package?

[kbenz]

will an early spring package in NC give you a honey harvest that fall? this will be new equipment and frames.

[NasalSponge]

If all the planets are aligned...maybe, but I wouldn't count on it.

[Jerry Kinder]

Last year (my first), I started two packages. I got no honey and they died over the winter.

This year (my second), I started two packages, captured a swarm and I have taken a little honey and plan on taking much more.

The difference is in the weather. This year we had "normal" rainfall where the previous year we were in a drought situation. It made all the difference in the world in the number of flowers that are around. So like the previous post said, it depends.

[kbenz]

what if I started with nucs?

[KQ6AR]

starting with nucs, you're odds of getting honey are improved.

[charmd2]

even with improved odds it still depends on weather, on if you were sold a good queen, if they get crowded and swarm on you,

I would bet against honey the first year unless you buy an over wintered double deep hive. A single deep "MIGHT" get you honey.

Anything more than nothing is a bonus the first year.

[Beeslave]

If managed correctly package bees can provide a good crop the first year.

A single of bees better give you a good crop.

[Northern IL]

my neigbor lady beek had bought 3 # package for one hive that didn't make the winter ,placed in 2 deep and is now on her 5th super (mediums )...her hive right beside that over wintered has only 1 medium super added this year....go figure

[Andrew Dewey]

In our bee school (Maine) we tell people not to expect to harvest honey from either a first year package or nuc but to be extremely happy if they are able to do so.

[Beeslave]

If you expect to get nothing from an investment than you are more likely to keep investing year after getting nothing in return.

[waynesgarden]

If you expect to get nothing from an investment than you are more likely to keep investing year after getting nothing in return.

I don't believe Andrew's bee school is teaching people to expect nothing from their investment. I know our bee school does not. We tell folks exactly what Andrew said. We also teach how to successfully overwinter their hives and enjoy the return on their investment the second year.

Beekeeping is no different than raising a lot of agricultural crops. You don't sell aparagus plants and tell the buyer to expect nothing. You don't sell apple or peach trees and tell the buyer to expect nothing. You give them reasonable expectations. Hardly ""nothing in return."

Wayne

[wdcrkapry205]

It all depends on your floral sources, quality of your bees, and your management. Probably not the short answer you wanted, but most everything in beekeeping is relative.

[Sonny]

I started 3 packages this spring. I was able to get about 100 lbs of honey between two of them and still left plenty of honey for them. I got my packages installed April 6th.

[Mike Snodgrass]

A package i installed the last week of april here has given me roughly 20 lbs of honey thus far and they have another 20 almost capped...basically, half a med super so far and another half soon i hope...that is before i have to start leaving all the honey for them to take down!

[Idahobeek]

We started our first year this spring with 2 hives and 2 packages. Hive 1, beats me, this one is a challenge, they are currently trying to honey bind the brood boxes and ignoring the honey supers, although 1 honey super is full, they are filling the brood box instead of the second honey super. And they are getting pretty aggressive to boot.

Hive 2, superceded their queen, I pulled her into a split, where she is racing to build enough bees for winter, looks like she'll make it. But that hive is currently getting ready for their fourth honey super. The new queen is laying away. I wasn't expecting a surplus this year, I am now awaiting delivery of a new extractor . It looks like we will end up with three or possibly four supers for harvest.