bee keeping thread

my parents keep bees.
they have been doing it for only 3 or 4 years
had 8 hives last year
4 died during winter
2 more died during spring
once they loose the last 2 they are giving up

I want bees wicked bad once I get out of the city or find a building that will let me put a hive on the roof.

>>846665
Why are they dying?

>>846645
I think some people in the /diy/ gardening general keep bees.

Fuck that shit bees terrify me. I enjoy honey but just stay the fuck away from me

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I teach classes on beekeeping, y'all needa know some shit hmu

>>847683
where/how do I find classes like that?

Do anyone have a design for a window box beekeeping box?

I'd like to do it, but I don't have access to a large piece of land.

>>847683
How expensive is it to get into?

>>847683
What do about hive beatles?

>>847683
How much space do you need to have between you and the bees, like can I have a hive in my tiny backyard without getting buttraped by angry bees every time I sit on my patio?

>>847941
Bees have about a two mile radius.

If you don't like a bee here and there when you're not bugging them, don't get into bee keeping.

Bees are friendly cool dudes as long as theyre not threatened.

>>848047
Well I was more asking how far their personal space radius is, how close one can get before they feel threatened and might sting. I don't mind being around bees at all, but I don't want to piss them off by being too close.

>>847731
I teach literally everywhere. Library, farner's market, schools, you name it. Just find your local Ag extension office.
>>847760
Like $300, not too bad for the outcome
>>847927
Beetle Baffles, look em up. Made in America by rocket scientists.
>>847941
Bees are chill af if you dont mess with them nonstop, just dont weed eat around them and you'll be aight.

How much land do I need to keep bees. I assume I need a lot of wildflowers and/or clover around to feed them

>>846665
Do you live in some shitty area where there isn't a lot of diverse plant life for them?

I think I read one of the main reasons they think colony collapse is happening is that farmers will destroy all plant life besides their crops.

>>848050
Do you think you could make a list for beginners saying what supplies/tools yo aquire, and how much you should pay for them(so you don't get some cheap crappy that breaks on you)
Kinda like,
Beekeeping suit - $???
Basic whatever size hive house you suggest - $???
And so on

>>846755

Not that anon, but neonicotinoids are destroying my friends' hives. Similar levels of destruction.

>>848202
A lot of people think it's the pesticides fucking with their hormone levels and other stuff.

Even worse is shit like this:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/09/01/like-its-been-nuked-millions-of-bees-dead-after-south-carolina-sprays-for-zika-mosquitoes/

They straight up carpet bombed these hives and millions of bees died. These are people's livelihoods for god's sake.

>>848089
The hive itself doesn't need a lot of space. Maybe like a feet around it and preferably with the opening facing the sun.

If you live in the suburbs you should be fine. If you live in a rural area then you will need flowers for a mile or two out. Wildflowers will do, as long as it's not barren. Planting a garden won't make a difference unless you have a whole orchard or something.

>>847371
Personally, I think a lot of the fear surrounding bees comes from wasps, since wasps and yellowjackets are really agressive (at least in the US, European yellowjackets are not nearly as agressive) compared to bees, and a lot of people can't tell them apart.

>>851308
Bees are friendly dudes. Especially those bumble cocksuckers.

>>848050
how do you feel about that Flow hive that was on kickstarter?

My parents have bees. They got them about 3-4 months ago. Started out with 8000, now they're at roughly 20000. Pretty awesome tbqh

>>846665
same. already gave up.
>>848202
for me its been an insane bunch of winters. past 3 winters have just been not only rather cold, but extremely long. Used to in my area winter started in late november and ended in early march. now it starts snowing in oct and its bitterly cold in april and early may.

>>847683
How hard is it to get into?
Any recommendations on getting started?

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Got morning drunk on honey weiss and loaded two trucks full of 80lb honey boxes yesterday.

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What do y'all think of this hive design? Basically the idea is that you don't have to remove the honeycomb to get the honey, you just turn the handle and it flows out of a tap.

>>851299
I have about 5000 square feet of garden space, and 10 fruit trees. How would that measure up?

(FYI, my neighbors garden and there are typically wildflowers around, but I'm curious.)

>>851308
Even yellowjackets aren't that aggressive, but when they do sting you, it hurts fucking bad.

>>851350
>>855269
>thinking you can keep bees with minimal effort

It's a meme.

>>847683

>hmu

Stop talking like a nigger.

>>856209
Quite sorry there 'ol chap, I did not mean to offend you in any fashion.