Beekeeping reflections

[gmonag]

78kg for real!!
That's ridiculous .
How much do the mediums weigh

I think he meant 78,000 cells.

 

[Swn58]

The two things I found most problematic in my first two years were:
- Underfeeding over winter leading to starvation
- Swarm prevention and control, leading to - guess what - my bees disappearing over the horizon

Yes....I tend to make sure my bees have more food. I also hardly ever have swarm problems now. I split hives into two or three nucs, as early as possible. I will have to be on the ball next season though, on that front. I have a lot more hives this year and I don't want to lose any bees. I will need them!

 

[No Neo Nics]

Once you get to around 5 hives and run them properly, it is more than self financing.

Doesn't that depend on how much of their honey you steal? I left as much as I could for them to get through the winter. Maybe I got that wrong?

 

[madasafish]

Doesn't that depend on how much of their honey you steal? I left as much as I could for them to get through the winter. Maybe I got that wrong?

I steal nothing.

(If you drink milk, you are stealing it from the cows. If you eat beef you are killing cows. And increasing methane output into the atmosphere and hence increase global warming.)

I take as much honey as I can and feed approx half my hives to achieve my minimum desired weight (over 32kg)..

(I also drink milk and eat beef)

I also eat 1 teaspoon of honey per day as it soothes my throat. Better than any cough medicines.

 

[Arfermo]

And here, I am glad the bees are chilled ( 2 swarms 5 months old ) what I didnt appreciate is how much work there is, cat herding is far easier, slightly less dead uns as well.
I dont even like Honey.

I don't eat honey unless I bung some in cooking but I do like seeing my bees doing their stuff with minimal interference from me.

 

[No Neo Nics]

I steal nothing.

(If you drink milk, you are stealing it from the cows. If you eat beef you are killing cows. And increasing methane output into the atmosphere and hence increase global warming.)

I take as much honey as I can and feed approx half my hives to achieve my minimum desired weight (over 32kg)..

(I also drink milk and eat beef)

I also eat 1 teaspoon of honey per day as it soothes my throat. Better than any cough medicines.

Thanks for that inspired explanation. Maybe I used the wrong word or maybe I have just been doing it all wrong. Sorry, and shame.

 

[madasafish]

Thanks for that inspired explanation. Maybe I used the wrong word or maybe I have just been doing it all wrong. Sorry, and shame.

Thanks.

Not a problem.

Long ago my wife said that compared to me, rhinos have a paper thin skin

 

[user 819]

I take excess honey, my bees have yet to get thru 60, 80 or even over 100lbs of stores thru winter use. They get supplemented with stores if enough late forage isn't collected, often I only need to give a half or 1 gallon of feed.

 

[No Neo Nics]

I take excess honey, my bees have yet to get thru 60, 80 or even over 100lbs of stores thru winter use. They get supplemented with stores if enough late forage isn't collected, often I only need to give a half or 1 gallon of feed.

This is similar to what I did. I'd leave a lot for their winter breakfast, lunch and supper but anything they hadn't eaten through the winter I'd harvest, not steal, in the spring.

 

[Murox]

This is similar to what I did. I'd leave a lot for their winter breakfast, lunch and supper but anything they hadn't eaten through the winter I'd harvest, not steal, in the spring.

Harvesting in the spring can be a useful tool to use.

 

[No Neo Nics]

Harvesting in the spring can be a useful tool to use.

Blinkin' 'ec. That's reassuring. Unknowingly I may have got something right!

 

[victor meldrew]

Brought up with WBC and national . Had very long break from bees . Built my own insulated wooden long hives. Oddly enough I am thinking of trying poly langstroth of the honey paw range using a single box size throughout - any thoughts about using mediums?

Why not? If you’re a strong lad and can handle full sized boxes as supers .
They are heavy , the weight difference between poly and cedar isn’t enough to make much difference to the full super weight .

 

[madasafish]

On topic. I often have surplus honey in brood frames in Spring.
I do not extract it.
1. Because my extractor will not take the frames (jumbo lang)
and
2. It probably contains some sugar from winter feeding

I feed it back to weaker nucs or use it to help make up more nucs.

 

[beeno]

Why not? If you’re a strong lad and can handle full sized boxes as supers .
They are heavy , the weight difference between poly and cedar isn’t enough to make much difference to the full super weight .

I sometimes end up with a brood box as a super and have to on-load some frames before I can lift it off. 12.5kg is absolute max for me with poly!

 

[Hachi]

To answer the OP's Q - My first four years, were a complete disaster but I learned a lot, the hard way. It seems to me with all this modern thinking the focus is on pretending not to fail, which is ludicrous. Things not working out how you planned is all part of the process of learning, you learn by your mistakes and if you don't you give up. Bob Binnie You can search for him on the "tube" states beekeeping in 50% science and 50% art. Understand the science and learning how to apply it is the arty bit. Its not peculiar to beekeeping tho its everywhere.

 

[Hachi]

Rab is another well worth listening too and seeking his sage advice when you think all is lost.

 

[pargyle]

Rab is another well worth listening too and seeking his sage advice when you think all is lost.

I can't remember any of his advice that was not bang on the money ... alll 150000 or so of them !

 

[Erichalfbee]

And to whom would an offending post be reported to, the moderator perhaps!

Yes
There are more than two

 

[beeno]

Yes
There are more than two

Where do they lurk then?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Where do they lurk then?

Here on the forum. If you report a post they will see it. Every post has a history that can be seen too.