The Honey Factory

[duluthralphie]

NYS average per hive is about 50 pounds. I run some 2 queen colonies and average between 130 and 150 pounds per hive.

https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Todays_Reports/reports/hony0320.pdf

I have read about 2 queen colonies, I don’t get it.

 

[Apis mellifera]

What I do is more like swarm prevention, but you end up with 2 queens in a hive and a lot of bees/honey. In April reverse hive bodies (if needed) and add a QE with 3 or 4 supers. Russian bees whether they are pure or hybrid tend to build and swarm early. In late April / early May do very quick inspections for swarm cells about every 3 days. Once charged swarm cups are seen its time to remove the queen (its good to have them marked). Place the queen with 2 frames of brood (with no swarm cells!), 1 honey, 1 pollen, and the rest foundation or drawn comb if you have it in a new brood box. Replace the frames in the now queen less colony. Place another QE on top of the supers and put the old queen on top of that with a 3/4 hole just below the hand hold.
So now you have from the bottom - 2 queen less deeps with swarm cells (or a graft) a QE, 4 supers, QE, and a deep hive body with the old queen. About 5 days after the set up you can knock down all but 2 or 3 of largest swarm cells. 2 or 3 weeks later you will have a new laying queen in the lower brood boxes and the old queen up top laying. At this point you can add more supers and make a nuc with the old queen or kill her if you don't want more hives.
The drawbacks are the hives can get tall and heavy. It requires frequent inspections until you get the hang of it. Harder to do with out yards, put possible. I have one small out yard. On the plus side you get ohs and ahs from other beekeepers when the see towering hives, it keeps the dust off of the extractor, you can make up nucs and raise queens.

 

[jerryse]

Bees are flying today . Not seeing any pollen but did not expect to after the cold rainy days . Might try working them a little later today .

 

[jerryse]

Finally worked the bees today . Lots of pollen coming in . Lots of brood and resources . Did not see the queen but she is in there . Gentle bees a plus .

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I got a message that I can pick up my bee package on April 10th. Apparently I will have to make 2 trips because they won't have my nuc until May. I wish I knew that I would have just got 2 packages. Too late to change anything with them as they are completely sold out. They said that they have 1,000 people coming to get bees that day!
Good thing I'm taking my bodyguard (DH) with me, I absolutely hate huge groups of people.
Today I worked on my regular Langstroth hive by painting the hive bodies. I decided to go with one large brood super and one medium super. I usually do all mediums but I'd like the flexibility to interchange a few frames of eggs/brood if needed to my long hive or vice versa. My long hive takes all of the large brood frames.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

@duluthralphie when are your bees coming?

 

[duluthralphie]

@duluthralphie when are your bees coming?

Thursday

 

[jerryse]

Worked my bees today . Reversed brood chambers as all brood was in the top . Looking good .

 

[duluthralphie]

New day, Friday for my first package.

 

[R2elk]

New day, Friday for my first package.

Tuesday the 13th for mine.