G'day, Everyone; the bee puns are thick and runny in this video... Thanks for you ongoing support! Here's a link to Peter's (the bee coach) FB Page facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085487739640 Cheers :)
Off subject, but I have been watching your channel for a while now, and I just noticed something. Do you have a graft on your right arm? It looks like a large burn, or bite mark was grafted over. Is there a story behind that?
Grannie Cyndy from South Australia here. About 6 months ago a swarm moved into our birdhouse up in our 1/4 acre food forest garden. They are friendly and we're able to do our normal garden and poultry activities without any problems. I think we may have had a division where part of the hive left but there's plenty still active and building up again. At the moment I have been happy to be just building up the bee population. Maybe a bee producer might be happy to set up a honey hive but local council restrictions may apply. Cheers from South Aussie.
I have blueberry bushes for 4 years and no berries until I started raising bees 4 years ago. Now I have berries and all my flowers, vegetables and raspberries are so much more productive. Look into the Demarri method as it will stop swarming and give you more honey. I get 150+ lbs/ hive. I’m in NJ, USA and have been following you for years. Yes a hive in the sun will reduce the beetle population with the entrance facing south or North in Australia.
I used to be a beekeeper, I’m so glad to see that you take the honey but also leave some for them . I used to feel like robbing them too, but nature is very generous in giving and we give in return by looking after them 🐝❤
Making a drinking game out of the bee/honey puns will surely put us under the table lol. Temperment is a very real thing. My neighbor's bees are always visiting my flowers and are very friendly and easy to work with as they buzz around. They'll land on you, say "hi" and just relax for a bit before flying off. If I acidentally knock one off a plant, it never holds a grudge. Fun fact: the only bees that are disease and pest free are found on the island of Pitcairn, population of 50 people. The honey is so good, it gets shipped to the queen of England (when she was still with us).
Interesting fact I wonder if Niue ( near Tonga and Pitcairn ) has bees as healthy as the Bees you mentioned it’s a small one tiny island nation as well. I went there years ago fishing, beautiful place
We watch you from Texas mostly on the TV from hubby's channel. He's a beekeeper too. He joined an association locally and learned from mentors. He's read so much. Learned a lot over past 5 years or so. His bees and a lot of Texas bees are mean but the honey! So good.
I never thought I'd see a video on bees from you, but I suppose it only makes sense. I love honey bees, they're fantastic creatures. People who aren't into gardening would probably think this statement is quite sad but I enjoy watching bees fly about doing their thing. During the summer I often have honey bees come into the garden and they just fly about doing what they do completely ignoring me even if I get close. I'm lucky in as much as I see all types of bees from the spring onwards. I often see honey bees and bumble bees. I see solitary bees from spring onwards, Miners, Leafers, Mason, Flower, you name it, it's probably been in my garden. Butterflies are a close second though.
Wow, I would never have dreamed you could harvest that much honey from one beehive. I don't think I'd be brave enough to mess with it, but in a SHTF situation, I'd be very glad I had one. 🐝🐝🐝
I made the shade mistake my first year. I did move my two hives that fall and it was very difficult. Daily I would go out to the old location, scoop up all the bees that had returned to the old spot, and take them to the new. It takes a new generation of bees hatching, up to 23 days, in order to sort things out. That's the best advice, get help in t he bee-ginning, especially with site selection and hive orientation in regards to sunrise/sunset and predominant wind patterns. Great video!👍
Thanks Mark. Ive had my flowhive for the same timeframe as your hive but instead of getting my bees straight away I joined our local beekeeping association and found myself a mentor and am going with him to his hives to do inspections and recently did our first small extraction. I probably wont have my bees until spring this year, but it is giving us time to learn, to make a beautiful area in our paddock planted out with lavender and some building of wind screening to protect the hive. Today we met with the DPI to discuss the fact that even though we are varroa mite free down here at the moment they believe we will see them enter our area relatively soon. So now comes the learning about those rotten things. Due to the bushfires in our area in 2019 and the crappy weather we’ve had this summer Im in many ways happy that I didn’t get my bees just yet and can move slowly into the world of beekeeping…..all while I look at the built hive sitting in our shed :( I shall live vicariously through watching your videos, understanding the fear, the fun and the joy that they bring) Congratulations on your first wonderful harvest and as always Thankyou for sharing it :) Theresa - South Coast
G'day Theresa! Let's hope the bee-keeping and scientific communities can find a solution to that horrible vampire mite. These are the problems the world should be focusing on instead of things that really don't matter... Cheers 👍🙂
Some additional advice: it’s good to have 2-3 hives so you can cross-level frames when needed, plus it helps you learn what a bad hive looks like. Remember when you ask 2 beekeepers a question you’ll get 3 answers. And there are a lot of gadgets in beekeeping so be cognizant.
lol...Buying organic honey is as easy as being regular. you don't need a beekeeper, that's mental advice. Do you need a river every time you want some water? Jesus...
@@7bloodilol thinking something labeled organic means it’s actually organic or anywhere near the quality of farm fresh is so ridiculous it’s actually embarrassing you’d make such a claim
Organic honey doesn't exist. You cannot certify honey as organic as it's literally impossible to track all your honey bees and make sure they don't travel into non-organic farmed areas. If you see "organic" honey anywhere it's 100% NOT organic and should be avoided like the plague
My Grandpap was a beekeeper. Absolutely love that you are doing it now. Saving the planet and saving your wallet cus you can use honey in so many ways and foods.
Here in Perth (Western Australia, not the one in Scotland) there is a small company that sells honey in a few stores and you can buy honey that was made in a specific suburb of Perth. Because I live in Subiaco, I would always buy honey from a hive based in Subiaco where there are a lot of nice gardens for the bees. The honeys tasted different as each suburb offered a different array of flowers. I would really encourage everyone to buy honey from a local producer. Excellent video my friend. I love the amount of Australianisms you use - "ya bees will bugger off!" - such an Australian dad way of wording it 😆
Seeing as honey lasts forever … a hive only needs to last a few years and you’ve got yourself a lifetime supply. You’re living the dream, mate. All5he best from Thailand. Bee well!
Absolutely loved this video! Your enthusiasm for beekeeping is contagious, and the tips are super practical for beginners like me. The mix of humor and real-life experiences makes it so relatable. Can’t wait to try some of these ideas and maybe harvest my own honey someday. Cheers to more buzzing success! 🐝🍯
In Australia do to your heat its better that the hive is in the shade. While they are good at regulating there temperature. You don't want them to work to cool the hive or heat it, you want them doing other tasks like gathering honey. Or cleaning out the hive, the bees, fighting pests etc. There is a guy on TH-cam that made what he calls a bee barn and has grate success with it because its fully insulated. But as a Slovenian i prefer our method where we build the bees their own house to keep their temperature stable.
I’ve been a beekeeper for about 12 years. Here in California where I live we have a lot of Africanized bee influence in the feral population and it can really produce some aggressive hives when new queens mate with feral drones. I always re-queen them with queens purchased from northern breeders and it’s night and day the difference in temperament after the new queens offspring replace the old bees. Working with aggressive colonies takes all the joy right out of keeping bees.
best hive stand is a tyre, best hive is 3 super boxes, best veil is hat with big piece of 40% shade cloth, best hive tool is very big flat screwdriver filed flatter...
I ordered bees for the first time last month, I pick them up in May. Great timing on the video Mate. My brother in law is my coach, he's had a couple hives for a few years. Bring on that sweet sweet honey.
Husband and I are beeeeeginer bee keepers and we love it….almost a year in. Anticipating our first honey harvest…..thanks for your encouragement and everything you said was spot on
Hi Mark and family, I'm not about to 'buzz off' and start honey making, I watched this vid to see you and hear all your bee dad jokes, you didn't disappoint, cheers sweet man!!!🥰😘💕👍👍👍👌
And as you show us these self sufficient essentials as part of your youtube business, isn't this also a business right off towards growing your brand and providing content? Convenient and intelligent.
Awsome sir, I just started keeping bee's myself, just coming out of winter with the same two I started with, I'm in the US, Tennessee, and love your content, and find it fun, that others around me have started the same, wirhout talking about it before, ant way good day sir
Nice video! I took a beekeeping class, it was fascinating. Unfortunately I haven't actually lived anywhere that beekeeping would be a good idea! But...I have finally managed to attract bees to my yard to pollinate my garden and fruit trees. I love watching the happy little honey bees. And I am propagating the plants they seem to love. I guess they are making honey somewhere, that's good enough for me :)
Great job! That's the mentality we need. Just keep bees happy and fed. They are the lifeblood of so many of our fruits. Grannie Cyndy from South Australia here. I have been blessed to have a swarm of bees recently choose our birdhouse up in our 1/4 acre suburban food forest to house themselves. They are no bother to our usual gardening and poultry jobs and it's such a pleasure to have them. Cheers from South Aussie.
Great video! If you don't want to have your own hive, search out your local bee club and see if any members are willing to sell or let you 'work off' a couple jars of honey or perhaps they could place a hive at your place (they care for it). This would support their endeavor and give you local honey which is supposed to be good for plant allergies.
Started beekeeping around same time as you. In northern rivers it is awesome. Also wanted to add joining a local bee club is very beneficial and also gives access to some equipment as well
Throughly enjoyed this video. I'm in North Carolina, USA & just got my 1st hive last August. As soon as my new hive arrives I will be splitting my hive as it is busting at the seams with lots of bees & their resources. I am so looking forward to adding honey supers this year & harvesting our own honey.
@@Selfsufficientme It's worth the effort, too! Oh - a new apiary is being developed just a kilometer away from me. I'll have to stop in and visit when the weather gets better. Stay well!!
My dad had about a dozen hives when i was a teenager. I miss that real wildflower honey. Bee hives definitely do have personalities. Some hives might come after you if you look at them wrong and some will let you open the top and check the frames without the need of a bee suit.
I caught a glimpse of the beehive on a previous video and was wondering why you never made a video on it. Very interesting stuff! The amount of bee jokes here is adequate for a drinking game
I always love your innuendos, your dad jokes were on point today as always!😂 I have a fellow who manages a bee box on my property. He's also a coach/mentor to others in town and I want to do the same as you. That honey harvest of yours is the thing that I know will push me over the edge one day and start being a real bee keeper! Oh, raw fresh honey! 🍯 Just the thought of it makes my mouth water! Here in Florida my bees gather outside and even beard all summer, day and night for months and never seem to want to leave. We have an absolute TON of flower growers all around us for many blocks here in town so they have plenty of food! 😁
I’m in a very similar climate in Texas, my bees share a paddock with our poultry and they’ve done a bang up job of keeping hive beetles well in check. (My hives face east, have morning to midday sun then shade in late afternoon) your tips are right on, I advise every beekeeper to have 2 hives, even in the same yard, hives will behave differently and offer more learning opportunity along with a backup in case of a colony loss.
Congratulations on successful beekeeping! Raw honey is great stuff. I don't keep bees, but do buy local raw honey as needed. It's way better than store-bought!
Just found this channel a few days ago, I have spent the last 14 years working on complete sustainability. I have a big hive in one of my trees but I think I will build a hive to harvest honey.
I order mine locally in middle ga USA…. It’s great for allergies and dogs with skin issues…. I make fermented garlic honey… I have some honey daily … it’s beautiful stuff
@@Selfsufficientme definitely research it… I also do honey and red onion layer it in jar honey onion honey onion etc let it sit for 24 hrs and strain the liquid and natural cough syrup… put in fridge lasts for several months… the left over onion is great on salads sandwiches or chickens lol will eat it
Beekeeping is quite an adventure, it is actually hard to keep your beeyard small and managable, because their natural behaviour is to expand and multiply. In the climate you have, you can easily get about 70 kilos of honey per colony. They basically need acces to water, pollen and nectar. Keep an eye on what is flowering nearby throughout the year, you can extarct some very good honey if you know what they are bringing in. If you are in a very hot climate, try finding a place where they get morning sun, and partial shade in the afternoon, it helps them regulate the temperature inside the hive. Treatment for desease is a must today, sadly, specially varroa mite (we don´t have hivebeetles in my country yet, luckily). Another tip is Not to use a brush and no leather gloves if possible, they really hate those 😁. Love to see you are doing some beekeeping!
Wow that's incredible, this video is sure to create quite the buzz on youtube! Almost unbeelievable how much honey you managed to bee able to get out of the hive..
Great advice. I think the benefit's of owning my own hive are good but currently not cost effective for me. I will source out farm honey and enjoy whenever I can. thank you for laying it out the truthful way.
Looks like you're bringing your A game to bee keeping Mark. Glad to hear that those bees are making so much honey...that's sweet. Great video thumbs up.
I have been wanting to get bees. You inspired me to give it a go. Thanks. I live in Florida and I have learned that all the hives have been infiltrated with African bees. But here in my area bees are scarce. I have tons of flowers and rarely see a honey bee. We have our native pollinators for our veggies and I make bee hotels for them and they do a terrific job of pollination, but honey would be nice.
Hi there! just so you know, i have met some really excellent beekeepers that have kept bees in the shade successfully. as long as their temperaments are in check and they are productive, you should be ok. It might be better since you are in a tropical climate to keep them where they are!
Wow. Just loved this video. Very informative. Great shots as well. I’m not surprised that the bees love you. They pick up on your good vibrations. Now you need a new Tshirt design with a bee instead of the world and Self Sufficient Bees as the wording.
This was a good general beginners beekeeping video. As a 3rd year beek, I was looking for something a bit more in depth based on the title. To actually begin focusing on increasing honey production above a "normal" amount, a lot more than just the basics is required. Beekeeping is a deep, challenging hobby that will keep you learning through trial and error for many years.
Hi Mark off topic a bit. You said you suffered really bad flu. Have been on Serrapeptase ( natural from the good old silk worm.) for a long time. I was an ex smoker which got me onto it. Have found no sinus headaches, sinus clear, ears clear ( helped my tinnitus from army/ machinery) plus have my balance back. We travel quite a bit and so far haven't picked up any bugs. The household has been smiling. I also put two nurses who had asthma and they thank me everytime they see me. Hope this tip helps,love natural remedies.
Good point on considering your gear an investment. Love the oven analogy too. Have done a Beekeeping course and now in our 2nd year and love it. Learning all the time and everyone loved the honey we harvested. Keep up the great work, puns and vids 😊
Always something new to learn with David. I have thought about keeping Bees over the years and might do it someday. This has enlightened me to the many facets of Bees and their behavior. As always thanks David for sharing your knowledge.
Great video Mark. Apiculture (beekeeping) is quite addictive. In my early teens we were lucky than a bee swarm from a neighbours tree settled in our back yard and started us on the journey of beekeeping. My father and I did quite well and at one point had almost 20 beehives in Sydney all of which averaged over 50kg per year of honey and in many years much more. We ended up submitting our honey and extracted beeswax in the Royal Easter Show and were fortunate to win numerous awards for both. You will learn a lot about nature keeping bees and I'm sure the pollination of your numerous fruits and vegetables will improve and also your yields. Is this the case ? Keep up the great work - you are a great example for people to follow.
You really have come a long way as I remember the original video as you set up your hive. The work definitely has paid off in getting REAL honey. Also, I started counting the "bee" puns there were so many. 😅🤣
It was your videos on chickens that made me finally take the plunge and start raising birds. I've been researching raising bees for a couple years now. Maybe this is the spring that I get into it!
G'day, Everyone; the bee puns are thick and runny in this video... Thanks for you ongoing support! Here's a link to Peter's (the bee coach) FB Page facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085487739640 Cheers :)
Thanks for giving us the ABeeCs of Beekeeping 😅
Enjoyed the puns. Had a good laugh.😂
Off subject, but I have been watching your channel for a while now, and I just noticed something. Do you have a graft on your right arm? It looks like a large burn, or bite mark was grafted over. Is there a story behind that?
Thick and runny, yes
Grannie Cyndy from South Australia here. About 6 months ago a swarm moved into our birdhouse up in our 1/4 acre food forest garden. They are friendly and we're able to do our normal garden and poultry activities without any problems. I think we may have had a division where part of the hive left but there's plenty still active and building up again. At the moment I have been happy to be just building up the bee population. Maybe a bee producer might be happy to set up a honey hive but local council restrictions may apply.
Cheers from South Aussie.
I am not surprised your mentor's business is also a pun! 😄 You must make a great duo, the banter must be un-bee-lievable!
Lol... Yeah, Peter is a fun guy and we do tend to have a good laugh working together 👍🙂
@@Selfsufficientme So, not a fungi?
I have blueberry bushes for 4 years and no berries until I started raising bees 4 years ago. Now I have berries and all my flowers, vegetables and raspberries are so much more productive. Look into the Demarri method as it will stop swarming and give you more honey. I get 150+ lbs/ hive. I’m in NJ, USA and have been following you for years. Yes a hive in the sun will reduce the beetle population with the entrance facing south or North in Australia.
G'day David, thanks for the support and the bee-keeping tips mate! 👍🙂
I found my blackberries did much better as well when I started. Before I kept them the honeybees were all but gone in my area.
@supremepizza3710 darn spell check.
We face our entrances north east in Australia as that is the bees flight path.
Oh Those Raspberries taste great, grow like weeds (In a good way, but grow so well) Bee's do make the world amazing things :)
Next self sufficiency project, a mini hydro electric plant. I'll be looking forward to all the dam jokes.
I used to be a beekeeper, I’m so glad to see that you take the honey but also leave some for them . I used to feel like robbing them too, but nature is very generous in giving and we give in return by looking after them 🐝❤
Why did you stop?
@@fireboltazgot stung on my neck 17 times while harvesting once , ended up in emergency
Not sure how I would react if stung again 🐝
@@anaschilling2668 fair enough. Thanks for the reply
Making a drinking game out of the bee/honey puns will surely put us under the table lol.
Temperment is a very real thing. My neighbor's bees are always visiting my flowers and are very friendly and easy to work with as they buzz around. They'll land on you, say "hi" and just relax for a bit before flying off. If I acidentally knock one off a plant, it never holds a grudge.
Fun fact: the only bees that are disease and pest free are found on the island of Pitcairn, population of 50 people. The honey is so good, it gets shipped to the queen of England (when she was still with us).
Interesting fact I wonder if Niue ( near Tonga and Pitcairn ) has bees as healthy as the Bees you mentioned it’s a small one tiny island nation as well. I went there years ago fishing, beautiful place
We watch you from Texas mostly on the TV from hubby's channel. He's a beekeeper too. He joined an association locally and learned from mentors. He's read so much. Learned a lot over past 5 years or so. His bees and a lot of Texas bees are mean but the honey! So good.
Mean bees good honey! Great stuff 🙂👍
Do Texas bees have genes from African bees? Im in ATX and thinking of starting one but not sure how the African bees have infiltrated local genes.
Our bees here in TX beelieve in self beefense, lol. Don't tread on bee!
@@rockys7726 I think so.
literally sounds like a tagline you can sell it under "the meanest bees make the best honey"
It's unBEElievable how much honey you have harvested!
Great going, Marc!
You've learned so much about our lovely bees! In my younger life I had over 120 hives, and produced a lot of honey for local sales. 🐝🐝🐝🐝
I never thought I'd see a video on bees from you, but I suppose it only makes sense. I love honey bees, they're fantastic creatures. People who aren't into gardening would probably think this statement is quite sad but I enjoy watching bees fly about doing their thing. During the summer I often have honey bees come into the garden and they just fly about doing what they do completely ignoring me even if I get close. I'm lucky in as much as I see all types of bees from the spring onwards. I often see honey bees and bumble bees. I see solitary bees from spring onwards, Miners, Leafers, Mason, Flower, you name it, it's probably been in my garden. Butterflies are a close second though.
It’s awesome seeing your homestead so productive in many different areas
Self sufficient bee! Well done, Mark!
Mark your jokes cheer me up so much.😂 I wish you all the best.
Congratulations Mark on your success with beekeeping!!
Wow, I would never have dreamed you could harvest that much honey from one beehive. I don't think I'd be brave enough to mess with it, but in a SHTF situation, I'd be very glad I had one. 🐝🐝🐝
I made the shade mistake my first year. I did move my two hives that fall and it was very difficult. Daily I would go out to the old location, scoop up all the bees that had returned to the old spot, and take them to the new. It takes a new generation of bees hatching, up to 23 days, in order to sort things out.
That's the best advice, get help in t he bee-ginning, especially with site selection and hive orientation in regards to sunrise/sunset and predominant wind patterns.
Great video!👍
Thanks Mark. Ive had my flowhive for the same timeframe as your hive but instead of getting my bees straight away I joined our local beekeeping association and found myself a mentor and am going with him to his hives to do inspections and recently did our first small extraction. I probably wont have my bees until spring this year, but it is giving us time to learn, to make a beautiful area in our paddock planted out with lavender and some building of wind screening to protect the hive. Today we met with the DPI to discuss the fact that even though we are varroa mite free down here at the moment they believe we will see them enter our area relatively soon. So now comes the learning about those rotten things. Due to the bushfires in our area in 2019 and the crappy weather we’ve had this summer Im in many ways happy that I didn’t get my bees just yet and can move slowly into the world of beekeeping…..all while I look at the built hive sitting in our shed :( I shall live vicariously through watching your videos, understanding the fear, the fun and the joy that they bring) Congratulations on your first wonderful harvest and as always Thankyou for sharing it :) Theresa - South Coast
G'day Theresa! Let's hope the bee-keeping and scientific communities can find a solution to that horrible vampire mite. These are the problems the world should be focusing on instead of things that really don't matter... Cheers 👍🙂
Some additional advice: it’s good to have 2-3 hives so you can cross-level frames when needed, plus it helps you learn what a bad hive looks like. Remember when you ask 2 beekeepers a question you’ll get 3 answers. And there are a lot of gadgets in beekeeping so be cognizant.
Find a beekeeper for your honey. The amount of fake honey in stores is unbelievable.
lol...Buying organic honey is as easy as being regular. you don't need a beekeeper, that's mental advice. Do you need a river every time you want some water? Jesus...
@@7bloodilol thinking something labeled organic means it’s actually organic or anywhere near the quality of farm fresh is so ridiculous it’s actually embarrassing you’d make such a claim
There are few beekeepers buying honey from the Shop to be able to sell more so that’s not always the way
Organic honey doesn't exist. You cannot certify honey as organic as it's literally impossible to track all your honey bees and make sure they don't travel into non-organic farmed areas. If you see "organic" honey anywhere it's 100% NOT organic and should be avoided like the plague
He IS a beekeeper, isn’t he? So why would a beekeeper want someone else’s honey?
My Grandpap was a beekeeper. Absolutely love that you are doing it now. Saving the planet and saving your wallet cus you can use honey in so many ways and foods.
Here in Perth (Western Australia, not the one in Scotland) there is a small company that sells honey in a few stores and you can buy honey that was made in a specific suburb of Perth. Because I live in Subiaco, I would always buy honey from a hive based in Subiaco where there are a lot of nice gardens for the bees. The honeys tasted different as each suburb offered a different array of flowers. I would really encourage everyone to buy honey from a local producer. Excellent video my friend. I love the amount of Australianisms you use - "ya bees will bugger off!" - such an Australian dad way of wording it 😆
I hope you do more videos on beekeeping where you tell us how to do things. I have always been interested but never knew enough about it.
Seeing as honey lasts forever … a hive only needs to last a few years and you’ve got yourself a lifetime supply. You’re living the dream, mate. All5he best from Thailand. Bee well!
Absolutely loved this video! Your enthusiasm for beekeeping is contagious, and the tips are super practical for beginners like me. The mix of humor and real-life experiences makes it so relatable. Can’t wait to try some of these ideas and maybe harvest my own honey someday. Cheers to more buzzing success! 🐝🍯
Glad you added bees to your life! Hope you get the chance to split & grow your hive into 2. Enjoy the sweet reward 😊❤
So creative and informative! ❤ Thank you. Your family will never BEE without sweetness. ❤
LOL... Thank you Barbara! :)
Hey Mark, please do a video regarding your FB page being hacked so we can share it in the comments and get people coming over to your TH-cam channel.
In Australia do to your heat its better that the hive is in the shade. While they are good at regulating there temperature. You don't want them to work to cool the hive or heat it, you want them doing other tasks like gathering honey. Or cleaning out the hive, the bees, fighting pests etc. There is a guy on TH-cam that made what he calls a bee barn and has grate success with it because its fully insulated. But as a Slovenian i prefer our method where we build the bees their own house to keep their temperature stable.
That's a lot of honey! And honey isn't cheap.
I’ve been a beekeeper for about 12 years. Here in California where I live we have a lot of Africanized bee influence in the feral population and it can really produce some aggressive hives when new queens mate with feral drones. I always re-queen them with queens purchased from northern breeders and it’s night and day the difference in temperament after the new queens offspring replace the old bees. Working with aggressive colonies takes all the joy right out of keeping bees.
I didn't know you tried bee work. That's so cool, and great advise.
Thank you for the Super Thanks!! All the best :)
Nearby gardens always make the best productive hives. Your hive are right in the middle of the world famous GARDEN!
It's so great that even with acreage that only has grasses, it can harvest honey as well.
Put some buckwheat and clover in the pasture they provide lots of nectar and improve the soil.
I started beekeeping last October with a pair of Flow Hives. Ready to harvest, I've already harvested enough to last until next spring...so easy
You could start making mead. If you flavour the mead with some of the fruits from your property, you could make some great melomels.
Hi from Bluewater North Queensland, my daughter keeps bee's and keeps us in a supply of fresh pure honey...love your content
OMGOODNESS, you are so funny when you're filming. I not only love the videos for the information, BUT I love your innuendos...😂😂😂
thank you!!! beekeeping saves the world!
best hive stand is a tyre, best hive is 3 super boxes, best veil is hat with big piece of 40% shade cloth, best hive tool is very big flat screwdriver filed flatter...
Thanks Mark, I never knew that you can breed happy bees 🐝. That makes a lot of sense if you’re wanting to get into owning a beehive.
😂 OMG the bee puns were awesome!
Also, a very interesting video. Keep one Bee-ing great Mark!
I'm buzzin' seeing these beautiful little bees.. 🐝🐝💚 What an enjoyable vlog.. I love this channel!
I ordered bees for the first time last month, I pick them up in May. Great timing on the video Mate. My brother in law is my coach, he's had a couple hives for a few years. Bring on that sweet sweet honey.
I'm absolutely bee-side myself watching your video and hearing all your bee puns 🤣
Husband and I are beeeeeginer bee keepers and we love it….almost a year in. Anticipating our first honey harvest…..thanks for your encouragement and everything you said was spot on
Glad to hear that you are bee-hiving yourself ... and the bees are bee-having themselves as well.
Lol... 👍
Hi Mark and family, I'm not about to 'buzz off' and start honey making, I watched this vid to see you and hear all your bee dad jokes, you didn't disappoint, cheers sweet man!!!🥰😘💕👍👍👍👌
And as you show us these self sufficient essentials as part of your youtube business, isn't this also a business right off towards growing your brand and providing content? Convenient and intelligent.
way to go! Beekeeping has been one of the greatest joys of my life.
Your equipment for anything you do is an asset
Awsome sir, I just started keeping bee's myself, just coming out of winter with the same two I started with, I'm in the US, Tennessee, and love your content, and find it fun, that others around me have started the same, wirhout talking about it before, ant way good day sir
Nice video! I took a beekeeping class, it was fascinating. Unfortunately I haven't actually lived anywhere that beekeeping would be a good idea! But...I have finally managed to attract bees to my yard to pollinate my garden and fruit trees. I love watching the happy little honey bees. And I am propagating the plants they seem to love. I guess they are making honey somewhere, that's good enough for me :)
Great job! That's the mentality we need. Just keep bees happy and fed. They are the lifeblood of so many of our fruits.
Grannie Cyndy from South Australia here. I have been blessed to have a swarm of bees recently choose our birdhouse up in our 1/4 acre suburban food forest to house themselves. They are no bother to our usual gardening and poultry jobs and it's such a pleasure to have them.
Cheers from South Aussie.
So many choices on TH-cam & your my 1st choice always. Love your personality & passion. Thank you 👍
Thank you! Cheers 👍🙂
Great video! If you don't want to have your own hive, search out your local bee club and see if any members are willing to sell or let you 'work off' a couple jars of honey or perhaps they could place a hive at your place (they care for it). This would support their endeavor and give you local honey which is supposed to be good for plant allergies.
I love the BUZZ around this video!
Started beekeeping around same time as you. In northern rivers it is awesome. Also wanted to add joining a local bee club is very beneficial and also gives access to some equipment as well
Congratulations on your honey harvest. You will have it a long time. If honey is harvested at the correct time, It literally lasts forever.
Brother, "Keeping Bees With A Smile" is the best beekeeping book written this century. Check it out. Love all the puns, you sure worked hard on them!
What a great way to start the morning. Haveing some coffee and enjoying this video!
No no no no. You missed it, "Wee bee havin some honey comb n watchun yer show!, Marc, eh?"
Throughly enjoyed this video. I'm in North Carolina, USA & just got my 1st hive last August. As soon as my new hive arrives I will be splitting my hive as it is busting at the seams with lots of bees & their resources. I am so looking forward to adding honey supers this year & harvesting our own honey.
I've loved watching your bee journey. Glad to see your hive is so prosperous!
Mark thats awesome!
Ok, for those like me who couldn't visualise 35kg of honey, that's about 24.5 litres, 25.8 quarts or 51.7 pints.
I would love to keep Bee's.
Keep on keeping the the Bee's alive mate 👍🏼 we need them.
He's so precious in his bee suit!
That's an incredible harvest!! On a similar note, right now I'm harvesting sap from my maple trees, to make Maple Syrup.
Thanks, Mark!!
Maple syrup wow! That's something I would love to do, but our climate is no good, unfortunately. Enjoy! Cheers :)
@@Selfsufficientme It's worth the effort, too! Oh - a new apiary is being developed just a kilometer away from me. I'll have to stop in and visit when the weather gets better. Stay well!!
My dad had about a dozen hives when i was a teenager. I miss that real wildflower honey. Bee hives definitely do have personalities. Some hives might come after you if you look at them wrong and some will let you open the top and check the frames without the need of a bee suit.
I caught a glimpse of the beehive on a previous video and was wondering why you never made a video on it. Very interesting stuff!
The amount of bee jokes here is adequate for a drinking game
I always love your innuendos, your dad jokes were on point today as always!😂
I have a fellow who manages a bee box on my property. He's also a coach/mentor to others in town and I want to do the same as you. That honey harvest of yours is the thing that I know will push me over the edge one day and start being a real bee keeper! Oh, raw fresh honey! 🍯 Just the thought of it makes my mouth water!
Here in Florida my bees gather outside and even beard all summer, day and night for months and never seem to want to leave. We have an absolute TON of flower growers all around us for many blocks here in town so they have plenty of food! 😁
Great stuff! 👍🙂
Great vid, resplendent with bee-themed dad jokes! Keeping bees, food for thought for future home resiliency measures. Thanks!
I’m in a very similar climate in Texas, my bees share a paddock with our poultry and they’ve done a bang up job of keeping hive beetles well in check. (My hives face east, have morning to midday sun then shade in late afternoon) your tips are right on, I advise every beekeeper to have 2 hives, even in the same yard, hives will behave differently and offer more learning opportunity along with a backup in case of a colony loss.
Congratulations on successful beekeeping! Raw honey is great stuff. I don't keep bees, but do buy local raw honey as needed. It's way better than store-bought!
Just found this channel a few days ago, I have spent the last 14 years working on complete sustainability. I have a big hive in one of my trees but I think I will build a hive to harvest honey.
Amazing! Bravo Mark👏. One of the magic foods.
I order mine locally in middle ga USA…. It’s great for allergies and dogs with skin issues…. I make fermented garlic honey… I have some honey daily … it’s beautiful stuff
Fermented garlic honey! I've got to try that... Cheers :)
@@Selfsufficientme definitely research it… I also do honey and red onion layer it in jar honey onion honey onion etc let it sit for 24 hrs and strain the liquid and natural cough syrup… put in fridge lasts for several months… the left over onion is great on salads sandwiches or chickens lol will eat it
This was so great to see an update I saw when you first got the bee's what great progress you have made!
Watching from North Carolina. My wife and I enjoy watching all of your videos. Been a fan for years.
Beekeeping is quite an adventure, it is actually hard to keep your beeyard small and managable, because their natural behaviour is to expand and multiply. In the climate you have, you can easily get about 70 kilos of honey per colony. They basically need acces to water, pollen and nectar. Keep an eye on what is flowering nearby throughout the year, you can extarct some very good honey if you know what they are bringing in. If you are in a very hot climate, try finding a place where they get morning sun, and partial shade in the afternoon, it helps them regulate the temperature inside the hive. Treatment for desease is a must today, sadly, specially varroa mite (we don´t have hivebeetles in my country yet, luckily). Another tip is Not to use a brush and no leather gloves if possible, they really hate those 😁. Love to see you are doing some beekeeping!
Wow that's incredible, this video is sure to create quite the buzz on youtube!
Almost unbeelievable how much honey you managed to bee able to get out of the hive..
Great advice. I think the benefit's of owning my own hive are good but currently not cost effective for me. I will source out farm honey and enjoy whenever I can. thank you for laying it out the truthful way.
Looks like you're bringing your A game to bee keeping Mark. Glad to hear that those bees are making so much honey...that's sweet. Great video thumbs up.
I have been wanting to get bees. You inspired me to give it a go. Thanks. I live in Florida and I have learned that all the hives have been infiltrated with African bees. But here in my area bees are scarce. I have tons of flowers and rarely see a honey bee. We have our native pollinators for our veggies and I make bee hotels for them and they do a terrific job of pollination, but honey would be nice.
Welcome to beekeeping! Homemade honey, creamed honey, bee pollen, wax, and mead are the best. Nice content!
Hi there! just so you know, i have met some really excellent beekeepers that have kept bees in the shade successfully. as long as their temperaments are in check and they are productive, you should be ok. It might be better since you are in a tropical climate to keep them where they are!
Wow that's great!! Love me some home kept bee honey. All the dad jokes! Great job!
Having flowers with different essences gives the honey a wonderful taste and then you can make scented candles from the wax.
Wow. Just loved this video. Very informative. Great shots as well. I’m not surprised that the bees love you. They pick up on your good vibrations. Now you need a new Tshirt design with a bee instead of the world and Self Sufficient Bees as the wording.
This was a good general beginners beekeeping video. As a 3rd year beek, I was looking for something a bit more in depth based on the title. To actually begin focusing on increasing honey production above a "normal" amount, a lot more than just the basics is required. Beekeeping is a deep, challenging hobby that will keep you learning through trial and error for many years.
I remember watching your first video on the bees, I'm so happy it worked out good, hope one day I can keep bees myself!
Hi Mark off topic a bit. You said you suffered really bad flu. Have been on Serrapeptase ( natural from the good old silk worm.) for a long time.
I was an ex smoker which got me onto it. Have found no sinus headaches, sinus clear, ears clear ( helped my tinnitus from army/ machinery) plus have my balance back. We travel quite a bit and so far haven't picked up any bugs. The household has been smiling. I also put two nurses who had asthma and they thank me everytime they see me. Hope this tip helps,love natural remedies.
A bee-rilliant video, Mark, thank you!
Good point on considering your gear an investment. Love the oven analogy too. Have done a Beekeeping course and now in our 2nd year and love it. Learning all the time and everyone loved the honey we harvested. Keep up the great work, puns and vids 😊
Always something new to learn with David. I have thought about keeping Bees over the years and might do it someday. This has enlightened me to the many facets of Bees and their behavior. As always thanks David for sharing your knowledge.
0:16 Hehe Thats the quality this channel I love to see
Great video Mark. Apiculture (beekeeping) is quite addictive. In my early teens we were lucky than a bee swarm from a neighbours tree settled in our back yard and started us on the journey of beekeeping. My father and I did quite well and at one point had almost 20 beehives in Sydney all of which averaged over 50kg per year of honey and in many years much more. We ended up submitting our honey and extracted beeswax in the Royal Easter Show and were fortunate to win numerous awards for both. You will learn a lot about nature keeping bees and I'm sure the pollination of your numerous fruits and vegetables will improve and also your yields. Is this the case ? Keep up the great work - you are a great example for people to follow.
You really have come a long way as I remember the original video as you set up your hive. The work definitely has paid off in getting REAL honey. Also, I started counting the "bee" puns there were so many. 😅🤣
Thank you so much for sharing all your knowledge. God bless and keep you.
It was your videos on chickens that made me finally take the plunge and start raising birds. I've been researching raising bees for a couple years now. Maybe this is the spring that I get into it!
Great info, not sure i will start bee keeping but i do appreciate my local bee keepers a lot more.
Your videos are so good Mark.. they are a must watch! Thank you!.. best wishes from Spain.
Thank you! Wonderful Spain... I can't wait to go back and visit again :)
@@Selfsufficientme Excellent.. Beer's on me :)
My gradfather used to have bees. One day I might have my own. Thanks for the video.