Managing expectations

[LeaBees]

Hi all,
Would it be overly ambitious to think I could get a crop of honey and a bonus colony (from swarm mgmt) in my first year? Not looking for bucket loads, just a jar or three. Total beginner here and I hopefully successfully just overwintered first hive... at least so far...

Cheers

 

[Boston Bees]

Hi all,
Would it be overly ambitious to think I could get a crop of honey and a bonus colony (from swarm mgmt) in my first year? Not looking for bucket loads, just a jar or three. Total beginner here and I hopefully successfully just overwintered first hive... at least so far...

Cheers

No, perfectly possible if you have a healthy colony coming out of winter. Good luck.

 

[pargyle]

Hi all,
Would it be overly ambitious to think I could get a crop of honey and a bonus colony (from swarm mgmt) in my first year? Not looking for bucket loads, just a jar or three. Total beginner here and I hopefully successfully just overwintered first hive... at least so far...

Cheers

Yes ... the factors that will provide a crop are colony size, forage and in particular nectar availability at a time when your bees can fly to take advantage of it, weather conditions through the season, the nature of your bees and you making space for them to store honey...and make a surplus. On the years all these factors come together you will see a crop ...even from new colonies... on those years when they don't... you will be lucky to get a crop from established colonies ! Who knows, at this stage, what the season has in store because the other factors are luck and your beekeeping.

 

[user 819]

I remember my first year I got the bees in May that year and the bees gave me 53lbs and I expanded to four colonies very quickly.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes ... the factors that will provide a crop are colony size, forage and in particular nectar availability at a time when your bees can fly to take advantage of it, weather conditions through the season, the nature of your bees and you making space for them to store honey...and make a surplus.

On the years all these factors come together you will see a crop ...even from new colonies... on those years when they don't... you will be lucky to get a crop from established colonies !

Who knows, at this stage, what the season has in store because the other factors are luck and your beekeeping.

Spot on.
In 2018....remember that summer? I got 1000lbs form six production colonies
In 2020.... we had a promising start but then it rained intermittently all year and I got 90lb

 

[Curly green finger's]

I remember my first year I got the bees in May that year and the bees gave me 53lbs and I expanded to four colonies very quickly.

First seasons are always memorable in 2016 we had 8 lb jars of honey from one hive I soon went to 4 hives.
You could be lucky and get 100s of pounds what's the forage like with in a 1, 2 mile radius? Each season is different for the bee's and beekeeper.
For an overwintered nuc if not fed with syrup at the start, I would expect it to perform better in its second season up here.

 

[LeaBees]

First seasons are always memorable in 2016 we had 8 lb jars of honey from one hive I soon went to 4 hives.
You could be lucky and get 100s of pounds what's the forage like with in a 1, 2 mile radius? Each season is different for the bee's and beekeeper.
For an overwintered nuc if not fed with syrup at the start, I would expect it to perform better in its second season up here.

Thank you all, I'd be happy with 3-5lbs..
Fingers crossed it goes to plan.

Cheers

 

[Arfermo]

Thank you all, I'd be happy with 3-5lbs..
Fingers crossed it goes to plan.

Cheers

Just make sure they have enough stores to keep them going into mid March. Feed a little fondant - not too much though.

 

[ericbeaumont]

I'd be happy with 3-5lbs.

Bees won't.

If you set out with such a modest target you'll be working against their aim to make the colony as strong as possible so as to make as much honey as possible for as long as possible (and reproduce if they fancy it).

An overwintered nuc should give you a good start; follow Arfermo's advice above and upgrade them when they're strong and the weather allows; do it too early and they'll be set back, leave it too long and they'll swarm from the nuc.

As CGF said: what forage is available for 2 miles around? If you have 9 miles of arable in a dry summer then yield will be low, but mixed forage between town and country in a good year may surprise.

If you end up with three supers you and the bees will be satisfied.

 

[enrico]

Bees won't.

If you set out with such a modest target you'll be working against their aim to make the colony as strong as possible so as to make as much honey as possible for as long as possible (and reproduce if they fancy it).

An overwintered nuc should give you a good start; follow Arfermo's advice above and upgrade them when they're strong and the weather allows; do it too early and they'll be set back, leave it too long and they'll swarm from the nuc.

As CGF said: what forage is available for 2 miles around? If you have 9 miles of arable in a dry summer then yield will be low, but mixed forage between town and country in a good year may surprise you and the bees.

If you end up with three supers you and the bees will be satisfied.

It never fails to amaze me how one hive can give you 100.lbs whilst another similar one in the same apiary struggles to get any

 

[Erichalfbee]

It never fails to amaze me how one hive can give you 100.lbs whilst another similar one in the same apiary struggles to get any

Maybe the first is robbing the second.

 

[LeaBees]

Bees won't.

If you set out with such a modest target you'll be working against their aim to make the colony as strong as possible so as to make as much honey as possible for as long as possible (and reproduce if they fancy it).

An overwintered nuc should give you a good start; follow Arfermo's advice above and upgrade them when they're strong and the weather allows; do it too early and they'll be set back, leave it too long and they'll swarm from the nuc.

As CGF said: what forage is available for 2 miles around? If you have 9 miles of arable in a dry summer then yield will be low, but mixed forage between town and country in a good year may surprise.

If you end up with three supers you and the bees will be satisfied.

Mostly farmland around but also captures a couple of villages and small woodland in the 2mile radius. Hopefully that will be interesting enough.

 

[pargyle]

Mostly farmland around but also captures a couple of villages and small woodland in the 2mile radius. Hopefully that will be interesting enough.

It's a good mix... if it's there they will find it ... at least you are not in the middle of a mono-crop desert !