Anyone Keep Bee's ?

[Arkansas]

I have been thinking of getting a few colony's of Bees here lately. I think it would help the Mrs's garden a lot and would be a great way to get free honey and even wax to make candles etc.. Wondering does anyone know a good place to get the tools etc I will need to start a colony and a good source for bees that will deliver to Arkansas..lol

 

[chippie]

We used to have a hive until raspberry ants killed it. Check with your local Extension office. They may be able to put you in touch with local bee keepers.
It is an expensive hobby to get started in. A friend would harvest our honey because we didn't have the equipment (extractor, bee suit, etc...)

 

[tsmaxx47]

the county extention office is where I would start...

 

[Arkansas]

Yea I planned on building the box's myself in order to cut back on the prices.. Seen that the extractors for honey and the Hive itself were the most expensive products.

 

[skyhightree1]

You will never find a bee hive here ever. I hate bee stings.

 

[rockridgecattle]

Bees are the most amazing creatures next to cows of course.

I love bees. Have many a hive that hubby now has to look after. I hope I will be useful in the extraction room.

My advice, read up on them, get a mentor, work for a beekeeper to learn, when you are ready, get two hives. Do not go treatment free until you learn about how to control the diseases and pests.

I could talk bees for hours.

I think I know of a guy in Arkansas. Will check the beesource forum and get back to you....Ted something or other....commercial guy.

 

[rockridgecattle]

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthr ... beekeepers

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthr ... beekeepers

Ted iis from Alabama, sorry

 

[Anonymous]

My suggestion, let a local beekeeper put a couple boxes at your place. The garden will benefit, you won't have the initial cost outlay, and you'll soon find out of its something you want to get further into. If you do decide you want to, then you're more prepared.

 

[cow pollinater]

I used to run bees and am kicking around getting back in. I have two hives now but enough equipment left to run about fifty.
Dadants is the best place that I've dealt with for supplies. I would NOT try to build the equipment myself until you're experienced with the bees(an unassembeled kit is okay). Fractions of an inch matter to them a LOT and you wind up with bur comb glueing everything together if you don't get it just right.
You can get bees for free by collecting swarms. Then just re-queen with your bee of choice and you're off.
I would disagree with rockridge about not trying treatment free first. You'd need to be picky about who you buy queens from but it's entirely possible to just have bees and not worry about pests. That's what I do.
If you're patient and don't mind a little waste, you can extract by scraping the comb and honey off together and then straining the honey out(it's not as simple as it sounds but it works) for FREE.
All of this is just stuff to kick around for now... The time to start bees is in the spring.

 

[Commercialfarmer]

Is it expected to get stung if you have bees, or is it possible to keep them for years sting free?

 

[Arkansas]

I have never heard of anyone that tends to Bees say they never been stung. Unless they only been doing it like a few months..lol

Thanks for the comments all

 

[Arkansas]

My suggestion, let a local beekeeper put a couple boxes at your place. The garden will benefit, you won't have the initial cost outlay, and you'll soon find out of its something you want to get further into. If you do decide you want to, then you're more prepared.

I didn't know you could do that if I can do that then I will just go that route. Because I mainly want them for pollinating the garden. I like to watch them and see beekeepers work with them. But it seems to take a lot to get into it at first. I may try to just look into that.

 

[redcowsrule33]

The idea of hosting a few hives is a good one. Let's you see what you are in for. It is not a cheap hobby to start up. Hive, veil and bees will cost you at least $500. Which is why your free honey comment made me giggle. But we really enjoy our bees, FWIW.

 

[redcowsrule33]

Is it expected to get stung if you have bees, or is it possible to keep them for years sting free?

You have bees, you get stung. You have cows, you get kicked. How often all depends on the day and how stupid you were.

 

[hillbilly beef man]

Good advice for many aspects of life!!!