just a quick question.
are there other beekeepers here on this forum?
seems logical to have at least a few.
bailey.
are there other beekeepers here on this forum?
seems logical to have at least a few.
bailey.
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other beeks?
- Thread starter bailey beekeeper
- Start date
A
andrewschwab
Guest
Guest
me me me me
Sitting on buckets of honey is what got me to making mead. That and my love for booze ;D
Third generation beekeeper, although my beekeeping is a hobby that is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay out of control.
Sitting on buckets of honey is what got me to making mead. That and my love for booze ;D
Third generation beekeeper, although my beekeeping is a hobby that is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay out of control.
thank you all for the great reception here, my beekeeping and mead making are both the results of a swarm choosing a gourd intended for purple martin nesting in my back yard. i hived them and the insanity of bee keeping began!
( the beeks will know what i am talking about!)
we have a very good balance of floral sources in my area and our local honey is very good in the spring. ( light clover type honey )
our fall honey is quite dark and we do have alot of goldenrod here which most people say they dont like.
we also have alot of other blooming plants at the same time goldenrod is in bloom that the bees add into the mix with a resulting dark fall honey with a very distinct flavor that is quite good.
i prefer my fall honey for eating plain,cooking, in my coffee and of course my mead making!
my last 2 batches were made from my darker fall honey with results that i thought were great.
i believe the subtle smells and tastes that i got were a result of the complexity of the honey used.
both were aged about 1 year. ( not enough to age longer cause it tasted too good.)
i have now gotten more carboys and started to study the forums here so i am hoping to be able to produce fast enough to allow for 2 years or more age times on a few bottles to see what it can really become!
bailey
( the beeks will know what i am talking about!)
we have a very good balance of floral sources in my area and our local honey is very good in the spring. ( light clover type honey )
our fall honey is quite dark and we do have alot of goldenrod here which most people say they dont like.
we also have alot of other blooming plants at the same time goldenrod is in bloom that the bees add into the mix with a resulting dark fall honey with a very distinct flavor that is quite good.
i prefer my fall honey for eating plain,cooking, in my coffee and of course my mead making!
my last 2 batches were made from my darker fall honey with results that i thought were great.
i believe the subtle smells and tastes that i got were a result of the complexity of the honey used.
both were aged about 1 year. ( not enough to age longer cause it tasted too good.)
i have now gotten more carboys and started to study the forums here so i am hoping to be able to produce fast enough to allow for 2 years or more age times on a few bottles to see what it can really become!
bailey
have you got all your gear yet? if you get a good flow in mesquite country you will be sitting on some great honey!
might want to have honey supers ready to go and start with nucs if you can get them local. get them early and feed them up early and you might get a spring harvest this year.
have you got a good mentor close by?
oops, are you in texas as your user name implies?
bailey
might want to have honey supers ready to go and start with nucs if you can get them local. get them early and feed them up early and you might get a spring harvest this year.
have you got a good mentor close by?
oops, are you in texas as your user name implies?
bailey
I'm not a beekeeper, and I don't believe that I'll ever get the fever to become one (but, who knows?
). Anyway, my wife and I have done some alternative gift-giving to each other this year and I found an interesting "gift" at our church's relief organization. While I probably won't become a bk myself, I have the satisfaction of setting up someone else.
Yes, I am in Texas - DFW metroplex, though our hives will be in the Alvarado area.
We do not yet have our hives - I was planning on getting the hives in January, and the packages in late Feb to early March. My wife has a friend who's father is a beekeeper that she has been speaking with, and we also have books, web sites, and a desire for our own honey and wax.
We are planning on the standard 2 medium deeps + supers setup. I had not even considered the possibility of a spring harvest this year, figuring that it would all go to brood rearing.
trust me on this, make the wooden gear now while there is time.
get it painted and allow to dry well.
when the spring gets here then you will be ready!
never good to have to build wodenware in an emergency!
also try to get local nucs instead of a package, the advantage of the drawn comb is worth the few extra dollars.
if you can get the bees before feb and feed them well to build them up you can get gallons of honey the first year!
bailey
get it painted and allow to dry well.
when the spring gets here then you will be ready!
never good to have to build wodenware in an emergency!
also try to get local nucs instead of a package, the advantage of the drawn comb is worth the few extra dollars.
if you can get the bees before feb and feed them well to build them up you can get gallons of honey the first year!
bailey
The problem with nucs is that you have to take the beekeeper's word as to the quality, whereas packaged bees are inspected.
I have not personally asked the opinion of any experienced beekeepers on this, but everything I have read or watched (books and internet) caution against using nucs from unknown sources.
As far as the wooden ware goes, at this point it is mostly a matter of money. The holidays make things tight all around. I plan on purchasing pre-cut (and possibly pre-assembled) deeps and supers, as I don't have a table saw or a place to put one. Hopefully by this time next year, both of those problems will be resolved, but for now I have to pay for some one else to do the work.
I have not personally asked the opinion of any experienced beekeepers on this, but everything I have read or watched (books and internet) caution against using nucs from unknown sources.
As far as the wooden ware goes, at this point it is mostly a matter of money. The holidays make things tight all around. I plan on purchasing pre-cut (and possibly pre-assembled) deeps and supers, as I don't have a table saw or a place to put one. Hopefully by this time next year, both of those problems will be resolved, but for now I have to pay for some one else to do the work.
A
andrewschwab
Guest
Guest
Quality is a matter of "word" on both nucs and packages.
If you make a list of pros and cons they wash out.
Some prefer 1 or the other. Try some of each to see what works with you.
If you make a list of pros and cons they wash out.
Some prefer 1 or the other. Try some of each to see what works with you.
