How much to extract?

[Pips]

I have some queries about how much if any honey I can take. Both are new colonies this year and have had to draw foundation in the supers.
Hive 1 has a brood and a half with mainly brood and some honey. It has one super about half full of honey.

Hive 2 has a brood and a half - less brood in theirs as they swarmed, but a whole super full of honey.

Can I take any or will that leave them too empty? If it's of relevance, there is a lot of balsam about 2 miles away and a common full of heather (acres and acres of it) on their doorstepAlso is there any way I can hire a spinner if so? Am not yet a member of the BBKA ( keep forgetting to post the form!).

Thanks

 

[ratcatcher]

I personally didn't rob any honey until the 2nd year, when I first started, even now I like to leave them a full super each, depends if you want to feed throughout the winter months, I don't

 

[Davelin]

Couple of points:

If you are not a member of any association you probably don't have third party liability insurance. In the unlikely, but possible event of your bees causing serious injury or death to anyone, or any animal, you may be in a difficult position.

If you join your local branch of the BBKA they may well have a club extractor you can borrow or hire, ours does. You will almost certainly find someone who is prepared to lend you theirs.

Is the super with honey in the half of the brood and a half? If it is extra to this then you could take some honey; how much you take depends on whether you want to leave them enough for winter without supplementary feeding, but brood and a half with a decent amount of honey stored should be adequate.

 

[Pips]

Yes, I know I need to join. Both hives are brood and a half. The one with the full super (extra to the brood and a half) is the one with less bees and brood. I was also unsure whether to move them down into just the brood for the winter or whether I would keep them as brood and a half.

 

[Pips]

I think I would hive them fondant through the winter this year anyhow just to be cautious.

 

[Davelin]

No hard and fast rules on this, depends on strength and size of colony etc etc.

Do you have a mentor, or know any experienced beeks in the area who could look at you colonies.

Almost impossible to give you a definitive answer on a forum.

 

[Davelin]

I think I would hive them fondant through the winter this year anyhow just to be cautious.

You should give them 2:1 syrup if you are autumn feeding.

Fondant can be used as atop up if needed late winter/early spring.

 

[Pips]

Thanks, that's good to know. I wasn't thinking of autumn feeding due to the balsam and heather but do you think I should?

 

[Davelin]

Again impossible for me to say from here.

40lb of stores is a ball park figure going into winter.

You would need to assess how much they have and are likely to get from HB.

 

[Finman]

.
you may extract all honey and then feed sugar in September. It works fine.
Pollen frames for winter are important. Bees get the most valuable nutritients from pollen.

 

[Dishmop]

40lb of stores is a ball park figure going into winter.

How many frames is that?

 

[itma]

How many frames is {40 lb of honey/stores} ?

It is equivalent to about 8 complete National Deep ("brood") frames, fully capped, both sides.

Its just the standard "ballpark figure" as a rule of thumb for safety.
Insulation, weather, etc all play a part in how much margin of safety it gives.

ADDED ///
A well-filled shallow box ("super") holds about 25lb.

It ain't even August yet. Plenty of time before worrying about gathering (and/or feeding) winter stores.

 

[Fatbee]

If you have had strong laying queens then you will probably find very little currently stored in brood box because they have been busy using the cells for breeding rather than storage. Go through in the next few weeks and see what stores you have in the brood box. As the queens begin reducing their laying rates from now on this extra space will be back filled from Balsam, Willowherb and most importantly ivy if we have a fair autumn (which is not guaranteed). The extent they backfill will be weather and forage dependent. If you leave the super then it will help boost the stores that they collect from now on. If you do take you will probably need to feed.
How much stores do they need? If you can easily lift the hive you don't have enough - if you're struggling to lift you're getting there!

 

[Dishmop]

Plenty of time before worrying about gathering (and/or feeding) winter stores.

I dont feed mine. Last winter each hive had a super on with 4 or 5 frames of honey. Dont know how much (if any) they had in the brood boxes but they didnt eat all of what was in the supers. They eat the most in the spring.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

No hard and fast rules on this, depends on strength and size of colony etc etc.



Do you have a mentor, or know any experienced beeks in the area who could look at you colonies.



Almost impossible to give you a definitive answer on a forum.

+1 but good local ivy forage made a huge difference to mine and is a factor to consider.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

A well-filled shallow box ("super") holds about 25lb.

Mine must be doing well this year then - recovered honey this year averaging nigh on thirty pounds per hive!!

 

[psafloyd]

I have some queries about how much if any honey I can take. Both are new colonies this year and have had to draw foundation in the supers.
Hive 1 has a brood and a half with mainly brood and some honey. It has one super about half full of honey.

Hive 2 has a brood and a half - less brood in theirs as they swarmed, but a whole super full of honey.

Can I take any or will that leave them too empty? If it's of relevance, there is a lot of balsam about 2 miles away and a common full of heather (acres and acres of it) on their doorstepAlso is there any way I can hire a spinner if so? Am not yet a member of the BBKA ( keep forgetting to post the form!).

Thanks

Even once you post the form, there is a period you will be uninsured AFTER your membership has been accepted. I think it is three months and is an issue for those who let their membership lapse.

 

[Swarm]

It sounds to me as though you have at least a super you could extract. With Balsam close by they will probably fill that returned super within a week.

 

[pargyle]

Thanks, that's good to know. I wasn't thinking of autumn feeding due to the balsam and heather but do you think I should?

Only if they need it ... you should be aware of how much stores they need to get through winter and either heft (or preferably weigh) your hive through winter to see how much they are using. I have a strong Ivy flow down here in September and they really fill up on that .. if it looks like they are running out of stores towards the end of winter (and we've had a few long winters over the last few years) you can always put some fondant on top of the frames to get them through.

Despite what Finman says a lot of people prefer to over winter their bees on what bees actually store themselves in order to over winter ie: their own HONEY ..

 

[Pips]

Thank you, really helpful. Particularly like the if you can lift it easily... Trouble is have a heft 6'4' husband who can lift quite a lot so maybe not the best test for us. Think we will err on side if caution but try and get a few jars.