ALASKA HONEY BEE

RESOURCES

Package Bees;

Bees I sell and my own genetics provided with the queen in the package and other strains too.

http://alaskahoneybee.com/Site/PACKAGE_BEES.html

My Home Page.

http://alaskahoneybee.com/Site/ALASKA_HONEY_BEE.html

Please join my email group akbeekeepers.

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/akbeekeepers/

Call me anytime for help.

907-688-0588

907-242-0588

For equipment In Alaska you can contact, Sarah Souders or Steve Albers, they both mill equipment here in the state of Alaska on the Kenai Peninsula.

Sarah's # = 252-5132

Steve # = 394-8321

Here is Sarah's web site on the Peninsula;

http://sarahsalaskahoney.com/

Here are two web sites that describe the type beekeeping I subscribe to and practice.

Dee Lusby is currently my long distance mentor, mother of Small Cell Beekeeping.

http://www.beesource.com/point-of-view/ed-dee-lusby/

Micheal Bush is highly successful in beekeeping with zero treatment methods.

http://www.bushfarms.com/bees.htm

Also, if going small cell or want to get closer to a natural type of beekeeping, I recommend this book "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Beekeeping". This is the only book available that instructs beekeepers on methods of keeping bees treatment free, zero treatment.

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guide-Beekeeping/dp/1615640118

If going small cell and hiving Large cell bees I recommend using Honey Super Cell (HSC) frames for an instent or one step regression. They can be bought through Max Hamby at this web site.

http://www.honeysupercell.com/

Simmpson’s Beekeeping Supply and Lapps Bee Supply are both selling Honey Super Cell, they might call it Super Cell, Supercell, or Supercell Frame.

http://www.simpsonsbeesupply.com/

http://www.lappsbeesupplycenter.com/

HSC is a bit on the expensive side but studies have shown that it works with lowering varroa loads and for regressing bees to a normal small size, instead of the abnormal artificial large size they have become in this modern time.

I am also experimenting since last season with this hive of which I have hopes of it being a better hive for Alaska wintering of bees, but I am not yet recommending it but so far the colony is still alive since Feb 22nd. It is a Warre' Hive design, my own is slightly different than normal.

http://startpage.com/do/metasearch.pl?language=english&query=warre%20hive%20plans

http://thebeespace.net/warre-hive/

http://www.thewarrestore.com/apps/webstore/

http://www.warrebeek.com/

http://warrebeehive.com/

http://warre.biobees.com/index.html

This is the Warre' Hive design I am using with my experiment, Although I am not presently recommending the Warre' Hive I do think it may be good for our conditions and is why I am looking into it like I am.

http://www.ruche-warre.com/

translated;

http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_url?doit=done&tt=url&intl=1&fr=bf-home&trurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ruche-warre.com%2F&lp=fr_en&btnTrUrl=Translate

Here is a Warre beekeeping site that also sells equipment.

http://www.thewarrestore.com/

I have had Sarah Souders mill me some Warre Hive components following Gilles DENIS basic design. Sarah lives in Kenai and can arrange delivery to most Alaska. Remember now she is a local Alaskan and her work is good.

http://sarahsalaskahoney.com/

Here is some more information on equipment.

http://www.beesource.com/how-to-start-beekeeping/first-equipment-and-supplies/

http://www.beesource.com/how-to-start-beekeeping/bee-hives/

Companies that Sell Bee Supplies:

◦Walter T. Kelley Company

◦Western Bee Supplies, Inc.

◦On-Line Bee and Bee Supplies Sources

◦Bee-Commerce - Quality Bee Supplies and Online Advice

◦BeeHaven ('Killer Bee' Protection)

◦BeekeepingStarterKit.com - Everything for the Beekeeper!

◦Betterbee, Inc. Up-State New York – Bee Supplies, Candle & Soap Eq. and More

◦Bindaree's in Canberra, Australia

◦Brushy Mountain Bee Equipment

◦Buckeye Bees & Equipment

◦Country Hill Beekeeping Supplies, New Brunswick, Canada

◦Cowen Manufacturing

◦Dadant's Main Home Page

◦Glorybee Supplies

◦Hoge Brush Company – Bee Brushes for Beekeepers

◦Mann Lake Bee Supplies, Minnesota, USA

◦Miller Bee Supplies, North Carolina

◦New England Bee Supplies

◦Plastools Honey Punch - used for uncapping w/o electricity

◦Queen Bee Insemination Equipment

◦Rauch Boy Bee Smokers - Germany

◦Ross Round's Comb Honey Equipment

◦Sherriff's Protective Beekeeping Clothing

◦Swienty Bee Supplies - Denmark

◦The Bee Space - Rauchboy Bee Smokers

◦The Three Beekeepers

◦Thorne's Bee Equipment Home Page, U.K.

◦Thorne's Beginner's Hive Kit

◦HoneySuperCell

Beekeeping books:

◦The Complete Idiot's Guide To Beekeeping

◦And The Authors Web Site;

◦Http://Thecompleteidiotsguidetobeekeeping.Com/

◦Http://Www.Beeuntoothers.Com/

◦The Hive and the Honeybee Collection

◦Better Queens by Jay Smith

◦Mike Bush's Queen Rearing

Here is a list of must have gear for working bees

Hive Tool;

http://www.westernbee.com/qs30/products.php?pid=272&detail=true

http://www.westernbee.com/qs30/products.php?pid=271&detail=true

https://products.kelleybees.com/wtkprod/default.aspx

Veils;

http://www.westernbee.com/qs30/products.php?catid=20&category=Veils_and_Helmets

https://products.kelleybees.com/wtkprod/default.aspx

Smokers;

http://www.westernbee.com/qs30/products.php?catid=18&category=Smokers

https://products.kelleybees.com/wtkprod/default.aspx

Bee Brush;

http://www.westernbee.com/qs30/products.php?keywords=brush&and=1&search=Go

I do not use gloves but if you find yourself needing gloves you can use disposable rubber gloves that come in bulk boxes from the auto parts store. These work great because they give your hands the dexterity needed to work. Here below is a URL as an example of the type gloves I describe, many beekeepers use these gloves and so does my Mentor Dee Lusby in Arizona who manages hundreds of colonies. You can get them as thick as 7.5 mil.

http://www.magidglove.com/Disposable-Gloves.aspx?gclid=CKmKzO-olqACFQldagodjQgaUw&pg=3

List of Langstroth hive components;

1.Hive Top

2.Inner Cover

3.Honey super (can be same size as Brood Box)

4.Brood box (Can be one box but should be more than one maybe even three for some colonies)

5.Ten frames for each box

6.Bottom Board

7.Hive stand (I simply use two pallets stacked one on the other)

8.A carpet remnant placed in front of the hive keeps grass a weeds from choking the entrance at the bottom but is not totally necessary.

So how many boxes is needed for one hive. First you need to decide if your going to use Deep Boxes or Shallow Boxes. Keep in mind deeps weigh more than shallow boxes. Personally I use Deeps and for uniformity I prefer to use only one depth size box, Deeps.

For deep boxes your need 2 or 3 for the brood and 1 or 2 for the honey.

For shallow you will need 4 or 5 for the brood and 3 or 4 for the honey.

Boxes are simply called brood boxes if they have brood in them and Honey Supers if they are being used for honey collection.

If you have a swarm you will need on hand a box to hive them in, I like using my polystyrene nucs from betterbee to hive swarms in. The boxes can also serve to hive package bees in and use as a mating nuc too amongst other uses. To me it is a great idea to have nuc boxes around.

Here is a wooden one from Western Bee Supply;

http://www.westernbee.com/qs30/products.php?pid=74&detail=true

Here is a polystyrene one from BetterBee;

http://www.betterbee.com/s.nl/it.A/id.2856/.f

Here is a nuc I built myself from high density Styrofoam;

http://web.mac.com/klmalone/Alaska_Honey_Bee/Nuc_Box.html

Bless God,

Keith Malone

Chugiak, Alaska

klm@gci.net