I think I may try this next next year. F*** the HoA
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I think I may try this next next year. F*** the HoA
Awesome update! Our neighbors (the elderly folks that live behind us) have allowed their adult son to keep a hive behind their shed. They appear to be honeybees; quite docile and pretty efficient at hitting every bloom in my yard. I kept our hummingbird feeders out for quite some time and the bees enjoyed the sugar water well into the fall.
I haven't had the opportunity to speak with the beekeeper; my neighbors have little to do with the hive. I saw something on Pinterest about using a shallow dish with marbles when you put water out for them, so the bees can easily drink. I'll hang out more hummingbird feeders in the spring, some in the backyard where it's closer to the hive, but do bees require a stronger sugar-water mix than hummingbirds?
How much honey were you able to harvest this year and how much do you have to leave for the bees over winter?
I've nothing worthy to add, but yrs ago my wife bought me a "trap", she thought, home. Wooden structure with screen on it. I had no idea what it was used for till I saw the OP picture in post #1.
Solved that mystery.
Did not harvest last year. Will try this year depending on how strong they come out of winter.
You can also float some corks on a water source for the bees to drink off of. So far they continue to survive the winter.
I will check in a few weeks if i get a chance to visit my buddy and shoot some. Always a bonus.
My brother keeps bees in/around San Antonio. He currently has a dozen hives, just ordered 30 more.
Took off the winter wraps 3 weeks ago. One hive was really strong and the other I thought was a doomed. Not a lot of bees. Some brood but I could not find my queen. Thought for sure when I checked this week it would be completly dead. But to my surprise it was alive. Found the queen, did some cleaning and treated for mites. I won't get honey from this hive. Guess either the queen started late in laying or they just got hit hard with mites.
Other hive was busting at the seams. No swarm cells and everything looked healthy. Put on a honey super so will see what they will do.
The local bee keepers are already fortifying the hives against bears.