top Bar Hives from reclaimed pallets so it costs me nothing. Building TBHs is way too easy. If there are cracks in the hive the bees will propolise it, so no worries if you are not a skilled woodworker
I started my beekeeping journey last year thanks to reading Phil Chandler's book The Barefoot Beekeeper - Low cost Beeekeeping.

http://www.biobees.com/how_to_start_beekeeping.php

I find that Michael Bush's way of building Kenya Top Bar Hives is by far the fastest and easiest
Click on the first 3 pictures please;
http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopbarhives.htm
He uses top entrance and a very simple roofing (check on his site)

Good luck

[AUXCOM]

Finishing up my "cheap" storage bin TBH from stuff lying around the sheds.....lol

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8994153...in/photostream

[RAFAEL/PR]

Finishing up my "cheap" storage bin TBH from stuff lying around the sheds.....lol

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8994153...in/photostream

nice idea, you need to get some sand paper and rough up the inside surface so the bees have a easy time getting around ,shining plastic don't let bee grab on the surface to good, also cover anything that look like a hole or cave, it a good place for wax moth and beetle to hide, even a mouse! good luck

[urbanoutlaw]

Not-So-Quick update:

Hives: We ended up buying new, unassembled Langstroth. With the possibility of relocation in the not-so-far future, I wanted hives that are easily transported. My father is also interested in trying his hand at building some hives. I had some unexpected medical expenses, so we need to be a little more creative. One of our "creative" solutions is going foundationless . If I can source a drawn comb or two and sandwich foundationless frames, maybe things will get drawn properly (yes, we'll certainly level the hive first!). Just keeping my fingers crossed I don't get too much wonky comb.

Clothing: I bought white scrub bottoms cheap to go with an old Oxford shirt. I've already made several veils using the design posted earlier in the thread for under $5 each. We'll also give kitchen and welding gloves a shot. I have extra elastic to keep glove tops and pant legs securely closed.

Bees: It would've been cheaper to get two packages, or roll the dice with just one, or hope for a swarm. I'm hoping to manage with "soft" treatments, so I didn't really want package Italians, but we'll see how they do. I'm not getting my hopes up. One of the hives will come from a nuc of SKCs . There was a valid reason (in my mind anyway) for going with SKCs, based on my beeyard agreement, which could pose a problem. Splits anyone?

Beeyard: This part isn't going so well. I was hooked up with an awesome suggestion for a place in Haymarket. The person at the property was super enthusiastic when we met in December, but this month it "mysteriously" seems to have fallen through. I have received no response to my email or voicemail from 3 weeks ago letting them know when bees would arrive (per our agreement). This is the second time a yard has fallen through. I won't go into the details of what WAS to be, but this is super disappointing. Not to mention being disabled means you sometimes need something challenging and interesting to look forward to. Too bad I guess. Unfortunately, I personally sold off almost every valuable object I had to make this happen. Our bee and hive purchases were based upon the agreement with this person, so yeah, I'm a bit upset about the whole situation. So now we're in a bind with bees coming and no place to put them. My last option is to put hives in my parents' 1/4 acre backyard 2 hours away, temporarily. I don't think that's a great choice, especially at current gas prices....grrrrrr! Better not to think about that right now. /rant

On a more positive note, we started our out-of-town bee class recently. Yes, we could read free e-books, watch YouTube, and browse Beesource obsessively in lieu of a class, but for us this is money well spent. Not only do you meet other so-to-be beekeepers, there's no substitute for in-person question and answer or being able to see and touch used equipment for an idea of what's normal and what's not. I already knew a lot of basic information, but benefit from locally (regional in our case) relevant answers and information. Our tuition included two reference books and club membership, a major positive in my mind. Even better, since the hives will likely be stashed at my parents', our classmates and instructors will be local. I'm not sure if this is true of all classes in Virginia, but ours counts towards the Master Beekeeper certification should we choose to pursue it in the future.

So all in all, rolling with the positives and making lemonade out of the rest....

[RAFAEL/PR]

More info on this here:
http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/news/r...ivegrant.shtml

WOW DIDNT KNOW YOUR STATE COULD GO SO LOW FOR BEEKEEPERS I GUESS YOUR STATE HAVE NOT HEAR OF THIS
http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpre...ay-beekeepers/

[Joel]

You could -
1) check out an online video about hiving a swarm
2) buy a new, box, frames and make a lid and bottom board for about 40 bucks and make a veil or buy a tie on wear with a light color longs sleeve shirt
3) Give your phone number to your 911 folks as someone to call should they get a call about an easily accessable swarm
4) Watch this video http://theocba.org/resources/video-a...-of-an-apiary/
5) Catch a swarm
6) Enjoy keeping your bees for the 1st month or so while they build comb in that box while you save up for a 2nd box or instead do like us and winter in a single.

Year one of bootstrap beekeeping a success!

[urbanoutlaw]

2) buy a new, box, frames and make a lid and bottom board for about 40 bucks

Do you generally make migratorys or telescoping lids w/ inner cover? I'm also assuming solid bottom boards? Just curious, I'm looking at migratory lids and solid bottoms now that the Arctic weather's moving out.

Otherwise, you're in the ballpark with my game plan. I have nucs/swarm traps and homemade lure ready to go, but I'm not saving my breath...way too much competition.

We're trying to be creative and thrifty as possible - I wouldn't call it bootstrappy. But someday maybe we'll be more self-sufficient.

[urbanoutlaw]

WOW DIDNT KNOW YOUR STATE COULD GO SO LOW FOR BEEKEEPERS I GUESS YOUR STATE HAVE NOT HEAR OF THIS
http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpre...ay-beekeepers/

Yes, we have the beekeeping grant, but there is a possibility it will be cancelled. There is also some controversy about it. But yes, everyone I have talked to say Virginia needs more beekeepers. Hopefully that means I will find someone who is serious about getting honey in exchange for hosting my hives soon.

[NasalSponge]

Some great advice on here....but all you really need to catch a swarm is a box and some gym shorts. J/K. You may want to consider signing up on this free online swarm list at www.bees-on-the-net.com you can sign up by state and city or county and tell what you do and don't want, granted I live in a large city but I got over 80 calls last year about bees either swarms or cutouts, and most from this site. Might be worth a try.

Oh and about the gym shorts....just my preferred attire!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g6FtLeQZik

[Joel]

Do you generally make migratorys or telescoping lids w/ inner cover? I'm also assuming solid bottom boards? Just curious, I'm looking at migratory lids and solid bottoms now that the Arctic weather's moving out.

Otherwise, you're in the ballpark with my game plan. I have nucs/swarm traps and homemade lure ready to go, but I'm not saving my breath...way too much competition.

We're trying to be creative and thrifty as possible - I wouldn't call it bootstrappy. But someday maybe we'll be more self-sufficient.

We always build Migratroy lids and our hive boxes, lids and bottom boards out of plywood but do put rails on the top and bottoms. We stain the rails before they are put togther and everyting else gets i once it is assembled. At 20 bucks a sheet if you cut it all out of 1 you can get 2 complete hives. Your nucs and swarm traps work best if you have them about 8-9 feet off the ground and a piece of old comb for lure helps (more than a piece is waxmoth bate). We've used lemon grass as well and numbers count. Every single year, a week before the last supers go on we have a couple of swarms move into our "repair/storage" yard at the honey house. We are buying quite a bit commerial boxes this year because we are swamped but they last half as long as the plywood.

[urbanoutlaw]

@NasalSponge/Mike - talk about convenient placement for that swarm! Did you have to wait until evening to move them?

@Joel - would you mind briefly providing details about the type of plywood and construction methods you use for your lids and boxes? It would be a huge help if I could make my last few boxes out of plywood - even if they only last a season or two that would buy me some time.

I've smeared the nucs with lemongrass salve. Maybe I should go back and just try straight drops of the essential oil.

[khaas15]

Heck, I once came back from Jamaica with some logwood honey that was in my checked baggage. When I got to customs they told me that if the honey contained any comb it would be confiscated. They pulled the jar out and gave it a good look. That seemed kind of odd. I didn't want to argue but did think the guy was crazy.

[NasalSponge]

@NasalSponge/Mike - talk about convenient placement for that swarm! Did you have to wait until evening to move them?

No, I never wait until evening to button a swarm up....gas costs too much to make these trips twice.