I would recommend flow hives. I’d start with a hybrid set up meaning some flow hive frames and some regular frames in the super. I’m not sure about your maintenance question, bees are a lot of work. Here’s a “bee calendar” that describes the tasks involved each month of the year: https://www.dadant.com/learn/the-beekeepers-calendar/
The best thing I can recommend is to talk to local bee keepers as each micro climate is different.
Yes, you open the valves and pour out the honey. I would do that in Spring, then Summer. After the Summer pour, I would replace the flow hive with a regular box of frames and eliminate the queen excluder so the bees could move up to the new box and get ready for winter. I would clean the flow hive frames and place the dried frames in a sealed plastic tote to prevent wax moth infestation.
God has blessed us with a couple of swarms that now live in some of our trees that are well away from the house, but close enough to find all our flowering plants and trees. I do need to be careful when mowing past those trees not to get to sweaty as they attack when you sweat.
I did set up one of those easy harvesting hives just outside their tree hole, but they have refused to use it so far.
My dad kept bees as a hobby, with all the gear to extract and bottle the honey. We had so much that it went candied in winter and then dad would whip it up into creamed honey.
I hear the elites, who are trying to kill us all with the bioweapons, are also trying to kill all the bees and starve us to death. Part of their plan to depopulate the world and save it from the scam that is "Climate change". I hope they get stung in a big way.
Thanks so much for sharing. Fascinating stuff. Maybe one day flow hives will be for me.
So you would recommend the flow hives? Is there a lot of maintenance?
I would recommend flow hives. I’d start with a hybrid set up meaning some flow hive frames and some regular frames in the super. I’m not sure about your maintenance question, bees are a lot of work. Here’s a “bee calendar” that describes the tasks involved each month of the year: https://www.dadant.com/learn/the-beekeepers-calendar/
The best thing I can recommend is to talk to local bee keepers as each micro climate is different.
I was thinking actual maintenance of the box. Or do you just open the valve, pour out the honey, and repeat?
Yes, you open the valves and pour out the honey. I would do that in Spring, then Summer. After the Summer pour, I would replace the flow hive with a regular box of frames and eliminate the queen excluder so the bees could move up to the new box and get ready for winter. I would clean the flow hive frames and place the dried frames in a sealed plastic tote to prevent wax moth infestation.
You are very ambitious! My aunt and and sister-in-law both had honey bees. I didn't realize that honey contained so many nutrients.
Honey is also good for allergies to pollen.
God has blessed us with a couple of swarms that now live in some of our trees that are well away from the house, but close enough to find all our flowering plants and trees. I do need to be careful when mowing past those trees not to get to sweaty as they attack when you sweat.
I did set up one of those easy harvesting hives just outside their tree hole, but they have refused to use it so far.
My dad kept bees as a hobby, with all the gear to extract and bottle the honey. We had so much that it went candied in winter and then dad would whip it up into creamed honey.
I hear the elites, who are trying to kill us all with the bioweapons, are also trying to kill all the bees and starve us to death. Part of their plan to depopulate the world and save it from the scam that is "Climate change". I hope they get stung in a big way.
I had pretty good luck attracting a swarm with a lemongrass lure like what’s described here: https://www.keepingbackyardbees.com/lemongrass-swarm-lure-recipe-zbwz1807zsau/
I love creamed honey!
Yes I tried that and will give it another go when swarm season arrives.