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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 32813 times)

Offline Finman

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Re: don't be dreamstealers
« Reply #40 on: January 30, 2005, 01:22:45 pm »
Quote from: buzz
Quote from: amymcg
having 1000 hives than I think he realizes. How does he plan to extract 20,000 frames? How does he plan to uncap all of them?


When I have a hive, it will have 7 boxes.  If it is bad summer, I extract 6 boxes and it is  60 frames.

If summer is best, I extract supers  2,5 times  and brood box once. The lowest brood box will be not extracted.

supers  4 pieces  2,5 times and  1-2 times brood box. Lets say 120 frames.

It will be  120 000 frames per summer at best, and at lowest 60 000 frames, in my system

If you have 100 yield days, it will be 1200 frame per day and 2,5 frames per minute (8  efficient hours within 12 hours day)

Each frame has 3,5 lbs honey and it is tolally 225 000 kg or 450 000 lbs. You must sell every day 1233 lbs honey out.

From where comes 20 000 frames?

I just calculate real hives because they are ahead next summer.


It keeps busy.

When I nurse bees, I spend 1/2 hour per hive. Professionals said that they spend  15 minutes per 10 hives unit. They were 2 men =30 min.  10 times faster.

During day in Finland one man  spends time  for 100 hives  5 hours + car driving = 10 hours per day. During week 500 hives. 2 men 1000 hives per week.

Offline buzz

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #41 on: January 30, 2005, 01:24:41 pm »
Maybe it is different where he is, but around here we use two supers, and extract once a year. So that would be 1000x2x10=20,000
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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Offline Horns Pure Honey

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #42 on: January 30, 2005, 01:33:30 pm »
I think no matter what age you are you should have dreams. I am only building a hive with 2 supers and 2 frames, not 3 of each for each ive. When I have a slow time in getting bees I will build hives or extra parts as replacements. I can do it, I know I can.
Ryan Horn

Offline Kris^

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #43 on: January 30, 2005, 02:50:56 pm »
Quote from: Anonymous
I'm not so sure building is cheaper than buying.  


I can build a full hive, with a top feeder, for about $20 less than ordering from Mann Lake.  That doesn't include the shipping charges on buying and delivering a built hive, whcih can be as much as $45.  So actually, I save over $60 per hive.

 By far, the greatest cost of building a hive is filling it with frames and foundation.  I've gotten them in quantity from Mann Lake at $1.95 a piece.  Filling a complete hive with 80 frames -- plus the shipping for those frames -- costs about twice what the rest of the hive costs to build.  Buying frames disassembled is only a minor savings.  I've seen much less expensive frames and foundation at Kelly, but wonder what the difference in quality might be between two disparately priced products.

As it is now, I have one active colony and a complete hive setup for a second colony.  I plan to split the existing one in an attempt to make comb honey.  I also have the lumber and frames to build two more complete hives, in which I plan to house two packages I purchased for this coming spring.  I think I can manage 4 hive at a time.  :-(

As for what my time is worth?  I know what I charge clients per hour, and I also know that I rarely bill someone for every hour I'm at work.  I figure as long as nobody is paying me to do something for them, my time is my own -- and my time for myself is priceless.

-- Kris

Offline Finman

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #44 on: January 30, 2005, 03:27:56 pm »
Quote from: buzz
Maybe it is different where he is, but around here we use two supers, and extract once a year. So that would be 1000x2x10=20,000


One reason is that you leave honey for winter. I my country it would mean that half of yielf will stay in hive. - So we take all off and give sugar for winter.

Another reason may be that density of bees on area is too big, and pastures are overloaded. That is why I move my hives to areas where is no other bees.

Offline Horns Pure Honey

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #45 on: January 30, 2005, 03:59:50 pm »
Finman, isnt your winter half the year???, My winter is 3 months so I dont think it will be to hard to just let them keep there own honey, if they need sugar I will give it to them. :) Thanks for all the info. :D
Ryan Horn

Offline Finman

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #46 on: January 30, 2005, 04:09:03 pm »
Quote from: Horns Pure Honey
Finman, isnt your winter half the year???, My winter is 3 months so I dont think it will be to hard to just let them keep there own honey, if they need sugar I will give it to them. :) Thanks for all the info. :D


We give sugar in late August or in first week of September. Sugar must be sufficient to the end of May.  It makes 9 months. In May they get some honey from willows.

Also in Germany their let bees keep their honey, if quality is poor.

Offline Horns Pure Honey

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #47 on: January 30, 2005, 04:16:40 pm »
I thought I might possibly let them keep all there honey the first year even if they do have a little surplus for there first year. I dont really expect any the first year so this would be no problem to me, thanks for telling me how you take care of your bees in the winter, bye
Ryan Horn

Offline Lesli

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #48 on: January 30, 2005, 06:16:51 pm »
I didn't expect honey my first year, either, but I got some anyway. Be prepared!  :D
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Lesli

Offline Horns Pure Honey

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #49 on: January 30, 2005, 07:16:37 pm »
Yeah, all the books I read say you wont get any your first year, but I was like that cant be all true. So who ever I talk to says they got a bit and a bit is better than none. As we all know your first years honey is the sweetest honey you'll ever taste becuase it is yours.
Ryan Horn

Offline fiveson

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New Hive Questions
« Reply #50 on: January 30, 2005, 09:29:19 pm »
I have to ask -  Ryan how old are you. You seem like a super nice young man?. Also I love your 'bye' at the end of your posts.

I am putting in one new hive - and resusitating (restartingf) my original this spring so I count that as two.

Questions (always questions):

I read somewhere (was it Finman?) someone wrote that if you do the math - the extra honey you get by not overwintering and leaving an extra super and just buying packages in Spring - works out better $ and easier. So I am wondering why do we bother to try? Cretainly it would make requeening easier.

Also - I have seen plans for hives that always include some kind of 'locking' joints - then nails and glue. Is there a reason one couldnt skip the woodworking challenge of the locking end joints - and just glue - use nails and or screws - and external 90 degree bracing via angle braces? Wouldnt that be strong enough?

Rob
The Pleasures Of Love Lasts but a fleeting
But the pledges of life
Outlust a lifetime

(J Joyce)

Offline Lesli

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #51 on: January 30, 2005, 10:32:56 pm »
:D

My girls made almost two full supers, though they were hived June 23. So it can happen!
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Lesli

Offline Horns Pure Honey

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #52 on: January 30, 2005, 10:43:19 pm »
I am 16 fiveson, thanks for liking my bye, lol. bye
Ryan Horn

Offline golfpsycho

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #53 on: January 30, 2005, 10:54:06 pm »
Yep.. that tv watching is a tough gig.. but one I'm well suited for.. bahahahahahah

I think building your own stuff is great, if that's what you want to do.  20 years ago, thats what I would have done.  But now, I would rather let someone else do it so I don't cut off any of my fingers hurrying to get the last cuts made.   I just think Ryan is young, and seems intelligent, and because of that.. his earning potential probably surpasses many of us.  He doesn't have to do it all tomorrow.  He can take some time, build up a sideline operation, and grow it into a career if that's what he wants.

I talked to a beekeeper that sent 475 colonys to work the almonds this year.   as he does every year.  The almond pollination isn't over yet, and he has lost 200 of his colonys to the mites and the virii they carry.  He treated with oxalic in October.  Now might not be the time to jump in with both feet.

Offline Horns Pure Honey

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #54 on: January 30, 2005, 11:04:18 pm »
Well I know none of you know this, John might, I am very interested in 2 other building projects other than bee hives. I am building a 1970's teardrop camper and plan on starting a 30 foot long sail boat soon. I think I can handle it, lol, bye
Ryan Horn

Offline Finman

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #55 on: January 31, 2005, 05:34:58 am »
Quote from: Horns Pure Honey
Yeah, all the books I read say you wont get any your first year, but I was like that cant be all true. So who ever I talk to says they got a bit and a bit is better than none. As we all know your first years honey is the sweetest honey you'll ever taste becuase it is yours.


2 years ago it was disarster winter for large area for bees: Finland, germany, Sweden.

I lost  60% of my hives.  Then I take into use all  my knowledge I could. Also I started to heat my hives with  terrarium heaters.

I had 5 fist size colonies at the beginning of August.  We named them "Coffee Cup Colonies" in Finnish forum.

I give pollen to all hives at spring, and when large ones got hatching brood, I gived frames to Cup Colonies. At the beginning of June all Coffee Cups had one box full of larvas.  

Summer was late 2 weeks  Cup Colonies developed marvellously. When turnip rape began to bloom in the middle of July, I put 4 coffee cup hives to area, where were 30 hectars blooming turnip ripe. Almouust 10 hectars per hive. I formulated normal hives from my yard.

They brought honey medium yield  180 lbs per hive.  The best, which was 5 frame hive in August, it brought  300 lbs.  It was 9 box tower.

Last spring I made same system, and it was a great succes.

The truth is, that a little colony will not rise bigg enough with it's own aid,  but you can make a lot of tricks that you use the power of queen's egg laying.

It needs time that colony has a balance within home bees and gathering bees. So you can put together  boxes full of larvas and the hive, which have no brood because of swarming. Together those are good unit.

You can take from bigg hive whole box of bees and you give it to weak colony. So it gets it own living like a swarm. An many more....

DON'T BE sentimental with your bees!


You know that swarms collect honey well, because at first they have no brood.

Offline Rich V

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #56 on: January 31, 2005, 11:20:08 am »
Go for it Ryan, Aim High!

Rich V.

Offline buzz

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #57 on: January 31, 2005, 02:09:13 pm »
Well, as I said before, my hive swarmed a month or two after I got them, so I didn't even get a full super. I did get 2 frames, which will last through the summer for me.
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"

Offline Finman

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #58 on: January 31, 2005, 03:01:43 pm »
Quote from: buzz
Well, as I said before, my hive swarmed a month or two after I got them, so I didn't even get a full super. I did get 2 frames, which will last through the summer for me.


As I have met new beekeepers, they unsucceed for swarming, because they have no experience, what bees are going to do next, and how beekeeper  leads bees' intentions.  When little hive is full of honey, it swarms without any warning.  Even fist size mating colony swarms and queen escapes.

Did I understood that hive was 2 frames? . It is a size, which is not able to develope anywhere.   When I started my beekeeping, I bought tens of swarms. I put them together to 8 lbs colonies, so colony occupied 1,5 langstroth boxes.  I saw, that in is the way every 1 kg ( 2 lbs) bees brought 10 kg (20 lbs)  honey.

If you put only 4 lbs swarm in the box, I got honey at all.  But with 8 lbs I got  80 - 100 lbs honey during first summer! So I got my money back during first year.

That is the way I collect my hives to great hives when honey flow begans.

But I must confess , that before I was able to do that, I have tryed 3-4 years before I understood the idea. On that time experienced beekeepers kept 2-box hives. One brood and another super.

Soon I met one of the best beekeeper in Finland. He has been a forest worker in Canada and he had booked 2 bee magazine from USA to Finland.  He teached me tricks.

And my Coffee Cup Colonies, I did it ater 40 years experience. But I did it, and I proudly to all, that it is possible. Nobody believe me, mut it is not my head ache.

As we say, nobody is blacksmith when he borns.

That my teacher, he got breeding queens from Canada, and he smuggled breeding queens from Sovjet Caucasia to Canada via Mexico. - 35 years ago!  The race was Caucasian bee.

Offline buzz

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How many new hives are you starting this year???
« Reply #59 on: January 31, 2005, 03:51:47 pm »
Quote from: Finman

Did I understood that hive was 2 frames? . It is a size, which is not able to develope anywhere.


It is a full size langstroth hive, the reason I got two frames is because that is all they filled up in the super. Part of that was because I had an excluder on also.
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"