MesquiteMan
Retired Head Moderator
I have had an interest in beekeeping for the past year or so and finally, this year decided to get into it. I bought my first hive in March of this year from a yuppy in Austin that was trying to save the world until his girlfriend got stung. I then caught a swarm, split my original hive into 2, bought 2 Nucs, and caught another swarm for a total of 6 hives now!
The fellow that lives across the street from my mom and the house I grew up in has been keeping bees for 40 years so I asked him to mentor me. He is 72 and really enjoys taking me to work his 50 or so hives since he gets to make me do all the work! It has been a very valuable learning experience with him and it has been worth every minute of it! He was also a high school principle so he is an excellent teacher. I have learned a ton from him and have worked with other beekeeper that thought I had been doing it for a number of years. What can I say? I learn quick and tend to do everything to the fullest!
Of course being a woodworker, I make all my own boxes. The typical Langstroth (square box, traditional type) hive has a flat top and I wanted something a little different that also sheds the water better. Being in Texas, I also wanted better ventilation so I built a gabled cover. The huneycomb cut out has screen behind it to keep things in and bad things out while providing ventilation. I cut the shape and did the engraving with my CNC router.
Here are some pictures I thought some might enjoy!
A swarm I recently caught
The fellow that lives across the street from my mom and the house I grew up in has been keeping bees for 40 years so I asked him to mentor me. He is 72 and really enjoys taking me to work his 50 or so hives since he gets to make me do all the work! It has been a very valuable learning experience with him and it has been worth every minute of it! He was also a high school principle so he is an excellent teacher. I have learned a ton from him and have worked with other beekeeper that thought I had been doing it for a number of years. What can I say? I learn quick and tend to do everything to the fullest!
Of course being a woodworker, I make all my own boxes. The typical Langstroth (square box, traditional type) hive has a flat top and I wanted something a little different that also sheds the water better. Being in Texas, I also wanted better ventilation so I built a gabled cover. The huneycomb cut out has screen behind it to keep things in and bad things out while providing ventilation. I cut the shape and did the engraving with my CNC router.
Here are some pictures I thought some might enjoy!
A swarm I recently caught