Positive beekeeping plans

[E&MBees]

After hearing on the news that the covid uk variant is possibly 30-40% more deadly than the original version I need something positive to think about. So my beekeeping plans this year are to raise a queen, try a demarree and build another colony with a brought queen and harvest some honey.
What plans are others hoping to achieve this year?

 

[simonforeman]

Increase my hive count from 12 now I have 2 more out apiaries.
More grafting and queen rearing success

 

[GuyNir]

Family and I keeping safe, healthy and sane. Everything else will fall into place.

 

[Winter bee]

It's very hard think positively when all there is to hear is negative.

I'm overwintering 20 colonies, and I want to do Bailey comb change on all of them, or most of them. And I want to be organised enough to maintain my colonies with demaree and snelgrove methods. I tried it on 3 colonies last year and found it to be very successful. Another thing I'm going try more of is 3 frame queen rearing. I've done this by making floor with 3 entrences and dividing brood box in 3 parts with extended dummy board. Tried last season with 1 box, got 3 colonies by the end of season.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It's very hard think positively when all there is to hear is negative.

I'm overwintering 20 colonies, and I want to do Bailey comb change on all of them, or most of them. And I want to be organised enough to maintain my colonies with demaree and snelgrove methods. I tried it on 3 colonies last year and found it to be very successful. Another thing I'm going try more of is 3 frame queen rearing. I've done this by making floor with 3 entrences and dividing brood box in 3 parts with extended dummy board. Tried last season with 1 box, got 3 colonies by the end of season.

If you're going to Demarree why bailey them all?
Why Bailey them all, period?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Plans to try grafting for the first time using the cloaky board method and use double brood nucs to finish qcs. I plan to try two types of finishing colonys under the swarming, emergency impulse.
We have 15 colonys selected to use.
We are also looking forward to being part of the big program with the association, which is all based around our native bees.
We are not to worried about honey production, but we have two new Heather sites and some new sites on farms in our local area.
We are also looking forward to trying jonathan Gettys queen's and spending some time with mbc when I pick up our nucs.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have this to move. It’s strapped up ready to go and today we had a rehearsal before it snowed. We have a plan to slide it down a ladder.


I have two black queens ordered from Jon Getty so I’m looking forward to those.
last year was rubbish for honey so I’d like some nicer weather
I was hoping to get together with old friends at the Welsh Convention but that’s gone so fingers crossed for Conwy Honey fair; three nights in a nice hotel, some decent ale and pub food and talk bees.
That will do for a start thanks

 

[pargyle]

If you're going to Demarree why bailey them all?
Why Bailey them all, period?

It's the 'recognised' requirement to give them all nice clean frames often preached by those who insist on cleaning the floors and changing them every spring ... both much overrated pastimes in my opinion ....

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It's the 'recognised' requirement to give them all nice clean frames often preached by those who insist on cleaning the floors and changing them every spring ... both much overrated pastimes in my opinion ....

And we wonder why the BBKA annual honey harvest figure is so low

 

[CaptainCymru]

Move my big double national into 2 polys,fling them in the back of the pickup and drive down to the south west , open the entrances and get stung .....On a serious note since I've stopped watching the news I sleep better and feel better on the whole .The media these days exist to frighten you and keep you in a continual sense of elevated stress.Stop watching and read some classic novels instead , go about your life , and maybe take a course in something . Dont waste your time worrying about something you cant control.

 

[elainemary]

My Goals / Plans for this season:
-Queen rear from 3 best colonies
-Requeen 2 colonies
-Source an AMM queen to add new genetics
-Swarm control by Demaree my ‘production’ colonies to maximise honey crop
-Swarm prevention : Mix of vertical splits and old queen to Nuc
-Equipment : Move colonies in each apiary onto same equipment; polyhives in 1 apiary
-Health: Test colonies for hygienic behaviour, use sugar shake for varroa monitoring and switch varroa control; practise more IPM
-Pass Bee Biology and Bee behaviour exams. Learn more about bee anatomy
-Support beginners / mentor beginner(s) in my local association
-Enjoy my bees

 

[pnkemp]

Complete my training, catch another swarm, split the existing hive, then bugger off to MZ and start again

 

[Swarm]

I have this to move. It’s strapped up ready to go and today we had a rehearsal before it snowed. We have a plan to slide it down a ladder.

14x12 and is that two supers? How much does it weigh?

 

[pargyle]

Planning in beekeeping ? Best make the plans flexible...

If you plan to make increase ... they will swarm so much you won't have enouugh kit to accommodate them ..

If you buy enough kit in the sales to accommodate your proposed increases they will stalwartly refuse to swarm and the splits you take will fail to create a single queen cell.

If you decide to buy the biggest extractor your can afford to cope with all the honey you intend them to produce it will be the worst season ever and they will eat their way through everything they store...

Beekeeping needs to go with the flow, by all means be prepared, as much as you can be, but fixed plans have a habit oif disappointing. Consider anything that you have fixed in stone as a moveable feast ... it will come together eventually but not usually to your timetable.

 

[Antipodes]

I'm planning to keep learning the craft, hopefully as quickly as possible, but understanding that the learning it is an endless process..which is good! Planning to stay realistic and looking forward to next year being one of the 2 good beekeeping years in 10. This season wasn't it, nor the last three! Does that mean I am closer to a good year? Thinking positively, I'd like to think so.

 

[Winter bee]

I'm lacking drawn brood frames, and some are that I have are getting rather black or disfigured. But that will depend largely on weather, last year had 2 weeks of good weather early spring, keen bees and no forage, so put few hives to work. They drew out brood box each (3 hives) with help of sugar syrup, and went on to be my most productive colonies of the season. But as I said it's largely weather dependant, no two seasons are the same, I might nothing of what I have planned.

If you're going to Demarree why bailey them all?
Why Bailey them all, period?

G

 

[Murox]

I am very much reminded as I read through this thread - - "To accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; And wisdom to know the difference" - - .
My intention this year is to establish a new apiary site - just waiting for the weather to ease up a little.

 

[Erichalfbee]

14x12 and is that two supers? How much does it weigh?

One super.
Heavy.
It's causing me some stress. It may have to wait till the active season a temporary split and a period away for three weeks

 

[happyculteur]

.
My intention this year is to establish a new apiary site - just waiting for the weather to ease up a little.

Always an exciting time. I'm thinking of breaking out of my garden again. Last summer I chose several possible sites, but wondering if it's very wise at my age. Getting beekeeper's fingers.

 

[thorn]

I've got two new sites, one on an allotment, one on a farm. I'll put half a dozen hives on each. I'll move a couple of hives from existing sites, I've ordered two nucs, will split a couple more hives and breed a few queens. I'll then have a cup of tea and reflect on what to do next.