Offsetting the declining Honey Bee population.....

Originally posted by Druid42
...You have one lucky little guy there. Amazing story, as he definitely had his guardian angel watching him.

I agree - Thanks.
He's been lucky in the most unbelievable circumstances, at least twice more in his life.
Thanks for your work.
Do you go "stingless" through most days? Or, have you grown accustomed to the occupational hazard?

reply to post by Druid42


Well yes, in built up areas, they would be a problem.

And I guess, the reason for their decline in the first place. Not just bee's but other Wildlife!

Which brings me back to...

Oh, nevermind.

Well done,

I will be taking a class in January this year to get started. One of my fellow employees has been doing this for years. All of us at work swear by local honey for consumption everyday.

This is my 3rd year beekeeping. This spring we started with 2 hives (lost 5 last year), however, at the present time, we have 10. This spring we have been busy capturing swarms... they are in trees, on yard furniture, in bushes - I've been surprised at how many are there this year. Our hives have multiplied so rapidly that we've ran out of hive body boxes so tonight we are constructing 9 as well as putting together about 50 frames. We have a rather large job scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. There is a large colony in the walls of a home about 20 miles from here, its well established as its been there quite some time. I've never removed a colony before, I'm excited but also a little worried. Our next venture on Wednesday is to remove a colony from within a nearby dead/hollow tree before the owners cut it down. I've been amazed at the bee activity this spring. I hope that it continues.

reply to post by Druid42

Great post Druid. As a youngster, my grandmother and I raised honey bees. She worked for Walter Kelly in Clarkson Kentucky, he was the founder of "Walter T. Kelley Company" a major manufacture of bee hive and all the equipment, as well as furnishing queens with workers for setting up the hives. He shipped hives and bees world wide, and was a true pioneer in the bee business.

Walter Kelly was a brillant man with a scientific mind and successful business man that treated his employees like family. It is a huge business and the largest business in the rual area. He gave us the hive and bees as a Christmas present when he found out that I was interested in having a hive to raise bees and collect the honey. This was in the mid 1950s, when I was in grade school. I learned that I could handle the bees bare handed gently swiping and them off the honey combs when harvesting, after giving the hives a little smoke. However I always kept away from the entrance, where the guard bees were vigilant.

I remember being stung only once while harvesting when I accidently pressed one with my hand.

Walter Kelly has since passed away, but is fondly remembered by most all who knew him.

Link to 'Walter T. Kelley Company'
kelleybees.com...

Talking of Bee's... this guy was atacked by 40,000 of em yesterday I think:

A hive of 40,000 Africanised honey bees, known as "killer bees", have killed a Central Texas man and hurt a woman who came to his aid.

The Waco Tribune-Herald reported that Larry Goodwin was attacked as he drove a tractor on a neighbour's land in Moody, about 26 miles (41km) south of Waco.

The 62-year-old ran to a house about 50 yards (46 metres) away and tried to use a garden hose to ward off the swarm, according to McLennan County Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Matt Cawthon.

A woman came out to help and was also stung. Mr Goodwin was pronounced dead at the scene.

news.sky.com...

reply to post by WanDash


Most days are stingless. However, getting stung is a small dot, and ouch, and the swelling is gone within half an hour.

reply to post by Druid42


Excellent thread Druid - S&F

I must say I am somewhat relieved to learn that bees are probably reproducing and swarming in large numbers, it never occured to me that something like this would happen. Mother Nature is truly amazing.

They'll have a much better chance of recovery once we've stamped out the likes of nature-hating Monsanto et al, along with their corrupt, political buddies who would sell their dear old grannies if they had a price.

Well done, you are a friend of nature. 'Service to others' means ALL creatures not just humans, we need more people like you as well as more bees.

reply to post by strbrite78


It's a really fun hobby, a bit of woodworking involved as well. Good to hear your bees are thriving, and sorry about your losses.

We have one more hive body, then will have to make more.

Dbl post.

Wonderful thread Druid, thanks very much for sharing and taking all the pictures.

Its very inspiring, and really makes me curious to try keeping bees someday. I'm having a hard time finding a living situation that even allows me to garden lately, but things can change.

So when you are ordering or picking up new colonies, do you have to worry about what kind of bees they are? Or are there few breeds of honeybee? I mean other than the media-hyped 'killer bees' from Africa. Also do those large black and yellow bumble bees make honey? Or are they just distant cousins?

Sorry for all the noob questions, but I'm genuinely curious and you seem like the right person to ask.

Thanks again for the very cool visual bee lesson!

reply to post by Aliquandro

do you have to worry about what kind of bees they are? Or are there few breeds of honeybee?

There are several varieties of Honey Bees:

Honey bees (or honeybees) are a subset of bees in the genus Apis, primarily distinguished by the production and storage of honey and the construction of perennial, colonial nests out of wax. Honey bees are the only extant members of the tribe Apini, all in the genus Apis. Currently, there are only seven recognised species of honey bee with a total of 44 subspecies,[1] though historically, anywhere from six to eleven species have been recognised. Honey bees represent only a small fraction of the approximately 20,000 known species of bees. Some other types of related bees produce and store honey, but only members of the genus Apis are true honey bees.

Locally, it's mostly variations of Italian bees, imported years and years ago, and adapted to the current clime. You can find much more Information Here.

do those large black and yellow bumble bees make honey?

Yes, they do, but only a few days worth at a time. Bumble bees are usually only 50-75 bees per colony, as opposed to 30,000 honey bees. Their breeding and reproduction cycles are much more different.

In their favor, Bumble Bees are good pollinators as well, so all bees are vital to ensure adequate crop pollination.

Cool thread Druid42!! Thanks for posting it and for the excellent photos and super helpful explanations on them. I learned sumthin! Your Dad looks so happy and looks like he is doing what he Loves! Give him a big back for us!

reply to post by Druid42


Very nice pictures. I had a swarm come off yesterday at my farm, and had to cut a limb off a tree they were hanging on. They went right into the hive. I have never wore a bee suit to hive swarms, since they are engorged with honey when they leave the hive, they are not hostile. A swarm of bees seldom if ever sting if handled appropriately.

You can sit within a few feet of the hive and watch them walk right in after the queen has entered. Like you, I had seven colonies and lost four of them here in Iowa this Winter. Swarms should never be viewed as hostile, you can pick up the limb they are on and carry them to the hive, or shake them off onto a tarp in front of the hive. You do not need to use a smoker when putting bees into hives.

There are three strains of honey bees, Italian, Carnolian, and Caucasian. I have concentrated on only haveing Caucasian bees because they are the most gentle bees and will work when temps are at 50 degrees, they originated in the Caucauses of Russia, they are almost extinct in the US now, and very hard to find anyone that have these bees for sale.

The next most gentle are the Carnolians, and of course the most aggressive are the Italians, of course the caucasians make the least amount of honey, Carnolians next, and Italians make the most honey. Adios Amigos. John

Originally posted by Philippines
Cool post! Thanks for the pics on how to reclaim a swarming hive. Here it's a bit different as you have to first spot the domestic bees from the native ones, and then follow them to their new hive.

Do you collect the pollen much? I have seen it done with a couple of brushes at the entrance of the hive, that will scrape off the pollen from the bees legs as they enter the hive.

Is it also true they relieve themselves (insect poop/piss) before landing to the hive? I have heard that lol

Maybe I missed the response, posting again.

Sometimes I feel like my posts are censored or ignored on this forum

reply to post by Philippines


Sorry, meant to reply, and got sidetracked. You weren't being ignored.

I don't collect the pollen at all. That's left for the bees to change into honey. Yes, honey is bee vomit. The forager digests while collecting, and upon returning to the hive, regurgitates the contents of their stomach to another bee, who eats it again and with the enzymes in their stomach, finishes the conversion into actually honey, which is finally regurgitates into the honeycomb and sealed off for future use.

As far as bee "business" goes, the foragers do their "duty" outside, and the younger females clean up the inside of the hive. A female bee only has a 28 day lifecycle. Once born, they work for two weeks inside the hive, and during the last two weeks of their lives, the leave the hive to forage and pollinate.

Fascinating insects, bees are.

sounds like the bees are making a comeback, thanks for making this thread, the process was interesting! I remember watching billy the exterminator on tv last year, he had a special vacuum for the bees that did not harm them so they could be saved.

SEVERAL yrs ago noticed the decline in pollinators (live in SW Florida) we developed Outdoor living space technique to help bring back pollinators into everyday yards. The problem is 99% if I may be so bold, homes w/foundation planted landscapes w/chemical grown lawns have replaced open grass lands, wooded areas with flowers, palmettos in SW Florida and it goes on & on. Well Monsanto among other wonderful chemical comps educate people the bugs are bad, Americans want to kill kill kill them dead! We developed a program called Estatestyle I'm not trying to sell anything just trying to restore grounds that can be enjoyed by both man & insects & animals we can alll win win win! With out kill kill kill! I (we) have proved planting away from buildings reducing lawns that need chemicals, planting native plants & trees can help reduce chemical runoff, recapture water reduce energy & maintenance costs, lower temperatures in summer & warmer in winter with less wind damage. Look at how the farmers did it, back then they planted groves of trees in 'buffers' away from from structures and under planted with flowering native bushes. This all works we have proved it. I am glad to help anyone reclaim their inner space of their yard. Its easy & I don't want anything just to help our planet out we are the stewards of the this planet what the hell has happened to us? We need to create good not greed! We are the only ones that can do it, one step at a time & soon we are there,

I just blundered into a hive in my backyard. They don't bother me, but would sending them away bee better for their population?

Ill post pics tomorrow.

reply to post by Dianec

You should try a local farmers' market.

Our county has a small market on weekends. and that is where I get my honey.
So, local, raw and unprocessed...and very reasonable...