Beekeeping...

[bamsphd]

I've often wondered...how it is possible to get stung while still wearing the full bee suit?

In this case while squatting to pickup a hive body my chin and neck pushed against the mesh which usually hangs in front of but not touching my face. I believe two bees got me through the mesh.

You sometimes get a "partial" sting through some normally loose fabric pulled tight against your body, though as soon as the fabric moves it usually pulls the stinger out. Bees often sting my gloves, and occasionally the stinger makes it through. If you don't cinch up hand and foot openings they can get into the suit that way.

My first few stings were actually bees which landed on my suit and rode it into the house. Then they stung me when I took the suit off inside the house! I quickly bought a bee brush specifically for brushing bees off the outside of my suit before going inside.

Understand that how defensive bees are depends partly on bee genetics, the so called "killer bees" are extremely defensive while most bee keepers use much more mellow bee strains. How defensive the bees are also depends heavily on the availability of nectar and the state of the hive. It also depends on what you are doing to the hive. If you are smooth, the bees will be more mellow. If you bang or drop parts of the hive, or smash bees, the bees will get more upset. Reassembling hives at the end of the fall with minimal nectar flow and the hives literally knocked over and scattered around by a bear the night before is about as bad as it ever gets. There were also twelve hives involved in this case, so I was dealing with LOTS of angry bees, and I was not using any smoke. During a nectar flow, opening a healthy mellow hive with smoke you might only have a few guard bees trying to warn you off. Knock the hive over and you will have more than a few. Leave the hive open and exposed for hours, and you will encounter quite a few guard bees.

Suits also vary considerably in quality and design philosophy. They also get old, dirty, and torn which can effect how well they work. I'm a wimp and an amateur, so I bought a good suit which barely fit, and then an even better very good suit which was easy to get on and off (Golden Bee Products). The professionals often work with just a veil, long sleeves, and long pants. Though they usually cinch or tuck their pant legs into boots to prevent bees from crawling up inside the pants. They would also certainly use a bee suit if one was available when dealing with hives knocked over by bears. The main downside of bee suits is that they are hot to wear, and most bee keeping work is done during the summer. The main downside of gloves is that they make you more awkward, which tends to disturb the bees.

As I understand it, if you are stung about 20 (I'm not sure I'm remembering the right number) times a year, and you are not allergic to bee stings, most people develop a tolerance to the stings. The initial sting still hurts, but you no longer have the swelling and itching reaction of someone who rarely gets stung. As an amateur, I did not want to get stung 20 times a year. For a professional normally working bees with just a veil and no gloves, getting stung more than 20 times a year would be just part of the job.

 

[Redbugdave]

That's very interesting Bams. You are also a good writer besides being a beekeeper. When I lived at Waycross, Georgia...bees were a big commercial industry down there. And the were quite a few bears. The Okefenokee is right there. All the beekeepers used electric fencing around their bee yards.

This is an interesting short discussion on bee stings by Mike Palmer. By the way...If you want to learn a lot about bees look up Mike Palmer's talks. He's my favorite.

 

[Redbugdave]

I found this in, "Beekeeping for Dummies"...one of the books I am reading. I am simply amazed at the complexity of organization that bees have...


Life of a worker bee...

Housekeeping (days 1 to 3 of the bee's life)
After being born she will binge on pollen and honey, then starts cleaning and polishing empty cells for new eggs and to store nectar and pollen.

Undertaking (days 3 to 16)
The hive is one of the cleanest and sterile environments found in nature. The worker bee disposes of other dead or dying bees, brood
or any other alien objects in the hive.

Working in the Nursery (days 4 to 12)
The worker bee will then feed and care for developing larvae. These nurse bees will check a single larvae 1300 times a day, feeding pollen, honey, and royal jelly.

Attending Royalty (days 7 to 12)
Some selected worker bees feed the queen, groom her, clean her and coax her to lay eggs.

Going Grocery Shopping (days 12 to 18)
These worker bees take the nectar and pollen brought in from the older foraging field bees, then deposit the results and add
enzymes to the honey and begin the drying process.

Fanning (days 12 to 18)
The worker bee takes a turn at controlling the temperature and humidity in the hive and at the entrance. They also contribute
to the communication within and outside the hive by using their Nassanoff gland.

Becoming Architects and Master Builders (days 12 to 35)
The workers are mature enough to begin wax production from wax glands under the abdomen. They then help with building
new wax comb and capping cells.

Honor Guard (days 18 to 21)
The worker bee's sting glands have finally developed with venom. These guard bees watch the entrance and fend off other bees, insects, and vermin.

Steppin' Out (days 22 to 42)
With her life half over, the worker bee steps out to join the ranks of the field bees. She takes orientation flights and learns landmarks. Foraging bees visit 5 million flowers to produce a single pint of honey. She will fly a three mile radius of the hive, (about 6000 acres). She will darken in color and her wings will become torn and tattered. She has avoided birds, predators, storms, cold weather, and accidents.
If she makes it back to the hive but finally dies, her youngest sisters will carry her body out of the hive for disposal.

Wow!

 

[imoldernu]

Thank you for a fascinating thread. Am enjoying the stories and the facts. Please keep it coming.

Not to intrude, but just a word about sensitivity to bee stings. In my case, back in 1966, ground wasps... one wasp... aroused by my mowing over the ground nest/hive? One sting... between the big and first toe... Kept on mowing, but foot hurt, and became itchy... within ten minutes, looked down at leg, (wearing shorts) and saw a reddening foot. Five more minutes... both legs.. up to knees.., red and itching... Five more minutes... red and swollen up to waist... and feeling woozy... Ran into house... and up to second floor bathroom... old eagle claw tub.. and started filling with cold water... By then chest was inflamed, and the "red" was going down my arms... as I climbed in, I could feel my throat swelling and was having trouble breathing... That was the last I remember, until DW was slapping my face, maybe 15 minutes later.. She helped me downstairs, out to the car and to the emergency room... an injection of nitroglycerin, and back to normal in 20 minutes.

After that... five years of "shots", monthly at Dr.'s Office...to de-sensitize. It was a long time ago, and the thought was that desensitizing would happen for all stings. More recently, I learned that there is no "one size fits all" desensitization, but that the injections are specific to one kind of hornet/bee.

I have been stung since then... the first few times, just in case, I'd go to the emergency room in the hospital, and just sit until the swelling stabilized.
Why pay $500 for nothing?
So now I don't worry any more, but for safety's sake, keep epi-pens in the house and the car... just in case.
About as close to death as I want to be... The memory is fresh.

 

[Redbugdave]

Here's another update with pics...

We got two more nucs on Friday. A nuc is 5 frames of brood, honey and pollen with workers and a queen. It's like a mini-hive and a better way to go than a package of bees. We should get a couple more nucs in another week or two.
[SIZE=+1]
[/SIZE]The first pic is a bee swarm trap mounted on a tree. When bees swarm, they send out sentries to look for a new home. If you put up a likely home with an attractant to lure them in, the swarm will go to the trap. You check your traps, and if you catch a swarm...that's a free bunch of bees to make a new hive with. I have several traps set out in likely places in the woods. It's like fishing.

We got the bees installed just before it began raining. Eddie got one Italian nuc and the other is Russian. It will be interesting to see the differences between the bee varieties. And the grand kids did a colorful job painting some hives, too!

 

[Redbugdave]

Following along...

And you never know where life leads you...and it sure is a fun ride.

 

[queeneev]

Learning about bees

Hello bee peoples!

I was going to dive into beekeeping this spring, and got overwhelmed with how much important knowledge one needs. Soooo, I talked to a local apiarist who teaches at an educational farm, and lo and behold, he was beginning to offer apprenticeships. I am now taking a 9 month long apprenticeship, 2 - 3 days per month shadowing this incredible man, and TRULY learning from the bottom up. The beekeeping will begin for me next spring, when I feel more confident. I will have experienced the full gamut of bee seasons.

PS - my mentor is training me to keep bees without a bee suit, and without using smoke (except on my own body after I get stung).

It's exhilirating to stand amongst the flighty bees for the first time!

 

[brewer12345]

Well, I am due to pick up my package in one week. I have a couple of minor tasks to do between now and then, the most important being leveling the site the hive will rest on. Otherwise I am prepared. Should be very interesting.

 

[Redbugdave]

Hi there Eev! Bee Peoples or Beeks! You are lucky to find someone around to show you the ropes. That's the best kind of learning. Learning by doing.

Hey Brewer...Post us some pics will ya? Are you getting Italians or some other variety?

When Eddie was at the bee yard getting the nucs, he did not have much room in the back seat for them, with the grand kid painted hive boxes. He said that he thought about putting them on the front seat passenger side. He put them in the back of the truck instead. When we opened the tailgate, a bunch of bees were flying around back there. I could only wonder about the front seat...we had a good laugh.

 

[brewer12345]

I am trying Italians, yes. If I have problems I will probably go for Russian or Carnolian.

I will try to get DW to take some pics from the safety of the house...

 

[brewer12345]

Today was bee arrival day. I turned out to be the only person at the pickup spot in coveralls, marking me as the most nervous newbie in the crowd. I made from an industrial section of Denver to the house with the bees covered up in the back of the truck without incident. There were no stragglers running loose and the bees were pretty calm, so the kids came out to get a better look and feed the package of bees with a sugar syrup spray down. Then I shooed them in, pulled the queen and installed her in the hive. The bees were placid even when I had to bang the cage to clear them off the queen cage. When it was time to put them in the hive, things were different quickly. Without the queen they get upset. I banged the cage again to get them away from the opening and the tone of the buzzing immediately became angrier and louder. I managed to keep my cool, dumped 3 pounds of bees in the hive, closed it up, installed the feeders and make my escape without a single sting. Full coveralls, boots, a headscreen hat and gauntlet gloves did the trick. Within a couple hours the hive was pretty calm and looked like business as usual. This afternoon my eldest was safely watching the foragers return for the day from maybe 5 feet away without incident. The dogs seem to have no interest in the hive, which is a major relief.

 

[Redbugdave]

Hey Brewer...That made my day! Your girls are gonna love it...you will see! If you ever do get a little honey, the girls can take a jar to school, show the teacher and say that their bees made that! The sugar water you give the bees will help them make comb. And when you see the bees bringing in pollen...that's a good sign they are bringing it in to feed brood. Pollen means all is well.

I suggest putting some lawn chairs nearby in the yard once the bees have settled in and watch the goings on. It's mesmerizing and relaxing...like watching a campfire I have discovered. Better than TV! They all have their own little lives and it's interesting trying to figure out what they are doing.

I made a beekeeping friend that lives about 1 1/2 miles from me. Actually we met thru the BeeSource forum. Larry has about 12 hives and is bug bitten, too. Anyways, he called me this week to see and help with a swarm that came from one of his hives. And here's a few pics of Larry retrieving the swarm back into a hive. The swarm left again...so we put the swarm and hive are over in my yard...at a new location. They should not leave this time. I will feed and watch them.

 

[Redbugdave]

More pics as the story unfolds...

 

[bamsphd]

I actually still have two empty hives sitting in my front yard. I generally say I'll get back into bees when the bears stop knocking the empty hives over, or when a swarm repopulates my hives. So far the bears keeping knocking the hives over at least a few times a year, and the swarms keep finding better quarters elsewhere.

A bear visited and knocked an empty hive over this week. Guess I'll stay retired from my bee keeping hobby awhile longer.

 

[brewer12345]

A bear visited and knocked an empty hive over this week. Guess I'll stay retired from my bee keeping hobby awhile longer.

Or take up bear hunting.

 

[Redbugdave]

Or take up bear hunting.

That's my vote, too. Maybe an electric fence with peanut butter on the wires.

Brewer...Your bees should begin sucking up the sugar water. That swarm in the hive in my back yard is drinking 2 quarts a day. Have you and the girls been watching them come and go?

 

[brewer12345]

That's my vote, too. Maybe an electric fence with peanut butter on the wires.

Brewer...Your bees should begin sucking up the sugar water. That swarm in the hive in my back yard is drinking 2 quarts a day. Have you and the girls been watching them come and go?

We have had rather variable weather. When I put them in Saturday I saw a ton of activity with foragers coming and going. The next 3 days were cold, crappy and windy. Today I finally saw a lot of foraging activity as the weather improved. I am planning on getting into the hive on Friday when I will check the feeders as well. I have been very reluctant to get back in there with overnight lows close to freezing the last few days. The two feeders I stuck on the hive when I installed the package held 2 gallons of 1:1 syrup. Think I should be worried about them running out of syrup?

 

[brewer12345]

I snuck a peak this morning before foragers were active in front of the hive. There was a mass of bees sucking syrup and they had gone through about half of the 2 gallons I put on the hive on Saturday. Today was a lot warmer and less windy than recent days and we saw a ton of foragers doing there thing. The bees are getting into all sorts of plants and the pollen they are carrying back to the hive ranges from palest yellow, to brown, to an almost neon/dayglow orangey red. Hard not to stand in front of the hive and watch.

 

[Nemo2]

Maybe an electric fence with peanut butter on the wires.

Wouldn't that just piss the bear off?

 

[Redbugdave]

Wouldn't that just piss the bear off?

That's what you do for deer, dogs, bear, etc...They touch it with their nose or tongue and then they know to stay away. Otherwise, they will go through it and not be conditioned the first time.

Brewer...Put the sugar water to the bees. They will take it and if they don't you can see and draw back. As your temperature warms the bees will be using more. They are using most of it to make comb. You gotta have comb for eggs to be laid in and to get the colony started. The bees will store sugar water and start packing in pollen for the brood that will be hatching. We have a place here in Columbia where 50 pound sacks of sugar can be bought for around $18...Chef's Store. With the hives we have started, I make it up in 5 gallon loads. It's odd, but not all the hives drink it up in even quantities. Maybe some have more foragers than other hives?

 

[Nemo2]

That's what you do for deer, dogs, bear, etc...They touch it with their nose or tongue and then they know to stay away.

Once when I was painting a ground level front deck with open access, I borrowed a neighbor's electric wire unit and set it up.......once all the local dogs had been zapped I removed the wire, returned the unit, and replaced the wire with string...dogs kept away.

Bears though I thought might just get enraged.

 

[brewer12345]

Brewer...Put the sugar water to the bees. They will take it and if they don't you can see and draw back. As your temperature warms the bees will be using more. They are using most of it to make comb. You gotta have comb for eggs to be laid in and to get the colony started. The bees will store sugar water and start packing in pollen for the brood that will be hatching. We have a place here in Columbia where 50 pound sacks of sugar can be bought for around $18...Chef's Store. With the hives we have started, I make it up in 5 gallon loads. It's odd, but not all the hives drink it up in even quantities. Maybe some have more foragers than other hives?

I suspect that some hives either have more foragers or they are just better at coordinating their efforts to hit the best sources of nectar.

I worked the hive for the first time today. I was a bit to nervous and used too much smoke, but the hive was pretty tolerant. I saw a goodly amount of comb on 3 frames and the queen is out of her cage. I cleaned up a bunch of bridge comb and put everything back together. I swapped my two feeders for fresh ones. The bees seem to have used a bit less than a gallon of syrup in 6 days. I see a ton of foraging activity and damn near everything is in bloom, so I suspect the bees are taking advantage of the nectar flow. I am going to leave the hive alone for a week and then try to confirm that the queen is laying.

The bees were placid enough even with my clumsiness and overuse of smoke that I am planning to get my hands on a kid size suit and let them come with and watch as I work the hive.

 

[Redbugdave]

Brewer...Your bees will pick up in the coming weeks. In a few days or week, check to see how the queen is laying. A newly laid egg is about the size of a pencil dot and hard to see through a veil. You may need to take it off and use a magnifying glass. That's what I did. Us retirees can't see up close as good as we used to...

Kids suits:
Children's Clothing-Brushy Mountain Bee Farm, Inc.

It's been about 5 weeks since we installed the first package. I checked it a couple days ago and that hive is booming. They were working on about 7 of the 10 frames and filling them out. So...I rotated the frames on the ends, pulled a frame from about the 3rd slot and put it in the middle of a second box which I put on top. The brood are hatching out and the hive is swelling and they are busy as bees. Expansion seems almost exponential. The other hives are not as far along yet.

 

[Redbugdave]

Well, I looked at the hives and it looks like in another week or so we may be putting another hive body on a couple nucs, (the ones that have the bricks standing on end), that were installed April 12 and 17th. I also added more length for future hive expansion. The bees are still sucking up the sugar water and making comb out of it. Here's a couple pics. [SIZE=+1]
[/SIZE]

 

[bld999]

Redbug,,

What are you going to do with all that honey once the hives mature? Next fall might look pretty sticky