Its been 2 weeks its time to get in there and check on them and make sure they are doing ok and that the queen is laying eggs, and they are building Comb!
thats awsome. looking forward to an update. Did you give them a small opening to get in and out to start with? Heard its easier for them to defend the hive until the population increases. How many came in it roughly, 10,000? Decided not to go the with the switch the cork for marshmellow route I see. Do an update soon :)
Question: The bee population is really going down, especially bumble bees. Is there such a thing as giving bees a home, not for honey, but for having them pollenate your veggies?
Cool. Bees are awesome, but I have absolutely no experience with them, so I think I'd be shitting my pants if I were to brush away a whole bunch of them with my hand like that.
LOL I was just asking my hubby about getting a bee hive 2 days ago! We live in CA and bee's are a rare sight to see any more, especially this year. Your little girl "should" be out there so she can see that her father is not scared of these precious bee's. Your wife is though! :o) You just show no fear and don't be nervous and she will be fine. Good video, really good. God bless you and your family and you be safe out there. Side
Stock some liquid and pill form antihistamines! May not be full bore allergic but just in case, never know with baby. We had 3 hives going across the hayfield. They were really producing, drove down the road one day and thought what is that? Big flippin bear cracking the hives open. Wasn't much left and I didn't have the guts to shoo him off LOL!
Good to see your working on this. I am unable to have any bee hives due to allergic reactions that may come along with bee stings, but I still appreciate all the work that people like you are putting into yours. Thanks for sharing with us.
@pdlumina - There are a number of variables which influence the success rate. One of them being the size of the hive in comparison to the total number of bees. You have to stay on top of it in order to keep the colony. I hope I can succeed on this one.
@PressForFreedom - I Didn't put a queen excluder on the entrance. That didn't come with the kit I got. The kit said it was everything needed for a starter hive, but perhaps I should have gotten one of those. Some of this stuff is new information for me.
@banksiaone - The reason the baby was allowed to be there is due to the fact that swarming bees (bees in transition between hives) are not aggressive at all. You can stick your hand into a ball of swarming bees and they will not sting you.
I remember the African Honey Bee scare. As a youngster I was fascinated by it and learned that the African Bees on this side of the pond were focused in the South. Do you fear African Bee takeover of your more tame honey bees?
Good luck with the hive. I have been looking at a top bar set up but will probably wait until next year due to work. A brave man with the shorts though. I see not wearing gloves but if a stray gets into the shorts...
Actually was excited to see you getting into bees. I have been doing a little research in order to start a colony myself. How much did it cost you to get started and what did you need? Thanks
@thegoodgreen1 We were lucky enough to find H&L Bee Company on ebay. We had a late start in ordering and were told it was to late in the season my a local bee keeper....he told us it was like trying to find a christmas tree on dec 26...lol. We spent 115 for 24frames, brush, hive tool, feeder & bee excluder. The wood was 17 dollars enough to build 2deep supers. The bees were 121 with shipping. We were told to feed them for 5-6wks until they are established. You can build a hive and use a bee lure
@thegoodgreen1 - We got a starter kit from one company and bees from another. In total I would say it cost about $350. The bees themselves were only $140 though.
Very cool stuff. Having the ability to produce your own honey is awesome. This vid made me think back to the days when people thought African honey bees or killer bees would take over th US. lol
@TheHossUSMC - Yeah, it's a weird phenomenon when they are in transition between hives. It is possible to get stung if you panic and do something stupid, but otherwise they are completely non-aggressive during this phase.
@webozzy21 - We probably won't be taking honey from them this year. We want to make sure they get established thoroughly and spread into the upper boxes.
@TimmyOFlinn I'd have to agree with you Timmy, I'd probably anchor it to a post/the ground for fear of animals/wind knocking it over. Maybe fence the area off too. I've read bees love buckwheat and produce tons of honey with it.
@Greltam I put in a acre of buckwhaet last summer and my bees seem to Ignore it, not sure why. it was always covers with wasps and other pollinators but very few honey bees considering that there was 3 strong hives not ore than 100 feet away. I think there must have been something else with a better sugar content around.
@Greltam I wouldn't say it trumps it in my case I am in canada and I think because our summers are "Condenced" we don't get the big darths of nectar that the bees down south get. So a field of Buckwheat in Texas might "BEE" awesome but I think here it could not compete with the clover and Canola that were everywhere.
But bees are an essential part of pollinating plants, so when I run into some in my back yard (usually near the blackberry bushes), I leave them alone.
How long does it take for a hive of that size to make a useable amount of honey?
@billhaigh - It depends on a lot of variables (where you live, the flowers in the area, when you set up the hive etc...). Due to the fact that we are setting up a bit late in the season we have no plans to steal any honey this year.
Good stuff man. Out of curiosity, where did you acquire your queen/stock? How's the hive faring now the sun's a bit more south?
mycomage 4 months ago
I love the baby sounds in the middle of the video. Setting up a hive is one of my goals, thanks for showing the process.
LACYV1 4 months ago
whats up with your beehive ? post another video
JO3haNsum 4 months ago
Its been 2 weeks its time to get in there and check on them and make sure they are doing ok and that the queen is laying eggs, and they are building Comb!
TimmyOFlinn 8 months ago
Where did you get your hives and bees?
kastnmagic 9 months ago
thats awsome. looking forward to an update. Did you give them a small opening to get in and out to start with? Heard its easier for them to defend the hive until the population increases. How many came in it roughly, 10,000? Decided not to go the with the switch the cork for marshmellow route I see. Do an update soon :)
stealinator 9 months ago
Another question: Is it safe to raise bees within 100 sq. ft. of chickens?
whiskerchild 9 months ago
Question: The bee population is really going down, especially bumble bees. Is there such a thing as giving bees a home, not for honey, but for having them pollenate your veggies?
whiskerchild 9 months ago
Isn't the hive a bit close to the ground? All the hives I have seen are a few feet above ground in case it floods, or something....
puffrooster 9 months ago
You didn't get stung once?? That's amazing...
WinefrideofWales 9 months ago
Cool. Bees are awesome, but I have absolutely no experience with them, so I think I'd be shitting my pants if I were to brush away a whole bunch of them with my hand like that.
selvmordspilot 9 months ago
Wow, nice work. Do you make maple syrup on your land? The all natural kind is amazing!
axc2000 9 months ago
Thanks for sharing, can you show the hive construction? Do they enter from bottom, etc... Your the man.
darkgrapeful 9 months ago
LOL I was just asking my hubby about getting a bee hive 2 days ago! We live in CA and bee's are a rare sight to see any more, especially this year. Your little girl "should" be out there so she can see that her father is not scared of these precious bee's. Your wife is though! :o) You just show no fear and don't be nervous and she will be fine. Good video, really good. God bless you and your family and you be safe out there. Side
SidewinderFF 9 months ago
oohh cute baby noises
whatweshouldknow 9 months ago
Amazing man. Simply amazing. I think I'll try it one day. But how do you get them in the first place?
AlexNOSAM 9 months ago
That was pretty cool. Make sure to show when you get honey. It is very interesting and I might try it someday.
HuskeHardcore 9 months ago
Stock some liquid and pill form antihistamines! May not be full bore allergic but just in case, never know with baby. We had 3 hives going across the hayfield. They were really producing, drove down the road one day and thought what is that? Big flippin bear cracking the hives open. Wasn't much left and I didn't have the guts to shoo him off LOL!
Rhiahl 9 months ago
that was dope i love watching your videos..btw where did you get your bee's???
yyuguy 9 months ago
In my opinion one of the most evolved and well suited groups of organisms, colonizing flying insects... Awesome!
WoodlandRavah 9 months ago
Good to see your working on this. I am unable to have any bee hives due to allergic reactions that may come along with bee stings, but I still appreciate all the work that people like you are putting into yours. Thanks for sharing with us.
ThePatriotGunner 9 months ago
How many times you get stung during this undercover bee op?
ThePoormansgold 9 months ago
@pdlumina - There are a number of variables which influence the success rate. One of them being the size of the hive in comparison to the total number of bees. You have to stay on top of it in order to keep the colony. I hope I can succeed on this one.
StormCloudsGathering 9 months ago
Sweet prepping friend. Bee careful. Thanks for the vid. Kids will love it. Take care.
piptaac101 9 months ago
@PressForFreedom - I Didn't put a queen excluder on the entrance. That didn't come with the kit I got. The kit said it was everything needed for a starter hive, but perhaps I should have gotten one of those. Some of this stuff is new information for me.
StormCloudsGathering 9 months ago
I think ur great and doing a good job. But get the baby away from there.
No she didn't 'get scared' her mothers intuition finally kicked in, to get baby at a safer distance.
banksiaone 9 months ago
I think ur great and doing a good job. But get the baby away from there.
banksiaone 9 months ago 4
@banksiaone - The reason the baby was allowed to be there is due to the fact that swarming bees (bees in transition between hives) are not aggressive at all. You can stick your hand into a ball of swarming bees and they will not sting you.
StormCloudsGathering 9 months ago 2
@StormCloudsGathering really? i was thinking where the heck was your bee suit. that blows my mind....
djgrooveline 9 months ago
It seems many in the prepper community are on the same page. The Mrs just set up a hive last week. Lots of uses for bees.
NewAmericaNow 9 months ago
That is Awesome!
cporter45 9 months ago
I remember the African Honey Bee scare. As a youngster I was fascinated by it and learned that the African Bees on this side of the pond were focused in the South. Do you fear African Bee takeover of your more tame honey bees?
ryanswan0 9 months ago
@ryanswan0 - Doesn't really concern me much at this point.
StormCloudsGathering 9 months ago
Good luck with the hive. I have been looking at a top bar set up but will probably wait until next year due to work. A brave man with the shorts though. I see not wearing gloves but if a stray gets into the shorts...
spence0324 9 months ago
Comment removed
spence0324 9 months ago
Dude, shouldn't you concentrate on the house? lol
tgpdlp1 9 months ago
@tgpdlp1 he probably has to recover from last weekend... setting up bees sounds downright relaxing compared to the obove your head concrete pour.
brainnoise1 9 months ago
@tgpdlp1 - I don't have enough money to buy the materials for the next phase of the house yet. I need to get some paid work first.
StormCloudsGathering 9 months ago
@StormCloudsGathering It will be great to be as young as you and not have a mortgage. I assumed you got a construction loan.
tgpdlp1 9 months ago
What does it cost to have a set up like that?
homesurvival 9 months ago
"the most important thing is to stay calm" Wow! You sure did that! Wonderful display of composure!
Myrmecia 9 months ago 2
You have some really cool videos, nice job...
0o0oIHateYou0o0o 9 months ago
OOOO FUN!
eliden 9 months ago
Have you done this before or did you just learn how to do it?
mirabilo 9 months ago
@mirabilo - We just learned how to do it. I have some books and videos on it.
StormCloudsGathering 9 months ago
The sound of a cooing baby is music to my ears!
Icriedtoday 9 months ago
Actually was excited to see you getting into bees. I have been doing a little research in order to start a colony myself. How much did it cost you to get started and what did you need? Thanks
thegoodgreen1 9 months ago
@thegoodgreen1 We were lucky enough to find H&L Bee Company on ebay. We had a late start in ordering and were told it was to late in the season my a local bee keeper....he told us it was like trying to find a christmas tree on dec 26...lol. We spent 115 for 24frames, brush, hive tool, feeder & bee excluder. The wood was 17 dollars enough to build 2deep supers. The bees were 121 with shipping. We were told to feed them for 5-6wks until they are established. You can build a hive and use a bee lure
MrsNewAmericaNow 9 months ago
@thegoodgreen1 - We got a starter kit from one company and bees from another. In total I would say it cost about $350. The bees themselves were only $140 though.
StormCloudsGathering 9 months ago
a bee hive, well i hadnt thought of that yet...
wesleytarbuck 9 months ago
your wife did awesome btw
curiouscrutiny 9 months ago
baby likes the bees )
curiouscrutiny 9 months ago
slavery ;)
sanctiX 9 months ago
Cool! Now you're bee laden.
BeardLaden 9 months ago
Do you have any suggestions for where to buy bees/beekeeping stuff? I've been wanting to try this. Great video Aaron!
sensiblepreps 9 months ago
@sensiblepreps betterbeedotcom or dadantdotcom for supplies their out of bees for the season and ebay for bees. Hope it helps!
MrsNewAmericaNow 9 months ago
Very cool stuff. Having the ability to produce your own honey is awesome. This vid made me think back to the days when people thought African honey bees or killer bees would take over th US. lol
jsrscbr 9 months ago
How much does it cost to set up a bee operation like yours?
Did you get stung?
What sources of flowers do you need for them to survive? What if you don't have any orchids around?
westin1985 9 months ago
That is incredible that they don't sting you.
TheHossUSMC 9 months ago
@TheHossUSMC - Yeah, it's a weird phenomenon when they are in transition between hives. It is possible to get stung if you panic and do something stupid, but otherwise they are completely non-aggressive during this phase.
StormCloudsGathering 9 months ago
awesome
Tommy4216 9 months ago
Absolutely cool. I'd like to try establishing a hive myself someday.
BloodTar 9 months ago
Wow, I would be in full gear to keep from getting stung.
AtheistPatriot1 9 months ago
great video. It was crazy watching you do all that without gear on.
TheVikingNinja 9 months ago
The music at the end is from Ghost in Shell, I'm pretty sure.
IHighLikePlane 9 months ago
Very interesting...thanks for sharing.
RealRickyRoss 9 months ago
I look forward to seeing the honey they produce!
webozzy21 9 months ago
@webozzy21 - We probably won't be taking honey from them this year. We want to make sure they get established thoroughly and spread into the upper boxes.
StormCloudsGathering 9 months ago
Wouldn't it be annoying having so many bees right next to your house?
spamllpitdept 9 months ago
@spamllpitdept - They're pretty far from the house.
StormCloudsGathering 9 months ago
NIcely done but I would Get a better platform one that doesn't wobble at every touch, like the stones you are currently using.
TimmyOFlinn 9 months ago
@TimmyOFlinn I'd have to agree with you Timmy, I'd probably anchor it to a post/the ground for fear of animals/wind knocking it over. Maybe fence the area off too. I've read bees love buckwheat and produce tons of honey with it.
Greltam 9 months ago
@Greltam I put in a acre of buckwhaet last summer and my bees seem to Ignore it, not sure why. it was always covers with wasps and other pollinators but very few honey bees considering that there was 3 strong hives not ore than 100 feet away. I think there must have been something else with a better sugar content around.
TimmyOFlinn 9 months ago
@TimmyOFlinn Sounds like another example where practical experience trumps book knowledge :P
Greltam 9 months ago
@Greltam I wouldn't say it trumps it in my case I am in canada and I think because our summers are "Condenced" we don't get the big darths of nectar that the bees down south get. So a field of Buckwheat in Texas might "BEE" awesome but I think here it could not compete with the clover and Canola that were everywhere.
TimmyOFlinn 9 months ago
You are a braver man than I would be! (RUNAWAY!)
But bees are an essential part of pollinating plants, so when I run into some in my back yard (usually near the blackberry bushes), I leave them alone.
How long does it take for a hive of that size to make a useable amount of honey?
billhaigh 9 months ago
@billhaigh - It depends on a lot of variables (where you live, the flowers in the area, when you set up the hive etc...). Due to the fact that we are setting up a bit late in the season we have no plans to steal any honey this year.
StormCloudsGathering 9 months ago
pretty cool
lita9281 9 months ago
holy cow... you did all that without getting stung.... that's amazing
TheLibertyFanatic 9 months ago
well done
goodagofilms 9 months ago
Nice. I like the way you manhandle those bees and tell them whose boss. They are your unwitting slaves forever! ! ! mwahaahaa.
beauzer36 9 months ago
Awsome timing, i'v been thinking of starting a hive. thanks for the inspiration
Dethclops7 9 months ago
Thanks for the video, my husband and I have considered doing this.
elanapetrovich 9 months ago
I want bees, but my wife won't let me.
btigtime2 9 months ago
did you get stung during the hive setup
tellucas 9 months ago 2
@tellucas - No I didn't get stung.
StormCloudsGathering 9 months ago
baby commentary @ 2:17 is adorable :)
deadgrl13 9 months ago
first comment: removed
second comment: pointless, though mildly informative
Revile2nr 9 months ago
very cool. Wife did well filming. Mine would refuse to do that
nmm12nmm 9 months ago
Comment removed
selvmordspilot 9 months ago