[Bstanley]

So, here's the skinny on me..... I work as a registered nurse at our local hospital on Med-Surg and the ICU. I occasionally pick up shifts in the PACU if they need me. I used to keep fish tanks but space has ruled those out for the time being. I have off and on thought about keeping bees for several years, and that's all it has ever amounted to. Now that I'm a little more settled down in life I think I'm a little more able to give this prospective hobby a shot. The only two things that seem to be limiting me are space and know-how. I've been reading from many different sources and watching many videos on things I can do so I'm feeling more confident about things I'd like to do. But as far as space goes, I'm pretty limited living in some town houses... So one of two thoughts would be to keep in on my roof, outside of my bedroom window, which I never have open anyway, and it would be up out of the reach of pesky neighbor kids. The other thought is to put the hive in this water heater room in my garage and simply modify the entrance to where the bees can go out of some 4" pipe that is out of the ventilation duct to the little room. I can block off the rest of the ventilation space by some screen but I think the warmth of the room will give the bees a false sense of the actual weather.... So I don't believe that will work unless someone knows different. Either way, I'm anxious to get started if I'm able to, and I'll be reading through many of these forums to see what additional knowledge I can gain. If there is anyone else on here that lives in SW Wyoming, I'd love to come check out your setup to see what you to to manage the bitter cold we experience here.

 

[bendriftin]

I can't speak about SW Wyoming, all I know about that area is if it is like Rawlins the winds blows too much for my taste. So first of all make sure that city hall does not have objection about keeping bees in town. Then I would go for the roof, it would be too hard to manage the hive with it hanging out in front of the window and when they pack it full of honey it would get real heavy and could fall on someone. Better yet find a rancher near by preferably with some bottom ground or irrigated alfalfa and see if you could put the bees there. Next I would recommend is spend the next couple of month learning a few things. I would recommend starting here http://www.basicbeekeeping.blogspot.com/

 

[ApisMellifera1]

Hey there neighbor, I'm from across the border in northern Utah and will start my first hives this spring. I don' know what resources (club, mentors) are there in the Evanston area, but there are a lot of Utah clubs on Facebook such as Cache Valley beekeepers association (members), cache beekeepers, the art of beekeeping in Utah, Wasatch beekeeping association, and weber beekeepers association. I recently found this site and have been lurking here quite heavily and think this will be my favorite resource. PM me anytime as I may be able to put you in touch with other Beeks here.

BTW, I love the Uintah County area, maybe because my great-grandparents immigrated from Italy and helped settle the Diamondville area around 1900.

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Welcome!

 

[Michael Bush]

>The other thought is to put the hive in this water heater room in my garage and simply modify the entrance to where the bees can go out of some 4" pipe that is out of the ventilation duct to the little room. I can block off the rest of the ventilation space by some screen but I think the warmth of the room will give the bees a false sense of the actual weather....

I used to be in Laramie (a ways from you, but just as cold or colder) and the bitter cold in winter is one of the toughest things, so being inside has it's upside... still they will probably be too active that way. The bigger issue, though, is that everytime you open it up bees get out. They will not have a way to get back into the hive after you close it up.

 

[Hogback Honey]

Welcome! This is a great place, full of good info and helpful people.

 

[Bstanley]

Thanks for the welcome. I'm getting more and more excited the more I read and learn. I am definitely planning on making my own setup, but I may have to break down and but the frame pieces and construct that myself. I have thought about seeing how close I can get them to specs but it may be worth the $$ to just have them shipped to me. I guess much of what I want to talk about I can try to find the answers to in forums but maybe I can hope for a couple quick answers here and then I can do more digging around in the specific forums. Some things I've been wondering about are should I start with 1 or 2 hives? I have read a few different sources that say to give it a short so you can compare between the two, especially if something should go wrong. Another thought is foundation or not? Like how a top bar may have a sliver to start them out but what about just traditional rectangle frames? Like I said, tons of my questions I should take to the specific forums but I wouldn't turn away a quick opinion here either.

Bendriftin - Yes it is windy here but not nearly as bad as Rawlins. Nothing is that bad But I'm still torn on where to go. I think I've reasoned myself out of the utility room for numerous reasons, although it didn't sound too bad initially. Like Michael Bush stated about bees getting trapped. I wasn't too fond of that idea, even though the room to the garage door is like 15 feet, it may take hours of leaving the garage door open hoping the bees would leave because they may not think logically to just go out and around to the back...

ApisMellifera1 - I may have to take you up on that. Never hurts to do a little networking. But honestly, I don't know of anything bee related up here other than one field near where I live has always had a half dozen hives in the corner of the field ever since I can remember. Maybe I should see if I can get something rollin' up here! :thumbsup:

 

[Michael Bush]

>should I start with 1 or 2 hives? I have read a few different sources that say to give it a short so you can compare between the two, especially if something should go wrong.

Two.

>Another thought is foundation or not?

I would do foundationless.

>Like how a top bar may have a sliver to start them out but what about just traditional rectangle frames?

Foundationless is easier to manage in a frame.

>Yes it is windy here but not nearly as bad as Rawlins.

I don't think I ever saw the wind stop blowing while I was in Wyoming. And I though it was bad in Nebraska...

 

[Lburou]

....I don't think I ever saw the wind stop blowing while I was in Wyoming. And I thought it was bad in Nebraska...

Born in Cheyenne, I went to school at the U of Wyoming for 7.5 years. Our first son was born there. I'm still cold and living in Texas.

P.S. Welcome Bstanley

 

[bendriftin]

I pulled up Evanston,WY on google earth I am guessing that is where you are from. Wyoming is full of good ranch country so I would get a couple of hives if I were you. Personally I like the plastic foundation/frame combination. They don't come apart like wood frames, but it is all a personal choice. Ask around someone will you work with will have family with a ranch or some open ground near you. See if you can put a couple of hives out on there place. If you can get near a creek or river I find it is generally better. Another option is the NRCS office can tell you who has CRP. Every area is a little different but some places people will plant a pollinator mix on there CRP that has some pretty good plants but if you go in and talk to the folks at the NRCS or FSA offices I am sure after a little friendly conversation you will have a good place to keep some bees. I don't know but if there are bears in that area be sure to put up and electric fence around the hives.