Bee Keeping

[LIBRA]

I want to do some many things, and Bee keeping is one of them. Anyone here into it?

Some guy keeps bee hives on my brothers land and in return he gives my bro honey, lots of glorious golden honey, I love it :D I think it be pretty sweet to have my own set up!!!!

[NCW_Woodnymph]

Matt and I have been looking into that (long time off since we live in town right now :(). We want bees because we're getting into making mead and honey is expensive. Come to think of it I think there is a section in "The self-sufficient life" that covers bee keeping. :D

[PrettyHippy]

We're planning on raising bees this year. My grandfather use to raise them when I was younger so we have most of the supplies already. The hives need a new coat of paint or two, and I think we might need a new smoker and some new harvest clothing, but at least it's a start!! We're out here in the country and we've got MANY Black Locust trees and lots of clover...wonderful for honey...sweet sweet honey...Mmmmm.........ANYWAY, I want to place the hives in proximity of the gardens due to the very large number of squashes and melons I grow. I've read that melon/squash honey is suppose to be primo. I guess we'll find out!!!!

Pretty :hippie:

[LIBRA]

Matt and I have been looking into that (long time off since we live in town right now :(). We want bees because we're getting into making mead and honey is expensive. Come to think of it I think there is a section in "The self-sufficient life" that covers bee keeping. :D
There is and thats what brought it back up in my mind,lol Im going to be going into rants about lots of stuff thanks to that book :D

I was reading last night and dang its expensive to start up!!! Im hoping the dude who keeps them on my brothers property eventually asks if he can leave them there, he is an older fellow and doesnt even live close by. That would be nice!

Ive got milk weed growing for the monarch butterflies, and theres not a whole lot right now but I plan on adding more and more plus it reseeds fast, I wonder how that honey would be. It could be a two for,lol As long as the butterflies and bees dont fight over who gets what flower when, ha ha!!

So ya, Id like to raise monarchs too, they are in danger. Such a beautifull butterfly, who indures an amazing journey.

So much to do, so little time :(

[NCW_Woodnymph]

Last summer at the farmers market we got this neat little package that had spring, summer and fall honey all in different containers. It was neat to try. I don't really like a strong honey flavor so my favorite was the spring honey. They said it came mostly from wildflowers. :D Most the people who tried it that enjoy a strong honey flavor enjoyed the fall stuff which was mostly clover.I had no idea until then that there were different types of honey.

I really want to try making an elder blossom mead with some spring honey. I think it would be nice and light with a little tang to it but we'll have to see. :)

:hippie:

[LIBRA]

Oh man there are tons of flavors its endless!!! I am a huge fan of honey, it tastes great, has tons of healing properties its great stuff!!!!

Buckwheat honey is real dark, yummm. When I was in florida I bought some orange blossom honey, that was scrumptious!!!

[PEACE FROG]

OOH OOH I want in... I didn't know about mead. Looked it up and got these fun facts; The daring warriors of the 10th century drank a honey-based drink called MEAD, which was originally discovered by the monks who used excess Honey to produce a drink of superior excellence. The warriors of those bygone days drank the Mead to instill in themselves fearlessness and strength. Mead is believed to have powers of fertility and virility. The bride and groom at Medieval weddings drank mead for one full moon after their wedding - hence the term Honeymoon, still used to this day.
Denise I want a butterfly sanctuary in my yard, gimmie the skinny?
Hey Woodling is Mead commercially available? I wanna try some. :D
Thanks Ladies.

[CowboyHippy]

OOH OOH I want in... I didn't know about mead. Looked it up and got these fun facts; The daring warriors of the 10th century drank a honey-based drink called MEAD, which was originally discovered by the monks who used excess Honey to produce a drink of superior excellence. The warriors of those bygone days drank the Mead to instill in themselves fearlessness and strength. Mead is believed to have powers of fertility and virility. The bride and groom at Medieval weddings drank mead for one full moon after their wedding - hence the term Honeymoon, still used to this day.
Denise I want a butterfly sanctuary in my yard, gimmie the skinny?
Hey Woodling is Mead commercially available? I wanna try some. :D
Thanks Ladies.

i dunno what kind of mead is really mead but my homebrew pals make a beer type, it is a lot like a honey flavored cream ale, very smooth and easy to drink. when i get to the big city (big liquor stores) they sell a wine type mead that is awesome, maybe because i am not a beer type guy. it was about 15 bucks a bottle for chaucer's brand. they had about 5 wine type varieties from about 6 bucks to about 60, i just picked the one in the middle

did a google and this turned up...enjoy

http://www.chaucerswine.com/mead.asp

[LIBRA]

mmmm mead beer, sounds nice, real nice :D Ive only had mead, honey wine. Now theres one more thing to add, I want to make some honeywine,lol


Ive got milkweed growing all around this lil swampy area down back of my house, and monarchs lay there eggs on the leaves, the catapillers eat them, then cocoon there. When she finally emerges, they then feed from the milkweed flower!!! So far theres only a few ive seen, last yr I had some random milkweed growing with my strawberries way across the other side of my yard and we found a catapiller on it eating, and a few days later we go out and its cocoon, im like yaaaa, then something ate the whole thing, stalk and cocoon with it, must have been a deer. I was bummed. Anyway the stuff spreads like crazy. Im hoping more and more butterflies come around, if theres enough milkwd I could get tons to visit.

[PEACE FROG]

Okay tell me about Honey wine. Here's a picture for you.
http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:LyoNv1IEL79eLM:http://home.neb.rr.com/monarchrose/Got_Milkweed2002.jpg

[NCW_Woodnymph]

I don't know how close
this (http://www.mountainmeadowsmead.com/) might be to you. It was just the first in a search of mead and CA.

Anyway, mead is like any other wine (but better and with the cool midevil factor). It ranges from sweet to dry and everything in between. I like the sweet better but if you drink wine you should be able to figure out what you would like to start with. I wouldn't get anything really cheap. Honey is expensive so I don't really trust the cheap stuff. :D We usually get ours from a place in Spokane when Matt is there for training. (He's there now so I get some this weekend :D) It costs about $20 for a bottle about the size of wine bottle. We've gotten stuff that's a lot better from a guy who makes it in his basement from stuff he wildcrafts but we don't get over his way very often.

Sorry, I'm rambling now. :) Tell me what you think when you get some.

:hippie:

[Gaston]

Here are some links that might be helpful:

http://moas.atlantia.sca.org/wsnlinks/index.php?action=displaycat&catid=256