This site is for the discussion of Survival, Preparedness, Preppers, Survival Food, Survival Kits, SHTF, Survivalist, Homesteading, and more
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our FREE community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, >>> CLICK HERE>> to join our community <<< today!
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact us.
Note: If you are having trouble finding the login or Sign up link it is in the Top Right corner in the Gray bar
If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
Does anyone have experience with making/using 5 gallon buckets as bee hives. I'm thinking about trying this but not sure if it would work or harm the bee's, especially for over wintering. All ideas appreciated folks.
Mostly interested in having hives for pollinating nearby orchards and crops but wouldn't mind a little honey and wax, occasionally.
Dale been pondering getting into bee keeping myself, for about a year now. Will be interested to read the responses you get. Haven't seen anything re 5 gal bucket hives. Interesting concept but not sure if it's a good option. Will do some research.
You don't have to be perfect, but you better be smart!!!
Dale been pondering getting into bee keeping myself, for about a year now. Will be interested to read the responses you get. Haven't seen anything re 5 gal bucket hives. Interesting concept but not sure if it's a good option. Will do some research.
Bue,
I've been considering something similar to mayan stacked bee hives but built similar to top bar hives but inside of 5 gallon buckets. I could stack 3 or 4 hives at one place and only harvest from maybe 1 or 2 a year. My thoughts are that moths and parasites would find it much more difficult to survive in the plastic hives (as they seem to from the European plastic molded hives) and the hives being smaller may be easier to work with and position. Thoughts??
Best of luck guys, and I'm not being facetious, bees are difficult to maintain what with varroa & trachial mites on top of the sterile broods showing up the last few decades. Honeybees are not native to N.A; mama Nature may be resetting us back to preColonial modes of pollination, orchard mason bees & their kin (Osmia spp) may be our only recourse. You can build nesting blocks for them and purchase tubes of fertile eggs/larva from the web. On the other hand, if your determined to be an apiarist, you could weave an original skep (hive) from reeds, weeds, vines or bark. Some were even pottered from clay.
Best of luck guys, and I'm not being facetious, bees are difficult to maintain what with varroa & trachial mites on top of the sterile broods showing up the last few decades. Honeybees are not native to N.A; mama Nature may be resetting us back to preColonial modes of pollination, orchard mason bees & their kin (Osmia spp) may be our only recourse. You can build nesting blocks for them and purchase tubes of fertile eggs/larva from the web. On the other hand, if your determined to be an apiarist, you could weave an original skep (hive) from reeds, weeds, vines or bark. Some were even pottered from clay.
PrairieRat,
I hear what your saying about honey bees but if we reset back to native fauna from before Europeans arrived to the Americas, we're screwed. The native bees have no way of currently keeping up with the demands of modern agriculture. No pollinators = no food. I would love to see a resurgence of native bees, as walking through a large field of corn, beans and pumpkins being actively pollinated by native bees would truly be a sight to see. One not seen for a couple hundred years. The indian fields would have been something to see.
As far as using skep's, I can't say that I care for them. There is a reason the USDA banned them from use. They are bad for harboring mice, moths and parasites and a nightmare for getting the honey and comb out of without killing the hive. I know of 3 wild bee trees not far from my home and worked with my father in law (an old time apiarist) to know how to gather a swarm or attract a swarm to a new hive. I know already how to raise bees, I'm just looking for a better way to raise bees.
I don't have much info on the 5 gallon buckets but I can help with related info. The USDA is making a big push for establishing pollinator habitat....a mix of grasses and forbes that are specifically for bees, to help them go into the winter as strong as possible. The forbes are primarily natives that will blossom from late June through early October....a few even later. Ideally you could plant a block at least 1/4 acre in size HOWEVER, even little bits will help. We have a butterfly garden in the front of our house that uses natives and has bees working it until October every year, and it's barely 30' x 10'. Here are a couple links that will give you a starting point if you are considering a pollinator habitat. http://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/refere...9%28645%29.pdfhttp://plants.usda.gov/pollinators/H...ects_MT-20.pdf. If you want more info or specifics geared to your location let me know and I can link you site specific recommendations.
Tweet
Comment