[BeeCurious]

Besides getting a reprint of Doolittle's book/s are there any more current books that offer advice on the management of out-apiaries?

 

[fish_stix]

Why would you think it's any different than managing a home apiary?

 

[Bradley_Bee]

yeah , all of them.

 

[StevenG]

Go ahead and get Doolittle's book, its an interesting read.

Problem with out apiaries is you have to plan better... can't just walk across the yard and get something you need or forgot. Checklists help. Don't ask me how I know. :doh:
Regards,
Steven

 

[Fred Bee]

Why would you think it's any different than managing a home apiary?

Well, it is different. At my home apiary, I have a barn with lots of equipment handy...literally just a few feet from my hives. If during a hive inspection I discover I need an additional super or something else, all I have to do is walk over to the barn and grab it. With an out-yard, you must plan ahead, you may need to make notes on things you need to bring next trip etc. For example, you may need to bring along some sugar syrup, or an extra super or two, etc. How are you going to carry your beekeeping tools and hot lit smoker in your car from the remote site? You see there are things that are different when you have an outyard.

 

[Beeslave]

Always take with more than you need of everything. If you don't you will need it. That includes supers, extra hive tool, always have matches in your glove box, extra hive body with frames for swarms, etc., etc.

 

[StevenG]

Find a used army ammo can big enough to hold your smoker. You can transport the smoker that way, or at least store it inside at your shop without smelling up the place. Last one I bought was about $20.00, will hold my biggest smoker.
Regards,
Steven

 

[johng]

I got this idea from someone else, so I can't take credit for it. If you had an enclosed trailer you could just pull it with you. Then you would have a ready maid moveable storage shed. You could store a good bit of equipment in the trailor to free up some room in the barn. It would be an expensive investment but, depending on how many out yards and how many hives you were working it could be nice to always have extra equipment with you.

 

[Ben Brewcat]

...are there any more current books that offer advice on the management of out-apiaries?

Absolutely! Couldn't function without referring to this one frequently. Here's mine: Chilton for '96 chevy 3/4 ton longbed.

Apart from that, it's just being prepared. Keep good notes! A quick check of the "next time" section of my colony records for those colonies, plus always having some extra bits of equipment along (feeders, supers, repair, drone trapping frames, weedeater, etc) makes outyards practical. Smokers relight easily enough, or just dump the half-burned detritus into a hole (I actually carry a little bucket for wax scrapings/drone comb culls for the compost), refuel and relight anew.

The first few trips will provide all the "book smarts" you'll ever need for outyards. And that's speaking as a beek (and geek) with a library that's been known to make good friends refuse to help me move .

 

[alpha6]

My 89 chevy flatbed one ton does the same thing as Ben's. It is actually pretty easy to manage your out yards. I have a box with smoker, extra hive tools and such. Then depending on what is going on I load up the truck. Now that all hives are set, splits have second stories and all is well, it's just a matter of checking supers. I always keep two rows of supers loaded just in case. Never have to worry about running back to the house to get something...it's all on the work truck. Truck set me back 3k...best investment into the business I made...couldn't do without it.

 

[Countryboy]

Grant's 25 Hives ebook is pretty good advice for someone that is beginning to expand their hive numbers. Look up the member named Grant on here if you want to purchase his ebook.

 

[BeeCurious]

I have bees at two locations in town and a few hives on a small farm about 16 miles away. Being a hobbyist I don't need a truck, but I do need to get a feel for the strength of the colonies and nectar flows. At times I am not able to visit any of the hives for two or three weeks...

Avoiding swarms is my greatest concern, especially for my in-town hives.

I have books that once belonged to Grant (I bought all of his Snelgrove books on Ebay ) but I haven't bought his "25 hives" book. I think I will buy it and a reprint of Doolittle's book for part of my winter reading.

I really should get an ammo box for my smoker, that would make one thing easier and safer.

 

[alpha6]

Another thing you can do is put a drip board in the middle of the yard and stack extra supers on this and then put a cover on top. This way they are there if you need them. I did this at several yards that were burning through supers last year and it worked well. The ammo can works great...it's air tight.