# No BEE section?



## canesisters (Aug 7, 2014)

I was over in TEG reading through a discussion about bees and I thought that it might be interesting to learn more about them and hive care.
I thought that the best place to look would be here... but there isn't a section for bees.

Do yall think that there is enough interest to get a section added for bees here?


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## Sumi (Aug 7, 2014)

That is a good question... @Nifty?


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## Baymule (Aug 7, 2014)

Hi Cane!!


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## babsbag (Aug 7, 2014)

I think that bees would fit in here nicely


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## canesisters (Aug 8, 2014)

Hi Bay!!   

(What do you think? A Bee section is needed.  Could even subdivide it into 'honey bees', 'mason bees', 'african bees' for the folks who enjoy raising fighting bees....  )


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## Baymule (Aug 8, 2014)

I'm not a beek, but would be interested in a bee keeping section!


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## Sumi (Aug 8, 2014)

I think if we have enough beekeepers here to make it worthwhile... It's a good idea. Let's see what Nifty says.


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## craneman54 (Aug 8, 2014)

canesisters said:


> I was over in TEG reading through a discussion about bees and I thought that it might be interesting to learn more about them and hive care.
> I thought that the best place to look would be here... but there isn't a section for bees.
> 
> Do yall think that there is enough interest to get a section added for bees here?



That is something I am also interested in. I have doing some research on bee keeping but it would be nice to talk to bee keepers about it.


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## canesisters (Aug 11, 2014)

Hey @Nifty 
Yoooou-hooooooo....


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## Nifty (Aug 12, 2014)

I'm definitely game if there's enough interest and some beeks can help us get things started!!


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## babsbag (Aug 12, 2014)

I will help however I can. I have been keeping bees for about 4 years and have 4 hives. I am no pro but always wanting to promote the hobby.


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## Tea Chick (Sep 1, 2014)

I want to start keeping bees, so I would definitely _bee_ interested in a Bee forum/thread/etc.
I think that would be _the bee's knees_!!!


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## Elyssia001 (Sep 2, 2014)

My grandfather kept bees, and I am interested in keeping them in the future (though I do not have the space for them right now). There's lots of ways to sort through bee keeping, such as the variety of bee, the type of hive used, and all the different uses for honey, wax, and other by-products.

Other insects that are useful around a farm would be worms for Vermicomposting and feed and black soldier flies and meal worms for feed. Maybe they don't qualify for herd status, but they are useful!


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## Buzz'n Billy (Sep 28, 2014)

disclaimer:  I have been a member of the group for about 4 seconds, so...

My husband and I have been beekeepers for almost 3 years, and would love to see a section on beekeeping.  You can never learn too much from others' experiences.
I also agree with @Elyssia001 that other insects/bugs are important around the farm (home).  We currently vermicompost and use black soldier flies for other types of composting.


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## Sumi (Sep 29, 2014)

I think this idea can work, if there is enough interest. How many beeks have we got here?


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## Sumi (Sep 30, 2014)

O.K. guys, we're game to give this a shot  We need some help from you beeks though. What sub-sections do you all think we should have under the Bee section?

I'm thinking something like: Hives, Equipment, Honey Extraction(?), Pests and Diseases.... Knock yourselves out


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## Buzz'n Billy (Sep 30, 2014)

Sumi said:


> O.K. guys, we're game to give this a shot  We need some help from you beeks though. What sub-sections do you all think we should have under the Bee section?
> 
> I'm thinking something like: Hives, Equipment, Honey Extraction(?), Pests and Diseases.... Knock yourselves out



Bee friendly fodder/plantings


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## Amiga (Sep 30, 2014)

Before the Bees - Setting up the Bee Yard, Equipment, Supplies, Training
All Things Queen
Pests, Predators, Robbing
Preps for Stress - Dearth, Winter, Storms, Extreme Heat
Inspiration - Bee stories, music, poetry, photography, art
Langstroths
Top Bars
Warres
Less Common Hives
Swarms - Preventing, Capturing
Honey Harvest


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## Sumi (Sep 30, 2014)

Fantastic suggestions, @Amiga


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## Happy Chooks (Sep 30, 2014)

Sumi lured me over here. 

I think Amiga has some great suggestions.  I think these are a must:

Before the Bees - Setting up the Bee Yard, Equipment, Supplies, Training
All Things Queen
Pests, Predators, Robbing
Preps for Stress - Dearth, Winter, Storms, Extreme Heat
Swarms - Preventing, Capturing
Honey Harvest

I like the different hive sections, but I'm not sure how much activity each would get.  Maybe one section like Different Hive Methods?  I'd also like to see a Honey Recipes section.


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## Amiga (Sep 30, 2014)

Hi, Happy Chooks!  You outed my selfishness - I have a Top Bar Hive, and some things are different with those.  The way I pictured it, I would need to slog through Langstroth-specific threads that I would have little to gain from or offer to.  Not to mention I forget to tell people I am using a top bar, so I get advice about things that don't apply, like queen excluders and supers.

It is one of those things that we will just have to see about - but I wanted to toss in my two cents, since it was asked 

Honey recipes - yes!!!!  Honey cream, honey lozenges, honey home remedies, mmmm mmmm good!


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## Happy Chooks (Sep 30, 2014)

Hi Amiga!

That's why I was thinking of a general "Different Hive Methods" section.  You could have a thread in there for Top Bar Hives.  Having seen sections being created on the back end at BYC, I'm worried that multiple sections would have folks possibly not getting their questions answered.  With one section on different hive methods, there could be a thread for each type of hive style.  I'm not at all trying to exclude anyone, just trying to keep it simple so threads don't get lost in never never land.


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## Amiga (Sep 30, 2014)

Oh, HC, I did not feel excluded.  I think no matter how we set it up, since we each think in ways that are unique to us, it won't be perfect.  I am good with a top bar thread inside a Different Hive Methods.  

In botany class we used to talk about lumpers and splitters.  The lumpers wanted the Baltimore and Northern Orioles classified as one species, the splitters, not so much.


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## babsbag (Sep 30, 2014)

I think there needs to be a sticky with pictures of normal brood patterns, capped honey, foul brood, wax moths, and probably stuff I am forgetting.

I would have paid a bunch to have someone stand by my side and show me what I was looking at.

Maybe also a section for what you should be doing in the bee yard by the month/season.


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## Amiga (Sep 30, 2014)

Oh, yes, babsbag, definitely good things to have!  And a calendar, oh, yes!


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## nanne16 (Sep 30, 2014)

I know nothing about beekeeping, but my husband has set up one hive. The knowledge we would get from other beekeepers and likeminded folks would be terrific! I say DO IT!


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## elevan (Sep 30, 2014)

Looks like you all have some great ideas going!  We could probably cover hives as one section to start with anyway, right?  Then see if it truly needs to be divided into different hive categories.

I love the names of these sections (the last 2 are my suggestions based on what's been said):

Before the Bees - Setting up the Bee Yard, Equipment, Supplies, Training
All Things Queen
Pests, Predators, Robbing
Preps for Stress - Dearth, Winter, Storms, Extreme Heat
Swarms - Preventing, Capturing
Honey Harvest
Habitat - The Hive
Products - Recipes & Wares Made of Honey and Beeswax


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## sgtmom52 (Sep 30, 2014)

Hi ~ Just got an invite from Sumi.

There have been a lot of good suggestions for sections.  You might also include ~

Feeding
Plants for nectar and pollen
Products of the hive ~ how to make/use ~ honey, bees wax, pollen & propolis


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## Amiga (Sep 30, 2014)

Hi, sgtmom52!

Hello, elevan (c:

nanne16, planning on finding residents for the hive in the spring?


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## 1muttsfan (Sep 30, 2014)

Thanks Amiga for the invitation 

Guess I am more of a lumper, makes it easier to post a question - or look for an answer - in the right section if there are not so many to look through.  It seems like many things could be placed in a Hive Maintenance section.  And maybe a section titled Honey, for harvesting and use of products. 

Love the idea of a beekeeping "Calendar", although that may vary considerably by  region.


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## Amiga (Sep 30, 2014)

Good point about the calendar, 1muttsfan.  Have you heard the term phenology?  It's keeping track by observing natural phenomena, like knowing when to plant certain things based on which flowers are blooming in the wild.


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## 1muttsfan (Sep 30, 2014)

No but it sounds amazingly useful


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## sgtmom52 (Oct 1, 2014)




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## Sumi (Oct 1, 2014)

I think we need to get on with this new section  It looks like you guys have a lot of great stuff to share!


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## Happy Chooks (Oct 1, 2014)

Great discussion!

Interesting chart sgtmom, though it worries me.  My bees are Carnolian, and I see they have HIGH swarming.   I've got to figure that out before spring!  Always something more to figure out.


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## Happy Chooks (Oct 1, 2014)

Sumi said:


> I think we need to get on with this new section  It looks like you guys have a lot of great stuff to share!


Yes please!


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## 1muttsfan (Oct 1, 2014)

Great chart, thanks SgtM


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## Sumi (Oct 2, 2014)

You guys are awesome! Thank you so much for your input  O.K. here are the suggested sub-sections, I've taken Elevan's list and added sgtmom52's feeding and plants... I combined those two.


Before the Bees - Setting up the Bee Yard, Equipment, Supplies, Training
Habitat - The Hive
All Things Queen
Pests, Diseases, Predators, Robbing
Preps for Stress - Dearth, Winter, Storms, Extreme Heat
Feeding Bees, Growing plants for Nectar/Pollen
Swarms - Preventing, Capturing
Honey Harvest
Products - Recipes & Wares Made of Honey and Beeswax


And a "Everything else bees" section for things that doesn't fit into the above categories? Like dealing with stings, etc. What do you all think?


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## Happy Chooks (Oct 2, 2014)

Sounds great!


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## sgtmom52 (Oct 2, 2014)

Looking forward to seeing it come together! 

Perhaps add Disease to the ~ Pests, Predators  section.

Just thought of it when I was talking to our State Apiary Inspector while making our fall Inspection Appointment.  We get inspected 2 times a year as we sell nucs and queens on a very small scale.


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## Sumi (Oct 2, 2014)

I've edited the post above and added diseases. Anything else? Going... going


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## Happy Chooks (Oct 2, 2014)

Sumi said:


> I've edited the post above and added diseases. Anything else? Going... going


Gone.   Sounds great to me.


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## goatgurl (Oct 2, 2014)

good on you bee keepers.  all i know about honey bees is that i am very allergic but i love honey and can't wait for the honey recipes.  youall get goin'


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## 1muttsfan (Oct 4, 2014)

Well here is some bad news - maybe we can help out some

http://action.sumofus.org/a/epa-save-the-bees/?sub=fb


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## Sumi (Oct 5, 2014)

That's worrying  Pesticides has it's uses, but goodness, the cons are starting to outweigh the pros now.

On a side note, Nifty is very busy at the moment, but we will get going with the new section asap. We'll keep you all posted. I can't wait


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## PendergrassRanch (Oct 5, 2014)

I had this same thought yesterday! We have bees and love them!


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## Happy Chooks (Oct 7, 2014)




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## greybeard (Oct 9, 2014)

in the news--Killer bees killed a man yesterday:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/10/09/swarm-bees-attacks-four-people-kills-one/


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## Sumi (Oct 9, 2014)

That is so sad. He was probably allergic to beestings? I got attacked by a swarm of bees once and they stung the crud out of me, I cannot remember exactly how many stings I got in total, but I remember counting about 17 stings on one of my legs. My brother messed with their hive and then send me out to collect the honey. I was very young at the time and didn't know better.

Talking of which, I read in a magazine recently that the most times a person has been stung by bees without dying is 2,443 times


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## Bossroo (Oct 9, 2014)

2,443 times   ???             The first time my father in law was stung, he received  an small area  rash that hurt.  The 2nd time the area swelled up quite a bit. Years later, the third sting caused his whole arm to swell up like a ballon in minutes and had to cut off his wedding ring like right NOW as his finger was turning blue .  He hoped that he never gets another sting as he was afraid of what was to come next.


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## Sumi (Oct 9, 2014)

Some people have a hectic reaction to beestings and others (like me) are way more tolerant. But 2,443 is a bit much...


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## babsbag (Oct 14, 2014)

I keep bees...I get stung... sometimes I hardly notice and sometimes I will get a nasty welt and once I even literally felt sick. Interesting how it is always different. I have never been stung more than once in the same day.


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## PendergrassRanch (Oct 20, 2014)

I won't die but I do swell up pretty gnarly.  Last time I was stung, it was the center of my forehead and both my eyes swelled shut.  Then I was stung in the same place 2 weeks later with even worse results.  I had one fly up my sleeve on my motorcycle and I had a fat hand for about a week.


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## Happy Chooks (Oct 20, 2014)

Just checking in to see what's happening.


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## Sumi (Oct 21, 2014)

O.K. guys, here it is! Bees & Beekeeping Let's get some content in there!


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## Tea Chick (Jan 22, 2015)

1muttsfan said:


> Thanks Amiga for the invitation
> 
> Guess I am more of a lumper, makes it easier to post a question - or look for an answer - in the right section if there are not so many to look through.  It seems like many things could be placed in a Hive Maintenance section.  And maybe a section titled Honey, for harvesting and use of products.
> 
> Love the idea of a beekeeping "Calendar", although that may vary considerably by  region.



About the beekeeping "calendar".  There could be a section called "chores", or something more fancy or bee-ish, and then each month could have a thread.  The original post in each thread could be whatever basic chores need to _bee_ done that month (yes, different regions would have to do things differently), or seasons, go by seasons, then each region could access that season's work and prep for that season when it is getting close or hits.  Ppl in Alaska would spend more time in the winter thread and have more involved prep for winter, and ppl like me in the South would spend more time in the summer thread and have more involved prep for the hotter months.
Just an idea.


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## Sumi (Jan 22, 2015)

Thank you for the suggestion! @Nifty?


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## Latestarter (Nov 6, 2015)

Been a year and I think the way it got done was just about right on


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## Sumi (Nov 8, 2015)

Thank you for the feedback, @Latestarter! I'm very happy to see how well the new section is doing and I enjoy reading the threads there, although I'm not in a position to keep bees myself, I'm interested in the process and enjoy reading about it and seeing everyone's pics!


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## La-Z Hooves Farm (Nov 20, 2015)

canesisters said:


> I was over in TEG reading through a discussion about bees and I thought that it might be interesting to learn more about them and hive care.
> I thought that the best place to look would be here... but there isn't a section for bees.
> 
> Do yall think that there is enough interest to get a section added for bees here?


Howdy Ya'll!  A discussion @ bees would be great. Especially one on honey bees, bee keeping & all.  
     "All Things Bee's"  for the in's & out's on bee's .  yea, that sounds like a great idea.  oh, & pics. I love pictures.


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## Latestarter (Nov 21, 2015)

Well @La-Z Hooves Farm , if you scan down the section list on the left side of the main forum listing, you'll see an entire section now dedicated to exactly that!  Honey bees! They're awesome & incredible insects & I love em (and their spit/vomit!)  Nothin' yummier than honey fresh from your own hive(s)!


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