# My wild tame bees



## NativeRose (Nov 15, 2003)

I have these wonderful bees living in some old cable spools here on our place. They are tame and come to my bird bath for water. I put out honey water for them and I never saw something disappear so fast. They never try to sting us and let us get quite close to them. I don't know how we will ever get them out of those spools.

I have been trying to find someone in our area to move them to a hive for us. 
I know very little about care of bees. I just know I want them around to pollinate our plants as we have so few bees anymore. In the spring we have crimson clover and other plants that bees seem to love.

My question is... What do I need to do this winter for the bees? Should I continue to put out honey water for them? I need to go through the archives and read all the bee posts. 

Any and all info greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Rosemary


----------



## james dilley (Mar 21, 2004)

You should use sugar water Not honey water, as honey promotes robbing.Where are you located, My brother does removal and keeps the Bees wether there A H B or not. And you want to keep them? or let them go. To a Beekeeper.??They should have about 60 Pounds of stores for the winter, If the plants bloom pretty much year round they can get by on less. and try feeding 5# of sugar mixed into 1 Gal of hot water let it dissolve and coool then feed .Try using A 1 qt chick waterer with marbles in it for A landing pad for them.


----------



## NativeRose (Nov 15, 2003)

We would like to keep the bees. I need to learn more so I can see what we need to buy as far as a hive for them. I guess I need to look for some good books on keeping bees. I will use sugar water to feed them next time. How often do I put out sugar water for them. There are not a lot of things blooming at this time.

Thanks for the info.


----------



## james dilley (Mar 21, 2004)

Refill when mt. Theres several good books at the library.Try looking at Bee source .com theres lots of good info there . You can make your own supers too just buy the frames and wax. Dandant has a outlet in Paris texas that should be not to far to ship to you. good luck.


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

My I recommend Book finder dot com and get a used book by A.I.Root titled the abc's and xyz's of bee keeping. As the title says every thing from a to z but it was printed before the mites were a problem. I also Like John Vavains book.
Check out this place for information on building your own wooden ware with pictures.
http://honeybeesonly.com/index.php?...rum&f=13&sid=69ea5f9bdf9b5aedf663df96ac39e157

 Al


----------



## foxtrapper (Dec 23, 2003)

Rosemary,

You're probably not having much luck because normally a beekeeper will remove the hive and keep it himself. Setting you up requires you to have the equipment, or buy it from him. It's not cheap. Well, individual pieces are, but the whole shooting match at one time is pricey.

If you don't want to collect honey, and just enjoy the company of the bees, leave them where they are. They can do very well in the spools. They will continue to do the things you enjoy and live a happy life inside the spools.

I'd leave sugar water out for as long as they take it. Depending on where you live, that may be for several more months. It helps them build up stores to get through the winter with. I personally do not think you can overfeed a hive for winter.

As nice as your bees have been, do not be surprised if they do become more defensive as fall approaches. In the spring, they are busy running around and not worried. But now they are consolidating their own stores, and preparing for winter. So they become much more protective of their own hive.


----------



## NativeRose (Nov 15, 2003)

Thank you all for the great info. We will have to do something as we need to put a fence across the area where the spools are sitting.


----------



## foxtrapper (Dec 23, 2003)

Do you need to put the fence through the place where the spools are, or can you go around them? 

If the bees are in one spool, you've got a chance of being able to move it. Obviously, don't roll the spool. But you may be able to drag/lift the spool to a new location. I'd suggest wearing a bee suit and working on a cool dark night. You're much less likely to be stung that way. The bees will learn the new location pretty rapidly if the spool stays on your place.


----------



## NativeRose (Nov 15, 2003)

foxtrapper, 

There are about 7 spools. I told my DH (Dear Hardhead) that that was not a good place to put those spools. They are under some oak trees. I am not sure which of the spools is the hive. They may all be full of bees. I guess we will have to fence around the spools. I may have to find a "bee whisperer". :help:


----------

