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Are your bees ready

Barrel Char Wood Products
A

andrewschwab

Guest
Guest
Are your bees ready for another year?
Will this be the biggest honey crop ever? I sure hope so...

11storyhive-1.jpg


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beeboy

NewBee
Registered Member
Aug 29, 2004
350
1
0
70
Port Orange, Florida, USA
Been keeping an eye on them and started to feed one that is a little short on honey. Only have four hives but they are all bringing in Maple pollen and look active. Things start early here in Florida. Almost lost a hive last August, it threw a late swarm and didn't requeen, by the time I realized it all the mail order queens were gone. Had to go the hard way by swapping young brood and having the hive make it's own. If I had been up north the hive would of been a write off. Only been averaging 10-12 gallons per hive which isn't a lot for the area but 40-50 gallons is a lot of work with an old Kelly 2 frame hand cranked extractor.
 
A

andrewschwab

Guest
Guest
There is something to be said for smaller honey crops, but healthier bees.
I have gone to that route. Used to be 90-100 pound averages. It was hard on me and the bees. I feel a lot better with the health of the hives and only getting 60 lbs avereages. :p
Besides it is tons easier to sell bees in the spring then selling honey all year long. Besides I hate having sticky hands, (go figure) :eek:
 

beeboy

NewBee
Registered Member
Aug 29, 2004
350
1
0
70
Port Orange, Florida, USA
Yeah, I've gotten a bit lazy, even left a lot of honey on the hives for winter this year instead of a late fall extraction. Most bee keepers in the area only winter with one medium honey super on top of one deep brood box. Florida has such a short winter a setup like that works great. I prefer two deeps along with one or two full shallows. Any honey left over come spring gets extracted with the first crop.
 
Barrel Char Wood Products

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