# Something undecided



## BeeRussell (9 mo ago)

I kept bees off and on for 4 years. Not very good at it. Started with 4 nucs and grew it to 24 hives. Had catastrophic losses due to pests after season 2.
Work got hectic, so I sold out.
Second try went pretty much the same way. I’m getting back into the hobby for fun. I am exploring different hives and styles. Don’t know where I’ll land on the bee having spectrum. I want to do a good job taking care of the bees. They’re so fascinating. Hopefully this forum will be another source of knowledge. I’m always trying to learn more about the honeybee and the hive.
I like tinkering in the wood shop and honey on my biscuits.
I’m in Northwest Mississippi


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## Tumbleweed (Mar 17, 2021)

I’m down with a good biscuit w/honey, good luck going forward.


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## AR1 (Feb 5, 2017)

Save some money and put your empty hives out and about and catch some swarms. Good luck!


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## BEE J (10 mo ago)

BeeRussell said:


> I kept bees off and on for 4 years. Not very good at it. Started with 4 nucs and grew it to 24 hives. Had catastrophic losses due to pests after season 2.
> Work got hectic, so I sold out.
> Second try went pretty much the same way. I’m getting back into the hobby for fun. I am exploring different hives and styles. Don’t know where I’ll land on the bee having spectrum. I want to do a good job taking care of the bees. They’re so fascinating. Hopefully this forum will be another source of knowledge. I’m always trying to learn more about the honeybee and the hive.
> I like tinkering in the wood shop and honey on my biscuits.
> I’m in Northwest Mississippi


What types of hives have you done?


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## BeeRussell (9 mo ago)

BEE J said:


> What types of hives have you done?


All Langstroth.
I am educating myself right now on different approaches. I had starry eyed dilusions about selling massive amounts of honey and queens and nucs and packages........so on and so forth. Most of the beekeepers I know have 50 - 500 hives. They have a small to substantial income from bees. I like all of these guys. I'm just not ready for that level of beekeeping.
I got my first hives by digging them out of an abandoned bee yard. Once there were 16 hives in that location. After several hours of bushwhacking, my sons and I found two occupied hives. It was a fun adventure. After the winter, 1 hive was left. That spring I bought 4 nucs of "Russian" bees. I had an absolute blast learning, but I over complicated everything. I didn't pay attention to the bees like I should have. I was new and excited for sure. My first honey harvest was 80 gallons from 8 hives. I thought I knew what I was doing. Next year I got up to 24 hives. That's when my ignorance came crashing through. I hadn't developed "bee sense". My hives were running me crazy. With a full-time job and full family, I was missing crucial ques from the bees. My hives started swarming, pests were getting some of my hives, some were queenless. I buckled down and fixed what was left. I put together 18 queen right hives and sold them to one of my commercial beekeeping friends with all of my equipment. Since then I catch swarms and sell them.
Right now I have 55 (5-frame) nuc boxes. 9 nuc bottom boards, 10 nuc covers and 250 deep langstroth frames with waxed plasticell foundation. My plan is to run 5-frame colonies until I figure out which way I want to go. I have (3) kids interested in beekeeping with me. The kids want to keep top bar hives. They love the honey harvesting from top bars. I am toying with the idea of a modified deep horizontal. Making my frames 15 3/8" x 19" (that's the max frame size that the Lyson deep frame extractor can hold).
So that's a crazy big answer to your simple question.
Future: Topbar hives and deep horizontals.....I think.
Philosophy: Creationist. There are no local bees (all honeybees are imported).

You can check out some of my misadventures on Youtube. Running Dog Apiary

Maybe I'll post again.

Thanks for messaging me.


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## BEE J (10 mo ago)

BeeRussell said:


> All Langstroth.
> I am educating myself right now on different approaches. I had starry eyed dilusions about selling massive amounts of honey and queens and nucs and packages........so on and so forth. Most of the beekeepers I know have 50 - 500 hives. They have a small to substantial income from bees. I like all of these guys. I'm just not ready for that level of beekeeping.
> I got my first hives by digging them out of an abandoned bee yard. Once there were 16 hives in that location. After several hours of bushwhacking, my sons and I found two occupied hives. It was a fun adventure. After the winter, 1 hive was left. That spring I bought 4 nucs of "Russian" bees. I had an absolute blast learning, but I over complicated everything. I didn't pay attention to the bees like I should have. I was new and excited for sure. My first honey harvest was 80 gallons from 8 hives. I thought I knew what I was doing. Next year I got up to 24 hives. That's when my ignorance came crashing through. I hadn't developed "bee sense". My hives were running me crazy. With a full-time job and full family, I was missing crucial ques from the bees. My hives started swarming, pests were getting some of my hives, some were queenless. I buckled down and fixed what was left. I put together 18 queen right hives and sold them to one of my commercial beekeeping friends with all of my equipment. Since then I catch swarms and sell them.
> Right now I have 55 (5-frame) nuc boxes. 9 nuc bottom boards, 10 nuc covers and 250 deep langstroth frames with waxed plasticell foundation. My plan is to run 5-frame colonies until I figure out which way I want to go. I have (3) kids interested in beekeeping with me. The kids want to keep top bar hives. They love the honey harvesting from top bars. I am toying with the idea of a modified deep horizontal. Making my frames 15 3/8" x 19" (that's the max frame size that the Lyson deep frame extractor can hold).
> ...


Wow! You actually found an old beeyard? With some bees still there? Cool! It sounds like you've had some interesting experiences. I wish you the best to come! 
I'm also glad you're trying to get the next generation interested in beekeeping. It's very important. Are you a young earth, biblical creationist?
It was good to hear from you, and if you have any questions feel free to shoot them to us!

Keep Buzzing, BEEJ🐝


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## BeeRussell (9 mo ago)

BEE J said:


> Wow! You actually found an old beeyard? With some bees still there? Cool! It sounds like you've had some interesting experiences. I wish you the best to come!
> I'm also glad you're trying to get the next generation interested in beekeeping. It's very important. Are you a young earth, biblical creationist?
> It was good to hear from you, and if you have any questions feel free to shoot them to us!
> 
> Keep Buzzing, BEEJ🐝


I am a young earth earth biblical creationist.
I’ve been reading quite a few threads already. Very interesting. We beeks are very opinionated. It is interesting to read about the different styles of beekeeping.

I’ll bee around


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## BEE J (10 mo ago)

BeeRussell said:


> I am a young earth earth biblical creationist.


Me too!


BeeRussell said:


> I’ve been reading quite a few threads already. Very interesting. We beeks are very opinionated.


No kidding. Lots of good info here! I try not to argue, but I have my own opinions as well. I guess we all do.  I just try to be respectful and and acknowledge my openly acknowledge my fallacies.


BeeRussell said:


> It is interesting to read about the different styles of beekeeping.


😁


BeeRussell said:


> I’ll bee around


I like that!

Here's mine...

*Keep Buzzing, *BEEJ🐝🐝🐝


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## BeeRussell (9 mo ago)

BEE J said:


> Me too!
> 
> Great meeting you!
> 
> ...


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## BeeRussell (9 mo ago)

BEE J said:


> Me too!
> 
> No kidding. Lots of good info here! I try not to argue, but I have my own opinions as well. I guess we all do.  I just try to be respectful and and acknowledge my openly acknowledge my fallacies.
> 
> ...


I don’t know how to respond to each line like you did. 🤷‍♂️

As much as it depends on me, I try to live at peace with all men.


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## charliez (Sep 30, 2021)

Maybe you should scale back. Most bee keepers do not have 50 plus hives. My guess would bee (I bet I'm not the first one here to say be like that) you are just getting overwhelmed. I just started with two and my plans are to grow up to 5 possibly. That will just have to see how things work out over the next couple of seasons.


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## BeeRussell (9 mo ago)

charliez said:


> Maybe you should scale back. Most bee keepers do not have 50 plus hives. My guess would bee (I bet I'm not the first one here to say be like that) you are just getting overwhelmed. I just started with two and my plans are to grow up to 5 possibly. That will just have to see how things work out over the next couple of seasons.


I am scaling way back. I haven't "kept" bees for 2 years. It's weird not having them. SO my plan is to have fewer of them. The thing about bees.....They want to multiply. If I do my job correctly, there will be more. So, I'll probably sell some or gift some. 

Definitely don't want 50 hives with a full time job and a big family. Too much.


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## charliez (Sep 30, 2021)

Definitely don't want 50 hives with a full time job and a big family. Too much Yep.

My goals are 1...just have some 2..help them to survive a year 3...get some honey and fresh wax to use as gifts ( I like giving things) 4...grow the int 4 to 5 hives so I can sell nucs and honey to supplement the hobby and make some play / supliment my retirement when I decide it's time money. Time will tell tho how it turns out.


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## BEE J (10 mo ago)

BeeRussell said:


> I don’t know how to respond to each line like you did. 🤷‍♂️
> 
> As much as it depends on me, I try to live at peace with all men.


You just highlight the sentence you want to respond to and then a reply button should appear. Click that and write below that quote. It's kind of hard to explain so I hoped that helped a little. 

*Romans 12:18*
If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

I like that verse. It's good to see others looking to the word of God for how we should live. It looks like we may have a lot in common. I am looking forward to seeing how your beekeeping journey progresses!

Keep Buzzing,BEEJ


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## BEE J (10 mo ago)

charliez said:


> Definitely don't want 50 hives with a full time job and a big family. Too much Yep.
> 
> My goals are 1...just have some 2..help them to survive a year 3...get some honey and fresh wax to use as gifts ( I like giving things) 4...grow the int 4 to 5 hives so I can sell nucs and honey to supplement the hobby and make some play / supliment my retirement when I decide it's time money. Time will tell tho how it turns out.


Sounds like a well defined and excellent strategy! I can't wait till I harvest my first batch of honey, so I can share it with friends! IMO honey is one of the best gifts!


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## BeeRussell (9 mo ago)

BEE J said:


> You just highlight the sentence you want to respond to and then a reply button should appear. Click that and write below that quote. It's kind of hard to explain so I hoped that helped a little.


Thanks! That was easy.

Grace to you!


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## BeeRussell (9 mo ago)

BEE J said:


> IMO honey is one of the best gifts!


It sure goes good with biscuits!


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## BEE J (10 mo ago)

BeeRussell said:


> Thanks! That was easy.
> 
> Grace to you!


No problem!


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## BEE J (10 mo ago)

BeeRussell said:


> It sure goes good with biscuits!


You got my mouth watering just thinking about it. 😄


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## blain1976 (Jun 8, 2019)

I heard someone say "biscuits".


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## BEE J (10 mo ago)

blain1976 said:


> I heard someone say "biscuits".


Don't get any ideas. 😄 😄


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