Any other beekeepers out there?

[dave holl]

Just wanted to describe our harvest this year. Some of you may remember my beekeeping posts in the past.

I've reduced the number of colonies to 5 from 18. Getting too old to drag out the extracting equipment and all of the heavy lifting.

In a good year 5 colonies will produce 10-15 gallons of honey....this year it was only 2 gallons. No specific reason why. The county bee inspector said low yields were statewide. It was an excellent Spring with Black locust, blackberry, and clover blooms, but then it turned cool. Always difficult to predict the yield. Since bees require 80-100 lbs of honey to make it through the winter, I have to make sure those bottom supers are full.

Two reasons for posting this are to share a loved interest of mine for the last 50 years, and to see if my previous beekeeping posts stimulated anyone else to start a colony or two of bees.
Dave

 

[jbull380]

I have one hive and am looking to add one this next year

 

[jbull380]

I got about 15 to 20 pounds last year. I didn't harvest any this year since I don't think I would have been able to leave enough for them for the winter.

 

[Kenneth07ex]

I've got a hive nearby. I wish it would go away. Can't talk anyone into making that happen. Certainly isn't any shortage of bees at my place.

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

My father in law kept bees for many years. I use to help him out at county fairs when he would set up a booth to sell honey.

Don't know how many hives he had but his harvest would fill a 55 gallon drum. Bought more honey on the side for the fairs. Who doesn't like honey? It sells pretty fast. Was a good side business, for awhile.

He gave it up as he got older, and the bee mites and mystery diseases became such a challenge. I use to read his bee magazines, it's quite the science.

 

[arjay]

Neighbors girlfriend had a hive for several years,lots of bees and the flower gardens did well.Planted vegetables this year,but I saw very few bees.The harvest has been poor.

 

[4barrel]

Dadant and sons bee supplies have been in my home town for over 50 years. lots of bees around here. Some do it for a hobby.

 

[Onomea]

Years ago, had a bee keeper on the forum, perhaps one of you, who described his communication with his bees. I thought it fascinating.

I think successful beekeepers must be very calm, patient people. (Or is that just my naive wishful thinking?)

 

[Skeet 028]

Friend of mine did bees this year. Doubling them up for next year. Someone gave him all their unused equipment. My wife uses the honey in her tea. She said it is great. The fellow gave me some Bees Wax

 

[rwsmith]

No, but I was talking the other day....

...with a friend who is. She said that you used to be able to just let bees do their thing, but nowadays there are all kinds of viruses and parasites that get into the hive. She says her hives are healthy though.

 

[vonn]

Fascinating critters .

 

[paul641]

My son in Tennessee has two hives and his harvest was low this year he says weather had a lot to do with it and Beatles were worse than he would like He moved the hives to a sunnier location to try to help with the beatles

 

[RSBH44]

Hi Dave, Good to see you posting about your hives again. The last time that I responded to your bee posts I said that I was getting closer to starting a hive of my own. Unfortunately that hasn't happened yet but I remain Very interested in doing so. My confidence level isn't quite where it think it should be so I'm still in the learning / gathering info. Process. I have spoken to a number of bee keepers here in NY ( mainly the ones that I purchase honey from) and their harvests are slightly down but still rather robust again this year ! One in particular has been experimenting with Japanese knotweed with excellent results in the flavor of the honey. It has the consistency and color of Buckwheat ( my favorite) with a very similar flavor but lighter. It is exceptionally good honey.

 

[nodpete]

There is a beekeeper just a couple of hundred feet from our yard in a nursery. The wife grow lots of flowers each year and we always have hundreds of bees around. I buy a jar of the honey each year and take a spoonful a day during the allergy seasons and it really helps. It's fun to know that some of the nectar comes from our yard. Here's a shot from yesterday of some Astors in our front yard , it's hard to see them, but the plant is covered with bees.

 

[wnwitzell]

Our hives also had a lower than normal yield, even though there were plenty of blossoms in the yard all summer. Our original hive swarmed away a month ago and the local bees are raiding what is left of the hive. Lots of death struggles on the ground out front... selling hives next month.

 

[chaparrito]

A neighbor down the road keeps bees. In the early spring when it's warm but before anything's blooming the little buggers mob my hummingbird feeders. They actually chase the hummers off. It's OK, they're great later on in the garden. I've always wanted to keep bees but am allergic and the cost of Epi-Pens is through the roof.
We've had a number of attacks in AZ the past few years. The experts say that basically all wild bees in the state are Africanized.

 

[dave holl]

Our hives also had a lower than normal yield, even though there were plenty of blossoms in the yard all summer. Our original hive swarmed away a month ago and the local bees are raiding what is left of the hive. Lots of death struggles on the ground out front... selling hives next month.

Beekeeping can be discouraging at times. Been there myself! Swarming is a natural occurrence. Happens when you have a large population and queen has no more room to lay eggs because all cells are filled with brood and/or honey.Several new queens are produced, first one hatched kills the others (usually), leaves on a mating flight, returns and stays with about 50% of the remaining bees, the other 50% leave with the old queen.

Then the colony must build up again, and is sometimes robbed out by other bees, which is apparently what you are experiencing. Why not stick it out for another season? Heck, you have all of the equipment, and who knows, you may catch a swarm next year. Set up an empty hive with frames and a packet of pheromone (inexpensive from Mann Lake)

 

[Highlands]

Beekeeper here!

I've kept bees off and on for 40 years. Had 4 hives going into last winter and they all died. Bought two new packages this spring and started again.

It was a great summer. Split both of them since they built up so fast.

Took 120 pounds of honey off 3 weeks ago. Once the frost hits I'll check and see if there is any more to take - without starving them over the winter.

Honeybees are so fascinating. When my kids were growing up we had an observation hive in the house. They were able to watch a queen raised by the hive. And after mating laying eggs.

 

[Badger Matt]

Helped my the gent who lets me hunt his land harvest honey. We harvested 6 gallons and he gave me 1.5 to take home. We planted a few acres of buckwheat and the bees gave us the most amazing dark honey. Makes a great gift for friends.

 

[Tyree1867]

A good friend had two hives on our land for a few years. Plants that hadn't bloomed well in years really came alive. Honeybees are the best.