How many colonies are you starting this year with?

pdmattox · January 30, 2007, 11:03:03 AM

Just wondering how many everyone was starting the new year with? :)

beekeeperookie · January 30, 2007, 11:55:22 AM

I will be starting with two italian hives :-D

reinbeau · January 30, 2007, 03:48:18 PM

We're going to install two more here (unfortunately our girls seem to have succumbed to the cold snap we just went through :-\), two at my mother's which is two towns over, and three nucs at our home in Maine.

buzzbee · January 30, 2007, 06:09:43 PM

Starting with three,the wife may want one before the time starts.

TwT · January 30, 2007, 06:16:08 PM

im starting with none :-P , maybe some one will start with 58 like Dallas ;) , he wasnt scared :) , I am going to raise my own and as many as I can.......

buzzbee · January 30, 2007, 06:21:53 PM

Ted '
I heard you got ten hives out behind the shed!! ;)

TwT · January 30, 2007, 06:25:20 PM

got a few more than that but them hives are already started ;)

Greg Peck · January 30, 2007, 09:09:18 PM

I have one and will be adding 3 more. Hopefully I will get some swarms this year as well.

Michael Bush · January 30, 2007, 09:49:47 PM

I was going to try to hit 100 this year. The last two cold snaps after the warm weather seem to have taken a toll though. We will see what Spring brings.

Kirk-o · January 30, 2007, 10:45:34 PM

I have one colony comming in the mail and I have already cut one out.The one I cut out I have added smal cell medium and they are small cell bees from the start.I'm hopeing to get more swarms or cut outs to put on small cell.
kirk-o

thegolfpsycho · January 31, 2007, 10:29:23 AM

I combined down to 18 in the fall. Have lost one so far this winter, so hoping to crank it up with 17 this spring. Had plan of doubling this year, but am thinking a decent year with 20-25 will cause me too much work to sell the honey. I like it better when they come looking for it than me pedaling it.

SteveSC · January 31, 2007, 11:50:07 AM

Look at MB up there..100 hives..he hates to brag...... :roll: :-D Just messing with ya MB...

I'll have 8 Italians and 3 Russian hives in 07' if all make it through the winter.

Keith · January 31, 2007, 06:05:07 PM

Looking forward to my first year with three. Two Russian and one carniolan.

BeeHopper · January 31, 2007, 07:35:20 PM

Two overwintering, 6 new packages in April = Eight. :-D

Kris^ · January 31, 2007, 07:55:24 PM

I've gone into the new year with 10. A very weak one looked to be gone by mid-January. However, I was thumping hives earlier today and it seems like another one is rather quiet. :'( Surprisingly, it was one of the strong ones I had (that I'd bought as a single box hive this past July), and it still feels kinda heavy. If it reaches the 40s again this weekend I'll check it out. So the answer is . . . 8? But I'm reminded of the saying, "don't count your chickens before they hatch."

-- Kris

imabkpr · January 31, 2007, 10:13:26 PM

Quote from: Michael Bush on January 30, 2007, 09:49:47 PM
I was going to try to hit 100 this year. The last two cold snaps after the warm weather seem to have taken a toll though. We will see what Spring brings.

M.B. What do you contribute the loss to? Charlie

Cindi · January 31, 2007, 11:00:28 PM

I have two colonies that have survived. Checked them the other day and I think they will be good. Still lots (Carniolans) of honey and about 5 frames bees. Like it is said, don't count the chickens before they hatch.

I am going to buy two - 4 pound packages with 2 queens in each package. I have intention to hive the 4 pound package into one colony. I will take the extra queen from that package and give to a nuc that I plan to make from one of my old colonies. I will do the same with the other package. This will give strong colonies to make lots of babies so I can make more nucs.

Once the nectar flow is well on its way, I will hopefully do some more nucs. Still new to this, but when I make the nucs, I am going to purchase a mated queen(s). That way I know that she will be a proven layer and of good breeding.

That's my intention, we'll see if it all follows through. Great day. Cindi

Michael Bush · January 31, 2007, 11:17:52 PM

>M.B. What do you contribute the loss to?

They were doing well when it was still in the 50s F. It looks like the cluster was out to the edges of the box when the cold snap hit and the outer ones didn't make it back to the cluster and died. The center cluster was still alive on all of them until it happened again. Some of them died altogether then and some are still doing well. We will see how they do, but all have pretty small clusters as a result of that first cold snap. Going from 50 F to -12 was too fast for them apparently.

imabkpr · February 01, 2007, 08:50:59 AM

Quote from: Michael Bush on January 31, 2007, 11:17:52 PM
>M.B. What do you contribute the loss to?

They were doing well when it was still in the 50s F. It looks like the cluster was out to the edges of the box when the cold snap hit and the outer ones didn't make it back to the cluster and died. The center cluster was still alive on all of them until it happened again. Some of them died altogether then and some are still doing well. We will see how they do, but all have pretty small clusters as a result of that first cold snap. Going from 50 F to -12 was too fast for them apparently.

M.B; sorry to hear about your loss. One thing we can't control, the weather.

kensfarm · February 01, 2007, 10:53:07 AM

"Going from 50 F to -12 was too fast for them apparently."

For me too.. being out in that cold is punishment.. I'll take the mild weather.

Just ordered some equipment this week for 2007.. going from 3 to 10-12 hives.. getting a couple local nukes.. couple queens.. maybe do a couple walk-a-way splits. Thinking of building a TBH.. and some hive equipment to save money.. my problem is having the time.. spring time is pretty busy.. plowing, planting, haying. I burn up all my vacation from work.. doing farm work.