#2976202 - 10/10/12 06:38 PM
Honey Bees
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BIGB
6 Point
Registered: 05/19/07
Posts: 517
Loc: TN.
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Does anyone raise Honey Bees? A local Bee keeper told my wife that the first year he had Bees his garden produced 2x as much as the year before. The pollination of the bees made the difference.
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#2976322 - 10/10/12 08:01 PM
Re: Honey Bees
[Re: BIGB]
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gil1
12 Point
Registered: 04/06/07
Posts: 6120
Loc: Nashville, TN
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Interesting. I definitely had a better yield this year, and it was my first year with bees. I sort of assumed it was that I had much better compost this year. Maybe it was the combo.
_________________________
"May you live all the days of your life." - Jonathan Swift
I'm a Pope & Young Official Scorer - I'd love to score your critter - no charge.
I conduct professional game camera seminars.
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#2979258 - 10/12/12 08:16 PM
Re: Honey Bees
[Re: gil1]
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diamond hunter
4 Point
Registered: 09/16/12
Posts: 281
Loc: Goodlettsville Tennessee USA
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I got a hive for my place just to help pollinate the mast trees and clover,It sure cant hurt.I bought my stuff at the Johnson farm in Goodlettsville.
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John Hancock,diamond hunter
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#2994825 - 10/23/12 10:19 AM
Re: Honey Bees
[Re: diamond hunter]
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DOC1187
16 Point
Registered: 06/14/08
Posts: 10384
Loc: east tn
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#3006518 - 10/29/12 08:07 PM
Re: Honey Bees
[Re: BIGB]
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TNCharlie
8 Point
Registered: 10/06/03
Posts: 1176
Loc: Columbia TN
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Does anyone raise Honey Bees? A local Bee keeper told my wife that the first year he had Bees his garden produced 2x as much as the year before. The pollination of the bees made the difference.
I keep bees; Beekeeper on here keeps them. There are probably several others.
If you want to have a hive next sumer, NOW is the time to get started. Get in touch with a nearby beekeeping association (I don't know where you are located or I would try to give you some contacts). Start here: http://www.tnbeekeepers.org/
Get you a copy of "Beekeeping for Dummies" so that you can see what is involved. If you decide that you want to give it a try, you will need to order your bees between now and Jan for April/May delivery. Use the winter to get your hive set up and study, study, study.
It's fun, beneficial, and not too labor intensive once you get set up unless you decide to go big time. Feel free to ask for help.
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#3006676 - 10/29/12 09:17 PM
Re: Honey Bees
[Re: TNCharlie]
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diamond hunter
4 Point
Registered: 09/16/12
Posts: 281
Loc: Goodlettsville Tennessee USA
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OR,you can youtube several of the beekeeping videos and buy all the stuff you need from the Johnson farm in Goodlettsville.I bought the book the hive and the honeybee and its difficult reading for me,maybe easier for others.Recently,I found another hive on my property in a hollow tree and will be monitoring it closely as my favorite deerstand it 20 feet from it. I hope they just stay in there.
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John Hancock,diamond hunter
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#3016557 - 11/05/12 08:20 AM
Re: Honey Bees
[Re: diamond hunter]
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Locksley
16 Point
Registered: 10/23/01
Posts: 19450
Loc: Antioch TN
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I once found a bee hive in a tree at Five Oaks park in Nashville , the baseball rolled up to the tree and the bees were all in that old oak.
_________________________
To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;"The greatest pain a man can suffer is to have knowledge of much, and power over nothing" - Herodotus
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#3017098 - 11/05/12 02:21 PM
Re: Honey Bees
[Re: Locksley]
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pressfit
8 Point
Registered: 12/28/09
Posts: 1828
Loc: Giles Co. Tn
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I had 10 hives a few years ago.. down to 2 now..
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10 years ago we had
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Bob Hope
and Johnny Cash
- Now we have no Jobs, no Hope and no Cash!
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#3018962 - 11/06/12 12:43 PM
Re: Honey Bees
[Re: pressfit]
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Crosshairy
8 Point
Registered: 08/22/06
Posts: 2141
Loc: Bartlett, TN
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If you keep bees, does that automatically mean that you harvest honey from them, or do you sometimes just keep them for the benefits to the surrounding area?
Are there maintenance costs involved once you buy the hives? I always assumed that they would sorta take care of themselves, other than issues with predators trying to break into the boxes or something (and even then, bees can take care of themselves pretty well, I'd imagine).
Thanks for the info - always been curious about it.
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I'm hungry and tired. Don't poke my belly.
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#3019072 - 11/06/12 01:44 PM
Re: Honey Bees
[Re: Crosshairy]
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pressfit
8 Point
Registered: 12/28/09
Posts: 1828
Loc: Giles Co. Tn
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Once you have the bees they are your to do what ever with.. I know a guy who had a hive and didnt take any honey from it for a few years.. he got some out last year but didnt take any this year.. As far as cost..it all depends on how much time and money you want to invest.. some people open their hives weekly.. make sure everything is ok.. no pest about to kill the hive.. like..small hive beetles.. varrora mites, wax worms etc.. others like myself pretty much let them take care of their own house.. From what I have noticed.. people who really tend their bees loose as many hives per year as the ones who let the bees tend themselves..
_________________________
10 years ago we had
Steve Jobs,
Bob Hope
and Johnny Cash
- Now we have no Jobs, no Hope and no Cash!
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#3019292 - 11/06/12 03:39 PM
Re: Honey Bees
[Re: pressfit]
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BIGB
6 Point
Registered: 05/19/07
Posts: 517
Loc: TN.
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thanks guys I think i'm going to get my wife a hive for Christmas.
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#3019595 - 11/06/12 06:38 PM
Re: Honey Bees
[Re: BIGB]
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pressfit
8 Point
Registered: 12/28/09
Posts: 1828
Loc: Giles Co. Tn
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Go look at the website for Kelleys in Ky,
https://kelleybees.com/
or dadant
https://www.dadant.com/catalog/
_________________________
10 years ago we had
Steve Jobs,
Bob Hope
and Johnny Cash
- Now we have no Jobs, no Hope and no Cash!
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#3019663 - 11/06/12 07:03 PM
Re: Honey Bees
[Re: pressfit]
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diamond hunter
4 Point
Registered: 09/16/12
Posts: 281
Loc: Goodlettsville Tennessee USA
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I rarely open my hive and have found that all the prep work in town cant save your bees if they are destined to go.Once you are set up,if they die of just leave or whatever,you can just buy a new hive that may last a few years.The key for me is to just keep bees around for what they do,pollinate my plants.Its good management and cant hurt.
_________________________
John Hancock,diamond hunter
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#3021757 - 11/07/12 04:56 PM
Re: Honey Bees
[Re: diamond hunter]
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WTM
8 Point
Registered: 10/16/08
Posts: 1956
Loc: CAMDEN, TN
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TNcharlie gave some excellent advise.
to add to that there are usually some beekeeping seminars around the state is the spring. they are worth attending.
by state law apiaries with 1 or more colonies must be registered with the TN dept of ag and subject to inspection.
as george would once say, be a beekeeper not a beehaver. dont just have bees and expect the bees to tend to themselves.
1 to 5 colonies are plenty for a hobbiest.
most importantly, if you do get some bees, incorporate the best practices for pest management and medicate your hives prior to overwintering.
good luck
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#3027554 - 11/11/12 11:45 AM
Re: Honey Bees
[Re: WTM]
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BIGB
6 Point
Registered: 05/19/07
Posts: 517
Loc: TN.
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thanks for the advice.
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#3029159 - 11/12/12 09:37 AM
Re: Honey Bees
[Re: BIGB]
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gil1
12 Point
Registered: 04/06/07
Posts: 6120
Loc: Nashville, TN
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Whatever you do, don't medicate your bees! It will weaken your hive and taint your honey!
Whatever you do, make sure to medicate your bees! If not, they will be too weak to survive the winter!
Absolutely don't feed your bees sugar water!
You must feed your bees sugar water!
I've got bees. Those are just a couple examples of the irony in beekeeping. Two people who have had great success for decades might very well give you two completely opposing types of advice. And then you ask 10 more people and get several more differing opinions.
I'm pretty much a "new bee," but my advice is to get help from someone who already keeps bees, someone to call when you need advice or come over to help inspect the bees and teach you what's going on.
I got most of my mentors from going to NABA (Nashville Area Beekeepers Association) monthly meetings and their annual class. It's a huuuuge group of beekeepers with many hundreds of members. Perhaps you can find something similar in your area.
Good luck.
_________________________
"May you live all the days of your life." - Jonathan Swift
I'm a Pope & Young Official Scorer - I'd love to score your critter - no charge.
I conduct professional game camera seminars.
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#3030651 - 11/13/12 06:37 AM
Re: Honey Bees
[Re: gil1]
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Locksley
16 Point
Registered: 10/23/01
Posts: 19450
Loc: Antioch TN
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Good luck , the bad freeze in TN killed all my hives back in 1986-1987 and I just never got anymore as the neighbors fussed about mine anyway as soon as they found out I had a bee hive. Make sure you are very very far out in the country .
_________________________
To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;"The greatest pain a man can suffer is to have knowledge of much, and power over nothing" - Herodotus
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