Hello,new Bee Keeper from Texas

[Beeright]

Just started and I need all the help I can get

[CoolBees]

Welcome. Ask away. You've come to the right place.

[BeeMaster2]

Beeright,
Welcome to Beemaster.
Feel free to ask all and any questions. We love to answer them. Don?t worry if you think it was asked before we are here to help.
Jim Altmiller

[Donovan J]

Welcome

[cao]

Welcome 

[Bob Wilson]

Glad to have you. The forum is a great mix of LONG time beekeepers with huge experience, and newbies like us.

[Beeright]

I have a Ranch in the central hill country of Texas, we have just put in 12 hives 2 months ago. in the brief time we have lost 1hive to wax months, two have swarmed and left in the past month. The two that swarmed seemed to be weak hives compared to the others. Could it have been a weak Queen?
Another question..I have read books and done the you tube thing but how do you know when to add the second hive?

[BeeMaster2]

Beeright,
Was moths are the clean up crew. They do not take over unless the hive is very weak, usually after the bees have moved out. Sometimes they will take over areas of the hive that the bees are not able to protect because they have too much space especially with old drawn comb.
Add the next super when they have drawn out and started to fill 8 of the ten frames, the box is full of bees and you have a flow on.
Jim Altmiller

[ed/La.]

You probably meant abscond not swarm. Weak hives are at risk of robbing. Once a hive gets robbed they abscond. A robbers screen helps. Easy to make. Also equalising hives helps. Some brood from strong hive transfered to weak hive. They need enough nurse bees to take care of brood. The queen might be fine just not enough nurse bees to increase population.

[Beeright]

Thanks for the advice, I have 3 gallon feeders on top of the hives and they have done well. We had a rainy spring with tons of wildflowers this year  but by June they are gone so is this a time to start feeding again or do I wait until early fall