How to start raising bumble bees?

Question

how to get started on raising bumble bees or honey bees in northern wi. and wich is better for pollinating cranberries with a the end product of honey

Answer 1

Honey bees and other pollinators are the vital link in the process of taking pollen (male element) from one flower to the receptive stigma (female element) of another flower so that pollination, and then fertilization, takes place.

Without this transfer, fruits, nuts, vegetables, seeds and berries can not develop with the resultant loss of food for humans, animals and plant diversity that keeps us alive. This is all pretty important, and it all starts in the backyard.

Get started the same way that you learned to be a proficient gardener; get books, magazines, DVDs, a mentor. Take a class or talk to my office (in Florida) on how we can assist by assigning one of our Apiary Inspectors to help initially. Then they will register the beekeepers and inspect the colony when it is up and going. (Editors note: A list of beekeeping organizations can be found here.)

In Florida (as in most states), we register the beekeeper for a nominal charge and then inspect the colonies for honey bee pests, predators and disease challenges. We can then advise on management techniques to maintain healthy vigorous colonies.

You can Google up any of the major beekeeping supply companies such as Dadant, Brushy Mountain, Mann Lake, etc. and order a "beginner's kit" for between $200 and $300.

There are companies that supply package bees, which is a shoe box sized container of honey bees and a queen that is used to start a new colony. Because of the spread of the dangerous African bee, which looks exactly like the more gentle honey bees in managed colonies, in Florida, never take wild honey bee colonies from the environment.

Most new beekeepers make enough honey to consume and to share with family and friends. If they have enough at some time in the future to sell, there are some labeling requirements that should be met.

Honey bees can fly in a two and a half mile radius of their colony and in most cases there will be plenty of flowers to supply their food needs in this vast area.

We have no winter in Florida, but in other areas, leaving 50 to 60 pounds of honey on the colony and being sure they are healthy is all that is necessary. Cold doesn't kill honey bees, starvation does.

Call your county extension agent or the Entomology Department of the State Land Grant Users for a list of local, regional and state Beekeepers Associations.

Having been a member of the Colony Collapse Disorder Working Group since the beginning, we simply do not know. It seems to be a combination of toxins in the environment, pathogens and the general stress of being a valuable insect in a world that wants to kill all insects with a wide variety of chemicals.

Gardeners can plant flowers that are attractive to, not only honey bees, but other pollinators as well, such as bumble bees, solitary bees, butterflies, etc.

Flowers that produce lots of nectar and pollen are the most beneficial to pollinators. A search on "honey plants" will get you a regional menu of helpful plants.

Anything Else to Add?

Honey bees are known by their name for partnering with flowering plants and creating honey. However, honey is a byproduct of pollination. Without honey bees we lose approximately 30 percent of the food we eat everyday. Fruits, vegetables, nuts and berries for us and wildlife are dependent on honey bees to transfer the pollen that then will fertilize a seed and direct the plant to produce these foods.

We are all inter-related. When I speak to elementary school children about honey bees I ask them how honey bees make ice cream. They do not know - which is good for my presentations. Honey bees are used to pollinate a crop called alfalfa which is a food for dairy cows, which produce the milk that makes ice cream. With our population growing, we need more health foods, not less.

Honey bee raising is not only a rewarding hobby, but it can also be very helpful for the environment. LoveToKnow would like to thank Jerry Hayes for taking the time for this informative interview. Check out the references above and you will be on your way to successful honey bee raising.

Bees have been increasingly absent from my area for the past few years, and my garden shows it. My ligustrium are in full bloom right now and whereas in past years there are always bees on the plants this year I have not seen the first bee. I want to set up a hive, not necessarily for the honey but to have bees for pollination. I am looking for any advice on doing this and how to get started.

Answer 2

You can not raise bumblebees- if you did, they make very little honey.

The best way is to find someone in your area who keeps bees, and learn from them.  There are lots of books and internet resources.  If you can get used equipment it will be cheaper.

You can get everything you need to start out for around $300 new, including bees.

Google "beekeeping supplies" and get some free catalogs sent to you.