"The Endless Honey Flow"

[Nor Cal]

I was wondering how many hobbiest beekeepers move their hives to chase honeyflows?
this is my first year and I have 2 hives that are doing great! I just came out of the blackberry bloom and that was able to get all of my foundation built out and give my bees a couple of frames of honey, and it looks like a couple of weeks untill the next bloom, star thistle. I work 30 miles away from home (where my hives are) and the star thistle is just starting to bloom there.
I'm looking for any advice or wisdom on moveing my hives and maybe even getting some honey my first year.

[Novice]

I am a beginner too but if you are interested in how the big guys do it...i.e. the migrational beekeepers ...check out the book "Following the Bloom". The author is Whynott. I saw it recommended on this or another board and it is indeed and interesting read.

[tecumseh]

nor cal ask:
I was wondering how many hobbiest beekeepers move their hives to chase honeyflows?

tecumseh replies:
being a lone wolf operator and using minimum machinery for the heavy lifting, the only way I can move heavy hive bodies is typically to rob the honey, break'em down, split and move. having done a bit of long distance migratory beekeeping, the prospects have very limit allure for me. I would suspect the practicality of moving a few hives would depend on transportaion cost and the potential of the various honey flows. if you should drift down this route of action, do consider that you are going to lose a hive or so from time to time.

if you should have any specific questions do not hesitate to pm me....

good luck...

[SantaCruzBee]

I don't know, as I live on the coast, but I'd think you won't have any problem harvesting honey without moving your hives. My first year, 2004, I harvested at least 60lbs. from three hives by September and probably did some harvesting in mid-July and still left plenty of honey for the bees for winter (since I lazily didn't keep records I can't say exactly how much). Two of the hives died that following winter from mites and I got at least another 20lbs each out of those two.

Now I know you have colder weather and get snow from time to time, but I'd bet you'll be able to harvest after the star thistle bloom. I am not much of a fan of star thistle, but I hear it produces a lot of nectar. I grew up in the Central Valley in Davis and remember well having to take the stickers out of my legs and feet as a kid. Happily it doesn't seem to have invaded Santa Cruz county yet(it's a non-native pest).

[ June 26, 2006, 08:41 AM: Message edited by: SantaCruzBee ]

[SantaCruzBee]

One last thing, most of the books are written for people East of the Sierras, so there is more concern about leaving enough honey on the hives for overwintering. Even with snow in the foothills around Auburn, winter is not as long and hard as elsewhere. If you know any local beekeepers in your area though, they're better equipped to judge than I am.

[loggermike]

Its not a bad idea.But thistle can be fickle some years and you can end up with nothing in the supers.Other years I have averaged over a hundred pounds per hive on it.

[bleakley]

Nor Cal,

I have a small-scale operation . . . in my third season. Although by number of colonies, I'd be considered a hobbiest by most standards, I think of myself as more of a commercial operation . . . definitely oriented to honey production and sales. smile.gif

My first season was spent establishing colonies . . . began as 3# packages . . . the hives were not moved from the home yard . . . produced small harvest of fall wildflower honey.

The forage around the home yard is limited to wildflowers. Beyond that range and within a 30-mile radius, there are varietal nectar flows (mesquite, catclaw and orchard blossoms) that I am interested in tapping. Consequently, I have to establish out yards to capture them. Instead of leaving colonies year around at each yard, I move most of the colonies from yard to yard. Here the flows do not overlap, so each colony can be placed to draw upon four nectar flows.

My customers have very keen interest in the local varietal honeys. :D Moving the coloies is work, but I am willing and motivated. I may tire of it or may decide someday to move a smaller percentage of colonies. Because of my tendency to maximize the return from any give colony, I am likely to continue to move them. ;)

I have experienced some loss of queens owing to the jostling of hives during relocation, but it's been at an acceptable level. I move my colonies manually and am learning to do it more carefully.

[Troutsqueezer]

Nor Cal,

I'm in Pilot Hill, just several miles from you, next to Cool. I think there is probably lots of star thistle in your area since it has invaded just about everywhere in these parts now. Until the star thistle blooms there should be plenty of other plants for foraging in your area. There certainly are lots of gardens in Auburn.

Last year was my first with a single hive and the star thistle bloom gave the hive a healthy boost in terms of honey production all the way from the beginning of summer through the fall. I did swipe a couple of bottle's worth of honey but left the rest because I was not sure now much it would take for them to winter over. I think that for a normal winter, there was much more than the bees would have needed but as it turns out, last Winter lasted far longer than normal as you might remember and the extra stores came in handy for the bees.

I was anxious for that first honey harvest too but I'm glad I resisted. Each year is different however.

If you have two deeps on each hive already, I would think you can add a honey super and whatever honey is stored there should be yours for the taking in the fall.