Plans for the season?

[Goran]

Reducing a lot. The price of honey is low, interest for our real honey is also low ( I heard last year imported 1500 tons of honey at really low prices).. Little to say disappointed in all. So I plan to reduce it to completely enjoy and not worry about all the rotten things are happening organized, not sporadic.. Few barrels to sell at door step, share to family, friends..

 

[GuyNir]

Never hear that expression before. I like that

I second that. Well said

 

[applejack33]

New Shed

Not half big enough.

 

[Wingy]

So far looking good for all 3 colonies to come through winter. Plans are:
1 garden hive with 2018 Buckfast will make 2 with AS and have a 2019 bought in Buckfast Q of known origin (already ordered)
2 allotment hives 2018 F1 Buckfast I’m going to have a go at the Snelgrove method to keep colonies strong then split later in the season & re Q with F1’s from the garden hive.
Also going to make up 2 nucs with F1 Buckfast Q’s to over winter as an insurance.
Going to have a go with a bait hive and see how that goes.

Looking at going into winter 2019 with 6-7 colonies & 2 nucs while enjoying a bit of honey

If only all goes to plan

 

[GuyNir]

Try to reduce the number of hives, less hives but more productive. Using the nucs more as a resource to support the production hives. Trying queen rearing for the first time, ordered a Buckfast queen to arrive late April - plan to use her for queen rearing if she’s proven good.
Also plan to support/mentor someone from the village who intends to start beekeeping this year. Surely busy year ahead, but super excited

 

[deemann1]

Got 12 colonies including nucs for this season, I'm after making 16 more nucs and 45 nationals got a bit carried away , hope to have at least 30 to 40 colonies going into next winter with bought in queens , splits and swarms

 

[For want of a better word]

In what way are they improved?
Gentler? More fecund? Increased Honey? Or just bred for being a purer local Amm variant?

All of the above... although my bees are really nice to handle!

 

[Newbeeneil]

One thing I didn't add to my plans was...I have a 12x10 shed ordered to go on my home allotment to store all my spare equipment....

I built a 12 x 8 shed for my new rearing apiary to store all my spare kit.... I'm still putting gear in there .......
Roll on the season so I can empty it!

 

[For want of a better word]

I built a 12 x 8 shed for my new rearing apiary to store all my spare kit.... I'm still putting gear in there .......
Roll on the season so I can empty it!

Far too small.... building second PortaKabin.........

 

[BMH]

I built a 12 x 8 shed for my new rearing apiary to store all my spare kit.... I'm still putting gear in there .......

Roll on the season so I can empty it!

Beats keeping it in the kitchen!

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

 

[Hachi]

Beats keeping it in the kitchen!

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If I did that I'd be divorced ……….. again!!!!

 

[Wingy]

If I did that I'd be divorced ……….. again!!!!

Did what? I can’t see anything lol

 

[Hachi]

Ah lol store my kit in the house

 

[GuyNir]

Ah lol store my kit in the house

What kit?

 

[SDM]

Since I can't expect conditions anywhere near as good as last year, I'll be happy with the same amount of honey as last year despite doubling the amount of hives.
If I can do that, raise 200 queens and see hive numbers in treble figures, then it will have been a good year.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Ah lol store my kit in the house

Nice poly insulated wall there, bet the wife is pleased how much heat it saves.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Did what? I can’t see anything lol

What kit?

Looking at the photo, between 40 to 50 supers.

 

[mbc]

My beekeeping plan is the same as always, enjoy making the most of the conditions we're sent and pay off a bit of the mortgage with the proceeds. I don't have specific numbers in mind for increase but have spent a good part of the winter assembling frames and boxes and turning wax into foundation and knocking up new floors so I'm sure they'll get pressed into service at some point in the season.

 

[BMH]

Looking at the photo, between 40 to 50 supers.

Here's the thing. I was trying to be clever and cut corners. I made up 70 cedar supers with only screws. No glue.

I then had beekeepers remorse and thought. I have probably saved a couple of hours and massively reduced the life of the boxes.

None of them have seen action yet, so I am going back through them and dismantling them, gluing, screwing and nailing them.

But, these ones need to warm up in front of the radiator for a couple of days first as they are a bit damp.

Lesson learnt. Dont cut corners.

 

[madasafish]

My plans:
Keep hive numbers the same (8)
raise more nucs
raise more queens
Hopefully produce as much honey as last years c 450lbs - more productive hives.
Take 100lbs honey off end June and start selling then.

Keep my back and rest of my ageing body fit whilst doing it.