Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: towson joe on August 02, 2006, 12:50:51 PM

Title: Two Hives=20 Gallons of Honey
Post by: towson joe on August 02, 2006, 12:50:51 PM
Very lucky I think to get so much from just two hives and still left three pretty full supers on for the bees

I know to enjoy now because next year could be lean like the past.

I have a total of five hives. Three of the hives I don't take honey from till the second year so they can build up. Even then I won't take unless they have at least two full supers.

Good luck to all
Title: Two Hives=20 Gallons of Honey
Post by: Ruben on August 02, 2006, 10:38:53 PM
Sounds great! Are these from a second year hive or what?
Title: Two Hives=20 Gallons of Honey
Post by: towson joe on August 02, 2006, 11:29:50 PM
3rd year
Never re-queened by me
Never treated with chemicals
One is a wooden hive an the other a Styrofoam hive
Fed all winter
Watched all the time
Title: Two Hives=20 Gallons of Honey
Post by: kensfarm on August 03, 2006, 12:01:52 PM
Just learning myself..  

Why wouldn't you take all the full supers off now.. feed through the July, August(okay.. July's done & gone) dearth to build comb & more bees..  then see what honey they make for the fall flow..  then replace any honey that is needed for overwintering?  

I'm I thinking right?
Title: Two Hives=20 Gallons of Honey
Post by: towson joe on August 03, 2006, 12:10:08 PM
I never get a second flow of honey. I'm done for the year regarding taking honey. You might be better off in the mountains.
Title: Two Hives=20 Gallons of Honey
Post by: bassman1977 on August 03, 2006, 04:43:48 PM
QuoteI never get a second flow of honey. I'm done for the year regarding taking honey. You might be better off in the mountains.

Interesting...I saw a similar post from someone earlier from either VA or MD (maybe it was you) regarding preping for winter in Mid-August.  I found that odd because I am north of both areas and it's just getting good around that time.  I can't pack up until after the Goldenrod is done around September.  I suppose it's location related, perhaps city area vs country hee-haw area.
Title: Two Hives=20 Gallons of Honey
Post by: towson joe on August 03, 2006, 07:23:57 PM
I wll check my supers after the fall but I don't think I will get anymore
Title: Two Hives=20 Gallons of Honey
Post by: Brian D. Bray on August 04, 2006, 02:05:33 AM
I find it hard to believe that there is a region of the USA that is void of any type of honey flow after August 1.  As far as I know there is goldenrod and aster in almost every state and that won't start until September.
Title: Two Hives=20 Gallons of Honey
Post by: BEE C on August 04, 2006, 05:31:30 AM
Good on ya.  Nice to hear about good harvests this year.  I haven't extracted all of the honey yet, I think I had a slowdown recently but they seem to bee kicking it up a notch lately.  Fireweed seems to be mostly gone, but they sure are busy somewhere...
Title: Two Hives=20 Gallons of Honey
Post by: towson joe on August 04, 2006, 10:17:00 AM
"find it hard to believe that there is a region of the USA that is void of any type of honey flow after August 1. As far as I know there is goldenrod and aster in almost every state and that won't start until September."

You could be right but the bee's here seem to prove you wrong.
They have the last word on this matter.
Title: Two Hives=20 Gallons of Honey
Post by: Brian D. Bray on August 04, 2006, 10:55:48 PM
A temporary dearth is not  a sessation of the years honey flow just a momentary interruption.  I'll lay odds that they will pick up on something in your area soon.