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Author Topic: Is it already too late in the year to start a new hive in Sydney (Dec.)?  (Read 5246 times)

Offline Mull1

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Hi,

I started to built my own top bar hive from scratch some time ago and due to job/family commitments I just finished it.

Is it already too late in the year in Sydney to start with my first hive? If not how do I best start?


Kind regards,

Online BeeMaster2

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Re: Is it already too late in the year to start a new hive in Sydney (Dec.)?
« Reply #1 on: November 27, 2015, 06:07:53 am »
It depends on  type of plants that you have in your area.
If they only bloom in the spring, then yes.
If your in a typical suburban area where there are all kinds of planted trees of all types then no.
Jim
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Ben Franklin

Offline Anybrew2

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Re: Is it already too late in the year to start a new hive in Sydney (Dec.)?
« Reply #2 on: November 27, 2015, 04:23:12 pm »
Hey Mull go for it mate, as Jim said town suburbia provides heaps of options for the Bee's.
Cheers
Steve

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Is it already too late in the year to start a new hive in Sydney (Dec.)?
« Reply #3 on: November 27, 2015, 05:24:02 pm »
From what I've seen and heard you could start a colony anytime in Sydney...  I installed some packages in Byron Bay just a few weeks ago and they really took off. Your not even to your summer solstice yet...  most of my splits would be after the solstice (here on the "other side".  Are we "up over?" since you're "down under?") and we have six moths of winter.  Everything is covered in ice right now and spring is five months off...  People there talk about harvesting honey in the winter (their winter, not mine...)
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Offline Culley

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Re: Is it already too late in the year to start a new hive in Sydney (Dec.)?
« Reply #4 on: November 27, 2015, 07:30:35 pm »
It's not too late. Up the top of NSW I just made a few nucs last weekend. Might make more in a few months if conditions are good.

Do standard frames fit in your top bar hive?

Have you thought about joining a beekeeping club / society?

Offline Mull1

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Re: Is it already too late in the year to start a new hive in Sydney (Dec.)?
« Reply #5 on: December 02, 2015, 07:30:11 am »
Thanks for your replies everybody - I believe I will give it a go.

Culley, from the dimensions I found or standard frames I don't believe they would fit unfortunately, not sure if I could make it work by cutting the combs into a trapezoid shape or brush them off and don't use the comb at all....

But I will join a beekeepers club with their next meeting.

What kind of bees do you have Culley? My wife i very insistent on Carniolan or Caucasian after she read that they are supposed to be very docile..

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Re: Is it already too late in the year to start a new hive in Sydney (Dec.)?
« Reply #6 on: December 02, 2015, 11:41:23 am »
Italians are the most docile but any hive can be calm or hot. The more gentle you treat your bees the better they treat you. Not always the case but I can change any calm hive into a hot hive just by doing rough inspections.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline dunderi

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Re: Is it already too late in the year to start a new hive in Sydney (Dec.)?
« Reply #7 on: December 02, 2015, 04:49:51 pm »
Also consider the Queen bees from kangaroo Island - they are calm but also a good producer.

where Italian bees are very calm they don't produce as much honey as a good old crossbred caught swarm. .. They sure do make tons of wax though - the cappings are very pale too and pretty.






Offline Lancej

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Re: Is it already too late in the year to start a new hive in Sydney (Dec.)?
« Reply #8 on: December 03, 2015, 03:41:42 am »
There is lots of time to establish a new hive, I caught a swarm about a week ago in Melbourne,  they have already drawn 6 frames, 2 frames of open brood and have capped honey, although very little pollen. The queen and workers are completely black.

Offline Anybrew2

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Re: Is it already too late in the year to start a new hive in Sydney (Dec.)?
« Reply #9 on: December 03, 2015, 03:44:45 pm »
Wow Black Bee's nice.

Offline Wombat2

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Re: Is it already too late in the year to start a new hive in Sydney (Dec.)?
« Reply #10 on: December 03, 2015, 04:39:04 pm »
Black bees are good producers ...........of lots of very sticky propolis
David L

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Re: Is it already too late in the year to start a new hive in Sydney (Dec.)?
« Reply #11 on: December 03, 2015, 11:42:06 pm »
If you have a hive that likes to produce propolis, give them a propolis trap and harvest it. It runs about $7.00 an ounce here.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Lancej

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Re: Is it already too late in the year to start a new hive in Sydney (Dec.)?
« Reply #12 on: December 04, 2015, 01:29:03 pm »
What volume of propolis can you expect to make from a high producing hive?



Offline Richard M

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Re: Is it already too late in the year to start a new hive in Sydney (Dec.)?
« Reply #13 on: December 04, 2015, 06:41:14 pm »
I started a new hive at the end of Feb this year - it went fine and I'm in Hobart.

Online BeeMaster2

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Re: Is it already too late in the year to start a new hive in Sydney (Dec.)?
« Reply #14 on: December 05, 2015, 06:37:23 am »
What volume of propolis can you expect to make from a high producing hive?

It all depends on the bees.
Down in Brazil they use Africianized bees to make green propolis. The hives are designed to be able to open up a 3/4" slot the length of the hive and they fill it with propolis and then they open up another 3/4" slot when the first one is full. This makes a 19" by 3/4" by 1 1/2" piece of propolis that they harvest.
I recommend you try using a propolis trap. It looks like a queen excluder. 

Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Culley

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Re: Is it already too late in the year to start a new hive in Sydney (Dec.)?
« Reply #15 on: December 05, 2015, 07:21:16 am »
My bees were bought as Italians many years ago and have been crossing with other bees since then. I am happy with them. I have always thought one day I will buy a couple of each different kind of queen to try them out and add them to my gene pool, but haven't done it yet.

Where can one buy bees from Kangaroo Island, and has anyone here had any experience with them?

and where can you sell propolis?

Offline kanga

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Re: Is it already too late in the year to start a new hive in Sydney (Dec.)?
« Reply #16 on: December 05, 2015, 08:14:18 am »
Where can one buy bees from Kangaroo Island, and has anyone here had any experience with them?

I obtained some from Stephen Heatley 08 85595045 in November 2014, I found them to be very easy to work and good producers.

At times Stephen is very hard to get on the phone.  I think they had a very poor start to the season this year so I am not sure how things are now.

Offline dunderi

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Re: Is it already too late in the year to start a new hive in Sydney (Dec.)?
« Reply #17 on: December 10, 2015, 06:29:50 am »
On Kangaroo Island there is also this lady, she's nice and they're selling currently I believe.

Lynne Bell
LS Beez
m. 0428172017
e. zoe06@bigpond.net.au

I'm trying to get some shipped to TAS at the moment, but due to SHB regs we can't...( they don't have the beetle so they don't have surveillance for it, and due to the lack of a surveillance plan we can't import from there. we can import from NSW though, because they check for SHB because they have it... go figure?)  it's doing my head in because I'd love those genetics here -  they're a pure Ligurian strain.

no idea on propolis sales. yuk....  lol


 

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