# Too much info



## beedeetee (Nov 27, 2004)

As you can see from all of the conflicting information, bees can be raised under quite different management styles. Location is probably a big variable, but your preference is probably the biggest. Most people on here are not wrong, but I keep bees differently than many of them. Just my preference and it works well for me.

You always need to look at where people are from when deciding how to take their suggestions or how to modify them for your use. 

Bees can't live too long without food. With a package I would always give them some sugar water even if the weather is nice and they can find their own food. If they don't use it all, it isn't a big $$ loss, but if they need it and get weak from lack of food, many bad things can start to happen.

Box sizes, excluders, tops, bottoms, etc. are simply your preference. The bees can live with any type.


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Beekeeping is as much art as science. The only wrong answer is what does not keep the hive alive. The best reason for two hives is not really comparison but having a readily available source of brood and food for the weaker colony. You are not starting with too much. In mild weather bees survive on minimal sustinence. Cold burns calories (honey) and warm weather increases brood production (honey and pollen intake). I have never seen a definitive study of length of cleansing flight. Bees fly the shortest distance to gather what they need and elimminate what they do not. If you live in snow country, everything north of Orlando this year, you will have yellow snow trails from your hive next year. Feral bees and small hive beetles will find your hive based on scent not any foraging/elimination distance. They do not stalk your bees home. If you want to find out who lives in the neighborhood now set out an open dish of honey or sugar syrup.


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## wi_farmgirl (Dec 31, 2009)

Ah I have found the same thing to be true, too much info, too conflicting. I finally quit reading everything I could find, and have stuck with the ones that I think make the most sense. Not that I know anything, but got to start somewhere.
Good luck
Michele


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Cascade Failure said:


> Who is right?


Find a successful local CT beekeeper and learn from her. There are soome good ones in your state.


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## Brooklyn (Nov 14, 2009)

read a lot come on the chat everyday between 8 and 9pm.

But most of all do what is right for you and the bees.

Happy Bee keeping

From a newbee
Brooklyn:applause:


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## ACBEES (Mar 13, 2009)

I think what you have to keep in mind is not everything you read will work in your scenario. You have to learn to "cherry pick" info you think might be useful...try it and see if it helps....if not, ditch it and try something else. The other day I read a thread from a beek on here that uses onion juice as a natural antibiotic....go figure.


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## indypartridge (Nov 18, 2004)

Michael Palmer said:


> Find a successful local CT beekeeper and learn from her. There are soome good ones in your state.


Ditto! You're right Cascade, there's a huge amount of seemingly conflicting information. I always recommend that new beekeepers find a local mentor, (as Michael suggests, a "successful" beekeeper), and do what they do. Once you've got the hang of things, you can begin to experiment and develop your own style of doing things.

It's sort of like making meatloaf - there are a thousand different ways to make it. If you try to combine every recipe, it'll be awful. Instead, get a recipe from someone who makes meatloaf you like, and follow the recipe. Once you've got that down, then you can begin making changes until it ends up as _your_ meatloaf recipe.


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## Skinner Apiaries (Sep 1, 2009)

Plastic sucks. But then agian a package is so desperate they'll draw anything.
Get on the chatroom around 9pm and talk to fatbeeman


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

The only suggestion I have, is put screened bottoms in both.
You can always close the slide in board to close the bottom if you want.

If for no other reason, they are a good way to monitor mites.


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## hoodswoods (May 15, 2009)

I think it most important to remember that bees have survived our best intentions for a long long time. What they are facing now as a species is a diminished forage (possible contaminated) and various 'introduced' pests, parasites and diseases.

I agree with MP that your best source of information has to be in your own backyard with a successful BK (or 2, or 3 - for second opinions) to help you decide what is most successful in your area.

Bees essentially have to overcome 2 issues - feed and bug problems (forget weather - if your hive(s) are set up pretty much as they have been for the last hundred years, that seems to be a good track record and we can't do anything about weather).

If forage is light, find out the best way (you think in your area) is to supplement - if parasites or disease is an issue, find out how others in your area deal with that successfully.

Please don't take this as an offence, but the phrase "keep it simple, stup..." probably best sums it up.

There are a lot of 'theories' and 'best practices' and 'scientific information' running around, and as a new keep myself, it was information overload.

KISS


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## Allen Dick (Jan 10, 2009)

Failure? Time for a name change? You will succeed!

As for your plan, sounds OK, but the first thing you need to know is that packages installed on foundation can starve in a heartbeat.

How do I know? Don't ask. Besides, that was forty some years ago.

You are in good hands and asking good questions.

My advice? If you get three opinions, take the one in the middle.


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## hoodswoods (May 15, 2009)

Oh - by the way, don't listen to me - I lost my only hive just last week, maybe because I was trying to incorporate too many BS ideas, or more probably, just because that is the way it is.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

CF, I'll make it easy for you....

Contact any of these keepers:

Leslie Huston in Newtown: "Leslie J. Huston" <[email protected]>

Becky Jones in Farmington: <[email protected]>


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## bigeddie (Feb 19, 2008)

wi_farmgirl said:


> Ah I have found the same thing to be true, too much info, too conflicting. I finally quit reading everything I could find, and have stuck with the ones that I think make the most sense. Not that I know anything, but got to start somewhere.
> Good luck
> Michele


OK, Now your cookin!!!

Eddie


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Listen to what Michael Palmer says and take advice from those you respect. Listen to what others have to say and then go your own way.

"Don't take driving lessons from someone who keeps crashing their car." something my Dad said once or twice.

Also remember, advice is worth what you pay for it. What you do w/ that advice is important too.


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

Welcome aboard Cascade! 

Now, regarding your upcoming packages...
Don't feed them. Feed them until the honey flow starts. Feed them all season long the first season. Now, as Allen Dick says: "My advice? If you get three opinions, take the one in the middle." :lpf:

Seriously now, you gotta have a sense of humor here! What has worked for me in Oklahoma, Kansas, Florida, and Missouri is when I hive a package, or buy a nuc, I feed heavily. The advantage is it keeps the bees from starving as they build up. It encourages population increase, and it helps speed up the building of comb. In my current location I've hived nucs and packages on ten-frame deeps, and by season's end the colony is in two deeps, a shallow of winter stores, and I've harvested 20-35 pounds of surplus honey. Of course I stopped feeding when they started working the extracting supers. 

Good luck to you! You won't regret the experiences you are about to have!
Regards,
Steven


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## Kieck (Dec 2, 2005)

My advice is stop reading for now and just start keeping bees. Be prepared to lose some hives as you start out. Learn from your mistakes, find what works best for you. You'll figure it out as you go.


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## franktrujillo (Jan 22, 2009)

As far as cleansing flights go it depends on the situation of course..i have seen them dart out then back in,some i have seen crawl out then up the side then let go right there.Others i have seen do a few circles then let go then see temps are warm enough then go foraging for water or minerals.....


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

"No one teaches beekeeping quite as well as bees."--Michael Bush, with apologies to C.S. Lewis


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesoptions.htm

Here is a discussion of some of this.

Also your philosophy of life will affect your philosophy of beekeeping.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesphilosophy.htm

You'll be happiest with things that are consistent with your philosophy and world view.

"Contradiction is not a sign of falsity, nor the lack of contradiction a sign of truth." --Blaise Pascal 

"People are usually more convinced by reasons they discovered themselves than by those found by others."--Blaise Pascal


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## Cascade Failure (Feb 4, 2010)

Brooklyn said:


> read a lot come on the chat everyday between 8 and 9pm.
> 
> But most of all do what is right for you and the bees.
> 
> ...


I am usually getting a nap before work at that time. Maybe I'll have to adjust my sleep schedule.


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## Cascade Failure (Feb 4, 2010)

Allen Dick said:


> Failure? Time for a name change? You will succeed!


Hehe...just a reminder to myself to avoid letting the little things snowball into big problems.


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## Cascade Failure (Feb 4, 2010)

This ....



Michael Palmer said:


> CF, I'll make it easy for you....
> 
> Contact any of these keepers:
> 
> ...


explains this...

"Find a successful local CT beekeeper and learn from *her*. "


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## Cascade Failure (Feb 4, 2010)

StevenG said:


> Welcome aboard Cascade!
> 
> Don't feed them. Feed them until the honey flow starts. Feed them all season long the first season.
> 
> ...


Thanks.

It seems you give advice like I do!


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## Cascade Failure (Feb 4, 2010)

Kieck said:


> My advice is stop reading for now and just start keeping bees. Be prepared to lose some hives as you start out. Learn from your mistakes, find what works best for you. You'll figure it out as you go.


If the bees were here now I could stop.


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## Cascade Failure (Feb 4, 2010)

Michael Bush said:


> http://www.bushfarms.com/beesoptions.htm
> 
> Here is a discussion of some of this.
> 
> ...


I have enjoyed your site and your insights.


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## Cascade Failure (Feb 4, 2010)

Thank you everyone for your comments.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Cascade Failure said:


> This ....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hmm, you don't understand what the word HER means? That could be a problem, perhaps.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Cascade Failure said:


> "Find a successful local CT beekeeper and learn from *her*. "


Because for some reason my old brain thought you were a woman and you would enjoy a woman's perspective on keeping bees in Connecticut.
Mike


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## Cascade Failure (Feb 4, 2010)

Michael Palmer said:


> Because for some reason my old brain thought you were a woman and you would enjoy a woman's perspective on keeping bees in Connecticut.
> Mike


Thanks a lot...

I just figured the "her" was a hint on your part for a really good local beekeeper.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Oh, it was. I consider both to be really good local beekeepers. That's why the recommendations.
Mike


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Michael Palmer said:


> Because for some reason my old brain thought you were a woman and you would enjoy a woman's perspective on keeping bees in Connecticut.
> Mike


And here I was just thinking that you were being inclusive and knew about some beekeepers who are women who you thought would be good mentors.


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## dickm (May 19, 2002)

Hello Cascade,
Welcome to Ct Beekeeping. Mike palmer always gives good advice and this thread is no exception. Leslie Huston is my good friend. There are 4 EAS Master beekeepers in CT and they are all in our bee club. Leslie H. and me are 2 of them. (I defer to her for advice). As we have in previous years we will be teaching a 4 session course for newbees on the 1st 4 mondays in March. (7 to 9 PM) There is a fee of $50 which goes to the club. It includes a club membership and gets you our fine 16 page newsletter.(Me the editor  ). 

You are almost 2 Hrs away, but some of our programs may be worth travellig to. We meet in Weston 9X a year. Steve Sheppard (Bee Culture writer) will be speaking on Feb 23rd. Starts at 7.30 but come an hour early and there's a newbees class. "Hiving package bees" is a workshop on a Sat in APr. 

For more see backyardbeekeepers.com

Best,
Dick Marron
dickm


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Two hours away and both in CT? It must be the traffic.  Just kidding.


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## Cascade Failure (Feb 4, 2010)

dickm said:


> Best,
> Dick Marron
> dickm


Thanks for the info Dick. Unfortunately, attending meetings or classes right now would be difficult as I work night shift and attend class in the evenings. I will keep this in mind for later though.


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## Cascade Failure (Feb 4, 2010)

sqkcrk said:


> And here I was just thinking that you were being inclusive and knew about some beekeepers who are women who you thought would be good mentors.


Man, woman or child...I am willing to learn from anyone who is willing to teach.


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## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

It has been my experience that packages do poorly on plastic foundation. If it were me, and this is my current practice, I'd start them out on wax, get them built up, then switch over to plastic. You need a strong hive and a strong flow to really get plastic drawn out.

That's my 2 cents. But you're welcome to do as you see fit.

Grant
Jackson, MO


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## bigevilgrape (Aug 21, 2008)

Cascade Failure said:


> Thanks for the info Dick. Unfortunately, attending meetings or classes right now would be difficult as I work night shift and attend class in the evenings. I will keep this in mind for later though.


The CT beekeepers have their meetings on weekends if that works out better for you.


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## thomas894 (Feb 12, 2010)

ACBEES said:


> I think what you have to keep in mind is not everything you read will work in your scenario. You have to learn to "cherry pick" info you think might be useful...try it and see if it helps....if not, ditch it and try something else. The other day I read a thread from a beek on here that uses onion juice as a natural antibiotic....go figure.


Onion/garlic juice has been used as an antibiotic for thousands of years. I never heard of it being used on bees though. We used to grow a couple acres of garlic each year (when our sons were still supplying us w/ free/cheap labor). Now we just grow a few rows....very close to the apiary.

Trust your instincts and you'll do all-right. I do know how you might feel as I've been trying to put a bee-club together in our very rural area for some time, the nearest is also a two hour drive and I rarely go that far during winter months.

thomas

"None of us are free as long as one of us is chained."


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## dickm (May 19, 2002)

>>>>>>Two hours away and both in CT? It must be the traffic. Just kidding. <<<<<<<


I resemble that remark. After all, I didn't post here to be insulated.

dickm


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## bigevilgrape (Aug 21, 2008)

I was in Danbury on Tuesday, it took us 2 hours to get back up to Hartford area.


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