My wife has mentioned she might wanna try bee keeping. Well we are in the process of moving and there are honey bees in a tree at the new house. Just wondering everyone’s thoughts about bee keeping, how much work is involved and how hard it would be to get the bees moved to boxes.

Beekeeping is what you make it just like trapping. For just the hobbiest running a couple colonies it's not much labor. Mainly a once a week to ten day check on them during the build up preparation for your nectar flow to ensure their health and readiness to gather honey. These checks dont take long, maybe an hour or two at a time. After the flow is past you have the harvest which might take a weekend. Post flow checks can be cut back to once a month but you definitely will need to incorporate some sort of IPM mite management strategy as part of your maintenance checks. Depending of how you monitor and treat add maybe an additional hour every three months minimum. You'll increase the checks again going into late summer/early fall to ensure they are in good shape with plenty of stores for overwintering. Winter checks are quick as you won't be opening the hives. Basically a walk through to check hive weights (a quick lift on the back) or clear snow from entrances if you have snow.
But be warned beekeeping like trapping is addictive. I've had the bug for almost forty years now.

As for transferring a tree colony to a box, that's one of the more difficult tasks. Cutting down trees to access the colony is dangerous to both man and bee. Trap outs are possible but not every tree can be trapped out. Feral colonies are always a crap shoot as to their quality and you're probably better off purchasing a known quality stock of bees.

BTW, as a new beekeeper expect to devote more time than someone more experienced like myself. What I can deduce just walking past a colony a new keeper has to get a feel for by looking inside. This isn't to discourage but like any educational endeavor more time learning up front makes for the better outcome.

My wife greatly enjoys the marketing of the honey. I do most of the work and my kids will help me randomly when I need them. I encourage all people to try it and start with at least 2 hives. I would personally leave the bee tree alone and place some swarm traps near the tree to attempt catching swarms when they are cast off.

1/2 mile fm parent bee tree better for catching swarm

Michael,

How high is the opening the bees are using? How large is the opening? How large is the tree? Do you have any experience in bee keeping?

45 years in keeping bees.

TrapperKent

It's a great hobby. Best thing since trapping for me. That said, you'll either fall In love it or scrap it by year 2. If you fall in love with it, plan on spending a lot of money and time on it. Hives are like potato chips. Cant have just one...or two, it seems.

There's actually a lot of good YouTube videos on beekeeping, swarm boxes, etc. by some real experts. I'd start there if you're thinking about it so you get an idea what you're in for.

Michael,
Leave the bee tree alone and catch the swarms they throw.

Warrior thanks for your response. I was curious on the amount of work going in to it because we seem to always be busy and didn’t want it to be too time consuming. I figured it would be like anything else and require more effort and lots of learning in the beginning.

Treeda I think I too would end up doing a majority of the work, but my wife might surprise me!

Kent I noticed them swarming around the hole in the tree while I was in the house laying flooring. So I haven’t gone right up to the tree but I’m guessing the hole is around 5 ft high. Not sure how large the hole is, looked like it might be long and skinny. I’ll check it out better tomorow. Tree is probably 2 1/2-3 ft diameter, a big cedar tree. No experience with bees at all. My wife and I both grew up on farms and enjoy the outdoors, and doing anything we can outdoors. She had heard that local honey can help with allergies and we both have allergies as well as our two young children so I think that is where the origination of her idea of beekeeping comes from.

Calvin not sure I need another expensive hobby, trapping is bad enough! And from everything I’ve read so far on the internet most agree it’s best to start with atleast 2 hives. I’ll check YouTube out.

Thanks everyone for your responses

Lots of information ,on utube video's. If you are handy and have basic tools , you can build most of your equipment. Just be aware that your 2 hives will turn into several more , before long . Just make more boxes and have fun with them. I started with 2 now have 11. . Go to Michigan bees, then the bee keepers workshop, instructions on how to build your own. Barnyard bees and Joe May have good instruction video's. old243

Michael,

I have removed, using the screen cone method, bees from trees or buildings and cut lots of bees from trees but never from a cedar.

Very unusual.

I could tell you step by step how to do either of the methods. But, with out a little knowledge you may not be able to accomplish it. If you cut the tree you could remove and save all of the bees and most of the brood with the comb and they should make surplus honey this year.

The other method you would need to order around 1 lb. of bees with a queen or obtain a frame with eggs, less than 3 days old, and enough bees to take care of them .

TrapperKent

The experienced bee keeper that helped me get started recommended getting two hives; one that you mess with all the time and one you leave alone!!