10framer,
Great question!.....Just wish I had a good answer. :-D LOL!
Started last January with two Nucs, had planned on maybe getting a swarm, and figured I'd have 3 hives. Well, the bee addiction set in, between my swarms, other swarms, and a couple of cut outs, I ended up with 11 hives. Lost one to wax moths right around honey harvest time, so went into winter with 10 hives. So far, knock on wood....I think they're all looking pretty good....So I'm hopeful headed into my second year, but who knows.
Really don't want to grow any at the moment, would just like to take this year and try to maintain and continue the learning process, I've got a long way to go! :) At the same time, I know good and well if people start calling me with swarms, I'm not going to be able to say no. :-D
Still undecided what, if anything I'm going to do to try and prevent my current hives from swarming... :?
I spend half my time worrying that something is going to happen and I might loss most if not all of my current 10 hives....I spend the other half of my time worrying that they'll all make it and with swarm calls, that I just can't say no to, or swarms in my own bee yard, or necessary splits when queen cells are spotted....that I'm going to end up with too many bees and be overwhelmed. :? :? :?