I harvested my first honey crop!

[Apis629]

I got within a quart of three gallons.   Now, before you say, "That's not alot..." I want to point out that I hived this colony from a 3 pound package on June 8 of this year and, from foundation they've completely drawn out the brood chamber and 3 medium supers and stuffed one completely full with capped honey.  The other two are mostly full but, I'm leaving one on for their own needs and I'm going to transfer one to a weaker colony.  It was a bit of an ordeal getting the bees out of the super though.  The "Bee Quick" wasn't getting the bees to leave the super so I had to manually brush them out.  I managed to keep evey bee out of the kitchen while I bottled and it took longer than I thought it would.  One super, just uncapping, extracting, bottling and cleaning up the mess took 4 hours.  About 2 of which were spent straining.  I just got my first harvest and I was so exited I thought I'd post about it.
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[newbee101]

You did great! You have some fantastic workers!  :)

[Apis629]

What really stumped me is that all the books I've read suggest that one cannot expect a honey harvest in their first year.  I have had one super full (I harvestd) and one super about 3/4 of the way there which I'm gonna use for winter stores for a smaller colony.  Those workers really earn the title WORKERS. :D

[Michael Bush]

>What really stumped me is that all the books I've read suggest that one cannot expect a honey harvest in their first year.

One cannot expect it.  But that doesn't mean sometimes it doesn't work out that way.

[manowar422]

I got within a quart of three gallons.

It appears to me that you have 3 gallons & 3 quarts :shock:

Nice haul for starting in June :)

[Finsky]

I want to point out that I hived this colony from a 3 pound package on June 8 of this year and, from foundation they've completely drawn out the brood chamber and 3 medium supers and stuffed one completely full with capped honey.  

Good work! More over  we shoud see that 3 foundation box needs 40 lbs honey to draw to cells.

You surely had good pastures. That much honey normally needs a normal year and a normal over wintered hive!

[Apis629]

Strange part is that I'm keeping these bees just 2 miles outside of down town.  The only pastures here are in peoples back yards and a few small parks, no orange groves, no citrus and no real "open" area.  Oh and, just one thing I have to fix...ManoWar422, when I said a came within a quart of three gallons I meant that I got 2 gallons and 3 quarts + a little extra.

[Michael Bush]

I had bees in town (and still have two hives in town) for most of the last 31 years.  They have always done well.  They have been far more consistant than the ones out in the farmland.

[thegolfpsycho]

My bees are all in peoples back yards.  16 colonys of suburban beekeeping.  I sold almost 600 lbs, and gave away almost that much.  Just traded a few gallons more for some elk meat.  People plant for color, and keep things watered.  The bees do pretty well with it.

[Apis629]

Wow, I was under the impression that the fact that more land is being used for packing lots than open areas with wild flowers and such would typicaly equall smaller honeyflows.  Guess I was wrong.

[Finsky]

Wow, I was under the impression that the fact that more land is being used for packing lots than open areas with wild flowers and such would typicaly equall smaller honeyflows.  Guess I was wrong.

As you may notice, we talk very seldom about pastures.

* Farmed area bloom often guite short time 2-3 weeks then you must move.

* Wild flowers give honey a couple of years. When we cut forest in Finland, raspberry and fireweed overwhelm the area but honey party is over after 2-3 years.

* Areas filled with hays gives nothing

* Nutritions on natural areas will be washed soon after cultivation.

* Wild flowers is a myth. Means nothing to me.

* Flying distance is more than  important to yield.

* Over grazing ruins honey yield.

* Don't trust only on " one card"

[Kris^]

What really stumped me is that all the books I've read suggest that one cannot expect a honey harvest in their first year.  

My two new hives produced surplus this year -- I took 55 pounds from one of them and 66 pounds from the other.  Compared with the 88 pounds I got from my original overwintered hive and the 41 pounds I got from the spring split I made from that original hive, I'd say they did fairly well.  The bulk of it came in mid-August.  Bee Culture reports the average in our region at 28 pounds.  The Jersey Pinelands was apparently a good place to forage this year.

Based on those numbers, I think I'll be less eager to increased by splits next spring (or do it better).  People have been coming into the market specifically looking for my "Pineland's Wildflower" honey, and I'm down to less than a case each of quarts and 12 oz. hex jars left.   :D    

-- Kris

[Finsky]

What really stumped me is that all the books I've read suggest that one cannot expect a honey harvest in their first year.  

That is not true if you start otherwise.

When I started my beekeeping, I bought swarms. I put  2-3 swarm together so I got  4 kg bees. This size colony were able gather 40 kg honey. 6 kg bees gathered 60 kg honey. - But let's be honest, during my first 3 year I got nothing. I  took another start with Lanstroth hives. :P

If I put only 2 kg bees  into hive= one box langstroth hive, that was not able gather surpluss honey.

Here is the point. If you start with too small start, colony spend it's honey to raise it's colony.

If you leave 2 box honey over winter, you will loose 30 kg honey. If you take that away and feed with sugar, your yield will be 100% bigger.

Whewn I got non swarming race (Caucasian) after that I started to get good yields.
.

But of course, you should first learn to play with big hives. They swarm easily with beginners.

[manowar422]

Oh and, just one thing I have to fix...ManoWar422, when I said a came within a quart of three gallons I meant that I got 2 gallons and 3 quarts + a little extra.

Sorry Nathan,
I was looking at the picture you posted and thought the jars
were quart size

[Apis629]

Those jars are pint size and that's a little bit more than half of the total jars.