# Keeping bees in the desert



## Bsweet (Apr 9, 2010)

Well desert keeping has its own trials. Often bees forage on things that we never would never think of. All I can say is give it a try as many others do in the south west, the ladies may surprise you. Jim


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## Honningbarnet (Feb 20, 2011)

Thanks for the encouragement, I really hope you're right.


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## vegasvalet (Jan 10, 2011)

I live in the desert too, this is my first year and so far my girls are doing great. This was a new package I put into a new hive. I fed the girls a 1:1 sugar ratio for about a week (2 gallons total) and when I did my first inspection they had about 6 frames of brood drawn and capped. Now they are feeding on their own and I am surprised on the amount of pollen they are pulling in. Just remember to have an open source of water close for them and maybe feed them until you see something starting to bloom, remember their foraging range is a couple of miles.


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## Honningbarnet (Feb 20, 2011)

@vegasvalet: 
Do you have gardens around you or are you more than three miles from the nearest suburb? We have orchards around us, but they are pistachio and pecan, which doesn't attract bees, apparently, or so I have read. We are 12 miles from town and very few people have gardens here, since the soil is very poor.


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## MichaBees (Sep 26, 2010)

I have 42 hives in Anthony New Mexico and 54 at another location with the same conditions. The overwinter hives have a medium full of honey already, and building up nice. 
The desert can really surprise you.


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## Honningbarnet (Feb 20, 2011)

Really? Wow! Anthony is about the same as here, what do you think they are bringing in?


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## MichaBees (Sep 26, 2010)

Lots of good quality honey.


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## Honningbarnet (Feb 20, 2011)

I can't tell you how relieved I am. Thank you!


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## vegasvalet (Jan 10, 2011)

On the outskirts of town with very little growing or blooming but the girls don't seem to mind, they come back with pollen and I have no idea where they are getting it from. You should do just fine :thumbsup:


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## Honningbarnet (Feb 20, 2011)

Alright, you guys have convinced me. Thanks so much. I'm going to make some nuc boxes and place them near this abandoned house I know with a wall full of bees and see if I can get a swarm or two. Again, thank you.


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## DeeAnna (Nov 5, 2010)

Well, I'd think if there are feral bees around, that is another confirmation that bees can thrive in your area. --DeeAnna


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## Honningbarnet (Feb 20, 2011)

Well, I was worried since the feral bees disappeared a few months ago.


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## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

And better yet why don't you get permission to remove the bees from the wall of that abandoned building. Great way to start and many posts on here regarding procedures. I do many many cutouts here every year. I get more calls than I have time to do.


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## Honningbarnet (Feb 20, 2011)

Hehe, I thought about it, but I'd have to track down who owns it and that it hard around here. Also, the minute I'd ask I am 90% sure they'd want money for it. (Yes, I know how crazy that sounds). It's better to put swarm boxes nearby and hope I catch a swarm.


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## Paul McCarty (Mar 30, 2011)

I have two new hives started in the mountains (High Rolls), one is booming right now, the other is eeking by, but not as strong as the booming hive. The cold and lack of bloom-out seems to have hampered the slow hive. Now it seems everything is bloomed out, but it is terribly dry. I worry they will get enough stores for the cold again. It has been non-stop feeding for the last couple of weeks. Hoping to be able to stop soon. We also have a couple of co-op hives on a friends place across the canyon that seem to be doing well. They have been a bit ignored, but seem no worse for wear.


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## Honningbarnet (Feb 20, 2011)

Hi Paul! Yes, we don't have access to a river like in Anthony, so we are much more dependent on the rain which has yet to come. On my bike ride today I saw a lot of wildflowers in my neighbor's pistachio orchard, but on my way back he was on the tractor ripping them out. So much for that! 

I hope your hives will be okay until the rain.


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## Paul McCarty (Mar 30, 2011)

I have a nice little creek running through town. Water is not a huge issue. The bloom this year was strange. Only a few of my Apple trees bloomed out, none of my plums, and all of my cherries. They bloomed in the wrong order than normal. I have also noticed a HUGE amount of freeze kill down in the Alamogordo area.


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## Honningbarnet (Feb 20, 2011)

Yes, looks like 50% of the palm trees died and a lot of cacti as well. 
And the creosote bushes just shriveled up.


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## Beekeeper_ Ruke (Aug 25, 2013)

I know this thread is older, but maybe you guys will reply. You guys seem to know about New Mexico bee keeping so I wanted to ask if there are any permits or anything needed to own a few hives?


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## Paul McCarty (Mar 30, 2011)

The only time you need a permit is if you exceed 25 hives in one location south of I40 or 14 hives in one location north of I40. I think it is 14, not sure - I don't keep bees there. You need a commercial permit if you exceed these numbers. Other than that, it is largely non-regulated. If you ship bees out of state, the bee inspector - there is ONE for the state - must come inspect them. You can sell nucs or whatever with no inspections as long as you keep it in the state boundaries. This is my understanding of it.

Registered commercial apiaries cannot be within flying distance of each other either. These number limits were set up to prevent people from exceeding the carrying capacity of the land. 

Also note - you can have 24 hives in several different locations south of I40 and still NOT be considered commercial. It is not a count of total hives, but of hives per location. same goes in the North, but with smaller numbers. There is more bee forage in the South, because of the mesquite, creosote, agriculture, etc.

The bee inspector is not really interested in you until you become commercial in size. 

Honey is non-regulated too. It is only regulated if you put additives in it, like flavorings or the ever popular green or red chile.


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## Beekeeper_ Ruke (Aug 25, 2013)

Paul McCarty said:


> Honey is non-regulated too. It is only regulated if you put additives in it, like flavorings or the ever popular green or red chile.


Do you sell your honey locally?


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## Paul McCarty (Mar 30, 2011)

Yes, but it is sold direct and not retail. In NM agricultural raw products are not taxed, unless you sell them in a retail operation - then they are subject to the local Gross Receipts Tax. That just makes things more complicated, so I do direct sales. I can sell it as fast as I can bottle it. People are dying for raw honey.


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