Are your bees ready

andrewschwab · 02-12-2010, 01:00 AM

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

**capoeirista13** · 02-12-2010, 11:41 AM

*Fingers crossed for CCD to magically disappear and maybe even reverse*

**beeboy** · 02-14-2010, 09:09 PM

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.

andrewschwab · 02-14-2010, 09:24 PM

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.

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)

**beeboy** · 02-14-2010, 09:44 PM

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.