stupid mistake

randydrivesabus · August 22, 2007, 12:40:43 PM

i just got in from working my bees. i was looking for some more honey but i shoulda known better with how dry its been here. the supers were not full with some frames partially capped. i then placed sticky boards to check in a couple/few days.
so what was the stupid mistake? i sold ALL my honey. i got about 50 pounds off of the one hive that was from last year and sold all but what we put into 2 plastic honey bears....which are now empty. a sad day indeed. :(

Kathyp · August 22, 2007, 01:04:53 PM

i feel your pain. no honey for me. at least you got some to sell, and i have some left from last year.....

Scadsobees · August 22, 2007, 02:03:39 PM

Yeah, had the same problem last year. That is why I need to start a batch or two of mead before I sell all of it. :-D

Rick

rdy-b · August 22, 2007, 11:35:42 PM

And so it goes :'( this is how it all gets started yes there is a cure for this ;) more bees :-D RDY-B

JP · August 23, 2007, 12:01:16 AM

Eat and sell all ya got, the bees will make more, when they can. That honey you get next spring or this fall if you're lucky will be that much better on your next harvest.

JP · August 23, 2007, 12:03:06 AM

Hey, if we all run out of honey, Dane has lots, his bees are always makin' honey. :-D

randydrivesabus · August 23, 2007, 07:03:18 AM

getting more bees next year is a for sure. maybe i can steal a couple of frames for now.

annette · August 23, 2007, 09:06:12 PM

It is really important to leave enough honey for the bees from the very beginning. Each area requires different amounts to leave for the bees.

Like here in Placerville California, I know that last year I left about 35-40 lbs of capped honey for the bees (One medium super and whatever they had around the brood nest in the other supers) It actually turned out to be more than enough for them, and they had lots left over in the spring. But I wanted to make sure they would be ok.

Anything over that amount I took for myself after the main honey flow. You can never be sure of when they will make more honey for themselves so you have to calculate the right amount to leave for them.

If you end up taking more than it is best to freeze those frames of honey and if the bees need it come winter, you can place those frames back into the hives. If they do not need it, then you can extract it come spring time.

When you feed them the sugar syrup now, 2:1 ratio (meaning 2 cups sugar to one cup water), they will turn it into a sort of honey and cap it as if it were real honey. I know this, because I just did this last month.

good luck with the hives and keep us posted.

Annette