Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: danno on September 18, 2012, 12:54:26 pm

Title: How old is your oldest colony?
Post by: danno on September 18, 2012, 12:54:26 pm

I have one that is going on its 6th winter.    It is the last one of 5 packages from Georgia.  It has swarmed a few times that I know of

Title: Re: How old is your oldest colony?
Post by: mikecva on September 18, 2012, 01:17:00 pm

I am rotating the brood frames every 4-5 years. My oldest box was about 20 years old until it got a funky smell one year in mid summer so I moved the frames to new boxes (after a good inspection) and destroyed the boxes.  -Mike

Title: Re: How old is your oldest colony?
Post by: danno on September 18, 2012, 03:34:25 pm

I dont mean how old is your equipment.   I mean colony.   I'm happy with this 6 year old and as always they look good with a low mite load and good stores going into winter .

Title: Re: How old is your oldest colony?
Post by: iddee on September 18, 2012, 04:32:59 pm

I sold a hive 11 years ago. 9 years ago the guy divorced and gave it to his son.
6 years ago his son divorced and sold it to a friend of mine.
2 years ago I bought it back.
It is a Wayne's bees queen and has never been treated for mites.
It weighs about 150 lb. now and is ready for winter.

Title: Re: How old is your oldest colony?
Post by: dfizer on September 18, 2012, 10:42:18 pm

My oldest one, well actually three, is almost 7 months old but I'm hoping it makes it through the winter and I have bees in the spring!!!
 :)
David

Title: Re: How old is your oldest colony?
Post by: AllenF on September 18, 2012, 11:10:43 pm

I am thinking I have a few in the 4 to 5 year range, but I just can not think which to where.   No where near that wayne's bee hive of Iddee's.   That hive may be the cause a lot of divorces btw.

Title: Re: How old is your oldest colony?
Post by: schawee on September 18, 2012, 11:31:46 pm

i still have my first hive i statred with ,it in it's ninth year.

Title: Re: How old is your oldest colony?
Post by: Michael Bush on September 19, 2012, 10:09:40 am

Back in the golden age of beekeeping (mid 70s to the mid 80s) I had a couple that lasted ten years.  But then, when they swarm is the old location still the same colony or is the new location the same colony?  I can't say about the new location as I don't think I caught ALL the swarms...

Title: Re: How old is your oldest colony?
Post by: mikecva on September 19, 2012, 02:05:36 pm

Sorry about the equipment answer, I guess I was thinking of the age of the workers (3 months) and the age of the queen (2-3 years) making a colony 3 years at most.  :buttkick:

I have had hives on a single stand last 3 years to about 17 years. Some have swarmed and several were re-queened by my choice some by theirs. I hope this is what you were looking for.  -Mike

Title: Re: How old is your oldest colony?
Post by: iddee on September 19, 2012, 09:44:51 pm

MB, I have always heard the expression, "A colony casts off a swarm". So I would consider the colony stayed at the old location and the swarm went and formed a new colony.

Title: Re: How old is your oldest colony?
Post by: Finski on September 20, 2012, 02:59:47 am

.
I renew queens every year and couple of queens live 2 years. (clipped wings in spring).
I join part of hives and  mix them. I bet that 2 years is maximum to me.