Subject: How much time ?

From: [email-masked] (Joe Finnivan)
Date: Fri, 15 Apr 94 10:20:13 GMT

I'm happy to see this new group.  I don't keep bees
but have been interested and toying with the idea for
years.  I live on a 5 acre piece of land that is mostly
a grassy field with scattered trees.  I'm going to be
planting a dozen fruit trees next week and I'm giving
serious though to starting some hives.  My question
is this:  How much time can I expect to be spending
maintaining a few hives ?  Do I have to work at them
every day, every few days, etc ?  Also, how much honey
can I expect to get from a few hives ?

Thanks for any help.

Joe
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (M.C. Rendina )
Date: 15 Apr 1994 20:04:10 GMT

[email-masked] (Joe Finnivan) writes:
>years.  

I'm happy to see it to.  I got interested in bees when I saw a show on T.V.
and then in junior high, I needed to build something in industrial arts!
What a perfect combo!

>I live on a 5 acre piece of land that is mostly
>maintaining a few hives ?  

When I asked this question as a young-un, a wise man reminded me that
bees have lived for millions of years without us.

>Do I have to work at them every day, every few days, etc ?  

If you're touching thme more than once a week, you're getting in their way.
When I went away to college, my bees did just fine without me.
I had to make sure the hive was the right size (mostly a spring-fall job),
harvest the honey, and that's about it.

>Also, how much honey can I expect to get from a few hives ?

Anywhere from zip to (what's the record?)  I think it was over 400 pounds.
50-100 is probably typical, but that's my midwestern hives.

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Mark Rendina                                    o        ___ __        
[email-masked]               __/\o_     __o     < \        |  | \  |
University of Illinois               _ \<_    _/\         |  |_/  |
                                    (_)/(_)     /   Just  |  | \  |

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From: [email-masked] (M.C. Rendina )
Date: 15 Apr 1994 20:04:10 GMT