First year objectives....

[timaye100]

Hi All,

This is my first year where I am keeping bees myself (rather than helping a very good friend).

I have a couple of hives (from Nucs) which are expanding slowly - my sole objective is to get my bees built up so they can survive the winter. I don't expect any honey this year.

Do you think this is a sensible objective?

Cheers
Tim

 

[Onge]

Hi

My first year I got a swarm in May and harvested 85 lB of honey, so I guess I was lucky.

But anything is possible.

Good luck

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It's my first year and I'd be more than happy to get a few pots for my two mates who sat down, did some research and built me a hive and supers - nucs coming next - they call it beekeeping by proxy!!
I'm just happy I've got bees, I've waited 34 years to get them so I hope I can succeed to carry on keeping them!

 

[cak29]

Hi, that was my goal, just to get them to survive as well! But mine are going at such a speed I am finding them a bit overwhelming at the moment, have only been doing this a month.

How many frames are your girls drawing and filling a week?

 

[Andy Coleman]

Sounds sensible to me, that's what I did in the first season, from a nuc obtained late June. But since you seem to have got them fairly early, you might yet get a crop - you hear reports of enormous crops from some first season nucs (I only took a very small amount that year). Are you feeding? You may encourage faster growth by giving syrup, and then when they are beginning to fill the brood box, if some good nectar flow starts, bung on a super over a Q excluder and see how they go. I had another early nuc this April, on which I did this: fed for a few weeks, during which they expanded rapidly. I put on a super, but now they seem to be running out of stores, perhaps I have mistimed with the June gap, so back on with the feed again! Maybe I'll get this right one day ...

 

[oliver90owner]

my sole objective is to get my bees built up so they can survive the winter

That should be the same for all beeks. Just that between now and autumn there may be an opportunuty to remove some crop. Some (most) are successful; a few are not. It is not the end of the world, if the latter, as long as they are healthy and survive for another season, when the odds of a crop are more favourable.

So sole objective in spring and summer is always to get them built up - ready for a nectar flow. You may get some honey that way. Almost certainly won't, if you don't!

RAB

 

[timaye100]

I have had mine a couple of weeks - and I just want them to get through the winter.

I have two hives and neither is expanding at a massive rate - but I have not fed yet. I plan to start feeding as of next week to help them along.

Cak29 - are you feeding your bees?

Cheers
Tim

 

[cak29]

We did the first week to build comb and then with the weather so nice stopped for 2 weeks and have just put more feed on as have split the hive into 2. So yes and no.

In a month added a second brood after week 2, they have now drawn comb for both brood boxes (12 deep frames in total) and filled about 10 frames both sides in eggs/larve/stores/capped honey in 4 weeks. Have now split and put a super on each, I thought it would take more time but obviously not!

 

[oliver90owner]

cak29,

Are you saying you have only 6 drawn frames in each of two hives, each with a super already on and with some of those frames containing either honey or sugar syrup?

I thought it would take more time but obviously not!

You are wrong. It does take more time. Slow down. Neither colony warrants a super on it yet, per eg.

The weather is not conducive to expansion at the present time, there may be a large 'June gap' and there may be other pitfalls awaiting.

Timaye100,

I plan to start feeding as of next week to help them along.

How do you know they need help? Are they short of stores, short of forage? These are the sort of questions you should be asking yourself at inspections, not predicting actions, which may or may not be needed.

RAB

 

[cak29]

Sorry, no meant 10-12 out of the 12 frames in each brood so have a total of 20 frames covered with stores and brood. (my mistype) They were nearly at full capacity which is why I split and have a super on each separate brood box. Hope this was the right move!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Checked my hive this morning brood now on six frames drawing another two but no stores whatsoever (Fed them last a fortnight ago) given them a light feed again as the weather's been a bit grim with us but hopefully if the forecast is right and a heatwave on the way I'll pop a super on next week to give them a bit more room