The Honey Factory

[R2elk]

I will check my hives around the first of next month. If there is honey in the supers, I will steal it. Lately the bees have been very active everywhere. I also have some Carniolans showing up on the blooms. I am not sure where they are coming from.

 

[duluthralphie]

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

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Wet cappings don't look good. It might be too high in moisture content. Do you have a refractometer?

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

My husband and I worked hives on Friday.
We have new colonies so I wasn't expecting much or any, but I was pleasantly surprised to get 2 medium supers off my Saskatraz hive (Squatch) and 1 medium super off my Italian hive (Clover).
Clover didn't have a queen so we combined it with the nuc of Italians that had swarmed from that hive earlier.

 

[duluthralphie]

Wet cappings don't look good. It might be too high in moisture content. Do you have a refractometer?

Nope

 

[jerryse]

Thanks for the offer Ralphie but I will pass . If any don't make through the winter I will just swarm trap another . Seemed easy enough this year . I do not plan to feed . Just leave them enough honey . Dad only ever fed in early spring . I feel sugar is a poor substitute for honey . I understand the economics of taking lots of honey and feeding sugar . Since this is a hobby for my personal use I am not profit driven . Just my opinion . Seems right for me .

 

[duluthralphie]

Thanks for the offer Ralphie but I will pass . If any don't make through the winter I will just swarm trap another . Seemed easy enough this year . I do not plan to feed . Just leave them enough honey . Dad only ever fed in early spring . I feel sugar is a poor substitute for honey . I understand the economics of taking lots of honey and feeding sugar . Since this is a hobby for my personal use I am not profit driven . Just my opinion . Seems right for me .

I don’t think I have a choice, they only made enough honey to last to Halloween.

 

[R2elk]

I don’t think I have a choice, they only made enough honey to last to Halloween.

The problem of feeding through the winter is that they never back down on the brood making like they should. I usually start feeding in March.

 

[duluthralphie]

What’s My choices then?

 

[R2elk]

What’s My choices then?

You can always stick to your original plan and off the little stingers.