i'm pretty sure i asked this last year about this time. what are your beekeeping goals for 2015?
i only have one colony that i don't think can survive until the flows (it may fool me) and i have several that are much stronger than i expect them to be this time of year. this is when i start thinking about which hives i should split and which i should try to get new comb and or honey from.
it's also time to start thinking about which queens to use for breeding and which ones to phase out. i'll have a better feel for this by the end of february.
i came out of winter with 7 hives and i went in with 14 in 2014. i also extracted 20 gallons of honey and gained about 15 mediums and 10 deeps worth of drawn comb.
i fell short of my goal for increases because i changed my mind about fall splits after the goldenrod flow let me down a little. i did remove some aggressive queens from my gene pool although i still have some bees that are a little more testy than i care for.
for 2015 i would like to get up to 40 hives going into winter and increase my medium drawn comb by about 20 more supers. i'd also like to at least get a drum of honey this year and need to start a couple of new yards.
let's hear what everyone else is thinking.
2013 was my first year and we harvested 26 lbs of honey from one hive. Got a second hive going in the spring. This fall we harvested 60 lbs from the same hive and left a very full super for winter. Second hive we harvested none, leaving a full super for winter. For 2015 I would like to make two splits, bringing us to four hives. Increased harvest would be nice too...it would be nice to have some to sell and still gift as much as we have this year. Happy New Years to all and may your bees be prolific in all they do!
This is a debate that I have been having every year. Each year it changes, but this year I seem clueless. Last year I was going to make honey. The commercial guys have said that you are not going to make honey in this area without moving to different areas.
I think the best plan (like most weather forecasts) is I am going to do the same as I did last year. I will make bees with half of my hives and honey with the other half.
Almost all my hives are started with 2 frames of bees (ins spring) and are small 10 F with a 2 F feeder going into winter so hard to say what I will bring out alive. I would like to sell a couple of overwintered nucs for $100 each.
I sold honey at work this last year and I sold it all in a short period so they will be looking for it next year. I hope to do the same this year.
My son won best in show at the state fair so I hope to make a showing again this year.
Came out of winter with 6 hives I belive (need to keep better records). Built up to 10 hives. Also started about 8 nucs. Everything crashed late season but the nucs. Have two large hives and six nucs left. Also started dad with two large hives.... both as of yesterday have crashed.
Next years plans :?
Quote from: sc-bee on December 28, 2014, 08:51:52 AM
Came out of winter with 6 hives I belive (need to keep better records). Built up to 10 hives. Also started about 8 nucs. Everything crashed late season but the nucs. Have two large hives and six nucs left. Also started dad with two large hives.... both as of yesterday have crashed.
Next years plans :?
didn't you have a tough year last year too? are mites the problem?
Yea last year too... but not as bad or as quick as this year. Mites may the the problem. I have to admit I have never done checks for mites. Do mites leave dead bees? I mean as in evidence as in starvation bees with heads in cells? No deformed wing etc. All my hives are practically left empty with a small number of bees and a queen usually present. I guess I went for several years (around 5) in a row with very little problem so I did not check. Looks like it caught up with me.
My goal for 2015 is to start my very first beehive :) and hopefully not drive my family crazy with this new hobby :-D
I just hope my bees have as good of a season as this year. I went in to last winter with 5 colonies, came out with 4. One swarmed and moved into the empty hive. I pulled honey from two of the over wintered hives and the new one around May, got 10 gals. Never got to pull anymore because of things coming up, not with the bees. My I have more time this year to spend with my bees.
Erelas, it would help if you weren't lost.
May you all have a great year this year.
Joe
I am going through the winter with double deep brood chambers. I will be moving them to canola next month and plan to split like mad aas soon as I see drones.
Steve
Quote from: asprince on December 28, 2014, 09:04:39 PM
I am going through the winter with double deep brood chambers. I will be moving them to canola next month and plan to split like mad aas soon as I see drones.
Steve
So canola blooms in January...... where would that be... Ga?
i didn't know we had anyone growing canola around here.
Quote from: sc-bee on December 28, 2014, 11:08:00 AM
Yea last year too... but not as bad or as quick as this year. Mites may the the problem. I have to admit I have never done checks for mites. Do mites leave dead bees? I mean as in evidence as in starvation bees with heads in cells? No deformed wing etc. All my hives are practically left empty with a small number of bees and a queen usually present. I guess I went for several years (around 5) in a row with very little problem so I did not check. Looks like it caught up with me.
i've never done a check either. i had one hive starve out in late october or early november. it was a swarm that had a ton of stores in july.
the hives i think i've lost to mites usually went queenless in the fall because of failed supercedures.
We have lots of canola planted around here. The end of Jan would be the earliest. Probably mid Feb. It's about 3-4 inches tall now. If the weather stays warm it will really take off. that stuff is like crack to bees.
Steve
Quote from: asprince on December 28, 2014, 11:28:26 PM
We have lots of canola planted around here. The end of Jan would be the earliest. Probably mid Feb. It's about 3-4 inches tall now. If the weather stays warm it will really take off. that stuff is like crack to bees.
Steve
I will be beating the bushes to find some.
Quote from: 10framer on December 28, 2014, 11:22:54 PM
Quote from: sc-bee on December 28, 2014, 11:08:00 AM
Yea last year too... but not as bad or as quick as this year. Mites may the the problem. I have to admit I have never done checks for mites. Do mites leave dead bees? I mean as in evidence as in starvation bees with heads in cells? No deformed wing etc. All my hives are practically left empty with a small number of bees and a queen usually present. I guess I went for several years (around 5) in a row with very little problem so I did not check. Looks like it caught up with me.
i've never done a check either. i had one hive starve out in late october or early november. it was a swarm that had a ton of stores in july.
the hives i think i've lost to mites usually went queenless in the fall because of failed supercedures.
I imagine queens are still my issue....
Quote from: sc-bee on December 29, 2014, 12:18:18 AM
Quote from: asprince on December 28, 2014, 11:28:26 PM
We have lots of canola planted around here. The end of Jan would be the earliest. Probably mid Feb. It's about 3-4 inches tall now. If the weather stays warm it will really take off. that stuff is like crack to bees.
Steve
I will be beating the bushes to find some.
i'm right behind you.
i'm going to be doing my homework on canola. i know that the beekeepers up north rely on it. it would be worth planting if it would kick start the bees to be built up in time for clover. interesting, i wonder if it re-seeds easily.
Quote from: Erelas on December 28, 2014, 04:41:17 PM
My goal for 2015 is to start my very first beehive :) and hopefully not drive my family crazy with this new hobby :-D
start two if you can. welcome to the addiction.
10framer, there is a large canola field over here. Would you be interested in moving some bees to it?
Steve
Quote from: 10framer on December 29, 2014, 11:06:07 AM
Quote from: Erelas on December 28, 2014, 04:41:17 PM
My goal for 2015 is to start my very first beehive :) and hopefully not drive my family crazy with this new hobby :-D
start two if you can. welcome to the addiction.
I will second that, start with two.
Well, I came into spring with one, swarms and splits took me to 7. I have one that died, mites I suspect. The other 6 look good so far. A couple booming. I just they hope those all make it, I will decide which to split accordingly. Like to get up to 15, but Im not gonna stress em too much. We shall see.......... fingers crossed.......... G :chop:
steve, when does it come into bloom? how long do you leave them on it? do you get a surplus or does it just get them kick started? depending on the timing i might.
They will make tons of beautiful light honey but it crystallizes really fast. They will draw some beautiful white comb. With the a abundance of food the queen will go into high gear. It will probably start blooming in late February and bloom for 4 to 6 weeks.
Steve
There is an Ag company in Bowersville Ga promoting canola. I sent them an e-mail and asked if they knew of anyone near me growing any. They immediately replied and told me where some was a little over an hour away. I may try and run it down. Long drive but need a jump start for what I have left.
4-6 week bloom that would be nice!
You have to watch them close on canola. They will be bringing in nectar and pollen so fast the queen can run out of space to lay and they will swarm. I work mine weekly.
Steve
Quote from: asprince on January 01, 2015, 09:16:04 PM
You have to watch them close on canola. They will be bringing in nectar and pollen so fast the queen can run out of space to lay and they will swarm. I work mine weekly.
Steve
About all I have left is nucs. Weekly trip if it works out is what I was thinking. It certainly would get me in front of the game.
When you put them on Canola go ahead and put them in a 10 frame box.
Steve
Quote from: asprince on January 01, 2015, 10:27:04 PM
When you put them on Canola go ahead and put them in a 10 frame box.
Steve
I was gonna stack a five on top. Thought the five might build up quicker? You think a ten will be better?
2015 plan is to grow strong, healthy hives. :)
Well it's 2015 now, so in 3 weeks or so, extract our first batch of honey from our new hives (1 yr old), then try em out on the Leatherwood.
http://www.tasmanianarboretum.org.au/leatherwood.shtml
Secondly, get my incognito/hidden hives set up in my garage.
Quote from: Richard M on January 03, 2015, 01:46:48 AM
Well it's 2015 now, so in 3 weeks or so, extract our first batch of honey from our new hives (1 yr old), then try em out on the Leatherwood.
http://www.tasmanianarboretum.org.au/leatherwood.shtml
Secondly, get my incognito/hidden hives set up in my garage.
Sounds like you should make that one an observation hive. If you do you will not regret it.
Jim
Quote from: sawdstmakr on January 03, 2015, 08:14:47 AM
Quote from: Richard M on January 03, 2015, 01:46:48 AM
Well it's 2015 now, so in 3 weeks or so, extract our first batch of honey from our new hives (1 yr old), then try em out on the Leatherwood.
http://www.tasmanianarboretum.org.au/leatherwood.shtml
Secondly, get my incognito/hidden hives set up in my garage.
Sounds like you should make that one an observation hive. If you do you will not regret it.
Jim
I've thought about it.
Project for the June-July when it's cold and wet and miserable maybe.
Richard,
There is a really good set of plans for a 4 frame turnstile type of observation hive on Beemaster. I recommend that you do as I did and widen the frame to 8 frame. I made mine out of all walnut.
Jim
I went into my second winter with 19 hives. All are still alive right now. Hoping at least 15 make it to spring. I am getting a delivery of several hundred foundation less frames from kelley, tomorrow. Time to start building boxes and frames. Right now most hives are a single deep and medium. I hope to build all to double deep, with 2 mediums per hive this year. Also planning on doing weak splits in july, to let all hives requeen. Go into winter with young queens, after a brood break. I will feed the nucs with established queens, hoping they build up in time for winter. I already have a few cutouts lined up for april. Hoping to get several swarm calls. May get up to 40 or 50 hives this year. Now I just need more room for hives.
chux, that's part of what holds me back. i can make the increases but finding good places to put the bees is kind of tough. i've been considering buying small tracts of crappy land just to be able to know i have beeyards.
I have my hives spread out in 6 different locations. Each is within about 10 minutes of the house, but none of these locations can hold more hives. I want a few yards where I can put at least 10 hives. I do have a couple of options with a local farmer. Problem is not only worrying about pesticide use. Bears. Lots of them around here. Maybe you can get a farmer in the area to let you use the edge of a field. I highly suggest getting near cotton. I had cotton less than half a mile from hives this year. Really good honey into the summer.
10framr. If you need places to keep bees I have more places than I have bees in the Fort Valley area.
Steve
steve, i'm looking to go north of the fall line mostly. i want to get away from row crops and closer to clover and tulip poplars.
if you have some spots like that i might be interested when i start making splits.