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Author Topic: Next year's expansion  (Read 8662 times)

Offline Moonshae

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Next year's expansion
« on: June 18, 2007, 10:13:22 pm »
Maybe I'm crazy, but I'm already thinking about how I'm going to expand next year. My plan is to add an observation hive and a regular Lang hive next year. The Ob hive I plan to take a few frames of brood from one of my two current Italian hives (to be able to watch them make their own queen in detail), and I was thinking about making the new Lang hive a Carniolan colony. Since I live in NJ, I'd like the cold-tolerance of the Carnis, but I'm a bit concerned by their swarm potential. I'm willing to manage them as needed, and keep giving them more frames to draw, slatted racks, screened bottom boards, more supers, etc, but I don't want to get in over my head, if I'd be better off with another colony of Italians.

Input?
"The mouth of a perfectly contented man is filled with beer." - Egyptian Proverb, 2200 BC

Offline doak

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Re: Next year's expansion
« Reply #1 on: June 18, 2007, 10:45:19 pm »
If you plan on rearing queens, I would stick with one strain.
Cross breeding can give off some iffiy off spring.
Unless you have an out yard for breeding purpose.
My 2 cants.
doak

Offline Moonshae

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Re: Next year's expansion
« Reply #2 on: June 18, 2007, 10:53:01 pm »
I don't intend to rear queens, unless they decide to make their own. I don't have an interest (yet) in creating bees, queens or otherwise, for sale. I'm looking to compare hives and see what does best in my location.
"The mouth of a perfectly contented man is filled with beer." - Egyptian Proverb, 2200 BC

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Next year's expansion
« Reply #3 on: June 18, 2007, 11:13:02 pm »
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline doak

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Re: Next year's expansion
« Reply #4 on: June 19, 2007, 01:23:47 am »
Sorry about the misunderstanding.
If you have 2 or 3 hives of different kind, and one was to supercede or swarm, or say you wanted to rear a queen or two for your own use, not to sell.
I had a Corni and Itailian cross and they had a very bad disposition.
One that I don't care for.
doak

Offline Moonshae

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Re: Next year's expansion
« Reply #5 on: June 19, 2007, 07:58:16 am »
Every beekeeper should have an observation hive.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesobservationhives.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnewbees.htm


I'd read this when I was first exploring the site, and was initially tuned off of Ob hives because of your descriptions of how most commercial ones don't allow proper bee space, and all the tweaking you had to do to make them fit properly. I'm not handy like that and would more likely end up ruining an expensive hive. However, now that I have two regular Lang hives, I'd love to be able to peek in every day and see what they're up to, but I wouldn't want to disturb them so much. The usefulness of an observation hive seems very clear to me now...it would give me something to watch more regularly.

So, next year, when they'll have enough time to build up and I'll have enough surplus honey to get them through the winter.
"The mouth of a perfectly contented man is filled with beer." - Egyptian Proverb, 2200 BC

Offline Moonshae

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Re: Next year's expansion
« Reply #6 on: June 19, 2007, 08:02:11 am »
Sorry about the misunderstanding.
If you have 2 or 3 hives of different kind, and one was to supercede or swarm, or say you wanted to rear a queen or two for your own use, not to sell.
I had a Corni and Itailian cross and they had a very bad disposition.
One that I don't care for.
doak

Oh, I see. The cross could quite easily come if a queen were superceded. Also, presumably, with the queen mating with different drones, her workers would likely end up with a variety of different traits.

Well, something to think about for the next few months, thanks!
"The mouth of a perfectly contented man is filled with beer." - Egyptian Proverb, 2200 BC

Offline buzzbee

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Re: Next year's expansion
« Reply #7 on: June 19, 2007, 08:14:23 am »
We bought this ob hive from drapers in the spring and are well satisfied!
http://draperbee.com/images/oak%20standard%20web.jpg
http://img393.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img2182fo2.jpg

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Next year's expansion
« Reply #8 on: June 20, 2007, 09:18:48 pm »
They only problem with the beespace is burr on the glass.  It scrapes off.  :)  Draper makes a very nice observation hive.  You just need to figure out how to feed them in the winter.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline Moonshae

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Re: Next year's expansion
« Reply #9 on: June 20, 2007, 09:31:08 pm »
I'm figuring that since I have two hives now, I'll have some surplus honey to feed them over the winter next year. I'd rather not feed sugar syrup all winter, it just seems like it would lack all the nutrients they'd need for that long a time. Maybe I can add a pollen trap to another hive and make my own, real-pollen patties?
"The mouth of a perfectly contented man is filled with beer." - Egyptian Proverb, 2200 BC

Offline michelleb

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Re: Next year's expansion
« Reply #10 on: July 27, 2007, 10:32:16 pm »
I went from 3 to 10 colonies this year (plus 3 nukes and an ob hive).

Catching swarms helped out big time, as I didn't want to split too heavily. Drawing out foundation was another of my goals, so I wanted the colonies strong. And what they say about swarms is true--they're really great for drawing out foundation.

After I extract and replace supers (running same size brood/honey boxes) I'll be able to split and feed for the remainder of summer so maybe I can add a few more colonies to the ranks.

Next year? I'd like to go into winter with no fewer than 30 colonies. I've got the boxes and frames for that many--just need to rig up the trailers with pallet clips, and build those mig lids.

Pocket Meadow Farm

Offline TwT

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Re: Next year's expansion
« Reply #11 on: July 27, 2007, 10:36:33 pm »
you can build a OB hive that has a winter feeder, ken if your doesn't have a feeder you could abapt your as, heres a friends of mine site that has plans, I seen this and it is great!!!!!! it rotates all the way around and has about everything


http://www.owensapiaries.net/observation_hive.htm
THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 MONTHS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

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Amateurs built the ark,
Professionals built the Titanic

Offline buzzbee

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Re: Next year's expansion
« Reply #12 on: July 28, 2007, 08:48:32 am »
Ted,
My observation hive has a feeder!:





On another note: I had been keeping the observation hive covered all the time,however the last couple months I"ve left it uncovered and there is very little burr comb.

They actually built a little outside the house at the exit of the tube and clustered there when the hive was overcrowded.

Offline TwT

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Re: Next year's expansion
« Reply #13 on: July 28, 2007, 02:01:26 pm »
I thought all of them had a feeder,

the one problem I have heard about with OB hive was leaving them uncover and them waxing up  the glass, one day I am going to get me one and them fight with ole Colonel Klink about letting me put them in the house, she dont care about them being in the house , its the hole in the wall or messing with one of her windows that is stopping me
THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 MONTHS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

Never be afraid to try something new.
Amateurs built the ark,
Professionals built the Titanic

Offline buzzbee

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Re: Next year's expansion
« Reply #14 on: July 28, 2007, 03:07:14 pm »
This is the exit from the house: