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Herbal Wisdom:  Herbs and Honey Bees  |
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JojoNH
True Blue Farmgirl
1984 Posts
Joanna
Dunbarton
New Hampshire
USA
1984 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 30 2011 : 05:31:36 AM
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 If your like me, having honey bees buzzing around your herbs is a real treat! One of these days, I will be raising my own bees. How about you? Do any of you have your own bees? Interested in raising your own? I just love using honey in all my cooking and have trouble keeping enough on hand. Figured with the cost of sugar raising maybe raising my on bees is going to happen sooner than planned.
Joanna #566
JojoNH
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CountryCents
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com
http://www.Eastwooddesigns.com "For all your Promotional Needs"
www.JoannasHomeStudio.com "Keeping traditions alive a stitch at a time" |
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beekeepersgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1423 Posts
Luanne
Cresco
PA
USA
1423 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2011 : 06:03:00 AM
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Hi Joanna -
My BF is a beekeeper. We had 9 hives last year, but lost several over the winter because they broke cluster during a couple of really warm days and then it got way below freezing again. We will be splitting the remaining hives later this spring and will purchase a couple of new "nukes". Beekeeping is a lot of fun and really not that much work once you get your hives established. Our biggest problem in this area is the bears. They ransacked two hives even though we had the bee yard surrounded with both an electric fence and barbed wire.
Good luck!
Luanne
beekeepersgirl #691
Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
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Sunflower64
True Blue Farmgirl
173 Posts
Janie
Canton
Ohio
USA
173 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2011 : 06:37:42 AM
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OMG Joanna here we are again! I am not stalking you...haha
Friends of ours have hives and we love going to their house in the fall for the spinning out process. We want hives too! Might be anothe year or so till we are ready for that project though. Raw unfiltered honey is the very best...love to use it too. Keep in touch I'd love to hear more on this topic!
Janie
"The country way of life is the closest thing to heaven" |
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CMac
True Blue Farmgirl
1074 Posts
Connie
Ashland City
TN
USA
1074 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2011 : 07:00:49 AM
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We had 3 hives traditional style. When we left the farm so we could renovate/add on to our home 16 months ago (thats another story) we gave them to a fellow bee keeper. We are going to change over to Kenyan top bar hives. Any one here use them? I saw top bar hives in Tanzania and was curious. Did some research and was sold on the concept. I'm the one without a day job off the farm so many of the chores fall to me. I simply cannot lift a super full of honey! We want to go chemical free and this method seems to offer some success with that. Some say you get less honey but you get more really pure clean wax so that is fine by me.
Does anyone keep bees without chemicals?
Connie
"I have three chairs in my house: one for solitude, two for friendship, three for company."
Author: Henry David Thoreau |
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beekeepersgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1423 Posts
Luanne
Cresco
PA
USA
1423 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2011 : 07:14:25 AM
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We don't use any chemicals in the hives - if we need to treat for varoa mites, etc. we use a spray of vinegar.
Luanne
beekeepersgirl #691
Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
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CMac
True Blue Farmgirl
1074 Posts
Connie
Ashland City
TN
USA
1074 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2011 : 07:17:40 AM
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Interesting Luanne! My FIL used mineral oil spray. Didn't like that idea. Vinegar I can live with!
Thanks,
Connie
"I have three chairs in my house: one for solitude, two for friendship, three for company."
Author: Henry David Thoreau |
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JojoNH
True Blue Farmgirl
1984 Posts
Joanna
Dunbarton
New Hampshire
USA
1984 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2011 : 3:52:27 PM
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Wow, you all are an inspiration to me!! I truly want to have my own hives and need to study up on all that's involved. I have plenty of books on the subject and a local farm gal that would be more than happy to share her knowledge with me as well.
Luanne, those bears can be bad. . our first year in our home, I could identify 10 different bears on site. The hard part was retraining them to not climb up our front poles onto our porch. One night I had enough with one bear, grabbed my broom and ran out yelling "Bad Bear!" while whacking it on the rear end with the broom. . . that bear was so shocked it took off running and made a leap off the porch. . it finally stopped about 50 feet away and looked back at me with a look that told me. . this bear now get's it! Hahahaha!!! Now, all our bears can pass through our yard and not touch anything that they are not allowed to have. . . including our barbecue. . . it was one very tough year though. Glad the bears have moved on now. . been about 2 years since we last saw any of them. . .at a distance! 
Joanna #566
JojoNH
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CountryCents
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com
http://www.Eastwooddesigns.com "For all your Promotional Needs"
www.JoannasHomeStudio.com "Keeping traditions alive a stitch at a time" |
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rksmith
True Blue Farmgirl
858 Posts
Rachel
Clayton
GA
USA
858 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2011 : 4:28:43 PM
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We bought our first bees last year, had them for several months and then both hives just up and left by fall. We're getting our next order in May, and are super excited about that. We use top bar hives also. My husband found some plans for building them and then made some adjustments of his own and built ours. They are awesome. Can't say about the honey production since our bees ran away :(. Hopefully this year will be better!
Rachel
Farmgirl Sister #2753
Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps, if you are not willing to move your feet--Dr. Kioni
http://www.mynsp.com/rksmith
http://madame1313.wordpress.com/ |
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beekeepersgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1423 Posts
Luanne
Cresco
PA
USA
1423 Posts |
Posted - Mar 31 2011 : 04:16:17 AM
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Hi Joanna -
I love the bear story - I'll have to try that with the big one that keeps getting into my bird feeder on the porch. Sometimes he looks right in my living room window at me like he's daring me to scare him off!
Hugs,
Luanne
beekeepersgirl #691
Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
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forgetmenot
True Blue Farmgirl
3602 Posts
Judith
Nora Springs
IA
USA
3602 Posts |
Posted - Mar 31 2011 : 09:24:25 AM
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DH had a couple of hives when we first moved to the country. I miss the honey. The bees swarmed and he did not replace. Gave the hives & equipment to a new beekeeper a couple of years ago. We now buy our honey at co-ops. Love the smell of bees wax. I make molded needle and thread waxers out of it.
The bear stories were a hoot; but, that is the main thing I am afraid of as we plan to move north. I've never seen a bear up close. Just hear scary stories. Yikes! More time for crafts because I may never go out!
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the belief that something is more important than fear." Ambrose Red Moon |
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beekeepersgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1423 Posts
Luanne
Cresco
PA
USA
1423 Posts |
Posted - Mar 31 2011 : 09:56:39 AM
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I'll take my bears in the country over the muggers in the city any day!
Luanne
beekeepersgirl #691
Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
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Sunflower64
True Blue Farmgirl
173 Posts
Janie
Canton
Ohio
USA
173 Posts |
Posted - Mar 31 2011 : 10:21:56 AM
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Amen Luanne! I'm with you on that one...can't wait to finally get out far far into the country someday.
Joanna loved the bear story!!
Janie
"The country way of life is the closest thing to heaven" |
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FG Vicki
Farmgirl in Training
27 Posts
Vicki M
Etna
CA
USA
27 Posts |
Posted - Mar 31 2011 : 3:55:31 PM
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Hello Everyone,
I'm working on getting bees this spring. I have a hive living in the old horse trailer. My dad gave me a hive and supers which are now in the trailer so the bees can see their new home:) I met an older gentleman that is going to help me get the bees from the trailer to the hive. I'm so looking forward to it, as soon as the bees settle in to the hive I'll move them to my home and garden. We have lots of wild bees where we live so I'm hoping that the bees stay put. I have another friend that is an ex bee keeper and I'm buying 2 more hives from her.
I've filled my garden with herbs and fruit trees in anticipation of having my own bees..
I'll stay in touch and let you all know how it goes :)
Vicki
"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything"
Vincent van Gogh |
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SweetTsEarthlyDelights
True Blue Farmgirl
92 Posts
Tina
Old Town
Florida
USA
92 Posts |
Posted - Apr 01 2011 : 07:50:56 AM
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Hi Girls, well I had planned on getting some honey bees this march, but money,as usuall is a factor. I even made a spot in the garden and planted wildflower seeds. I want to put the beehives in that spot. We have some fruit trees and a vegatable garden so the honey bees would be so welcome. Like you Joanna, I use honey in everything. My boyfriend Jack will slurp it out of the bottle sometimes. I am looking forward to watching them and collect honey for the first time.
http://tinasartisticramblings.blogspot.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SimplyTee?ref=pr_shop |
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JojoNH
True Blue Farmgirl
1984 Posts
Joanna
Dunbarton
New Hampshire
USA
1984 Posts |
Posted - Apr 02 2011 : 04:52:28 AM
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I am excited for all of you who have or are about to have your own hives!!
Vicki, your very fortunate to have so many wild bees about. Seems they are getting harder and harder to find. . . folks use to much pesticide or are using plants that won't produce seeds . . neither is good for honey bees. You should take pictures of the bees in the trailer and document the process of moving them into their new home. . that would be wonderful to see!
 Now, as to the bear story. . . I have to say, I am not afraid of nature where I live. . . black bears don't come after people the way a grizzly bear would. We think of them as big pigs with black fur! LOL! Black bears can be trained, you simply need to be persistent with your teaching. . .they will learn the boundaries. Fish & Game gave me special bullets to use for one very stubborn bear. One set is a "noise maker", when shot it sounds like a bullet being shot out of a shot gun but no bullet. The other one is a Rubber Bullet to be shot right into the rump if the first two "noise makers" don't work.
To be honest, the gun is loaded with 2 noise makers, 1 rubber bullet and then live rounds. One needs to have steady nerves when dealing with troublesome bears. I have never had to use the rubber bullets, thankfully!
Now for the Moose, that is a problem we could not solve for quite some time! My garden was placed in our field, right along a path this one moose used every day walking from one place to another. We fenced it in, planted and wouldn't you know it. . . that moose continued to walk it's path every day. . right through the fence and on the plants Well, when I went to get a new section of fence, they were out. . . but they did have a section of bright orange snow fence available. . . so I took it. Long story short, it worked!! The only difference between the two fences. . one was orange. Why did it work? Moose have very poor eyesight, so, she simply could not see the other fence! Now, with the orange one, she walks all the way around the garden and then back onto her path.
Now my herbs once again have a fighting chance of survival!
Joanna #566
JojoNH
www.countrycents.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CountryCents
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com
http://www.Eastwooddesigns.com "For all your Promotional Needs"
www.JoannasHomeStudio.com "Keeping traditions alive a stitch at a time" |
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forgetmenot
True Blue Farmgirl
3602 Posts
Judith
Nora Springs
IA
USA
3602 Posts |
Posted - Apr 02 2011 : 06:47:28 AM
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Okay, so..I guess I've never seen a mugger up close either (lucky). I must be just a scardey cat. I'll be brave..we are still moving north or north west.
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the belief that something is more important than fear." Ambrose Red Moon |
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JojoNH
True Blue Farmgirl
1984 Posts
Joanna
Dunbarton
New Hampshire
USA
1984 Posts |
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Herbal Wisdom: Herbs and Honey Bees |
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Herbs and Honey Bees
