One box??

Shizzell · January 02, 2006, 10:40:59 AM

Just wondering:

Is it possible to start a bee colony with only one deep box? I'ved never heard of just one...I suppose you couldn't extract honey, and it would get quite full very fast with 3lbs of bees...tell me your insight?

Thanks

Finsky · January 02, 2006, 11:24:10 AM

Quote from: ShizzellJust wondering:

Is it possible to start a bee colony with only one deep box? I'ved never heard of just one...I suppose you couldn't extract honey, and it would get quite full very fast with 3lbs of bees...tell me your insight?

Thanks

One deep langtsroth needs 4 lbs bees to be full. With 3 lbs you get about 6-7 frames bees. After 6 weeks you may have one full box of bees.

If you bye 6 lbs bees the hive delvelopes much faster and after 6 weeks you have 2-3 deeps full of bees. It is difficult get optimum development by beginner. And hives are individuals. From this package you will get honey same year. I recommend that bye a bigger nuc. It is easier to start.

Shizzell · January 02, 2006, 11:32:47 AM

So your saying, that 3lbs of bees will not cover 2 deep boxes? Hm? I thought that if i was starting a new hive with 2 deep boxes, i should get 1 x 3lbs of bees. Am I wrong?

Shizzell · January 02, 2006, 11:35:00 AM

oops

Finsky · January 02, 2006, 12:02:17 PM

Quote from: ShizzellAm I wrong?

When I started 40 years ago I bought a lot of beeswarms. 4kg =8 lbs occupy 1,5 langstroth hives, but it can use whole 2 box and carry honey one box and lower one was full of brood. When brood started to emerge 4 weeks from start 2 box was full of bees soon. It depens how long is you summer but id you have 2 box hive at the beginning of May and it has 1,5 box brood, at the end of June you will have 4-5 box bees and you have a good honey collector.

If you start with 3 lbs (1,5 kg) difficult to say how fast it developes but not fast. Perhasp it is able to collect honey in August.

Small hive is difficult because if it get well honey hive will be soon full brood and honey, and queen must drop down it's laying. In bigger hive you are able to extract honey and give more space.

Beekeeping is expencive hobby. The extra price you pay for 6 lbs is nothing in the whole. And in later summer you will get one hive more from your first if you like. An its is good to be more hives than one.

Shizzell · January 02, 2006, 12:09:03 PM

Ok thanks a lot

Do you think i could get another hive from the beginning hive by august or so? I am planning on getting my bees in middle of May (3lbs) and i'm going to now add them to just one box. I basically live in a flower wonderland and I'm sure they'll collect honey extremely fast.

Finsky · January 02, 2006, 12:26:59 PM

Quote from: ShizzellI basically live in a flower wonderland and I'm sure they'll collect honey extremely fast.

So you need a big hive. In Finland beginners have real difficulties with one box hive when rape (canola) is in bloom. Hive will be full in couple of days and then hive swarms.

In July you are able to start another hive with 3 frames: 1 pollen+1emerging brood + 1honey. . Afterwards you you may add brood frames and it will be stong for winter. If you split whole hive during season, it is not able to collect honey.

Shizzell · January 02, 2006, 12:33:38 PM

Alright, yeah I'm basically just trying to get more hives as fast as i can right now so i can add them to the rest of my hives. Next year i'm going to worry about extracting them all. Right now i plan on splitting them all around late july. Thanks finsky

Finsky · January 02, 2006, 12:59:24 PM

Quote from: ShizzellAlright, yeah I'm basically just trying to get more hives as fast as i can

When summer and honey yild turns to end you may devide the big hive into 3 hives and buy new queens in. But don't hesitate. Take honey home first.

Michael Bush · January 02, 2006, 01:56:48 PM

I can generally run a hive in the equivelant of two deeps or three mediums if I rob it often. Any less is not enough room for a healthy hive. And a real boomer may have five or six mediums packed full of bees at it's peak.

Minimum to overwinter around here with Italians is two deeps. With Carni's or ferals you can probably get by with two mediums sometimes but some larger clusters will need three mediums.

Finsky · January 02, 2006, 02:11:45 PM

Quote from: Michael Bush
Minimum to overwinter around here with Italians is two deeps. .

The difference with Finland and USA and Canada is that our winter hives are all insulated boxes. In Finland professionals overwinter in one langstroth box. The most common bee is italian.

newbee101 · January 02, 2006, 10:36:54 PM

When 8 frames are drawn, you must add a second box. When the second box has 8 drawn frames you add a super. I dont think you can get by with one deep in Minnesota. Your hive might swarm if there is no room to grow.

Shizzell · January 02, 2006, 10:50:38 PM

QuoteWhen 8 frames are drawn, you must add a second box. When the second box has 8 drawn frames you add a super. I dont think you can get by with one deep in Minnesota. Your hive might swarm if there is no room to grow.

Exactly what I was thinking of. Thanks a lot

Finsky · January 03, 2006, 01:54:27 AM

Quote from: newbee101When 8 frames are drawn, you must add a second box. When the second box has 8 drawn frames you add a super. I dont think you can get by with one deep in Minnesota. Your hive might swarm if there is no room to grow.

So it goes. If you use commercial queen and 6 lbs. bees, you shall prepare 5 langstroth box at least. There is something wrong if hive does not rise so big. If you use feral bees so hive may be what ever.

Swarming is the biggest threat to beginner. There must be enough room.

I use 3 brood box plus 4 medium box - system. No excluder. If I do not reach that I put two weak colony together. He is my foraging units. Those 3 brought each over 200 lbs. honey in two weeks. For small hive it is not possible. At winter hives are with one or with two box.
http://bees.freesuperhost.com/yabbfiles/Attachments/valmis3.jpg

The first hive is 2 weak together. Many are keen on splitting hives at spring but so they loose their honey yield.
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