# Do you think beekeeping is ok for a disabled person?



## Sheripoms (May 17, 2008)

Hi guys,
Just a quick question. My husband is disabled. I am trying to get him some kind of easy hobby/money maker that I could help him with and he could maybe enjoy. Do you think beekeeping would be to hard? I am not that knowledgeable on beekeeping but would love to learn. We do have lots of land full of alfalfa. How much actual physcial work does it entail? Thanks


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## Madame (Jan 1, 2003)

IMHO the hardest part is removing frames full of honey - they weigh around 50 lbs each. I suppose it all depends on what kind of disability he has.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Since you can help him the answer is yes.
Normal frames of honey do not weigh 50 pounds. they run from 5 to 10 pounds depending on the size frames you use. I suggest shallow frames for the honey supers. They will be the lightest and you can remove them off the bees one frame at a time and transfur them to a second box.
The heavest work is doing the hive revereses in the spring. But that can even be did a frame at a time if you have an extra bottom board and brood hive box.

A lot will depend on the disabilty too. May not be the best thing for some one wheel chair bound.

Good luck.

 Al


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## Sheripoms (May 17, 2008)

Thanks guys. No he is not wheel chair bound. I was just wondering about the everyday things that would need to be done. He sleeps alot but can get up and around some each day. Could you please take me through a typical week or month with bees?


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Here is a link to a bee keepers year.
http://michiganbees.org/beekeepersyear.htm

It is some what flexable depending on the area you live. The above one is for the northern areas of the country and into Canada.

Also don't depend on making a lot of money keeping bees.

 Al


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## Michael Bush (Oct 26, 2008)

Beekeeping with standard equipment is backbreaking work. Literally. But there is no reason you have to use standard equipment. You can use horizontal hives, or you can use all eight frame mediums. I know of several disabled people keeping them in eight frame mediums. Two of them from wheel chairs.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beeseightframemedium.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeshorizontalhives.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslazy.htm

Michael Bush
www.bushfarms.com


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Bee keeping is back breaking if you can't think outside the box.
Rather than lift heavy hives for things like reversals set a second bottom board beside the first with a deep and just transfur the frames. If you use deep you only have to transfur 20 frames instead of 30 when you use mediums. Of course you can do the same with 8 frames deeps but now you are useing equipment that just you may be useing so you are limited if you needed to borrow some thing like an extra honey super.

You do the same thing when removing the honey for extraction pull it one frame at a time transfuring it to a second box.
Your a hobbiest so you don't have to visit 500 colonies or more and git er done.

A old bee keeper gave me the advice many years ago. Don't bee afraid to expermint. You don't have to do things like Joe, Billy or Bob. Expermint and do what works for you. 

 Al


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## DoubleBee (Nov 13, 2006)

Hi. I'm disabled. I've been fighting cancer for the last 2 years.
Currently in remission, still unable to do heavy lifting or things that take a lot of time, due to fatigue.
Just this last spring I started 1 hive made up of mediums. 
Even mediums are too heavy for me when fully loaded with honey. To remove a super, I have to either remove all the frames, one by one, or have my husband lift the super. I recommend either 8 frame hives or using shallows for the honey supers. I've started buying shallows, and next year will use 2 or 3 mediums for the bottom brood supers and then add shallows on top. It can be done but he may have to find an easier way to do it. Definitely make sure you don't elevate the hive any higher off the ground than you have to. I think 6 to 8 inches would probably be good.
Don't expect to make money.


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