Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

Although we use the words BACKYARD BEEKEEPER a lot around the forum, you'd be surprized at how many hoves many of the members tend in their yard.

By knowing how many colonies we have, we better understand the magnitude of how parasites, equipment costs, medications, extracting techniques and other common functions of beekeeping is done and to how much effort is put into their hobby.

pretty much what i expected... cool to know anyway!

You need to be able to tick more than one box to get a view of the topic
Eg. we have more than 10 hives and don't keep them at home.

Have a home yards plus 6 out yards

Currently I have three yards.  I used to have more but I closed out some that weren't very productive.  I have about 75 hives right now.  During mating season I have 200 mating nucs in addition to that.

I have 5 hives at the moment.  My goal is to get to 7 or 8 this year, and eventually to 10. 

42 here.

I have 3 hives in my suburban backyard. When I move to a more rural lot, I hope to keep around 8-10.

I'm at five hives right now and might add one or two more this summer from splits. Anything over six hives start to become more work than a fun hobby for me.

25 right now after 1 splits, hope to finish the season with 35

The answer is a moving target.  I am about at that time of year when the # is lowest.  Over spring with swarms to catch it goes up.  I try to stay between 10 and 20.

We are at present running 360 hives, about 40 nucs. The hives are all migratory and are present in 8 locations.

Currently 7 hives and 7 nucs. Probably sell a few queens and nucs and hope to end the year with 30 in some configuration. It started turning into actual work at around 10, so I'm not sure where I'll find the sweet spot.

After a rough summer with shb's and a long cold spell in february, I am down to 50 or so.  It won't take long to increase with splits since I have enough drawn comb for close to 30 hives.

Try to keep ten.  I don't want more but feel scared of all dyeing with less.  I only have five or six right now as I have not opened them yet to tell for sure. Sit between eight and ten at October most years.
Cheers
gww

Jojo
As the hive numbers increase you grow into the work load and find ways to keep up.
A lot of notes written on the lid help.
Lifting the back of hives to check the weight determines who needs a super or needs to be checked if light will help if you are time poor.
If checking a requeen or new queen the if you find grubs or eggs then you have a queen and no value in looking for her.
When you find queens, mark them as it makes it easier when you need to find her, especially if she is running around the bottom of the box.
Really another topic, tips to make bees life easier.

I?m anywhere from 4-10.  Trying to get to a solid 10 production hives with 10-20 resource hives.  I learn something new all the time in this hobby.  Keeps it interesting.

Quote from: cao on March 05, 2021, 08:47:13 PM
After a rough summer with shb's and a long cold spell in february, I am down to 50 or so.  It won't take long to increase with splits since I have enough drawn comb for close to 30 hives.

Now that is a lot of hives! How long does it typically take you to go through these cao?

Quote from: Ben Framed on March 16, 2021, 09:57:03 AM

Oldbeavo
[
As the hive numbers increase you grow into the work load and find ways to keep up.
A lot of notes written on the lid help.
Lifting the back of hives to check the weight determines who needs a super or needs to be checked if light will help if you are time poor.

True the more hives you get you seem to breeze through a little faster. When I first started after inspection of a hive or two, I ask myself. How do these folks with several hives get it done in a days time? As Oldbeavo said you will find you will zoom through. And as Oldbeavo, I write notes the lids also.

Quote from: BurleyBee on March 16, 2021, 07:19:43 AM
Keeps it interesting.

For sure

[/quote]

Quote from: Ben Framed on March 16, 2021, 09:57:03 AM
Now that is a lot of hives! How long does it typically take you to go through these cao?

I have two yards so I only deal with one yard at a time so, it usually takes 2 days(one for each yard).  Sometimes it can take more if I am being very thorough or if I find some major problem.  After I am done doing splits in the spring and I know I have a laying queen, I usually leave the broodnest alone.  I don't necessarily check each hive regularly or I might just pop the top checking on space.

How many Hives do You have?

- Sometimes not enough.  Most times too many.

:tongue:

I?m bumping this at the request of one of our members.
Right now I have three hives. I have had as many as 25 at times. I?ve cut back a lot.
Jim Altmiller

I try to stay under 50 hives in 3 yards plus the last 5 nuc's for the seson.

I have more than 10 hives total
I keep bees elsewhere than my own property
I have one hive and four nucs on my own property in town, two hives at a friend's house across town, three at another friend's place about 15 miles away, and five more a couple miles from there.  I drive a lot.  It is definitely just a hobby.   It's a hobby that takes more than it gives, financially! 

Quote from: jimineycricket on December 30, 2023, 10:32:44 AM
I have more than 10 hives total
I keep bees elsewhere than my own property
I have one hive and four nucs on my own property in town, two hives at a friend's house across town, three at another friend's place about 15 miles away, and five more a couple miles from there.  I drive a lot.  It is definitely just a hobby.   It's a hobby that takes more than it gives, financially!

It could be worse...you could own horses just for fun.

QuoteI have more than 10 hives total
    I keep bees elsewhere than my own property
    I have one hive and four nucs on my own property in town, two hives at a friend's house across town, three at another friend's place about 15 miles away, and five more a couple miles from there.  I drive a lot.  It is definitely just a hobby.   It's a hobby that takes more than it gives, financially!

It could be worse...you could own horses just for fun.

Amen brother! Preach it to 'em!

Quote from: jimineycricket on December 31, 2023, 09:52:16 AM

QuoteI have more than 10 hives total
    I keep bees elsewhere than my own property
    I have one hive and four nucs on my own property in town, two hives at a friend's house across town, three at another friend's place about 15 miles away, and five more a couple miles from there.  I drive a lot.  It is definitely just a hobby.   It's a hobby that takes more than it gives, financially!

It could be worse...you could own horses just for fun.

Amen brother! Preach it to 'em!

:grin:

I have ~40 in 2 yards and I'm building a 3rd yard next month at my new property.....and my kids are pushing really hard for horses  :tongue:

 

Quote from: AustinB on January 09, 2024, 09:42:11 AM
I have ~40 in 2 yards and I'm building a 3rd yard next month at my new property.....and my kids are pushing really hard for horses  :tongue:

:grin:

So, Its not all about number of hives. Its about strong ,resilient, production hives. ATM Im running 5 out yards and I try to keep those yards under 40 (38 being my number). I cant work an over 40 yard without robbing. My home yard (house) get all the small hives, Puny hives, nucs, etc. that I need to keep an eye on. I keep 3-5 strong hives here to boost population in the weak colonies. Any more strong colonies than that again I get robbing issues. These hives are moved, combined and or done away with every spring to get room for another 40.  My growth is limited to yards and wooden-ware in that order.