Sup fellow beekeepers, the last thread went over 1,000 posts so I figured that we could continue here.
Summer is just starting so here are some helpful tips for keeping your bees cool, healthy, and happy during those hot months:
1. Make sure to apply a fresh coat of paint to your hive units. Lighter shades do not absorb as much heat as darker colors. Having a coat of white paint can lower hive temperatures by three entire degrees fahrenheit.
2. Position your hive properly. If you have a patch of trees on your property, place the hive on the edge of them, but not in the midst of them. It would seem to make more sense to place the hive where the most shade is, but being in the middle of a dense wooded area could provide navigational difficulties for the workers, and the hive production may suffer. You do not want your bees in the middle of a field either though. This will be hotter and prone to lightning strikes.
3. If extreme measures are needed, consider a misting machine on its lowest setting. This is only intended as a last resort to keep bees from overheating. Air conditioners and fans are out of the question, however: the wind they create imperils the workers' flight paths, and the sound may agitate your hive.
Hope these help some of you out. If you have any other questions or comments about bees/beekeeping, this is the place to do it!
I just started a 5 gallon batch of mead. It would be nice to harvest my own honey, but I'm a city boy.
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Anonymous2009-06-16 0:29
BEES
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Anonymous2009-06-16 1:32
Listen here, jerkfaces. This thread is about bees, not anuses. Unless you've got something to say about bees and beekeeping then please see yourself to the door.
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Anonymous2009-06-16 1:35
Is beekeeping profitable during these harsh economic times?
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Anonymous2009-06-16 1:40
>>23
Yes! It's as they say: "Fads come and go, but the world runs on honey."
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Anonymous2009-06-16 2:01
Is it true that bees do a dance to tell other bees where the nectar is? Or did Miss Frizzle lie to me? :(
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Anonymous2009-06-16 3:16
>>25
Yeah, the waggledance exists. There's an ale named after it round my way
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Anonymous2009-06-16 3:31
Do you believe that Bayer pesticide is responsible for CCD?
How far must a hive be from houses?
Is the toxin from honeybees useful for anything?
Did you find the original cast of SNL's portrayal of the killer bees accurate?
>>42
It's looks like Kenta-kun with a huge tumor on one side of his face.
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Anonymous2009-06-17 2:09
>>42
IT'S KERNEL FUCKING SANDERS, RETARD! YOU CAN TELL BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE KERNEL FUCKING SANDERS! USE YOUR GODDAMNED EYES WHY DON'T YOU?!
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Anonymous2009-06-17 2:10
>>27
>Do you believe that Bayer pesticide is responsible for CCD?
Yes. Nasty stuff.
>How far must a hive be from houses?
At least 100 yard to provide peace and quiet for your bees. After that it just depends on how far you're willing to walk.
>Is the toxin from honeybees useful for anything?
Not really. Maybe in enormous doses, but that would take a lot of effort, and I can't think of a humane way to extract it.
>Did you find the original cast of SNL's portrayal of the killer bees accurate?
Never saw.
>>33
Most of the time it is related to environmental hazards. Make sure that your hives are in a secluded, relatively rural area. Bees are sensitive to airborne chemicals and placing a hive in an industrialized area can be a death knell for your poor bees. If you cannot provide a safe home for them, then please do not keep them! Contact you local bee rescue agency, which will try its hardest to find a good new location for your hive.
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Anonymous2009-06-17 2:32
"I am not an animal, I am Kernal Sanders" *gets stung in forehead by bees*
It's been five days since I placed the proto-colony at the playground across the street. It's the furthest place from any houses I could find that's within walking distance. So far they've been able to defend their territory from those damned children who challenge my bees' authority. One girl who strayed too close, regardless of my violent threat earlier in the alley, was stung and taken to a hospital. Allergic, presumably. This will teach her a lesson!
I can't help but worry about the future of my colony as temperatures rise and children start coming out in larger numbers. My bees wont last long against their incessant attacks. The colony must be moved.
Candidates for new locations:
-basement
-neighbor's shed
-old folks' home back yard
I must say this urban beekeeping is proving to be quite the challenge.
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Anonymous2010-05-05 3:58
>>71
Why do you place bees in playgrounds!
Are you and psychopath!
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Anonymous2010-05-05 4:12
>>71
How big is the old folks' home back yard? That might be a possibility. Also, wouldn't one need a permit to undertake such an endeavor, especially in an urbanized area? Also, can you take any pictures of your setup? I'd like to see your configuration in all its glory.
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Anonymous2010-05-05 13:52
>>72
Oh come now. Children enjoy to watch the little creatures of nature. It is a good lesson to learn to share the world with the other creatures that live within it.
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Anonymous2010-09-18 8:39
I don't think I've seen a single bee all summer. Where have they all gone :(
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Anonymous2010-09-18 16:19
>>75
Have there been any new land dozing for crappy housing developments nearby? The bees have less homes the more we spread out. Therefore, we will need to keep yard hives.
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Anonymous2010-09-18 16:26
>>75
I killed three bees this summer, well, one of them might have been a wasp not sure