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Just joined local Beekeeping Association

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TDMooney

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 2, 2011
188
0
0
Elkridge, Maryland
So I just joined my local Beekeeping Association, Howard County Beekeeping Association. It was $10 to join and they meet the second tuesday of every month. I also Signed up for a beekeeping class provided through the Assoc. It was $40 to register and you have 5, 2.5 hour classes in the class room and 1 field day to go to a local apiary and help with hive maintnence and honey extraction, I also will recieve a textbook on the first day of class. I am very excited to meet local beekeepers in my area and form relationships so that I can use local honey in my mead and hopefully be able to start my own hives in 2012. I also talked to the president of the Assoc. over email and she said that she could probally be able to find some volunteer work for me at local apiaries over the spring and summer so that I can get more experience before starting my own hives. ;D
 

icedmetal

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 16, 2009
794
1
0
Everett WA
Right on! The more beeks, the better :)

This'll be the second year of my wife and I keeping a hive. It's totally fun, and freaks out the neighbors too ;D We just signed up for a class as well so we can learn more specifics about keeping bees in our immediate area.
 

TDMooney

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 2, 2011
188
0
0
Elkridge, Maryland
Awsome ! I can't wait to start my hives next year, the class outline is

1.) How to get started
2.) Honeybee Biology
3.) Beekeeping Equipment
4.) Colony Management
5.) Pollination and Dealing with Pests and Diseases

The clases are held on 2/22 , 3/1 , 3/8 , 3/15, and 3/22 .. the field day is in april but the date it still pending.

I may start a blog with all of the notes and things that I have learned throughout the course and monthly meetings.
 

hillhousehoney

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 27, 2010
17
0
0
Iowa
That's Great! You will . . . . . . .

love beekeeping. Since you will be attending a beekeeping club, you will likely be hearing about one way to keep bees. Keep an open mind and understand that there are several ways to keep bees. No one has the corner on the market. It can get very involved, if you don't do a little research ahead of time. If you haven't found it yet, go to "bushbees" on the net, there you will find a wealth of information. He, along with many other (including myself), keep bees without chemicals. This way the poisons don't get into the honey. Just another thing to be made aware of. I wouldn't keep bees if I used chemicals. Now I thououghly enjoy beekeeping because it's no longer work. Just want to make you aware of your options before you make your choice about how you want to keep bees.
 

TDMooney

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 2, 2011
188
0
0
Elkridge, Maryland
thank you, I will definetly look into bushbees ... hopefully the class I signed up for will go over chemical-free beekeeping techniques , I really cant wait until next year when I finally start.
 

gray

NewBee
Registered Member
Feb 4, 2011
68
0
0
Seattle, WA
I would think a blog would be a wonderful idea if you have the time. Do you know what book you will be given?
 

TDMooney

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 2, 2011
188
0
0
Elkridge, Maryland
I will definetly be making a blog, and as of right now I'm not sure of the book that they are giving to the students, but I will try and figure that out at the meeting on tuesday.
 

Tannin Boy

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 6, 2010
332
0
0
Webster, NY
love beekeeping. Since you will be attending a beekeeping club, you will likely be hearing about one way to keep bees. Keep an open mind and understand that there are several ways to keep bees. No one has the corner on the market. It can get very involved, if you don't do a little research ahead of time. If you haven't found it yet, go to "bushbees" on the net, there you will find a wealth of information. He, along with many other (including myself), keep bees without chemicals. This way the poisons don't get into the honey. Just another thing to be made aware of. I wouldn't keep bees if I used chemicals. Now I thououghly enjoy beekeeping because it's no longer work. Just want to make you aware of your options before you make your choice about how you want to keep bees.

HHH,

I was low on my honey reserves, so off to the public market!
I asked the bee keeper about the chemical issue and he agrees and
said he had stopped using chemicals several years ago and was quite
pleased that he had. I asked about the mites and his reply was not much
different results with or without the chemicals:)

TB
 

hillhousehoney

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 27, 2010
17
0
0
Iowa
Hi TB: I have heard . . . . . . .

that as well about mites. Some going chemical free still fight those little bugs. I have also introduced small cell (4.9) in my hives, and I really don't count mites anymore, but rather let them co-exist with the bees. It's good to hear about others going off chems. The honey does taste different. I did a talk for a local ladies group and gave them a sample right off the frames out of my hives. They became customers immediately. (That was my plan! Haha);D

Timothy
 

tweak'e

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 31, 2011
396
1
0
NewZealand
for a hobbyist beekeeping is sweet stuff all work. however what catches out a lot of hobbyists is they put off doing what needs to be done. by the time they get around to it, its to late. timing is everything.
you will spend less hours on the bees over the year than you do feeding the cat.

if your new to beekeeping i would suggest steer clear of anything organic, chem free, etc. you need to learn to be a beekeeper first. once you are a good beekeeper then you can play with all the different theories around.
i see a LOT of people wanting to be "green, organic etc" beekeepers. however they typically fail a lot and they do not know how to recover and do not work out what was at fault. ie was it their beekeeping skills at fault or did they do the organics side wrong ?
they will blame whatever and buy a new hive in. i've seen numerous "organic" beekeepers buy in hives year after year .....and some even have the balls to claim their methods work !
their problem is typically poor beekeeping rather than anything else.
so learn to be a beekeeper first!

i highly recommend go spend time with a commercial beekeeper. the simply problem with being a hobbyist is it takes such a long time to learn things. eg if you have 2 hives you only get to do certain things 2-4 times a year. in 30 years thats only 60-120 times you get to do it. with a commercial beekeeper you might do that job 60 times a day.
 

hillhousehoney

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 27, 2010
17
0
0
Iowa
No so, I'm afraid . . . . . . .

and I quote "they will blame whatever and buy a new hive in. i've seen numerous "organic" beekeepers buy in hives year after year .....and some even have the balls to claim their methods work !
their problem is typically poor beekeeping rather than anything else.
so learn to be a beekeeper first!

Organic beekeepers are true beekeepers! You can use chems if you wish, I never said you couldn't. I have been into bees for over 4 years now. My bees live through winter, and I have little to no mites in my hives. I make splits and catch swarms to diversify my gene pool. I pay great attention to detail, that's why I'm successful. And my honey is clean!!!
 

kudapucat

NewBee
Registered Member
Dec 2, 2010
2,383
10
0
Bundoora, Melbourne, Australia
My dad is a hobbiest, and has 3 hives.
He has suggested to me that if I wanted I could have my own hives and use his gear. Only the farm is 200km distant (120 miles)

So my question is this: can I remove the combs, replace with empty frames and then take them up bush still sealed in wax (when it's convenient) and extract them then? (preferably when dad's processing a flow, to save set up and clean up time?

The only problem I can see with this, is temperature regulation. Without the bees to keep the honey warm, it may crystalise.
I have NFI about beekeeping. Is this a valid concern?
Does anybody else have any ideas?

how long will a comb full of honey store on the frame?
 

TDMooney

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 2, 2011
188
0
0
Elkridge, Maryland
Jus got back from the meeting, I will be creating the blog tonight, the meeting went over mostly Small Hive Beetles (SHB) but some general information was covered as well. Look for the blog tonight (under my blogs), that is were all of the information I gather will be written
 

TDMooney

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 2, 2011
188
0
0
Elkridge, Maryland
The information is now posted to my blog under the Howard County Beekeepers Association folder and the blog is February Meeting. Please read over it, there is alot of really good information and links on Small Hive Beetles.

Thanks ! :)
 
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