Newish Hobart beek

[Flycaster]

Hi,

Coming into my first spring as a bee keeper. I have currently 1 ex commercial Italian bee hive and just wondering if there is any one on here can give me a heads up of what I can expect over the coming months.

I caught a swarm late December last year but it was killed out by wasps and stronger bee colonies locally. I then picked up my current hive in late February. All seems to be going well but just wondered how honey flows, food supplies etc go locally.

Cheers

😀

[amun-ra]

from what I hear tassie has had a bad year for bees so far just let them bee for a while and see what happens im in townsville and our local queen breeder has been smashed by the rainbow bee eater this year and the town is dry of honey because of the drought
I have a brother in spreyton who is thinking of getting some bees this year but we need the weather to improve

[Richard M]

Hi Flycaster - I'm in Kingston - my first time on here in a while but getting interested again with the Spring. I've got 4 hives, 3 down at Blackmans Bay/Tinderbox and also a hive at my own place; all came through the winter OK.

My home hive in Kingston, (soon to be two if I can nail a swarm) seems to be going really well - getting all the spring flowering from suburban garden ornamentals and fruit trees and hoping to get a run on blackberries and gums in nearby farm paddocks too. Hawthorns in the paddocks are also in flower and I spotted some of my bees in a hedgerow on Summerleas Rd, near the Southern Outlet/Kingston Bypass this week.

Whereabouts are you?

[Flycaster]

Hi mate,

Thanks for the reply.

I am up the derwent valley. I currently only have one hive though I'm hoping to get 3 running from home.

There seems to be a bit about at the moment and I've certainly got heaps of bees in the fruit trees and raspberries atthe moment. 

I've a few swarm traps out but it might be a little early for them up the valley yet as we still get a few light frosts.

Cheers 😊

[Richard M]

Yeah, I'm about to do the same thing - got some Swarm Commander on order - will set up a trap hive in-situ at home and keep a spare box, smoker and suit in the car just in case I get a call. If push comes to shove, you could always do a split. It's usually been mid-late November before I start hearing about swarms down this end.

[Flycaster]

I did a split on my hive yesterday as they were filling 2 deep supers so figured it might work 😊 I'll check later next week that theyve made queen cells. So fingers crossed.