# Beekeeping is terrifying



## Texan (Nov 17, 2016)

I think bees are such a wonderful creature and would love to have some to enjoy. I would probably be called a beehaver by many as weekly hive inspections would surely not happen. 

For entertainment, I have watched countless hours of Youtube videos of enthusiasts as well as scientists. They all paint a rather horrifying picture. 

1: 50% of queens last 8 months
2: small hive beetle
3: varroa
4: the throat thingy
5: swarming
6: absconding
7: unexplained death

Are these people painting a realistic picture? I am not excited about having to keep 1-2 nucs running 365 to replace constantly dead colonies.


----------



## ed/La (Feb 26, 2009)

It is fun and easy. You might loose a few hives and in a year or two you will be good at it. You need 4-6 hives so you are not wiped out if a hive or 2 dies. Maybe there is a bee club you could join to help learning curve. Put some swarm traps out this spring.


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

(1. Queens will last longer than 8 months in most cases. Learn how to raise queens and you will have a local reared and mated queen that will last lots longer. Should requeen ever 2 years regardless.

(2. SHB, is easily controllable with a ground drench and SHB traps in the hive.

(3. Vorroa controllable with formic acid, USDA says is organic approved.

(4. Throat thingy controllable but is rare to see these days.

(5. You can control the swarming instinct by always making sure to have extra room for the bees. Also you can remove half the bees from the hive your self to make a second hive. I call that a artificial swarm since I did it.

(6. absconding this is rare in back yard hive environment. 

(7. Stuff happens and the reason every back yard bee keeper should have at least two hives.

Only crazy and new people inspect the hive once a week. 
I rarely will inspect once a month even. I figure about every 45 to 50 days unless I have some hives with a lot of Vorroa then I use drone comb and switch those frames out about every 20 days to freeze them.

 Al


----------



## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

I was introduced to a bee person who met me at the ranch last year and understood that I wanted to help the bees, have bees on the ranch and to be able to watch them. He made a beautiful top bar hive and brought it to the farm where I can see from near and far. I look at it every day from four hundred yards.

I worked on gate closures Saturday and enjoyed lots of animal tracks in the crusty snow every where I worked and walked. Eventually I worked my way to the hive. A few dead bees on the landing and on the crusty glassy snow below on the ground.

There are tracks right up to the front of the hive. A curious animal had looked closely at the small shrunken winter hole where the bees can come and go and even placed an unprotected ear right up to the hole to see if there was any least little bit of noise inside.

Satisfied that they would not waste energy on noise, the animal, me, crunched back to work and moved on. 

They make me grin. They remind me that for each, the days are numbered and the days are fast. I am glad that there are many people around the world who look after them and learn from them and share with us what they have learned.

They are working hard at nine degrees below here, last night.


----------



## FireMaker (Apr 3, 2014)

Worked bees for two yrs in high school. It was fun. The owner had 500 hives. He lived upstairs if an old cheese factory. In the winter, we drove around and picked up all the hives. Unloaded them downstairs of the cheese factory. They wintered downstairs. Would go in with a bug sprayer full of sugar water. While I sprayed the bees, they were all over my body. Never gave me any grief, just waiting for their handouts.


----------



## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

What is the throat thing


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

The throat thingy is tracheal mites.

*Extender Patties
**Use*: Possible deterrent to tracheal mites 
*Recipe*:
1.75# granulated sugar
.75# vegetable shortening (Crisco) 
It is now recommended that terramycin not be added. Gradually add sugar to shortening and form into patties. 

 Al


----------



## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

I sure will ,,and you and Kate have a marry Christmas and a happy new year .... Sorry for not getting any message' s sent. But this year has been a lot of bad bad crap , I will have to just drop it all and just start from there.. So after new year I will give you a call if you are still talking to me ,


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Feel free to call any time from 4:30 AM to about 10:30 PM.



 Al


----------



## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

Guess I m a crazy one as I open a hive. Every day in the summer so if I have 3 hives it gets opend every 3rd day but I don't Bo it for the bee's. I do it for my own personal thing cause for me it's therapy. It relax es me .


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

But you do not do it to just inspect the bees. 

 Al


----------



## Texan (Nov 17, 2016)

The point of the thread was to state the fear that it seems a true hobbyist which was not willing to devote time to very regular care can expect to buy package bees every spring. $600 a year to keep two hives going with no return doesnt sound fun.


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

How would you spend 600.00 a year on two hives pray tell?

 Al


----------



## Vahomesteaders (Jun 4, 2014)

My bees take very little time. And at 90.00 a package are worth it just to get my crops pollenated. The problem with most keepers is they bother them to much. Let them do their thing and check on them once in a while for hive health. But that's about it. People over complicate it.


----------



## k9 (Feb 6, 2008)

I do think bee keeping in the south is a little easier than the north, but maybe not.


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

K9 I agree. Like being able to add some syrup when it is a really cold day of 45F compared to our 15F the same day.

having some flowers for the bees to work till early Nov and start again late Feb. mid march.

 Al


----------

