Got My Sun Bear

[wolflarsen]

I keep somewhere between 5-15 hives a year on the coast in the Pacific Northwest. In an average year a few of my hives swarm or die and produce nothing, a few produce a few gallons of honey, and a few produce 10 gallons or more. My three kids eat honey every day with their breakfast, my wife is constantly using it for baking and homemade granola, we make 5-10 gallons of mead every year, I give a quart to everybody I know for Christmas, and in some years I can also make a couple thousand bucks selling the leftovers through a local shop. It's my only hobby that pays for itself plus more. Everyone should have a few backyard beehives.

 

[kschatey]

IT is a fun and frustrating endeavor. You can have a perfect hive and halfway through the season, empty. You lost a queen, they swarmed on another queen, mites, various other maladies, and poof...no more hive. On the other hand, if you know your plants, you can place your hives such that you get very specific honey "flavors". I have kept hives on blueberry farms in south Georgia and the honey was amazing. I have also kept hives in swampy areas on a hammock...and you get sourwood (a favorite) mixed with Tupelo (most favorite) and it is amazing. And the best thing is, it is relatively inexpensive and the product can augment your spending money for tobacco and pipes or movies for the kids, etc.

I bet, which is why I am deferring until I have a helper when my daughter gets older and needs a hobby. I'm a homebrewer, too, so the plan was to use the honey for personal consumption, gifts, and making mead/braggot/etc. Worst case scenario, I do exactly as you say and sell it to use the proceeds to augment the expenses of my other hobbies! Some day...

 

[kschatey]

I keep somewhere between 5-15 hives a year on the coast in the Pacific Northwest. In an average year a few of my hives swarm or die and produce nothing, a few produce a few gallons of honey, and a few produce 10 gallons or more. My three kids eat honey every day with their breakfast, my wife is constantly using it for baking and homemade granola, we make 5-10 gallons of mead every year, I give a quart to everybody I know for Christmas, and in some years I can also make a couple thousand bucks selling the leftovers through a local shop. It's my only hobby that pays for itself plus more. Everyone should have a few backyard beehives.

Just more fuel the inspiration fire that I am stoking up again. I am hoping to start with 1-3 hives when the time comes. Sadly, other projects are in the way first, so this is on the 3-5 year plan!

 

[Mr.Mike]

Sounds very good!

I'm curious how much honey is necessary to case 1000 pounds of tobacco for the 8,000 tins produced for the 2020 release. It seems unlikely that one set of hobby hives would produce enough honey, but I could be wrong about that. Beekeeping is on my list of things to try and have gotten the okay to do so once my daughter gets a bit older and can help!

My father keeps bees at his house and produced almost 4 gallons with one hive.

 

[BROBS]

You fuckers are making me want to keep bees ?

 

[mso489]

I had a friend (he's deceased) who kept bees for years, as did my wife's dad (also gone). My friend, who was not sentimental at all by habit, showing off his hives, commented on one of the little worker bee remains, tattered little wings, and said quietly she'd worked herself to death. Those little critters are examples of the essence of a work ethic.

 

[kschatey]

You fuckers are making me want to keep bees ?

I know, right?! It's good for the bees, you, and everybody around you!

 

[kschatey]

My father keeps bees at his house and produced almost 4 gallons with one hive.

Good to know, thanks. That's more than enough to get started.

 

[BROBS]

SEE U GUYS ON THE BEE FORUM ✌?

 

[Civil War]

My wife is highly allergic to bees. You guys have talked me into it, I'm going to start bee keeping. ??

 

[BROBS]

My wife is highly allergic to bees. You guys have talked me into it, I'm going to start bee keeping. ??

Trying to get rid of her, eh?

 

[3rdguy]

Got my 8 allowed tins at SP. Wonder why they opted for 8 instead of the usual 10. Either way, I've got a tin open from last years batch and another one cellaring along with the new 8. I'll be set for a while.

This is so you have to buy more shit to get to the free shipping.

I went to TP this time. Cheaper price, they know how to pack properly, no tin limit and they do not use SurePost. Got 12 tins.

 

[BROBS]

I went to TP this time. Cheaper price, they know how to pack properly, no tin limit and they do not use SurePost. Got 12 tins.

? ?
My orders from Tobaccopipes arrive in 2 days from FL.

 

[Civil War]

Trying to get rid of her, eh?

No, I just developed a sudden craving for Honey.

 

[3rdguy]

SEE U GUYS ON THE BEE FORUM ✌?

BROBS orders bees.

They arrive dented from SmokingBees.com

 

[anotherbob]

Trying to get rid of her, eh?

I had the same thought. I have a vision of him in an interrogation room explain he has no idea how the hive got into the box spring.

 

[mtwaller]

Already out of stock at Cup O Joes and TP as of 3:28pm Eastern, if anyone was wondering.

 

[kg.legat0]

The Sun Bear return freakout has been about what I expected haha ...I admit I purchased a couple tins of the stuff today, too. I have only smoked a few bowls of the stuff since I got it last year, including one today, it's real tasty

I don't know if I like it that much /better/ than my go-to Va.'s but it's worth keeping around

 

[kschatey]

This is so you have to buy more shit to get to the free shipping.

I went to TP this time. Cheaper price, they know how to pack properly, no tin limit and they do not use SurePost. Got 12 tins.

Wow, apparently available and gone already at Cup O Joes, Mars Cigars, and TobaccoPipes.com. I wonder what their actually allotment sizes were compared to how much Smokingpipes.com reserved for themselves.

 

[lawdawg]

Seems like there is a lot of hype surrounding Sun Bear... is it really all that good, or is it just a lot of marketing of the "new small batch limited release one time only!" thing? I generally lean away from marketing hype, and there is quite a bit of it surrounding this blend, but if it's good, it's good, and I might try it.