What questions should new beeks be asking?

[FRAMEshift]

ps Dubbo is a good place for a beer for sure, I reckon the good ol USA wouldn't be to bad if you picked the right spot away from the big Cities.  I might have to look into that.

Steve, I visited Dubbo in 2008 and really enjoyed it.  If you find yourself traveling to the Great State of North Carolina, let me know and I will show you some pleasant places away from the cities.   :-D

[Country Heart]

As a newbee I have a question. I have recently learned (I think)when to add a new super for the bees to fill with honey. But how do I tell when to start removing supers?

Does anyone have an answer to this one?   :pop:

[Anybrew]

Your on FRAMEshift I will truly keep that in mind thanks for the offer, I remember you said you stayed in Dub vegas (Dubbo) before.


Cheers
Steve

[Michael Bush]

>how do I tell when to start removing supers?

The nice thing is, you can do it at your leisure on your time frame.  I like to wait until the bees are clustered from the cold as I can assess better what to leave them and what to take AND there are no bees in the supers...  but you can harvest most anytime from the start of the flow to when winter really sets in.

[Larry Bees]

OK, the advantage of using SBB is that when mites fall out of the hive through the SBB, they cannot get back into the hive.

If this is true, then how do the mites get into the hive in the first place?

Larry

[FRAMEshift]

If this is true, then how do the mites get into the hive in the first place?

When mites fall on the ground, they can be eaten by ants so they never get a chance to climb back up.   But in general mites travel in the phoretic state, clinging to adult bees.  As bees drift from hive to hive, the mites are spread.

[Larry Bees]

Thanks Frameshift ! Larry

[Country Heart]

>how do I tell when to start removing supers?

The nice thing is, you can do it at your leisure on your time frame.  I like to wait until the bees are clustered from the cold as I can assess better what to leave them and what to take AND there are no bees in the supers...  but you can harvest most anytime from the start of the flow to when winter really sets in.

    Thanks, Michael.   :)

[boca]

I would ask from a local beekeeper:
What are the main pollen and nectar sources in my area? When do they bloom? How is their pollen and nectar? How reliably are they (e.g. every year, every 3 years etc.)?

It cannot be found in books or the internet and requires many years of observation.

[L Daxon]

"how to tell when to remove honey supers..."

As Michael said, there is no real "end time" meaning you can't leave the honey onto long in a given season.
But you can take it off too early.  You want the frame(s) to be at least 80-90 capped.  What you are trying to make sure of is that the honey is "ripe", i.e. the moisture content has been reduced to around 18% (a bit higher with some types of clover).  If the moisture content is too high when you harvest, the honey can ferment. 

If the bees have capped the honey you know it is ripe.  But sometimes you will see a frame or more where you know the honey has been stored in the cells for a month or more but it is not capped.  That is usually nectar stored near the end of the flow and the bees just ran out of the required carbohydrate intake to make the wax.

If you have uncapped honey you think may be ripe but just not capped, you can shake the frame upside down and if the nectar runs out, it is still too thin.  But if you shake the frame and the nectar/honey stays in the cell, it is probably OK to harvest.  You can also test the nectar/honey in the cell with a tooth pick to see how thick it is. Or if you have big bucks, you can buy a refractor and test the moisture content that way.