# No tend Bee Hive



## Junkmanme (Dec 16, 2006)

I don't know a thing about bees or beehives.

But, I was wondering (idle mind) if I built a beehive and stocked it with bees....(just for garden pollination),

AND then I DID NOTHING MORE at all, would the hive survive and the bees do well *OR is this a thing NOT TO DO?* :shrug: 

What would be the eventual result?

idle curious mind, :baby04:  
Bruce


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## OkieDavid (Jan 15, 2007)

Well, not to be a smart a#$ but I don't see anyone managing the wild (feral) hives in the forest. To more directly answer your question- here is my best guess as to the turn of events.
1. Install a package into your "box"- Note: You can't call it a hive if you are not going to manage it.
2. The colony will build up and provide you (and several hundred acres surrounding you) with the benefit of pollination.
3. Since you didn't mention taking any honey off, they should be able to put up enough stores to survive their first winter IF they don't suffer any impacts from varroa or tracheal mites (in which case they will most likely not survive the winter). 
4. If they are still there next spring they will build up their population and swarm. Not the end of the world in your scenerio as they will leave sufficient resources to repopulate the hive. Pollination from the old colony will be more than sufficient.
5. If they hive died out in the winter, the empty box full of comb will be under attack from several pests (wax moths and if you are in the South, small hive beetles). The empty box will serve as an attractant to new swarms from other colonies in the spring so it's possible a feral swarm (again depending on location- swarm may be Africanized Honey Bees AHB) may settle in, clean up and claim the box as their new home. Cycle started anew.

Not casting stones but you also could only refer to yourself as a "bee haver" not a "bee keeper". I would also offer that the practice of placing hives and not managing them is obviously frowned upon by the "establishment".....If you are one of those rebels who find going against the grain attractive, have at it.......

Luck,
David


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## Iddee (Sep 25, 2005)

Don't forget that it is against the law to keep bees in a box without removable frames.


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## Junkmanme (Dec 16, 2006)

Interesting......*Thank YOU for these answers!*.....  

Iddee......Yep....seems like THESE DAYS.....a person can easily find a *Law* prohibiting 'bout anything.  

Kinda amazes me...but doesn't surprise me.

bee-haver,  
Bruce


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## ace admirer (Oct 5, 2005)

hmmm, in our area, wire must be installed in the entrance or at least the entrance must be stopped down to prevent field mice from making a winter home in the hive. too cold for the bees to protect themselves, the mice will destroy a sperical cavity in the frames, build a nest.. the bees will not touch the affected area in the spring. but snakes sure will crawl in to eat the baby mice.....its hard to not scream like a woman when you open up a full hive box and turn it up in your face only to see a 4 foot snake sail out. also hive bodies will have to be reversed in the spring (bottom to top) because the bees will generally move up as the winter goes along.


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## beaglady (Oct 7, 2002)

You could, but I don't understand the idea of investing time building equipment, or spending around $100 to buy it, plus $65 to $80 for bees, then leaving that investment to chance. If you already had equipment, and got bees for free, it might make an interesting experiment.


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