Hello! I'm located in SE New Hampshire USA. A friend and I started this beekeeping adventure last year. It's turned out to be harder than we anticipated. We started with 2 hives. Entered the winter with one strong hive. The hive didn't make it through the winter so we bought a package and 2 nucs. Both nucs swarmed (no one told us this could happen!). We now have 4 hives in different stages. Two fairly strong hives, one doing ok (package bees) and the swarm we caught that is struggling to keep up. The hardest part of this whole beekeeping thing has been finding people in the area who are willing to mentor and help. We have a tough climate here and information on how to overwinter bees in cold long winters would be of great help. So...any beekeepers in NH hit me up!
Happy to have found this forum.
Thanks!
Welcome to the forum. Now you know why we recommend starting with 2 hive. They are all different. Have you checked to see if there is a bee club in your area. Try searching for this:
New Hampshire Bee Clubs - Bees-On-The-Net
Jim
Lived for 17 years in Southern Maine near Summersworth NH. It can be a tough climate, but you dont have the WIND we do out here on the plains.. following advice you read for the upper midwest to New England areas will stand you in good stead.. I miss the SNOW we had there compared to here.. seeing a hive COVERED/BURIED in snow was always a good thing because it insulates the hive from wind.. You have a fantastic area there!
New Hampshire ...........
CAPITAL AREA BKPRS ASSOCConcord, NH
http://www.capitalareabeekeepers.org (http://www.capitalareabeekeepers.org)
KEARSARGE BKPRS ASSOC
Warner, NH
http://kbanh.wordpress.com (http://kbanh.wordpress.com)
MERRIMACK VALLEY BKPRS ASSOC
Hudson, NH
http://mvbee.org (http://mvbee.org)
MONADNOCK BKPRS ASSOC
Keene, NH
http://www.monadnockbeekeepers.com (http://www.monadnockbeekeepers.com)
NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE BKPRS ASSOC
Various State locations
http://www.nhbeekeepers.org (http://www.nhbeekeepers.org)
PAWTUCKAWAY BKPRS ASSOC
Candia, NH
http://www.pawtuckawaybeekeepers.org (http://www.pawtuckawaybeekeepers.org)
PEMI BAKER BKPRS ASSOC
Ashland, NH
http://pemibakerba.org (http://pemibakerba.org)
SEACOAST BKPRS ASSOC
Lee, NH
http://www.seacoastbeekeepers.com (http://www.seacoastbeekeepers.com)
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
Welcome to the forum Robby. Sure is a bunch of clubs in your area to look into.
welcome
many beeks wrap the wooden hives in foam taped together.foil tape.not duct tape. they do need in heavy snow areas a top entrance make it small.