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Author Topic: 2nd year expansion plan  (Read 2515 times)

Offline 220

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2nd year expansion plan
« on: July 27, 2017, 05:00:36 am »
I'm probably getting a bit ahead of myself as I am trying to work out a expansion plan for the next 12 months and haven't even made it through my first winter yet but having some idea of what I need to do and when has to be better than none.

If all goes well I should have 4 colonies coming out of winter, first dilemma is I want to try and make a bit of honey this season to recoup some of my investment.  One of the colonies is a late split that is overwintering in a single 5 frame nuc another is a cut out that is in a double deep 5 frame nuc. Would the best option be using one of the nuc colonies as a brood factory and concentrating on maximising honey production from the other 3 colonies instead of trying to do both from all of them.
I'm open to suggestions on the best way to try and maximise both keeping in mind my limited experience.

I'm going set up a few swarm traps, hopefully I have a bit of luck but I'm not counting on catching anything. Finished off 4 swarm boxes, today. Have been scrounging scrap ply and have made them the same size as a 8 frame deep. Trying to think ahead I have made the lids removable, if I get lucky and find myself short of equipment the swarm traps could be used as a brood box and more 8 frames boxes stacked as needed. I have enough pieces of old brood comb to bait a dozen or so hives and have some lemon grass oil on the way so I might get lucky.

I think I have enough gear to make a reasonable expansion, I am using 8 frame deep boxes and have 12 currently spare, about 150 undrawn frames and 15 drawn, 6 lids, only one spare bottom board so I need to make a few more of them. Have 7 spare 5 frame boxes and 3 spare 5 frame lids and bottoms. Was thinking I might try them as swarm traps until I need them for nucs.
Anything else I should look at having on hand when spring hits.






Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: 2nd year expansion plan
« Reply #1 on: July 27, 2017, 08:36:12 am »
220,
Not sure how long of a season that you have but normally you want to use a hive for honey or for making new hives. Using your swarm traps for hive increases is your best bet if you have a lot of hives in your area. If your hives come out of winter strong, you can split them in to 2 hives early in the season and still make a honey crop but that depends on your honey flow and how long it is.
Good luck.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
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