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Author Topic: Honey Stores are LOW  (Read 7505 times)

Offline blanc

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Honey Stores are LOW
« on: May 17, 2013, 07:56:55 pm »
We just came out of a good flow and bees were busy bringing in plenty nectar. Hive after hive I checked today is light and bees numbers are good. Looks like it might be a late season harvest here. Any of my fellow Louisiana beeks finding the same?
Blanc
Psalm 19:9-10
The fear of the Lord is clean,enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea ,than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Offline don2

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #1 on: May 17, 2013, 08:16:15 pm »
If you haven't added honey supers yet, whats wrong with feeding? If they take it.  :) d2

Brood boxes are not as heavy as the same box filled with honey only.

Offline Finski

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #2 on: May 17, 2013, 08:20:53 pm »
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Let them die if they do not find food by themselves.

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Offline bailey

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #3 on: May 17, 2013, 08:21:47 pm »
I have pulled a few supers but they are bringing the nectar in quick. 
Once tallow starts look out.
Bailey
most often i find my greatest source of stress to be OPS  ( other peoples stupidity )

It is better to keep ones mouth shut and be thought of as a fool than to open ones mouth and in so doing remove all doubt.

Offline blanc

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2013, 08:24:08 pm »
If you haven't added honey supers yet, whats wrong with feeding? If they take it.  :) d2

Brood boxes are not as heavy as the same box filled with honey only.

Supers on the bigger hives that can take em but not much honey. It appears they are using it with the lack of flow. Kinda senseless to feed strong hives but that is just my thinking. Only feeding the nucs and smaller hives I building up. Could be something to do with the unusual cool fronts that have come and gone over the past month.  :? WHo knows
Blanc
Psalm 19:9-10
The fear of the Lord is clean,enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea ,than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Offline blanc

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2013, 08:29:40 pm »
I have pulled a few supers but they are bringing the nectar in quick. 
Once tallow starts look out.
Bailey
I was kinda surprised Bailey when inspecting today there is not more honey and they are pretty busy but numbers are real good.Put supers on couple of the nucs we got from you already but found one of em queenless and they are raising another now. Matter of fact they had two queen cells and grabbed one for another nuc that had been struggling with no queen and had not been able to raise one even though I gave them some open brood. We will see. It is a life experiment raising bees!  :-D
Psalm 19:9-10
The fear of the Lord is clean,enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea ,than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Offline blanc

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2013, 08:31:24 pm »
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Let them die if they do not find food by themselves.

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I am with you on that Finski!
Blanc
Psalm 19:9-10
The fear of the Lord is clean,enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea ,than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Offline PLAN-B

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2013, 09:32:48 pm »
Hopefully it picks up soon blanc... :)
Marshall

Offline duryeafarms

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Re: Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #8 on: May 17, 2013, 09:46:45 pm »
I don't understand the "let them die" solution. Why not requeen? What's different about this than say taming a hot hive?

Offline 10framer

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #9 on: May 17, 2013, 09:54:28 pm »
If you haven't added honey supers yet, whats wrong with feeding? If they take it.  :) d2

Brood boxes are not as heavy as the same box filled with honey only.

Supers on the bigger hives that can take em but not much honey. It appears they are using it with the lack of flow. Kinda senseless to feed strong hives but that is just my thinking. Only feeding the nucs and smaller hives I building up. Could be something to do with the unusual cool fronts that have come and gone over the past month.  :? WHo knows
Blanc

same thing in middle georgia.  clover and poplar flows got messed up by temperatures, rain and wind.  privet is wide open and sumac isn't budding yet.  i should pull some honey but not nearly as much as i could have had the weather cooperated.  
i'm not a big fan of feeding period but this spring has been tough, the bees started building up and the flows got cancelled.  but, i haven't fed since early february and between 6 hives probably fed a little over a gallon all winter.

Offline blanc

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Re: Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #10 on: May 17, 2013, 10:47:42 pm »
I don't understand the "let them die" solution. Why not requeen? What's different about this than say taming a hot hive?

Finski was referring to not spending the resources of feeding when nature takes care of itself.
Blanc
Psalm 19:9-10
The fear of the Lord is clean,enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea ,than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Offline blanc

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #11 on: May 17, 2013, 10:50:23 pm »
Hopefully it picks up soon blanc... :)
How you making out over in Holden with the bees my friend? Not too disappointed here with starting with about 6 hives this year and at 16 after some losses so not complaining.  ;)
Blanc
Psalm 19:9-10
The fear of the Lord is clean,enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea ,than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Offline PLAN-B

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #12 on: May 17, 2013, 11:33:41 pm »
All is well and thanks for asking... I'm too new to know what they should or shouldn't be doing at this time. Especially since I started with a very small swarm I caught in mid-march and two Nucs... They all seem real busy and I am still seeing a good bit of pollen coming in... Plenty of wild privet bush around here...I am about to put a third medium on my swarm I caught and just put a second one of the Nucs from bailey. The other one is moving a little slower but still busy so no complaints.... Like I said I'm still to new to know what a first year hive should be up to at this point...  :-D
Marshall

Offline duck

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #13 on: May 18, 2013, 01:26:19 am »
if you find a queenless hive, combine it with a decent hive.  keep strong hives.

Offline rwurster

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #14 on: May 18, 2013, 05:31:33 am »
.
Let them die if they do not find food by themselves.

.

Couldn't agree more.
Zone 5a @ 4700 ft. High Desert
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Offline blanc

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #15 on: May 18, 2013, 09:57:28 am »
if you find a queenless hive, combine it with a decent hive.  keep strong hives.
I am kinda weighing that option now but still have plenty time until fall. Last year I combined weaker hives going into winter and workes well for me.
Blanc
Psalm 19:9-10
The fear of the Lord is clean,enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea ,than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Offline Finski

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #16 on: May 18, 2013, 11:51:36 am »
All is well and thanks for asking... I'm too new to know what they should or shouldn't be doing at this time. Especially since I started with a very small swarm I caught in mid-march and two Nucs... They all seem real busy and I am still seeing a good bit of pollen coming in... Plenty of wild privet bush around here...I am about to put a third medium on my swarm I caught and just put a second one of the Nucs from bailey. The other one is moving a little slower but still busy so no complaints.... Like I said I'm still to new to know what a first year hive should be up to at this point...  :-D

a Hero Story, in first year!

.perhaps many know what hives ought to be but  hives do not follow any plans.
.they are so different. Some hives have 10 frames brood and some has 1 frame.

A friend just told, that she met a hive which had no brood. - simply queenles after winter.



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Offline gov1623

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #17 on: May 18, 2013, 12:03:47 pm »
Im seeing a big increase in nectar coming in in the past week or so. I put more suppers on all my hives yesterday. Most hives are on their second or third full supper and the main tallow flow hasn't even begun yet. You might be a week or so behind me blanc so keep an eye on them because it definitely looks like we are in the start of the main flow down here.
Who Dat!!!

Offline blanc

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #18 on: May 18, 2013, 04:33:56 pm »
Im seeing a big increase in nectar coming in in the past week or so. I put more suppers on all my hives yesterday. Most hives are on their second or third full supper and the main tallow flow hasn't even begun yet. You might be a week or so behind me blanc so keep an eye on them because it definitely looks like we are in the start of the main flow down here.

I am thinking the same thing as far as timing because Bailey seemed ahead of the game early on with swarms and all and you would not think being not many miles apart makes a difference but it does.
Blanc
Psalm 19:9-10
The fear of the Lord is clean,enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea ,than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Offline PLAN-B

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #19 on: May 19, 2013, 08:58:08 pm »
Once again I am new to this, but looked in on my girls and they are storing honey like crazy... The only thing I see around here right now is clover and wild privet... They're packing it in...  :-D hope it keeps going right on in to tallow... They have been pretty much non stop since I got them... Willow, blackberry, clover and now privet... Loving life right now... ;)
Marshall

Offline divemaster1963

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #20 on: May 19, 2013, 09:58:14 pm »
we are full flow here in Gray,ga .  plus the neighbor next door said he was leving his 12 ac. next door with wild flowers and goldenrod for my bees till the heat gets it. the blackberrys started slow then picked up the 9 acs across the street are packed. I'm hoping for a good harvest come mid july then again in nov.

John

Offline dprater

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #21 on: May 20, 2013, 10:15:33 pm »
When yall put on suppers do you just put them on top of the last full supper or move some frames up into the new empty supper?

Offline Finski

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #22 on: May 20, 2013, 10:27:23 pm »
When yall put on suppers do you just put them on top of the last full supper or move some frames up into the new empty supper?

what ever he does, but empty combs must be above brood, then nectar and then honey which is partly capped.
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Offline don2

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #23 on: May 20, 2013, 10:29:10 pm »
Put the super on and peep in after about 3 or 4 days. They will take drawn comb quicker than foundation. If they don't come up then switch a couple frames. It does help get them started.  :) d2

Offline divemaster1963

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #24 on: May 21, 2013, 11:44:58 pm »
It all depends on how much they are building. sometimes I checker board them sometimes i put empty under a full or if at the beginning of the flow with great conditions I have been the lazy keeper and just slap on 3 supers at once.

john

Offline bailey

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #25 on: May 23, 2013, 10:44:48 pm »
Quick update for blanc and plan b and gov.

I pulled honey today from a lot of different hives.  The flow is on boys.  And I'm finding a lot of water clear honey this year.  Pretty stuff no doubt.  Not sure of the source but I suspect the white clover has a lot to do with it.   It never stopped blooming last winter and every yard here is loaded with the clover this year.
Hope y'all are starting to see what I am.  
Bailey.

Off topic.  
Y'all better go run y'all's swarm trap lines.  I have had 5 hit in the past week and one swarm took up residence in an old abandoned hive I put at a friends place over 5 years ago.  
It was a medium and they say the bees just showed up. ( it was set as a swarm trap due to scouts 5 years ago)

I had forgotten it was there until they called saying there were bees on it.  Went this afternoon to find it sitting on the back porch concrete where it has sat for all this time.  It was bearding up the entire face of the medium.

Somehow I think it has been there for a while and went un noticed
Bailey
most often i find my greatest source of stress to be OPS  ( other peoples stupidity )

It is better to keep ones mouth shut and be thought of as a fool than to open ones mouth and in so doing remove all doubt.

Offline gov1623

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #26 on: May 24, 2013, 10:38:08 am »
Bailey, Im seeing the same thing here. This year will definitely be a bumper crop for me. I built 30 new suppers, on top of the ones I already had, over the winter and I just put the last one on a hive yesterday. I am plumb out of suppers and the tallow is just starting. Will be making more next week.

Is the honey you are pulling this years honey?  I have alot of full supper but they are just starting to cap the first of the suppers I put on. Looks like it will be at least one or two more weeks until I can start pulling capped honey.
Who Dat!!!

Offline bailey

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #27 on: May 24, 2013, 12:21:40 pm »
Gov.
It's mostly this springs honey.  A few frames of last fall but the rest is new.
most often i find my greatest source of stress to be OPS  ( other peoples stupidity )

It is better to keep ones mouth shut and be thought of as a fool than to open ones mouth and in so doing remove all doubt.

Offline PLAN-B

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Re: Honey Stores are LOW
« Reply #28 on: May 25, 2013, 12:55:35 am »
I live on three acres and haven't cut my grass just because they are all over the white clover... Neighbors probably think I am trashy but they'll smile when I slide a jar or two there way...  :-D
Hope all is well with everyone.
Marshall