Beekeeping it’s the bee’s knees

I just saw this thread WOW
I’ve kept between two to four hives for four years now its so interesting
I’ve got a new hive this year from a swarm and I’ve got a hive ready for a split I need to make

 

Thanks for your help and info. Have an awesome weekend

 

It's been an ongoing debate amongst keepers just about forever on whether or not you can stop them from swarming once there's supercedure cells started. Some say yes definitely, some say no even if you take out all the cells because the hormones and scents still linger. My experience no, once they get the idea they want to swarm they will, and there's other factors like how crowded the hive is n things like that. The experts seem to say the same mostly but then again it seems like the experts want to constantly be discovering that bees are even more complex than we think - which probably isn't wrong but when does it end lol.
... Anyway, swarms will bother you and seem like a big loss when you're new, but after a couple years it becomes part of the game like any other aspect of keeping. Personally i like it. The past couple years i've let the hives get a lil crowded in hopes i could catch a swarm to recover a loss or two and it's worked out well. Also it's like getting a few dice rolls on what kinda queen you end up with. The virgin queen could make a bad hive good or a good hive bad and that's usually fun to figure out. Makes up for a bit of the routine after a few years

 

Great outlook on swarming. I just couldn't believe the multiple swarms. I'm right in the city, with neighbors homes apart by about 12' on each side and 100' deep lots. So we're pretty close. Now before I even started beekeeping I made sure they were all ok with this little adventure. Swarms are very intimidating, both in the air and on trees etc. I guess my biggest worry is for the neighbors. Bees don't recognize fence lines and property boundaries lol.

 

I agree once they start the swarm they are gonna swarm, unless you take the queen mother and a make a split. But even then the bees still may throw a pocket swarm, just when I think I have them figured out nope. Alway fall back on let the bees be

 

2 hives is a gate way. It has led me to 50 this year. I will agree it is the most interesting thing I have done, I find great pleasure in keeping bees.

 

Well honey time

 

Nice, I pulled 13 frames, happy with 50lbs

Still swarming on me. That's 7 outa 2 colonies. I must be missing queen cells.
Like you say, at this point, I'm letting the bees be bees.

 

Helped a friend with his hives brought 4 honey supers back to extract
Maybe 30 pounds each?

 

Well hot night in Florida pulled supers
My supers weigh in at 55lb a box.

 

Uncapped and spun out about 450ish lb of honey todaynow the clean up crew is working

 

Nice setup
I let the cleaning crew do their job and I finished up with a good washing up just a bit ago
It’s amazing how clean the bees can get the stuff

 

Thanks
We are on the cusp of getting serious and getting a bigger extractor and a new uncapper, trying to get read to jump up production and make retirement honey

 

Well did a thing, 30 more put together

 

So do any of you have a recipe for fondant
Need to start planning for winter and need to make about 10lbs for 2 colonies
Thank you

 

Don’t use it , but https://www.alamancebeekeepers.org/...Fondant-for-Bees-Backyard-Beekeeping-copy.pdf
Have done mountain camp method but my winters are a little different then yours https://www.honeybeesuite.com/mountain-camp-feeder-use-for-winter-feeding-only/

 

Perfect. Thank you so much

 

Good morning beekeepers
Some are still in winter , sorry but us down south are making splits and grafting queens. Did have loss over winter but will build back got drones laid last week and during check yesterday saw a bunch. Made 50ish queen grafts and made 30 splits yesterday so getting ready to put in cell today.
hope you all made it thru winter with some bees

 

Cells in