To that end yesterday ahead of my inspections, I had to get seven boxes ready in case hives needed new supers. I had the boxes, but not the frames. So yesterday morning at 7:15 I was in my backyard, cutting old wax out of frames with my hive tool.
Below is the ensuing collection - there will be more. I haven't finished. And we have at least 100 unbuilt frames in my basement. I took those to Jeff today. He will build frames; I will build and paint boxes. Of course this is what beekeepers are supposed to do in the winter, but the numbers crept up on me to my total surprise!
In the next couple of weeks (when I have some spare time - anyone laughing yet?) I'll melt this down a la Cindy Bee.
If you are wondering about the (SHOCK) 22 hives, here they all are:
At my house to stay:
2 package installations
1 nuc installation
2 splits from Colony Square
1 top bar hive
At my house temporarily:
Flower Pot Swarm (this will be moved soon as the queen is mated and laying)
Total at my house: 7
At Jeff and Valerie's house
Colony Square
Lenox Pointe
Lenox Pointe 2 (AKA Swarm hive)
Five Alive
Total at Jeff's house: 4
At Community Gardens:
Morningside Community Garden
2 package installations
Rabun County community Garden
2 hives - one survived the winter, second a moved-in swarm
Blue Heron Nature Preserve (and community garden)
Lisa's hive
Chastain Conservancy:
1 package installation
Total at community gardens: 6
Miscellaneous locations:
At Sebastian's and Christina's
2 nuc installations
At the Stonehurst Place Inn
2 nuc installations (2012)
1 existing hive from last year
Total at miscellaneous locations: 5
Grand total: 22
I will get it down to 21 and perhaps 20, though. Julia is going to take the really weak queen and bees from Lisa's hive and put them into her observation hive. I will take the FlowerPot Swarm and install it into Lisa's Hive. If the splits from Colony Square don't both make good queens, I'll combine them into one hive. That would take my numbers down to 20.
I figure that I am likely to get honey from 7 - 10 of these this year.....but maybe that's counting my honey comb before it produces......
I didn't count the club Nuc/Observation hive which is also in my yard because it is going to Julia when I move the Flower Pot Swarm to Lisa's hive.
Linda,
ReplyDeleteI feel for you. Wish I could help, been building hives in my spare time for weeks. My friend Marty has 20 packages coming in, just did 7 splits. Now our local bee shop is out of everything. Might be because our clubs bee class had 75 students this year.
I was trying to keep track in my head over the last few weeks how many hives you were up to, and I just couldn't do it. I'm glad you listed them out, and their locations; it helps me follow your posts better!
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to see how many produce for you this year, and how many pounds of honey are extracted!
I don't expect to get any honey from any of the packages (5) or from the splits (2), I do expect to get honey from the hives that overwintered (5) and the installed nucs (5). The other 5 are all iffy! (swarms, top bar, really small hives)
ReplyDeleteallots of honey . it is good for health and for those who wants to lose their weight
ReplyDeleteI read your post with amusement. Bees can get addicting, yes? :)
ReplyDelete