Comments on: I am a beekeeper. http://www.urbanhayseed.com/2009/04/06/i-am-a-beekeeper/ Backyard farming: organic gardening, chickens, bees, compost, and cooking. Fri, 30 Sep 2011 04:49:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Rian http://www.urbanhayseed.com/2009/04/06/i-am-a-beekeeper/comment-page-1/#comment-656 Rian Sat, 11 Apr 2009 17:50:49 +0000 http://www.urbanhayseed.com/?p=733#comment-656 I get the feeling that in the winter, they'd just as soon stay in their little cluster as chase anything. I have to say, having stood in a cloud of bees on the loading dock to pick up my package (really, a couple of these boxes had busted open apparently) and now working with them a little, I'm surprised at how mellow they are. I often stand out there and watch them come and go, right in front of their hive, and they just fly around me. I'm more worried about accidentally getting one in my clothes or between my fingers than them aggressively coming after me. Of course, I'm not stealing their honey... yet. I get the feeling that in the winter, they’d just as soon stay in their little cluster as chase anything. I have to say, having stood in a cloud of bees on the loading dock to pick up my package (really, a couple of these boxes had busted open apparently) and now working with them a little, I’m surprised at how mellow they are. I often stand out there and watch them come and go, right in front of their hive, and they just fly around me. I’m more worried about accidentally getting one in my clothes or between my fingers than them aggressively coming after me. Of course, I’m not stealing their honey… yet.

]]> By: Kelly http://www.urbanhayseed.com/2009/04/06/i-am-a-beekeeper/comment-page-1/#comment-655 Kelly Sat, 11 Apr 2009 16:49:55 +0000 http://www.urbanhayseed.com/?p=733#comment-655 Thanks for the edification. It'd have to be a brave/cold mouse to look for shelter in a beehive! Thanks for the edification. It’d have to be a brave/cold mouse to look for shelter in a beehive!

]]> By: Rian http://www.urbanhayseed.com/2009/04/06/i-am-a-beekeeper/comment-page-1/#comment-653 Rian Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:52:15 +0000 http://www.urbanhayseed.com/?p=733#comment-653 Not to say you're an old coot, Warren... just that you get the best info from talking to people who've been at it a while. Makes it much easier to sort out the important stuff from the rest of the junk you'll read on the net or in a book. Maybe you are an old coot, though. I really don't know. You could be a young coot. Not to say you’re an old coot, Warren… just that you get the best info from talking to people who’ve been at it a while. Makes it much easier to sort out the important stuff from the rest of the junk you’ll read on the net or in a book.

Maybe you are an old coot, though.

I really don’t know. You could be a young coot.

]]> By: Rian http://www.urbanhayseed.com/2009/04/06/i-am-a-beekeeper/comment-page-1/#comment-652 Rian Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:49:46 +0000 http://www.urbanhayseed.com/?p=733#comment-652 Ah hah! There ya go. I would not have thought of that. I gotta say, half the fun of the honeybee thing has been hanging out at the supply store with the old coots. There is a definite... schtick that beekeepers do. They're these dumpy, unshaven guys with this look on their face like "oh, boy, might as well buy this thing now... it's too late for me... don't know why I started this..." Ah hah! There ya go. I would not have thought of that. I gotta say, half the fun of the honeybee thing has been hanging out at the supply store with the old coots. There is a definite… schtick that beekeepers do. They’re these dumpy, unshaven guys with this look on their face like “oh, boy, might as well buy this thing now… it’s too late for me… don’t know why I started this…”

]]> By: warren http://www.urbanhayseed.com/2009/04/06/i-am-a-beekeeper/comment-page-1/#comment-651 warren Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:33:49 +0000 http://www.urbanhayseed.com/?p=733#comment-651 Entrance reducers are particularly important when it is a little cool/cold out too. Bee hives make a lot of heat and mice tend to like to climb in and stay warm. They also tend to mess up a hive. This can only happen, of course, when the bees are clustered (in the cold) and cannot run the mice out....so you will need entrance reducers in late fall through the winter until the spring warms up enough to keep mice out Entrance reducers are particularly important when it is a little cool/cold out too. Bee hives make a lot of heat and mice tend to like to climb in and stay warm. They also tend to mess up a hive. This can only happen, of course, when the bees are clustered (in the cold) and cannot run the mice out….so you will need entrance reducers in late fall through the winter until the spring warms up enough to keep mice out

]]> By: Rian http://www.urbanhayseed.com/2009/04/06/i-am-a-beekeeper/comment-page-1/#comment-650 Rian Tue, 07 Apr 2009 07:42:32 +0000 http://www.urbanhayseed.com/?p=733#comment-650 Ah, yeah, sorry... that is a little piece of wood that you put into the opening to the hive to constrict traffic. The idea is that they all can't run for the exits, and in the meantime, they start sniffing her highness's royal stank and decide to stick around. I neglected to put mine in place, and ultimately decided just to skip it. If I get out there tomorrow, and no one's home... well... lesson learned. Ah, yeah, sorry… that is a little piece of wood that you put into the opening to the hive to constrict traffic. The idea is that they all can’t run for the exits, and in the meantime, they start sniffing her highness’s royal stank and decide to stick around. I neglected to put mine in place, and ultimately decided just to skip it. If I get out there tomorrow, and no one’s home… well… lesson learned.

]]> By: Kelly http://www.urbanhayseed.com/2009/04/06/i-am-a-beekeeper/comment-page-1/#comment-649 Kelly Tue, 07 Apr 2009 06:53:35 +0000 http://www.urbanhayseed.com/?p=733#comment-649 Ok, I'll bite: what's an entrance reducer? Ok, I’ll bite: what’s an entrance reducer?

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