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Poll

How many NEW hives are you starting this year???

None
1 (2.6%)
1
4 (10.5%)
2
7 (18.4%)
3
5 (13.2%)
4
4 (10.5%)
5
5 (13.2%)
6
0 (0%)
7
1 (2.6%)
8
3 (7.9%)
9
0 (0%)
10+
8 (21.1%)

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Author Topic: How many new hives are you starting this year???  (Read 32798 times)

Offline buzz

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« on: January 28, 2005, 06:47:47 pm »
I thought it would be cool to find out how many NEW hives you all are starting this year. I'm starting two (ordering bees tomorrow), which will put me at a total of three hives. How about you???
Scott
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Offline Horns Pure Honey

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #1 on: January 28, 2005, 06:51:52 pm »
I was told that I am at least getting 20-35 new hives, I hope more, 50 would be grate. That way if I can get them really strong I can split them into 2 and have 100 next spring. I plan to get at least 50 new ones every spring and keep splitting untill I have at least a 1000. I want to reach this as soon as possible, bye
Ryan Horn

Offline amymcg

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getting one
« Reply #2 on: January 28, 2005, 07:39:41 pm »
I'm getting one, but my brother in law down the road is getting one also, so at least we can compare and/or share brood if necessary. Im hoping for two next year.

Offline Finman

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2005, 07:02:43 am »
Quote from: Horns Pure Honey
I was told that I am at least getting 20-35 new hives, I hope more, 50 would be grate. That way if I can get them really strong I can split them into 2 and have 100 next spring. I plan to get at least 50 new ones every spring and keep splitting untill I have at least a 1000. I want to reach this as soon as possible, bye


First you must learn beekeeping skill, but I quess that you daddy knows the skill.

If you start as a new with 20 hives, they will escape to sky.  And probably you have muscles to handle the weight of hives and driving licence to manage alone.

Huge plans you have.

You say :I want to reach this as soon as possible  ... But when are you going to learn beekeeping? The fastes beekeeper I have met was a man who learned it in 3 years.

Anonymous

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2005, 09:38:21 am »
8) Our plans are to add 7 new colonies to our holdings.
We plan on buying a bee yard from an older beekeeper who is selling due to poor health. We had talked with him last fall but he said he didn't feel right selling going into winter. Only will sell what colonies make it thru the winter. A fine old gentiman who has forgot more about beekeeping than I will probably ever know.
 :D Al

Offline TwT

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2005, 12:14:59 pm »
I'm starting 5 in march and 3 in june, the 3 in june are going to be russians from  http://www.mountain-honey.com/productionqueens.htm
THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 MONTHS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

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

Offline Lesli

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2005, 12:22:25 pm »
Quote
If you start as a new with 20 hives, they will escape to sky.


Well, if they do, Ryan can learn a lot about capturing swarms!

It does sound ambitious, but Ryan, if you're will to spend the time, read the books, and learn from others, at worst, you'll make mistakes and lose some colonies. and maybe that's not the worst--we all learn from our mistakes.

I had two colonies last year; I could have handled five, easily.  That's why I'm getting five packages for spring, and I may split my current colony.  And I do have a full time job. What will be time consuming (and expensive...) will be extracting--and finding a good extractor, setting up my extracting "station."

Over the last year, I've learned a lot from the books I've read--including some over 100 years old, from the others in my beekeeping club, and from foums like this one.

I'm fortunate that I live in an area with a long history of beekeeping, and a long history of beekeeping research. For instance, you may sometimes see a bee brush referred to as a "Coggshall brush,"  or see the definitive book on beeswax processing by Coggshall and Morse. Well, the Coggshalls started the first commerical beekeeping in this area about 3 generations ago--and as it happens, I know William Coggshall's daughter!

Roger Morse, who died in 2000, also lived and worked in this area at Cornell University, a stone's throw from where I live.  Cornell University still does quite a bit of research, so I get the low down on local bee info.

While my experience is limited to a year, all of these resources mean that I have a heck of a lot of theoretical knowledge that I can work into my own practices, and test in my own backyard. [/i]
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Lesli

Offline golfpsycho

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #7 on: January 29, 2005, 12:44:51 pm »
I have ten packages scheduled for mid April, and plan on splitting the 3 I currently have.  Hopefully will get off to a good start as I ended last season with 10 deeps of drawn comb.  Picked up 10 more deeps and frames a couple weeks ago.    I guess I'm expanding.. bahahahahahahaha  This HOBBY is going to pay it's own way if it takes every penny I have!!!

Offline Horns Pure Honey

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #8 on: January 29, 2005, 02:43:58 pm »
Finman I know more about bees than meets the eye, my family has a VERY long line of bee keepers and we have records of it over 200 years old. I have jurnal entries by my ancestors and have learned from there mistakes. I have baught and read like at least 15 books. And no my dad dosnt know more about bees than me although he is doing a good job catching up. I really dont have to work, so I do have the time to spend 8-12 hours a day with the bees and longer if needed. I get my licesens in 2 weeks and I can lift at least 150 pounds. And for the last 6 months, half darn winter, I have been an apretice to my grandfathers very close friend. I know I can do this and have no doubts in my mind I can handle this. So if something does go wrong it is my fault and I will make up for it but I doubt it will, bye
Ryan Horn

Offline Jay

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #9 on: January 29, 2005, 03:25:04 pm »
Quote from: golfpsyco
This HOBBY is going to pay it's own way if it takes every penny I have!!


What is that little rule of thumb, oh yeah, You CAN make a million dollars in beekeeping. The first step is to start with TWO million!! :lol:
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Their flag to Aprils breeze unfurled
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world
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Offline beemaster

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #10 on: January 29, 2005, 03:30:43 pm »
I agree Jay... I read once that Beekeeping is like a burning candle, it give you plenty of en"light"enment while it's burning, but eventually the flame goes out - I guess the best we can do is hope for SLOW BURNING WICKS!!!
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Offline Horns Pure Honey

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #11 on: January 29, 2005, 03:31:41 pm »
:lol:  :lol:  :lol: funny jay.
Ryan Horn

Offline Finman

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #12 on: January 29, 2005, 03:59:22 pm »
Quote from: Horns Pure Honey
Finman I know more about bees than meets the eye, my family has a VERY long line of bee keepers and we have records of it over 200 years old.


I think that it might be so becaus your talk was not normal to hobbiest.. Your numbers were so huge.  200 years? We haven't even had bees so long in Finland.  :P

Offline Horns Pure Honey

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #13 on: January 29, 2005, 07:48:15 pm »
I planned for it only to be a hobby, just like my ancestors. I just plan to go larger and turn it into a company. The mansion that my grandmother owns is over 200 years, it says in the history books that there was a very large walk in observation hive on the third floor. There are still 3 metal tubes sticking out of the bricks for the entrance.
Ryan Horn

Offline golfpsycho

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #14 on: January 29, 2005, 08:20:34 pm »
Just a couple words Ryan.  Reading about keeping bees, and actually keeping them, are very different things.  Trach and vorroa mites, small hive beetle and Kassmir disease add a level of difficulty to beekeeping that people have not dealt with in the past.  This doesn't include drought, flooding, dearth, and the myriad of other things that can and do go wrong. The difference between getting 80 to 100 lbs of honey, and feeding that same amount to overwinter succesfully, is a huge wad of cash. Thousands of people that have kept bees in the past have thrown in the towel.  Not all of them were backyard hobby beekeepers.

I hope you do well and succeed

PS.  Can you get pictures of the walk in observation hive?  That interests me.

Offline Horns Pure Honey

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #15 on: January 29, 2005, 08:23:58 pm »
I will see if I can finde a pic, I am shure the town hall has it on record, I will see if I can find it in the next few weeks or draw it up or something. I will ask my grandma.
Ryan Horn

Offline buzz

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #16 on: January 29, 2005, 09:43:30 pm »
Quote from: golfpsycho
Just a couple words Ryan.  Reading about keeping bees, and actually keeping them, are very different things.


Very true. I had my hive swarm in the first month or two last year, which is something that none of the books had talked about.

Are you planing on building your own hives? I know that hives aren't cheap. :lol:
Scott
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Offline Horns Pure Honey

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #17 on: January 29, 2005, 09:46:35 pm »
I am buying my first hive in a kit with everything I will need from mann lake. Then we are building every hive after that.
Ryan Horn

Offline golfpsycho

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #18 on: January 29, 2005, 10:05:27 pm »
You are getting behind right now.  If you buy the begginer kit, you are overpaying by about 200%.  I realize you probably need a smoker, a veil, but beyond that.. what are you paying for?  Your buddy, or fathers buddy is giving you a bunch of colonys.  I'm guessing they are in a langstroth style hive.  It's time to cut corners. ... split rather than bye.. and it's cheaper to buy hive bodys than to build if you have gainful employment.  Take your colonys.. look for boomers.. and pic a queen to breed from... here we gooooooooooooooooo

Offline buzz

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #19 on: January 29, 2005, 10:54:19 pm »
I would think it would be alot cheaper to build all of your hives if you have the equipment/know how. They try to suck you in with their "everything you need" kit and charge alot for what you get. Just my .02
Scott
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"If you have no money and you have few possessions, if you have a dog you are still rich"
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"Forgiveness is easier to get than permission"

 

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