# Central NJ



## Steve in PA (Jan 26, 2015)

i'm not in NJ but I see very few wild bees here. That's what initially got my interested in beekeeping. If it were't for other pollinators, especially sweatbees, my orchard and garden would be a flop. I'm going to guess I only saw about a dozen or less on my property last year. When I was a kid you couldn't walk barefoot without paying attention to the ground without stepping on a bee.

I just fished a sweatbee out of my chickens' waterer. It was loaded with pollen so the honeybees should be out but I havent seen any at all.


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## Shazam (Mar 1, 2010)

It's a shame. When I first got into beekeeping in the Bay area, similarly it is because is stopped seeing honeybees on local plants (including lavender and rosemary which they love). Since, urban beekeeping has taken off there and we have lots of bees. 

And yep, I remember growing up in NJ and suffering the fate of bee stings on feet as running around the yards and fields. 

Guess I may need to buy a nuc or two. Also not many medium nucs here. May need to see if I can provide a med 8 frame box, empty brood frames and a couple frames of stores and see if I can get a local apiary to build a nuc on it instead of their own deep boxes. 

Still going to try to collect a swarm, but seems like odds may be low.


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## WillH (Jun 25, 2010)

Main reason is lack of feral population, varroa killed all of them. Zoning laws prohibit beekeeping in most of NJ


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

I cannot speak for New Jersey. but I am close to the same latitude and it is still a bit early for swarms. I am but a few hours from you Steve. And I catch upward of two dozens swarms annually. I see honeybees almost everywhere I go. I sat at a lake fishing one warm day a few weeks ago and watched bees command go from the waters edge Gathering water to dissolve crystalized honey I would imagine. 

WillH Where did you come up with that one? Wild bees have their own way of dealing with Varroa. Absconding from infested hives is one. I am not saying that varroa have not impacted feral colonies. But they have far from killed all of them!


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## BeesInNJ (Aug 14, 2015)

WillH said:


> Main reason is lack of feral population, varroa killed all of them. Zoning laws prohibit beekeeping in most of NJ


Wrong. Just had a meeting this past Saturday in which we were told local townships have no authority on beekeeping as per a state law.


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## Shazam (Mar 1, 2010)

@TenBears: it does seem early for NJ. Swarms seem to start up here more in mid to late April. That said, I'd still expect to see some early foragers out. We'll see later in the season when more blooms like mountain mint are out. Honey and native bees are crazy for it. 

Do any of you NY/NJ/Eastern PA folk know if there are apiaries selling medium nuc, or who I can give a box or two to, with comb, stores and a few empty frames for them to build a nuc onto? If this was Cali, I'd just do it myself. (This is just to plan ahead in case I'm unable to catch a swarm for the parents next time I visit later in April.) 

Thanks.


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## Troy (Feb 9, 2006)

RE: Zoning laws.......

That's the way it went here in Florida too. The state set up rules and best management practices. As long as you are registered with the state and comply with state rules the local Gov't has no say in it.

We had lots of problems here in Orlando with local authorities, but now that the state is in charge, it's all good.


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## Steve in PA (Jan 26, 2015)

Shazam said:


> Do any of you NY/NJ/Eastern PA folk know if there are apiaries selling medium nuc,
> Thanks.


There are several in the Harrisburg area. Check Craigslist.


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## COAL REAPER (Jun 24, 2014)

Preventative treatment is very big in nj. Most all are on a timed interval of treating whether bees need it or not. If you dont follow the same schedule when you get these weak bees from the begining they will crash in short order. 
Last year there was somebody on CL selling out of flemington. I would look there if i had to buy a nuc. 
There are swarms to be had, mostly from beeks that cant keep them in the box or they abscond due to constant applications of miticides. I have a hard time getting them through a winter but they do draw out comb for me. We should start seeing swarms this month. I have drones some now but not in great numbers yet.


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## crmauch (Mar 3, 2016)

Tenbears said:


> WillH Where did you come up with that one? Wild bees have their own way of dealing with Varroa. Absconding from infested hives is one. I am not saying that varroa have not impacted feral colonies. But they have far from killed all of them!


When I moved onto my property about 17 years ago, I saw plenty of honeybees all the time. When the Varroa came through they were gone. Then a few years ago one summer, I did see honeybees again a few years ago, but they seem to have gone again. I was out looking at my apricot trees in full bloom this past weekend. I might have seen one honeybee (maybe), saw a few bumbles, my Japanese hornfaced bees (a type of orchard mason bee) and what I think were sweat bees. So I suspect there's not many hives in my area. Still going to try some bait hives.


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