At a meeting, a guy said that anything more than 16 hives were a waste. He said after that, the bees just rob each other. But during a recorded lecture by Al salopek in Florida, I heard him say that he had 40 on 1 acre. I'm sure location and more so, resources, has more to do with it than anything. I didn't argue as I don't know, but am thinking if there was an endless supply of nectar and pollen you could have 1000 hives. I live in a well forested area. I'm talking out in the boones. What do you think? How many hives do you have in one spot?
This is a very site specific question. Like asking how many cattle can I run on ... Acres. Its all up to the available resources in the actual site. I would suggest you start modestly and see how it goes. If they have no problems just do some splits and increase the next season and you will find the stocking rate for your area. Remember to stock for the worst conditions then you should not have to feed and you should have healthier bees.
down here where we live there are some subdivisions HOA's require 10 to 20 thousand dollars in plantings not labor
we have a very diverse dichotomy of trees go inland 10 miles and it is all pines
very little in the way of food
one type of tree is good for two weeks then desert
Al has mostly nucs they are always in flux he moves them by giving them away
to newbees
dec jan we have to feed here
My yards run between 14 and 28 hives per yard. Some of the yards 14 is too many. Some of the yards 28 is fine and more would probably work.
it depends on the available forage. like jay said, if you're surrounded by planted pine there may not be much for out there for them. i plant buckwheat so my bees have something to maintain them through june and july but i don't see any honey from it. next year i'm going to plant more 4 acres instead of one, tough.
At my farm during the spring, one commercial beekeeper places 64 hives up against my property, another commercial beekeeper places another 64 hives well less than a mile from my hives. I talked to him last year about it at the Bee College. He told me that if I get up in a plane and fly around the area around my farm during the spring gallberry flow that I will find thousands of hives all around my farm.
I am not happy about is because when they are not there, I get a lot more honey than I do when they are all next to my apiary.
Jim
Well, I'm confident that my area has plenty to forage. I am not too far from Daniel Boone National Forest and the tulip poplar, black locast and sourwood are plentiful. I will expand slower than I want to, so I probably have not to worry about too many hives. At least for a couple more years anyway.
I know of a couple beeks in my area, one guy says he has 14 about 5 miles from me. Another has 3 about 1/2 mile. And another has 1 about 1 mile. There are probably more that I have no Idea about.
Jim, that would be upsetting to me too, even with the resources around here, I'm not sure what it could handle.
I wonder how you could find out what is in a given area to forage for and how much and how much competition is there for it?
Quote from: Michael Bush on October 15, 2014, 01:38:00 PM
My yards run between 14 and 28 hives per yard. Some of the yards 14 is too many. Some of the yards 28 is fine and more would probably work.
Pretty much the same as Mr. Bush...
I have 6, 12, and 22..
The Outyard with 6 will gain 4 hives in spring.. the Outyard with 12 will lose two hives in spring. They 22 hives are in my home yard.. this is where I have my nucs, my trouble hives, and the hives I intend to split in the springtime...
The outyard with 6 hives did exceptionally well. They are packed solid and ready for winter, which is why i will increase their number by four.. the outyard with 12 did fair, but are a little light on the weaker colonies, which is why i will pull two of those hives.. The home yard... is a different story.. I will be planting 40 + acres for bee pasture next year. Bee pasture that will be cut and bailed int he fall for horses and cows...
Birdsfoot Trefoil, Sainfoin, Hubam clover, Crimson clover, and a smattering of buckwheat.. I expect my home yard to be capable of supporting 80+ hives in decent years...
That's awesome, Oldmech. Hope that works well for you.