This is the first post of many about how to start beekeeping. Before you ever order bees, equipment, or anything else, you must determine where your hives will be located. Hive location can have a huge impact on the success of your beekeeping adventure. Watch and see some of the considerations you need to make when determining hive location, and subscribe to keep up to date on all things beekeeping and homesteading.
These little guys are $25 a piece at Wal Mart. I’ve needed new game cameras for some time, and my wife and daughter got me these for my birthday this year. I have to say, I’m impressed. For $25 I can get several and have them all over the place.
Pork Chop has been here for a bit, and it’s high time he got his own place. We go back to the old standby building material, pallets. This one is pretty quick and easy, assuming you have just a bit of scrap tin and 2x4s around, you’ll not spend much of anything on this.
It is that time of year. The time when so many people are struggling to come up with gift ideas for that special someone. Some people are easy to buy for, while others are rather difficult. If you have a beekeeper or homesteader on your list, there are options that are both affordable, and he/she will love them.Beekeeping supplies- For the beekeeper on your list, there are plenty of supplies and tools we use. Some are rather durable and don’t need regular replacing. Others tend to wear out or be used up. Continue reading
Bees need food. In an effort to increase the size of our orchard, as well as increase the spring forage for our honey bees, we are giving a go at propagating fruit trees this fall.
I’ve had this saw for a few years. I do tend to baby it a bit, in that I try to wipe it down and keep it looking new every now and then. I generally use it for cutting firewood each year for myself and my mother in law, as well as general clearing around the homestead. I figured I have had it and used it enough I could justify a decent review of it.
Last week I showed you how to mix an oxalic acid varroa mite treatment. It was a rather simple process. I used the recipe by Randy Oliver. This week, I am applying the treatment. I left the shop towel in the Ziploc bag for the week. After opening it up, I found it to still be in great shape. Below is the video on how to apply this treatment. I only treated one hive, as I want to make sure the bees respond well to the treatment.
I have gone back and forth on treating bees for mites. Part of me says not to treat, because bees don’t get treated in nature. The other part says to treat, since bees die off when in managed hives. I have officially placed myself on the treating side of the fence. Bees in nature are not managed. They don’t have humans going in and messing around with their honey, comb, etc. The very name “managed hives” means we should.. umm… manage them. Part of managing a hive is taking care of it, treating it for possible issues. This is how I am treating for the dreaded Varroa Mite. This is a video demonstration of how I read the Randy Oliver method to go.
Today, we are taking a look at the hives while we are in the middle of our fall nectar flow. The goldenrod is out in force, and the bees are doing a fantastic job of turning that nectar into delicious honey. Also, you get a little peak at just how well the Swifter Hive Beetle Traps work.
There are several commercial smoker fuels out there. Some folks have no problem spending cash on them, but I prefer to keep my cash for things that don’t burn right up. This is a cost effective and simple way to light a smoker.
