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Author Topic: Spring 2015, expanding my bee "empire"  (Read 4865 times)

Offline jalentour

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Spring 2015, expanding my bee "empire"
« on: August 31, 2014, 10:08:44 pm »
I'd like advise on economically expanding from the 2 hives I have now.  For the sake of conversation, adding 10 more hives. 
Splits, Nucs, packages?  Something else? 
Hive material?  Plywood, pine, plastic?  I'm good with tools.
Food/Feeding methods.
Packaging bee products, primarily honey.  Marketing.
Time commitment.
Common mistakes I can avoid...
Budget...


Offline iddee

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Re: Spring 2015, expanding my bee "empire"
« Reply #1 on: August 31, 2014, 10:27:21 pm »
""I'd like advise on economically expanding from the 2 hives I have now.  For the sake of conversation, adding 10 more hives.""

Most economical..... Charge enough to do removals to pay for the equipment, plus your time and gas.
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Offline GSF

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Re: Spring 2015, expanding my bee "empire"
« Reply #2 on: August 31, 2014, 10:46:15 pm »
J; How long have you been keeping bees? I'm still a rookie, however, I'm only wet behind one ear now. One mistake could be expanding too fast. On March 1st of this year I had one hive with swarm cells and no queen, eggs, brood, or larva. I bought four packages, done splits, caught swarms, did about 3 cut outs and now I'm up to 17. Until the last week or so I was concerned about 3 or 4 of them but their numbers seem to be building up.

My bee season is much longer than yours - I suppose. I wish the best to you. If you run into any trouble or have any questions give us a holler. There's a lot of good folks on here that has the answer or can steer you in the right direction.
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Offline jalentour

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Re: Spring 2015, expanding my bee "empire"
« Reply #3 on: August 31, 2014, 11:38:29 pm »
This is my first year.  I have enjoyed it a great deal. 

Yes, there are many very helpful people on this site. 

I had forgotten about the removal aspect, that will be helpful.  What is a normal charge for bee removal?  I suppose some are easier than others.

Offline BlueBee

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Re: Spring 2015, expanding my bee "empire"
« Reply #4 on: September 01, 2014, 04:10:17 am »
It should not be hard to go from 2 to 10 if your hives come through winter well.  Make splits after they build up in the spring (but before swarm season).  Then spit some more in late June/ early july.  It isn’t hard to end up with more bees than you have equipment to deal with!  Throw in some swarms or cutouts and you’re well over 10 next year.

Offline chux

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Re: Spring 2015, expanding my bee "empire"
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2014, 09:30:33 am »
Best advice i can give...build swarm traps. Set out as many as possible. Use nucs or old deeps. Put in a little old comb and some lemon grass oil. You may catch several swarms of free bees looking to build a new home. Cutouts are great too.  Last year i started bee keeping in the spring. Bought one package that swarmed and then failed. Caugt some swarms and did cutouts. Went into winter with 5 hives. Right now i have 19. Swarms, traps, cutouts, and splits. Takes time, but is fun. Dont buy bees unless you dont have time to do the other route.

Offline rookie2531

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Re: Spring 2015, expanding my bee "empire"
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2014, 09:48:31 am »
If you plan on expanding a lot in one season, don't expect to harvest any honey for sale in that season. Expect to invest money and time with no return next year.

Offline Wolfer

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Re: Spring 2015, expanding my bee "empire"
« Reply #7 on: September 01, 2014, 10:26:05 am »
I've heard it suggested that one should just double every year. I believe this to be pretty good advice.
This gives you some time to learn without being overwhelmed.

The easiest way for me to get bees is to raise them myself. I've often started a nuc when the blackberries bloom, another on June 21 and again at the first of Aug.

Using this method your two hives would be 8 hives next fall in theory. Six might be a more realistic number.

Bees are easy to get, it's the equip that can get expensive.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Spring 2015, expanding my bee "empire"
« Reply #8 on: September 01, 2014, 08:15:07 pm »
Some good advice below for getting bees.
For hardware. I recommend building your own bottom boards, tops and inner covers if you have any woodworking experience. From experience, do not use plywood for anything but the top board for the top. The best wood to use is cypress but most hives are made from white pine.
I buy the supers instead of making them.
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Offline biggraham610

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Re: Spring 2015, expanding my bee "empire"
« Reply #9 on: September 01, 2014, 11:24:54 pm »
If you plan on expanding a lot in one season, don't expect to harvest any honey for sale in that season. Expect to invest money and time with no return next year.

X2. that was my thought process going into this year. I only had one hive make it through winter. I have 7 now, I split late, well not quite before swarm season. Lost a massive swarm, but should be able to get to my target next spring, as long as I dont incur too much winter loss. As far as the honey goes, I had a huge swarm give me enough for me and my family and friends, left the rest alone. Good luck. G
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Offline RHBee

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Re: Spring 2015, expanding my bee "empire"
« Reply #10 on: September 02, 2014, 12:02:21 am »
I think queen production or buying queens then making splits might be the least expensive path. With a well mated queen you can split with confidence. Allowing bees to raise their own queens can be problematic. Sometimes they simply don't make it back.
JMHO.
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Ray

Offline biggraham610

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Re: Spring 2015, expanding my bee "empire"
« Reply #11 on: September 02, 2014, 12:09:13 am »
I was worried about that Ray, this was my first year letting them raise their own, I had a 100% success, I wasnt expecting that at all. Im sure that will change in the future, but I will take it now!! G :chop:
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Offline gov1623

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Re: Spring 2015, expanding my bee "empire"
« Reply #12 on: September 13, 2014, 05:31:54 pm »
Build all your own equipment but do not buy your wood from a big box store. Go to a local lumber yard, they will be alot cheaper. I can build a complete pine beehive for about $20. Buy your frames and foundation in bulk ( trust me you will eventually use them all)

 Dont buy your bees. Make splits if your colonies or strong enough, set swarm traps, put your name on a swarm removal list. Well this might be a little easier for me to do in south Louisiana due to the enormous feral bee population. I can get about 90% swarm trap catches each year in my area  

This is how I built up into the 50 hives I have now and only bought 1 hive of bees 4 or 5 years ago.
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Offline cao

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Re: Spring 2015, expanding my bee "empire"
« Reply #13 on: September 13, 2014, 11:23:38 pm »
From my perspective, Starting last year and like you wanting to expand.  I came out of winter this year with 2 hives.  I thought I'd get a couple packages and make some splits.  The packages were a waste of money.  They didn't make it.  After some trial and error I made 2 splits that made there own queens.  Unfortunately 1 queen didn't make it back.  Since it was getting late in the season I decided to buy a couple of queens, one for the queenless split and one for a new split.  So here I am with 5 hives.  I was hoping to have at least twice that many by now but things happen and I am learning.  So my advise is to first build your equipment(everything you can) and remember you can never have enough.  Second think about raising your own queens.  I am planning on trying that next year.  It is a lot easier making splits if you know you have a queen for it rather then waiting for them to raise one a praying she makes it back for her mating flight.  It is possible to get honey and make splits from the same hive.  One of my hives (the one that I pulled brood for my splits) would completely draw fill and cap a 10 frame med super in less than two weeks.  It ended up giving me about 10 gal of honey.  As for as honey packaging I've put mine in mason jars.  I personally like that look better than the plastic bottles.  Time commitment is only an issue if you don't enjoy what you're doing.  If you are like me, you will spend way more time than what is necessary with bee stuff.  That also goes for your budget, If you take the rent money to buy bee stuff then you are spending too much.

Online Michael Bush

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Re: Spring 2015, expanding my bee "empire"
« Reply #14 on: September 15, 2014, 11:24:15 am »
You'll have better results raising your own queens or catching local swarms or cutouts.  This seems slower but really isn't.
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Offline jalentour

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Re: Spring 2015, expanding my bee "empire"
« Reply #15 on: September 15, 2014, 09:41:16 pm »
Looks like the consensus is to spend the winter building boxes, mostly mediums I presume.  Purchase frames in bulk.  Set a target for how many hives I plan and build out.  I assume a few nucs should be on hand as well. 

I have put out the word to several landscapers to call me for bee removal.  Cut outs and swarms are priced pretty good if local.  Then split, early and often. 

I'm not too confident I want to get into raising my own queens.  How much of a time commitment is it?  It seems to me I might be easier to purchase as many as 10 queens from a reputable dealer and keep them on standby.  (That is if you can keep a queen hiveless for 90 plus days).

Offline Dunkel

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Re: Spring 2015, expanding my bee "empire"
« Reply #16 on: September 15, 2014, 10:27:25 pm »
It hasn't been mentioned, buying established colonies is another option.  Since your not brand new to bees and can evaluate a hive, I think they can be the best bargain.  Usable equipment and pulled comb with established bees would be a quick stepping stone.  Splitting and adding your own or bought queen would speed up your numbers.