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Author Topic: When to get the honey out of the hive  (Read 4346 times)

Offline Colorado Beekeeper

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When to get the honey out of the hive
« on: January 12, 2006, 08:17:19 pm »
I am going to be starting beekeeping this spring, and I am wondering how often you get the honey out of the hive.
Kenneth Lowry

Offline thegolfpsycho

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When to get the honey out of the hive
« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2006, 09:24:43 pm »
It depends.  On how much equipment you have,  How many or how large the flows in your area are.  I'm in Utah, and I pulled the first time in early July, and the 2nd in early august.  These were off packages started in mid April, and it left them pretty lite in October.  I fed heavily to get them through the winter.

Offline Shizzell

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When to get the honey out of the hive
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2006, 02:13:43 am »
Personally? I would have to say that if this is your first year beekeeping: Leave them alone this year, especially if your in a cold part of colorado. Make sure they have plenty of honey for the winter. You don't want to end up baby feeding a weak hive in the middle of winter. It spells Disaster. However if it is a good year, and you end up with a strong hive, I would say harvest once in late July, or depending on when your largest honey flow comes in.

Happy Beekeeping, and welcome to the hobby that keeps on giving.

Offline Finsky

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When to get the honey out of the hive
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2006, 04:52:34 am »
Quote from: Shizzell
Make sure they have plenty of honey for the winter.


In truth you may take all honey away and give sugar for winter. I have done this 40 years. Our bees manage with sugar 8 months, from September to end of May.

Offline Jack Parr

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All the honey removed???
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2006, 07:40:32 am »
Quote from: Finsky
Quote from: Shizzell
Make sure they have plenty of honey for the winter.


In truth you may take all honey away and give sugar for winter. I have done this 40 years. Our bees manage with sugar 8 months, from September to end of May.


  :?: Are you saying that is what you do; remove all the honey and feed sugar water and you have been doing this for forty years?

Is sugar free in Finland?  Are you figuring that feeding sugar is cheaper than letting the bees keep their honey, which you sell.

How often do you supply the sugar to the hives?

Offline TwT

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When to get the honey out of the hive
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2006, 07:54:39 am »
Jack, there are alot of people that do that, take all the honey then feed sugar water, because honey cost alot more than sugar, people in the states do this alot also.
THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 MONTHS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

Never be afraid to try something new.
Amateurs built the ark,
Professionals built the Titanic

Offline Jack Parr

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Interesting
« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2006, 08:33:35 am »
Quote from: TwT
Jack, there are alot of people that do that, take all the honey then feed sugar water, because honey cost alot more than sugar, people in the states do this alot also.


In fact a long time beekeeper here has mentioned that he uses hi-fructose corn syrup for winter feeding because of honey prices but I will have to ask him if he removes all the honey first or however he does it.

Personally, as a hobbist, I prefer to not be in the need of feeding my bees.
Maximizing honey yield is not that important to me.

Is that what you do TWT? :?:

Offline TwT

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When to get the honey out of the hive
« Reply #7 on: January 13, 2006, 08:40:13 am »
I just take my spring flow honey, like this past fall we had hardly any fall flow so I feed alittle 2-1 sugar syrup but I would like them to have the fall flow honey for winter stores, but if they get some extra i will take it. I know a few people that has alot of hives and they feed HFCS because you can buy it in 55 gallon drums and they dont have to heat all that sugar water and its alot easier to open the bung cap and pump in the feeders. a few buy HFCS by the truck load.
THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 MONTHS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

Never be afraid to try something new.
Amateurs built the ark,
Professionals built the Titanic

Offline Finsky

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Re: Interesting
« Reply #8 on: January 13, 2006, 09:30:08 am »
Quote from: Jack Parr

Personally, as a hobbist, I prefer to not be in the need of feeding my bees.
Maximizing honey yield is not that important to me.


Do you mean that also beekeeping can be "catch and release"?  :shock:
http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/cza0430l.jpg

Maximizing honey yield is the measure, do I am master or not in beekeeping. World is full small cells, top bar, bottom boards what ever nonsence. From honey yield I know are my hives good, are my pastures good am I succeeded or do I just keep the bees.

I bought my first own apartment with honey money. That is not meaningles. And I had 20 hives.

Here sugar is 1,0 $ per kilo. Honey is 7$ per kilo.

There is the first rule in stock game: Try to clean money from others because they try same to you. - No feelings with bees. They do not know about better. 8)

Offline Jack Parr

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Finsky
« Reply #9 on: January 13, 2006, 12:04:53 pm »
I don't think you quite understand what a " hobby " is.

Here. in the US people have " Hobbies " that are for pleasure and personal satisfaction and not really something that must make money. Even here, the USA, not all the people are money chasing capitalist. Some people like to do things for pleasure and keeping bees can be just that. Catch and release is rather a silly idea but so is sitting in a sauna cooking yourself :wink:

That is not to say that a hobby cannot earn some money, but that is a side consideration. I plan to earn some money as I previously said, but I have invested near 1500 dollars in this " hobby " so far, and I will invest further in the new season.  We are dealing with nature here and there are definate possibilities of failure. Circumstances beyound our control, such as these severe storms/ hurricanes like Katrina, mites, beetles, and other things that can affect hive and honey bees.

A few hives, 4-5-6 will not buy you an appartment for sure and 20 hives will not do much better. Surely you are aware of honey prices here in the US.  

Buy some US Dollars with your Euros and wait for the market to change and you WILL make some money when the dollar once again regains strength. I can't tell you how long you will have to wait but history should give you some insight. :wink:

Offline Finsky

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Re: Finsky
« Reply #10 on: January 13, 2006, 01:51:30 pm »
Quote from: Jack Parr
I don't think you quite understand what a " hobby " is.


OH BOY, it seems so far! My hobbies and works, what a mess.   :roll:  

Yes it took 3 years to wait that value of euro rised 50% compared to dollar.  It is bad profit. Sleeping money. And I have seen your honey price 60 - 90 cents/lbs
in 10 000 lbs amounts. :wink:  :wink:

Offline Jack Parr

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WELL HOW MUCH PROFIT
« Reply #11 on: January 14, 2006, 06:33:37 am »
is a nice profit.   :?:

A 50 % gain in three years is 16.67 % per year and that is a nice return with little risk :idea:  I would say better than bees :?:  :P

Sleeping money is safe money and speculative investments work sometimes, about like going to a casino.  I tried and failed.

Are you a serious invester, or, are you playing " the market " :?:

I remember you posting a website for some investment company? written in Finnish?  I tried to read it but could not understand much. Is that your brokerage?

Offline Finsky

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Re: WELL HOW MUCH PROFIT
« Reply #12 on: January 14, 2006, 09:09:44 am »
Quote from: Jack Parr


Are you a serious invester, or, are you playing " the market " :?:



I try to be serious.  I have lost a lot but now it goes.  Worst you can do to your friend is to give hints for investing.

That invesment firm is Norwegian Odin. It is best here on markets.

I do not know where to find Odin  in english.

Offline Jack Parr

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NO HINTS
« Reply #13 on: January 14, 2006, 10:10:22 am »
from me :!:   Only facts.

And history will bear me out. Currencies WILL not remain static forever.

I keep track of the dollar/euro relationship because we have interest in Europe.  I did not invest in currencies but I did do so in gold and that has proved to be as predicted, finally, and gold is now in favor but took a long time to do so.

What friends :?:   You are the one that mentioned the stock market :wink:

Now this is a honey bee board so we should mention that because after all, honey is called " golden " :?:   :P

Offline Finsky

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Re: NO HINTS
« Reply #14 on: January 14, 2006, 10:29:59 am »
Quote from: Jack Parr
from me :!:   Only facts. ...And history will bear me out. :P


facts and dreams:   Press 3 year

 http://www.wilhelmsen.com/index.asp?strURL=//templates/applications/internet/IR/share_price.asp&sid=1000164

.

Offline Chad S

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When to get the honey out of the hive
« Reply #15 on: January 17, 2006, 02:46:16 pm »
Back to the origional question.  Colorado:  In your first year you will be starting from foundation, and it takes time for bees to build up wax, and numbers.  I had five hives last year that I started on foundation.  One was a power house producing honey, and two new colonies of bees.  One was alright, and one was mediocre.  I screwed up two one of which I salvaged, but got no honey from.  The second I replaced with the cut down split I did.  All this to say there is no schedule to rob the hives.  When the honey is capped it is ready for harvest it varies from location to location from hive to hive.

So here is what you do.  Start your pkg. in a ten frame deep.  When they have ten frames built out, and full of brood and honey, give them a second deep to play with.  If they get that built up, and it's still early in your season give them a honey super.  If they fill the frames, and frames are 95% capped harvest the honey.  If they can't cap it in time to harvest feed it back to them.  You want to have them fill the top deep with honey before they cannot get out to build up stores.  Sure comercial bee keepers may rob it all out, but letting them fill the second deep is a good route to start.

On to Finsky and Hobbies:  I run my Hobbies the same way.  I am bee keeping for profit.  I am not going to go through the trouble of filling jars with honey to loose money.  Am I going to retire on it absolutely not.  I always have Finsky in the back of my mind though when I am thinking through what to do with the bees.  When I keep weak hive Finskie is there in the back of my mind telling me: you are better off combining two week colonies and getting honey than having two colonies that you get nothing from.

Chad