New beekeeping with AZDuffman

Quote: FrGamble

I was wondering how much space you would need to put in a beehive and is it safe in regards to people paying in the general vicinity of one?

As to space, people put them on rooftops or porches in dense cities. As to "space needed" the factor is you and not the bees. The bees don't know how much space is around the hive, they just use the hive. But when you check it you need to keep your own ergonomics in mind. IOW, you have to be able to lift part of the hive off and move it around for inspections, feeding, and honey harvesting. Picture yourself picking up a box at 12 o'clock, twisting with it, and setting it down at 9 o'clock. To be safe I would say give yourself 10'x10'.

As to "safe in the vicinity" if you do not bother them they rarely notice you. I was breaking down pallets less than 20' away with a saws-all yesterday. A guy I knew said he mows his lawn by them with no issues. I sometimes sit a few feet away and watch them. I would not put them near the sidewalk by your church as too many people will cause too many issues. But if you want to try this behind the rectory I say go for it.

IIRC you are fairly far north and not near an area where africanized bees can survive, so you should have similar results to what I have. Take a day course and give it a try!

Waldorf Astoria: NYC

Guests in the Towers of the Waldorf Astoria have exclusive access to the hotel’s rooftop garden and beehives with a luxury beekeeping experience. Priced at $1,800 per guest, the outing includes one hour exploring the hives with a culinary team member (trained as beekeepers) and a three-course lunch of honey-infused dishes.To cap off the hard work, guests can choose one the Guerlain Spa’s signature honey treatments, including the Abeille Royale Youth Facial or Urban Island Escape body treatment, which were both inspired by the honey and rooftop ingredients.

SPRING INSPECTION--THIS ONE IS OVER

Just gave the first inspection of the year. Sorry, guys, but this colony is not going to last more than a few more weeks. No sign of a laying queen at all, no brood. They will be dead within weeks. I do not think re-queening is going to work, it is too far gone. I am surprised because there is a lot of activity in and out, lots of foragers. They are the leftovers.

One thing I found was they did not like that sugar candy I made. It was untouched and many dead bees around it. Another was my confidence level on the hive this year was way higher than last, took my time not as worried. Methodical. Patient.

So where do we go from here? Well, we will try, try again. Will start looking to see if I can still get a package. That is harder this year since I will not have a job I can just leave. Also will go to some more meetings of the local club. If I start again this year the comb is drawn so a new colony should get up to speed faster.

I will build a better stand, just use some cement blocks last time around. Need a stand big enough for two colonies. There was plenty of honey for them, so at the least they were not underfed.

Future updates at some point, but this colony I can do nothing but let die off.

Sorry to hear of the hive's demise. Suggest you take a brief vacation to NYC and partake at the Waldorf Astoria.

ah, too bad.

if you do have other beekeepers to talk to, very important to find out what happened. Would they recommend sugar candy? Maybe not.

Sorry for the bad news AZD. Is it still possible for a "transplant" to wander in on her own? Perhaps the queen was temporarily scared off during the inspection and will return after things settle back down?

I thought there were always potential queens in the pipeline, just waiting to be fed "royal jelly" to complete the metamorphosis. What is the process for spawning new queens?

>>>> Determination of drug residues in food, such as antibiotics and growth promoters, particularly meat and honey.

So why would honey have antibiotic residues or growth promoters?

We always cook with honey to sweeten up the night ...

Quote: Fleastiff

>>>> Determination of drug residues in food, such as antibiotics and growth promoters, particularly meat and honey.

So why would honey have antibiotic residues or growth promoters?

We always cook with honey to sweeten up the night ...

Probably growth promoters in all the gmo corn and soy, tomatoes etc. Anti-biotics, almost goes without saying in poultry and pork.

Also prolly give promoters to silage corn.

Are you positive it's dead? I thought there was a natural cycle to queens coming and going, and in a disaster, more can be made?

Sucks if it's so, but good for you for jumping right back in. Sorting it out is half the fun =)

As an aside, if anyone needs wasps, I got a metric ton =p

Quote: odiousgambit

if you do have other beekeepers to talk to, very important to find out what happened.

Good idea. I'd want to know what happened, especially to avoid the same thing.