this is my bee hive inventory(help me plan for next season)1st year beekeeper

[adamant]

help me with a plan for next season (2012) i am bee keeper that has bees since June 2011. this is my inventory...
1. 9 active hives that i bought this and July that consists of 2 deeps (brood chamber and upper box that are set up with 9 frames each.
2. 1 hive as the same configuration as above but lost after i treated for mites.. (in storage)
3. 22 9 frame shallow boxes that i bought at a auction and added a nailed on spacer that made them into all mediums.
4. i made up 200 medium frames with plastic foundations for the 22 boxes.
5. 40 5 frame deep nucs that i made up with frames and plastic foundation. (i plan on using some if most as swarm traps)
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thats what i have.. with that inventory, how can i configure this to be a successful next season.. what would you do with this?
thank you

 

[MuswellMetro]

dupilcate

 

[MuswellMetro]

help me with a plan for next season (2012) i am bee keeper that has bees since June 2011. this is my inventory...
1. 9 active hives that i bought this and July that consists of 2 deeps (brood chamber and upper box that are set up with 9 frames each.
2. 1 hive as the same configuration as above but lost after i treated for mites.. (in storage)
3. 22 9 frame shallow boxes that i bought at a auction and added a nailed on spacer that made them into all mediums.
4. i made up 200 medium frames with plastic foundations for the 22 boxes.
5. 40 5 frame deep nucs that i made up with frames and plastic foundation. (i plan on using some if most as swarm traps)
-----------
thats what i have.. with that inventory, how can i configure this to be a successful next season.. what would you do with this?
thank you

SORRY BUT one language but two meanings

what is a swarm traps used for?

we split our hives for swarm control into two called an artificial swarm, this requires extra deeps,floorsm, crown board and roof, then recombine

we may place a bait box to collect a swarm but this is not essential as the artificial swarm should stop the swarming instinct ( LOL)

 

[adamant]

SORRY BUT one language but two meanings

what is a swarm traps used for?

we split our hives for swarm control into two called an artificial swarm, this requires extra deeps,floorsm, crown board and roof, then recombine

we may place a bait box to collect a swarm but this is not essential as the artificial swarm should stop the swarming instinct ( LOL)

traps are used for wild swarm and re capture my swarms in the event that they do swarm before the split..

 

[adamant]

as for extraction equipment i have all maxant. extractor (1400 pl), bottling tank (600-3) and a un capping tank (mutt) and a un capping plane..

marketing my honey: i have a farmers market the is open for 12 months and has a large traffic flow..

 

[drstitson]

so you have only around 2 supers per hive.

many here would suggest that was a minimum for honey purposes...

so that leaves you with the nucs (which may be used as part of swarm control process/making increase OR as bait boxes for any swarms you miss or which come from other apiaries).

so you have no capacity for ASing.

in ideal world you need to double up the number of spare medium boxes to allow for 3 for honey and to have a duplicate set of brood boxes. For the latter you'd of course need floors and roofs UNLESS you plan to AS vertically.

 

[drex]

A bit mystified here. A lot of equipment and a lot of bees ( " active hives") for someone new to beekeeping.

Equipment is only part of " success", whatever you mean by that.

What about knowledge ? and access to experienced advice?

I wish you well, but would counsel " easy does it". Even with fewer colonies and good support from much more experienced beekeepers, last year at times was overwhelming - but fun.

 

[Rosti]

help me with a plan for next season (2012)

work backwards from

a) the number of hives you wish to over winter 12/13 (principle criteria)
b) sustainable maximum hive density for your apiary / local forage

and from this years experience
c) your experience of the main honey crop / what do you want to achieve in poundage?
d) the propensity of your particular strain to swarm
e) local early forage crops / likely early honey harvest

 

[Poly Hive]

I wish you well.

I strongly feel you would do yourself a big favour by seeking out information from people local to you.

On this side of the pond we struggle with a maritime climate,and so our techniques are very different to your side of the Atlantic.

I would suggest that you are at the start of a massive learning curve and finding a local mentor would be of great assistance to you.

PH