9 year old newbee

[valerieanne]

My daughter, 9, has decided to do a 4H directed study in beekeeping. We have a rather unique situation, and I gather that beekeeping is much like child-rearing... there is no one right way to do it. So, I want to offer our situation and get some input - before we buy lumber! We live in a research forest in Northern BC, and have visitors (researchers/students/recreational) out at our camp regularly. We also have lots of bears and other critters.

We have a small island 550 meters offshore, and I would like to put the hive(s) there. Wind is minimal, south-facing shore of island faces our cabin, lots of trees on the north side. This keeps the bees away from human interference, most animal interference, and allows my daughter to obsess over them through binoculars. It is a five-minute kayak ride out, easy to access and we can intervene quickly if need be. We are still planning an electric fence, as moose sometimes swim out to birth. I imagine that a bear could easily cross, if properly motivated. There is not enough forage on the island alone, so the bees will also have to cross.

We are planning on a Warre-ish sized hive for weight and portability issues (remember, 9 years old, kayak, and a small mom). I like the top entrance idea, as we do have otters resident on island, and other mesocarnivores visiting. Is that wierd? A top-entrance on a Warre-ish hive? Finally, we are thinking top bars over frames. This is for fun and education. Max expectations: enough honey for the bees and us, beeswax for crafts. We are going chem free - kids and chems don't mix. If they are not healthy, I'll let them die (bees, not kids).

Any direction is appreciated - just please keep our circumstances in mind. Specific questions - screened bottom board needed? Bottom drilled hole(s) for housekeeping/drones? is a simple entrance feeder good enough? how do you mix a top-entrance w/a quilt? concerns about island location?

I thought the sow/piglet moms had it tough...

[Rader Sidetrack]

Welcome to Beesource!

An interesting project, for sure. Transporting bees via kayak is definitely a different concept, to say the least!

You might want to look a Michael Bush's Top Bar page. Very simple to construct. If you chose to put an insulated top on that would be very easy to incorporate to this design:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopbarhives.htm
You could just put a layer of foamboard under the wood lid. Note the bees don't have access to the upper side of the top bars, so they would not be able to chew the foam.

[valerieanne]

Thanks, Graham! So, we would truck this thing out via motorboat at the beginning of the season, and it could stay there? When harvesting honey, it is a little vague about what is appropriate to take home/leave for the bees - any ideas on that? Also, looks like keeping it level is ciritcal - how often should it be checked for level?

This looks viable. After the intial set-up and acclimation period, it looks relatively low-maintenance. I'm going to spend a little time investigating KTBH maintenance and harvest. We are starting to stretch my carpentry skills with the window, but daughter loves it.

[Rader Sidetrack]

Having the hive "level", is mostly an issue when the bees are building comb. So of course you need it to be level when first installed. After that, it depends on whether/when you harvest honey, and if there is nectar available for the bees to rebuild.

As far as timing a harvest, I would recommend leaving all honey for the bees the first summer (except perhaps harvest a small amount to maintain a child's interest in the project - perhaps one bar). The following spring you can assess how much they used over the winter and act accordingly.

[Lazer128]

Awesome project in an awesome place. We want pictures!

[Scott Klein]

My first thought is to find a local survivor stock of bees rather than mail-ordering bees from far away. You might have some nicely adapted local stock near you, and you might even consider swarm trapping/catching to keep your local genetics clean. Do you know how far it is to your nearest existing beekeeper?

[Bubbles]

Addendum: Some other modification done on my Warre hive; I removed the quilt and left the top feeder in its place to act as condensation collector also. If you're going to feed with sugar syrup (I add Honeybee healthy as supplement to the syrup) place some kind of floating device to keep the bees from drowning. I used a waffle shelf liner. Just make sure the bees don't propilize it to the bottom of the feeder once the feeder is dry.

Other recommendations: since this is the very first hive you are planning to start, I think it would be safer to start it in your back yard. It would allow you to check on them more often in the beginning plus you can react and get help faster in case of emergencies like getting stung and having a severe allergic reaction. I understand that Warre hives are supposed to be lower maintenance but I ended up feeding my bees at least once every week to two weeks until they have built combs in 3 boxes. I got this recommendation from thewarrestore.com and a smart beekeeper in Biobees.com. But that's just a suggestion. There are so much to consider but it is better to be prepared before any problems come.

http://m.thewarrestore.com/site/mobi...etwork=fw#2330

[valerieanne]

Wow - great input, thank you! The biobees warre modification page was a fantastic resource, "Bubbles". No way I can put a hive in the backyard though. Bears are everywhere, and it would be unethical/dangerous to bait them in this way. I figure, if they want to take a swim out to the island and get zapped - at least there is no association with human activities on this side. We will also get insurance and a couple of epi-pens, as we are so far from medical care. Just in case.

The plan is to pick up bees from a beekeeper 1.5 hrs out, after ice-out. That way we don't have to push through rotten ice. That will be around May 1. We'll have to go out twice daily to check/feed at first, then slowly wean the girls until most checks are from the porch with binoculars.

I'm lost on the hive design. The more I read, the worse it gets. A top entrance is absolutely critical - so much snow! Small, light, able to harvest small amounts of honey at a time are also critical. Daughter wants a window. Foundationless, yes. Frames - negotiable. Maintenance, relatively low-key. I got an email from someone recommending all 8-frame shallows - just MORE of them. I'm giving us one month to examine all the options, two weeks to build, get them out and leveled just before ice-out, move in the girls just after ice-out, fence it all in.

Daughter is already making a list of all the people she wants to mail honey-straws to. THAT is where this whole thing started - an ag. fair and Honey Straws.

[Mbeck]

Your a good parent and it sounds like a wonderful adventure!

I can't offer much advice but I do think frames are a good idea. You want a hive that is easy to look through without working the bees up. It's easy to pull frames and share all the things in a hive without dealing with angry bees.

Maybe you could also plan for a storage container of sorts so you can keep some of the basics out there?

I would love to see some photos

[Scott Klein]

Daughter is already making a list of all the people she wants to mail honey-straws to. THAT is where this whole thing started - an ag. fair and Honey Straws.

“Sometimes,' said Pooh, 'the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.”
― A.A. Milne

[Bush_84]

Let me give you a little advice from my limited warre experience. Don't expect magical things from the whole leave the bees alone and everything will go perfectly. False floor effect is real. Swarming and queenless situations are real. Varroa are real. Dead colonies are real. Starvation is real. Without your intervention your bees can succumb to these conditions and perish.

So what I have done to combat false floor effect is to take a partially drawn outer comb and put it in a nadired box. This will also help reduce swarming if you stay on top of things. I also super (I know shame shame). You will need seed combs in the supered box, which is essentially a comb or two placed in the supered box. You can also accomplish this by removing an outer comb and placing it above.

Varroa will have to be monitored and treated when needed with whatever method you prefer.

Feed if necessary. Do not listen to all the natural hububaloo. Feed if necessary. Leave their honey that they need, but feed them if they need it.

Just don't ignore them. I bought into the let them be garbage and just ran into troubles. Hope that helps!

One more thing to consider...Lang 8 frame mediums can get you close to a warre with less headaches and the ability to purchase equipment from suppliers. I will continue to run warres, but I am now using mostly foundationless 8 frame langs.

[cerezha]

Wow
Very interesting project and nice discussion! As usual - beesource is offering so many suggestions, difficult to choose. There is one more:
- since it is a project for 9-year old, the goal must be (if possible) to succeed in short period of time with limited resources, which IS difficult, so everything should be simple.
- as a beginner beekeeper, I strongly suggest two beehives. Success with one hive is very difficult.
- I strongly suggest to keep bees near the house - search Internet and beesource - people made beautiful platforms to protect bees from the bears etc. It automatically solve bees-presence issue - from platform, they will fly high enough not to bother anybody around the house. Platform, may also function as an adventurous "tree-house" and fun to build. I am very aware of nature, but I feel small platform would not interfere so much with wildness. Crossing the waters to inspect bees sounded fun, but, I am often run a few times in my garage (truck, for others) for something bees needed right now... kayaking back and forth sounded good exercise.
- since you are beginner and limited in resources, beehive in my opinion, should be classical Lang with frames. Yes, I personally is a proponent of "natural beekeeping" and often have arguments with others. I love top bars, foundationless, my hive is a marriage of Lang and Warre... But, look - your agenda is to make sure that your daughter observed success. It is just easier to follow "classical" approach and leave top bars, foundationless etc for later - when bees established, next year. Also - much more support may be found for classical Lang. Warre is great, but as many stated already, I do not think that Ware-approach is designed for top entrance. Also, I was under impression that Warre's boxes are heavy. Langs boxes are heavy too, but frames may be removed and transported separately. The advantage of the frame - it would protect the honeycomb.

Good luck with your project, keep us posted and pictures, pictures!!!!

[Sir_Gregory]

WOW very interesting ideas.

[BeeCurious]

We are planning on a Warre-ish sized hive for weight and portability issues (remember, 9 years old, kayak, and a small mom).

I would think one last time about possibly using eight frame medium Langstroth boxes...

Good luck!

[Scott Klein]

I would think one last time about possibly using eight frame medium Langstroth boxes...

Good luck!

Agreed. You can still borrow techniques or modifications from other hive styles as you see fit, such as foundationless frames. Chances are that the beekeeper you get your bees from uses langstroth and probably has reasons for doing so that she will share with you.

From my experience, new beekeepers that have new equipment and install a package (shake off) or swarm don't see many pest problems in their first year, so you a little time to learn before you would need to make a decision about treating.

[Oldtimer]

We are going chem free - kids and chems don't mix.

Chem free is what every new beekeeper wants to do. But if it is your daughter you are concerned about, most the available chems used in hives are not a risk to her.

Going chem free is not just simply, not using them, although for a few, that works. Your daughter would likely be more upset to find all her bees in a big dead heap. The reasons for medicating bees are the same as for medicating any other livestock or even ourselves, sometimes it's necessary.

Your call though, just saying this incase you like many people starting, think you just don't use chems, and all will be fine.

And my own position on the matter? Most of my bees get chemically treated as needed for varroa control, but I have some hives that are not treated regardless, even though they die.