Newbie: can I expect any honey this year?

[Webby]

Hi, I'm new to beekeeping and was bought a langstroth hive for my birthday in June. As we had such bad start to the summer. Also I had to re queen as mine wasn't really laying. My new queen has been in almost three weeks now and there's plenty of brood in all stages. Fingers crossed they'll be ok.

 

[B+.]

Hi, I'm new to beekeeping and was bought a langstroth hive for my birthday in June. As we had such bad start to the summer. Also I had to re queen as mine wasn't really laying. My new queen has been in almost three weeks now and there's plenty of brood in all stages. Fingers crossed they'll be ok.

The spring/early summer was quite wet and chilly this year so everything seems to be happening at once.
It takes 21 days from the queen laying a fertilised egg to the emergence of an adult worker. Usually, they will go through a period of performing different jobs in the hive before becoming a forager. I wouldn't hold out too much hope for a crop this year unless you have substantial nectar flows late in the year.

 

[Vortex]

Grrr .. this is one of my pet hates. Its almost the first question new beekeeper ask and it should be the one they shouldn't (especially if they've done any form of basic course).
I always make it clear that you should never expect a harvest in your first year with *any* colony.
The first order of business is getting enough foundation drawn and filled with comb. This usually means getting a 5 frame Nuc to 10 or 11 frames of foundation by mid August. If you don't get the nuc till mid June then this can be a big ask.
A big swarm on a good flow (like now) can do it and probably pull enough of a super to possibly get a harvest, but there are few if any guarantees.
Getting them to the point they can successfully overwinter should be the A No 1 priority. Season 2 and beyond is for harvests.

 

[B+.]

Getting them to the point they can successfully overwinter should be the A No 1 priority. Season 2 and beyond is for harvests.

Vortex
I blame the way we keep bees in this country. If more people bought decent quality queens instead of wanting something for nothing from a swarm, we'd be a lot further on IMHO
Of course, you're 100% right about preparation for winter though. The survival of the colony should always be the first priority

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Grrr .. this is one of my pet hates. Its almost the first question new beekeeper ask and it should be the one they shouldn't (especially if they've done any form of basic course).

Hmm, better be having a word with my bees then - just come in from putting a second super on a nuc with one of my own queens that I hived at the beginning of the month. They were seriously running out of space, and forced to store honey in the brood box.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Just checked my records - I only put the first super on Saturday!!
I'd better go back out and take one off - can't be having that!!!

 

[seaknight]

Just checked my records - I only put the first super on Saturday!!
I'd better go back out and take one off - can't be having that!!!

That's good work! I'm guessing the super was filled with drawn comb though?
My 5 hives are doing okay, although honey production is a bit slow down this neck of the woods - hope we get more nice weather!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

That's good work! I'm guessing the super was filled with drawn comb though?

Half and half on the first one.

 

[blackie]

Welcome webby ��

 

[Webby]

Thanks Blackie. Don't worry people I'm not going to rob them of winter stores. Just wanted some feedback and views. I know lots of beekeepers have different opinions. Just can't wait for my first taste of MY honey. Thanks for your replies.

 

[Swarm]

If conditions are favourable, there is always a chance you may get some even if it's only a frame or two.

 

[Chris B]

Hi, I'm new to beekeeping and was bought a langstroth hive for my birthday in June. As we had such bad start to the summer. Also I had to re queen as mine wasn't really laying. My new queen has been in almost three weeks now and there's plenty of brood in all stages. Fingers crossed they'll be ok.

Perfectly reasonable to want some honey from your bees. But there was likely no need to replace your first queen - June was such a poor month for bees and going off lay is a natural response to that. But all's well that ends well. Potential for honey really depends on bee numbers in your hive now. Brood box needs to be full of bees on all frames to have much chance as this current nectar flow is likely to be over in a week. Get a super on anyway if not done already.

 

[Millet]

If conditions are favourable, there is always a chance you may get some even if it's only a frame or two.

Mine give me some last year but i put the Super under the brood box to feed it back to them for winter, up to now they have rewarded me with 12lb of spring honey and god know what honey from this summer.

 

[Webby]

Perfectly reasonable to want some honey from your bees. But there was likely no need to replace your first queen - June was such a poor month for bees and going off lay is a natural response to that. But all's well that ends well. Potential for honey really depends on bee numbers in your hive now. Brood box needs to be full of bees on all frames to have much chance as this current nectar flow is likely to be over in a week. Get a super on anyway if not done already.

Thanks Chris. No super on at the mo but the fresh brood should start emerging in the next few days so I'm hoping the hive will soon start looking fuller and fuller. When I checked the brood with my old queen with an experienced friend who has 30 hives plus, there was just a few drone capped and that was about it.

 

[JWF]

Like a lot of other questions, the answer is "it depends". I got 30lb off my first colony in the first year, and they started off as a fairly small shook swarm onto foundation.

 

[sugarbush]

The survival of the colony should always be the first priority

Because I don't want bees that merely survive

Now that is quite a shift in philosophy.

 

[B+.]

Now that is quite a shift in philosophy.

Not at all. If you have bees that are worth looking after, you'd be a fool to let them die. You just have to find out which are worth saving. Then do everything you can to look after them.

I make no secret of the fact that I selectively breed bees. What happens to those queens that don't make the grade? I either pass them on to others or destroy the queen and requeen the colony. Its common sense really.

 

[Webby]

New queen is a buckfast sent from Scotland. Judging by what I've now seen she's been non stop laying. Introduced her on the first so fresh bees should be emerging any day now.