Bee Hunting...

[radar]

When I was young, back in the late 50s early 60s, I would spend any free time in the spring and summer fishing and hunting bee trees. The last 20 year or so it is rare to find bees living in the wild, however last year I found 2 trees, when I checked on them today while looking for mushrooms I found that they had lived through the winter, and seemed to be pretty strong. Maybe the population in the wild is starting to come back. I plan on cutting one or both in June, and hiving the bees.

[Wayne Watson]

I have a friend down in Mulberry that builds bee traps.  He's been keeping bees for years and last year he built 7 traps and in two days 5 of the 7 had trapped swarms.  He was pretty proud.

[bolo]

I have a friend down in Mulberry that builds bee traps.  He's been keeping bees for years and last year he built 7 traps and in two days 5 of the 7 had trapped swarms.  He was pretty proud.

awesome

[Hogs run wild]

When I was young, back in the late 50s early 60s, I would spend any free time in the spring and summer fishing and hunting bee trees. The last 20 year or so it is rare to find bees living in the wild, however last year I found 2 trees, when I checked on them today while looking for mushrooms I found that they had lived through the winter, and seemed to be pretty strong. Maybe the population in the wild is starting to come back. I plan on cutting one or both in June, and hiving the bees.

so is it possible to take a hive and make multiple hives out of them?

[Hog_Swanson]

so is it possible to take a hive and make multiple hives out of them?

Only if you have a second queen.  But, yes, it is possible.

[Hog_Swanson]

I have a friend down in Mulberry that builds bee traps.  He's been keeping bees for years and last year he built 7 traps and in two days 5 of the 7 had trapped swarms.  He was pretty proud.

Does your buddy have a website, or is it a recreational thing for him?

[Wayne Watson]

Does your buddy have a website, or is it a recreational thing for him?

No website.  He calls me to find out how to send me an email.

I wouldn't call it recreational...he works hard at it and makes pretty good money from the honey.

[jrulz83]

Had bees in a void in my roofline. Evidently they had been there before we moved in. Finally found a beekeeper and he caught them and removed the honey. I have to say the honey and comb that they brought out in buckets is the finest food I have ever eaten.

We have a lot of flowers around our house so he thought it would be a good idea to set them up in a box in the backyard. After doing hours and hours of research I had grown attached to the things anyway, they're quite the admirable creature, so I allowed them to stay.

The beekeeper pays their rent every fall in the form of a few jars of honey, it's truly wonderful stuff.

[Wayne Watson]

I talked to Aaron a little while ago.  Last year he got 15 swarms from 15 traps.  He is president for the ATA.  Go to arkansastrappers.org for his contact info.

[jrulz83]

so is it possible to take a hive and make multiple hives out of them?

The best answer I can give, and I'm far from an expert, follows, however bees are extremely nuanced and complicated so other people may have a different answer or experience. Bees will naturally swarm when a hive becomes too crowded. In the simplest terms, what that means is a number of the bees will make a new queen and move off with her to a new hive set up. The old hive will remain and continue to function and build population. I'm sure there are artificial ways to make that happen but I've never discussed it with my beekeeper who is an actual expert.

I suggest you read up on bees; to me, they're insanely interesting. I never gave them a second thought until I had them in my roof. Now I have come to admire them. There are literally thousands of things to learn about them and their behavior. Like the way they select a new hive location. They do a "dance" and the best dancer will draw the other bees to the prospective hive location the bee found. So, long story short, they have a dance off to select their new home.

[riccoar]

All hives produce new queens.  When born, they seek out the other queen and fight to the death or they get forced from the hive.  In the spring when you see a swarm attached to a tree or limb, it's usually from a queen that fled or was forced from an existing colony.  So they are constantly making new colonies.  My grandfather would carry empty bee boxes.  One box would have 8 to 10 frames inside.  They are called supers.  He would cut the branch and place it into something to travel back to his house.  He would then take the limb and transfer them into the super.  He would leave the top off for a few days to let them acclimate.  You can also purchase queen bees through the mail for a new hive.  It's very hard work if you have a lot of them.

[PonderinHog]

My son got into beekeeping last year.  He should have some extra honey this year.  I think he has three hives and plans to add a few more this year.  They are definitely interesting creatures.  Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I don't think beekeepers ever get arthritis.

[woodrow hog call]

My son got into beekeeping last year.  He should have some extra honey this year.  I think he has three hives and plans to add a few more this year.  They are definitely interesting creatures.  Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I don't think beekeepers ever get arthritis.

I know people who started keeping bees to use them for their arthritis,
You let them sting you a few times on the affected area every few days or so.
I tried it a few times but didn't see much of a benefit from it. My problem s are different than arthritis I guess.

[radar]

There was a service station in the area where we lived in my youth, the older retired men and the farmers in the area would gather to play checkers, dominoes, and solve world problems. Many health issues were discussed, one that I remember that involved bee stings was one old timer claiming the stings would cure dead cell syndrome (ED in todays terms) with 3 stings daily to the effected area. Nobody admitted to trying the cure, but a couple of the old men were accused of walking at a slower more cautious gate. One was seen with his wife riding in the cab of his pickup sitting close like two teenagers, he later admitted to participating in the trials but said it did not cure the ED, but did cause an allergic reaction with a lot of swelling that had required immediate attention..

[DeltaBoy]

A friend of Dads been building and setting out hives across Monroe County.   Mom and Dad have 2 on their place and Sonny brings them Honey 2-4 times a year.

I not seen one in the Wild in 30 years.

[HawgWild]

I've been a hobby beekeeper going on 10 years. I try to do it without the use of any chemicals or artificial food (HFCS). You'd be surprised what chemicals some beekeepers use to combat mites and beetles. Small hive beetles are about to put me out of the business.

[HogBreath]

I've been a hobby beekeeper going on 10 years. I try to do it without the use of any chemicals or artificial food (HFCS). You'd be surprised what chemicals some beekeepers use to combat mites and beetles. Small hive beetles are about to put me out of the business.

I'd like to get in to honey bee business..sounds like the mites and beetles are a big problem.

[Albert Einswine]

My dad kept bees for several years in the mid/late 70's, all the hives were ones he caught or we helped him catch when they swarmed.

Couple different times, one of the hives split and we caught them swarming around Granddad's pecan trees out back on the edge of the cotton field. Per dad's instructions we threw copious amounts of dirt from the turnrow into the swarms and they would alight in a ball around the queen in a tree branch. Dad would scoop them into a cardboard box and transfer 'em into an empty hive box.

He kept the hives in one end of granddad's tractor bay in the barn and those little critters worked the heck out of the cotton blossoms on Poplar Ridge.

[PonderinHog]

My son's mentor/supplier keeps a hive at a blueberry patch.  He says that honey is off the charts awesome.

[DeltaBoy]

Honey from my parents is good due to the Honey suckle and Black berries my parents have plus they caused the peach and pear trees to really produce along with the 2 pecan trees.

[HawgWild]

FWIW - Bees don't work Honeysuckle vine. (I thought the same thing years ago before getting into bees.) Their anatomy keeps them from retrieving the nectar from the honeysuckle. Now they do love Blackberries and fruit tree flowers.

[DOGALUM]

I've noticed several bees working my blackberry blooms over the last few weeks.  The blooms are now almost all gone.  I've wondered if they are from a hive and if so, where it is.   How far from their hive do bees usually stray?

I would love.....LOVE...to find their hive and set up some honey production. 

[jrulz83]

I've noticed several bees working my blackberry blooms over the last few weeks.  The blooms are now almost all gone.  I've wondered if they are from a hive and if so, where it is.   How far from their hive do bees usually stray?

I would love.....LOVE...to find their hive and set up some honey production.

2 mile radius from their hive is what I've always heard. I'm sure some range farther afield. The questions I have are who studied that, and better yet, how did they prove it?

[JIMMY BOARFFETT]

I found a hive back in April...the hard way.  Coming down a steep incline, I stepped around an old snag which had a hole at ground level on the down hill side.  Before I knew it, I was standing in a  swarm.  The ground was so steep I couldn't run.  I just had to keep easing down hill.  I got hit twice and my buddy got hit twice, but actually, it had been so long since I had seen honey bees in the wild, I didn't really mind.

[DOGALUM]

2 mile radius from their hive is what I've always heard. I'm sure some range farther afield. The questions I have are who studied that, and better yet, how did they prove it?

Well screw that.  I'm not going hiking up and down the mountains.....for two miles....while the ticks and snakes are out.