Bees! We've got bees!!! New adventure started with two hives.

After years of learning and collecting apiary stuff. I bought two 5 frame be hives and put them in my 10 frame langstroff hives. Hoping to get them well established this year and start harvesting honey next year. local honey for allergies and health. anyone else take the leap?

I've studied on the internet, never in person. it seems like so much fun to be an assistant, keeping a hive is such a commitment.

Guess I'll find out! Smell so good!

Look forward to some pics in the future Ron. Congrats.

Good lucks Ron.  Hope you got the right kinds of bees 

A few decades back I passed an opportunity to buy a big bee keeping operation at cut rate, was really appealing but I already had a job and business that was sucking time

Our property is too small for a hive but Ive wondered about doing something in a corner of the neighborhood to up the bee populations

We have a pollinator garden and there are almost no bees, most of what we see are dying on the ground, I think re our neighbors drench their oaks every other month and the neighborhood is all about manicured bug-free gardens

Be interested to know how much work there is in a hive or two

Sounds also like a good kids project

Please keep us posted Ron.  Sound like a great way to have Local Honey.  I try to buy local honey , usually from Fallon.  Good Luck with the New Bees.

They are doing well... Looks like the first brood bees are hatching out. Numbers growing. 5 frame start is now spreading to the other 5 frames in the hive. At this rate I might be into honey this year. GO BEES GO!!!!!

Exciting news man.  Keep up the updates.

One week point monday. Have not been stung once! messing with the hives, opening to check them. No smoker or bee suit. They seem OK with it. Move slow and no bumping, bashing, they just carry on. Amazing creatures! They are everywhere in our area now. All the blackberry areas and other flowers. Before, we didn't see any bees in our area. I didn't know they were so thirsty! I've set up a feeding area and alternate sugar syrup and just water. It's like watching a super tanker filling up they drink till they can barely fly then, flop into the hives ledge and bounce/roll on in. Getting the rest of my gear in the mail soon then I can start pulling and inspecting the inside of the hives for progress, problems. Pictures coming soon!

I like Bees I'm excited for you and looking forward of seeing your Bee hives!

I have 2 hives buzzing in my backyard.  Fun, fascinating, rewarding, frustrating all at once.  When things go well, everyone gets lots of honey for Christmas gifts.  When thing don’t go well, you question everything you’ve been doing and wonder what you could have done differently.  In reality, bees just do their thing.  hopefully they like you & your property so they stick around for a few years. 

Good luck!  Tons of great resources out there.  Look up your local beekeepers association to meet other beekeepers in your neighborhood.  It’s nice to have someone to talk to about what’s going on in your area with other hives.

I have 2 hives buzzing in my backyard.  Fun, fascinating, rewarding, frustrating all at once.  When things go well, everyone gets lots of honey for Christmas gifts.  When thing don’t go well, you question everything you’ve been doing and wonder what you could have done differently.  In reality, bees just do their thing.  hopefully they like you & your property so they stick around for a few years. 

Good luck!  Tons of great resources out there.  Look up your local beekeepers association to meet other beekeepers in your neighborhood.  It’s nice to have someone to talk to about what’s going on in your area with other hives.

Well said! About 8 yrs ago, a friend and I started in beekeeping, hoping for something to maybe get into as a side business. The plan was to get enough bee hives to rent out for pollination.  My dad's side were farmers so we had an easy way in. We took classes, reared Queen's to build up our hives. It was a lot of work for a hobby with no income from the bees. The short story was it seemed that in the winter, we probably lost at least 30-40% of our hives due to diseases or they just left the hive, maybe CCD? Then one spring when we were trying to build up more hives, there was a field fire which burnt about 20 of our hives. We called it quits. I think 2 hives would be feasible though. We didn't suit up or use smoke too much, you can usually tell when some hives have an attitude. Light colored clothes, long sleeve and pants is usually what we wore. Good luck!

Super cool! Good luck the bees need it.

Sounds like fun.

Hopefully, you don't get any of these kinds of bees:

http://boatagainstthecurrent.blogspot.com/2012/10/tv-quote-of-day-snl-on-bad-news-bees.html