Hello all! I'm not keeping bees yet, just reading everything I can and planning, and getting out into the wood shop and building what I can scrap together. I was introduced to the idea of beekeeping by a good friend who lives in central IL, and thought that maybe I could give it a run down here in the edge of the Piney Woods of East Texas.
I haven't bought/caught/acquired bees, I'm just reading and going to meetings and reading. Watching videos.
I asked a local pro what he thought about going foundationless to start and was told it's not a good idea: he learned beekeeping at his grandpa's knee and is a former president of the local beek association, so presumably knows what he's talking about. That said, an expert opinion is still one expert's opinion. I'll gladly hear contrary opinions, and at some point I'll try it anyway, but maybe I'll do it with some forewarning about why it's stupid here in Flint, TX.
I'm pretty convinced I want to run all medium everything because I can get 1"x8"x8' cedar boards from a sawmill here for ~$9 and that's a super, plus the time cost in the wood shop out back. I've got access to a full setup machine/fabrication shop when I need it, so I can do fancy work too with some planning. I'm not sure I want to mess around with making my own frames, though, they seem fiddly. Other than the fact that deeps are 3/2 the volume, is there a legitimate benefit to deep boxes that beats the lighter weight of mediums?
Just thinking, planning, etc. I'm never going to do this full time, because I've got a regular job 9 months of the year and a battalion of kids at home the rest of the time. But God willing and the creek don't rise, I'll have two hives out in the back of my lot come next summer. If I can get some honey from them, praise Jesus! If I can't, then by the grace of God maybe I'll learn something.
Steve
I haven't bought/caught/acquired bees, I'm just reading and going to meetings and reading. Watching videos.
I asked a local pro what he thought about going foundationless to start and was told it's not a good idea: he learned beekeeping at his grandpa's knee and is a former president of the local beek association, so presumably knows what he's talking about. That said, an expert opinion is still one expert's opinion. I'll gladly hear contrary opinions, and at some point I'll try it anyway, but maybe I'll do it with some forewarning about why it's stupid here in Flint, TX.
I'm pretty convinced I want to run all medium everything because I can get 1"x8"x8' cedar boards from a sawmill here for ~$9 and that's a super, plus the time cost in the wood shop out back. I've got access to a full setup machine/fabrication shop when I need it, so I can do fancy work too with some planning. I'm not sure I want to mess around with making my own frames, though, they seem fiddly. Other than the fact that deeps are 3/2 the volume, is there a legitimate benefit to deep boxes that beats the lighter weight of mediums?
Just thinking, planning, etc. I'm never going to do this full time, because I've got a regular job 9 months of the year and a battalion of kids at home the rest of the time. But God willing and the creek don't rise, I'll have two hives out in the back of my lot come next summer. If I can get some honey from them, praise Jesus! If I can't, then by the grace of God maybe I'll learn something.
Steve