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hey guys i never used packages but i was wondering how much honey will a 3 pound hive produce if it has to draw out its own foundation and every thing thanks Nick
package hive
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hey guys i never used packages but i was wondering how much honey will a 3 pound hive produce if it has to draw out its own foundation and every thing thanks Nick
With the 3 pound packages I have gotten in the spring. They have pulled 2 hive bodies of 10 frames of foundation(I use 4.9) and wire the frames and 2 suppers of 10 fames each. In the fall when I extract I have 2 suppers full(about 60 pounds of honey) and the bees have the top brood chamber full of honey plus some pollen and honey in the bottom brood chamber. After I extract the suppers I put them back on the hive they came from wet so the bees can clean them for winter.
Clint
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Clinton Bemrose
just South of Lansing Michigan
Beekeeping sence 1964
With the 3 pound packages I have gotten in the spring. They have pulled 2 hive bodies of 10 frames of foundation(I use 4.9) and wire the frames and 2 suppers of 10 fames each. In the fall when I extract I have 2 suppers full(about 60 pounds of honey) and the bees have the top brood chamber full of honey plus some pollen and honey in the bottom brood chamber. After I extract the suppers I put them back on the hive they came from wet so the bees can clean them for winter.
Clint
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Clinton Bemrose
just South of Lansing Michigan
Beekeeping sence 1964
G
Guest
·Clinton must be giving his bees steroids!!
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I envy what must be the extended flows he has.
Most packages will spend the "spring flow"
building comb, and have little to show from
their efforts other than some drawn comb.
Many people suggest feeding such packages
to insure that comb is drawn, and some stores
are put in them. I myself never count on
any harvestable honey from a new split not
provided with drawn comb in the honey supers,
and expect swarms placed on foundation to
drop in population, as their delay to draw
comb slows the build-up of the colony to
the point where population "dwindles" until
new brood emerges.
I envy what must be the extended flows he has.
Most packages will spend the "spring flow"
building comb, and have little to show from
their efforts other than some drawn comb.
Many people suggest feeding such packages
to insure that comb is drawn, and some stores
are put in them. I myself never count on
any harvestable honey from a new split not
provided with drawn comb in the honey supers,
and expect swarms placed on foundation to
drop in population, as their delay to draw
comb slows the build-up of the colony to
the point where population "dwindles" until
new brood emerges.
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I was thinking the exact same thing! I had to do a double take at his location as he is north of me (presumed shorter season).
I am like jf and don't expect much the first year. I just hope that they do well enough to get into winter. My first year was during a very year. The rain seemed to be washing everything away. I ended up feeding in fall. So I tend to baby mine at the start. Some would say that isn't allowing the survival of the fittest. But I can't afford the effort that I've gone into getting the bees just to have them die withing the first year. after I get them all setup and running, then I'll see who stays and who goes.
I am like jf and don't expect much the first year. I just hope that they do well enough to get into winter. My first year was during a very year. The rain seemed to be washing everything away. I ended up feeding in fall. So I tend to baby mine at the start. Some would say that isn't allowing the survival of the fittest. But I can't afford the effort that I've gone into getting the bees just to have them die withing the first year. after I get them all setup and running, then I'll see who stays and who goes.
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In another note. I had a talk with Charles Livings of Bolling Bee Farms today. He confirmed to me that he has his bees on Small cell foundation. So I've put in my first order with him.
WayaCoyote who can't wait until hiving season
WayaCoyote who can't wait until hiving season
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1,015 Posts
don't forget that my bees are only in Michigan in the summer.
I do feed new packages plus there is a pollen paty on each brood chamber.
Clint
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Clinton Bemrose
just South of Lansing Michigan
Beekeeping sence 1964
I do feed new packages plus there is a pollen paty on each brood chamber.
Clint
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Clinton Bemrose
just South of Lansing Michigan
Beekeeping sence 1964
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911 Posts
clint i think is 2 hours away from us so 60 pounds isnt that hard to belive one of the comercil beekeepers said that if it is on draw he had packages that made 140pounds in the first year thanks guys Nick
I have two locations about 7 miles apart. At one they havent been able to make enough honey to get through the winter at the other I averaged about 100 pounds on newly installed 3 pound packages. I will not buy another 2 pound package, they can hardly even get their self together around here. If you can give the new package even 2 frames of drawn foundation and or capped brood it will really get them off to a great start. Like they say--location, location, location!
>I will not buy another 2 pound package, they can hardly even get their self together around here.
I order the three pound when it's mail order to make up for the dead bees from shipping. But if I can pick them up when they are trucked in the 2 pounders seem to do fine.
Next time try putting the 2 pounder in a five frame nuc instead of a 10 frame box. Amazing how much faster they take off without all that extra room to heat. I put them in a five frame MEDIUM nuc. In four weeks you'll have to move them to a larger box, but by then the nights are warmer and they have some brood emerging.
>If you can give the new package even 2 frames of drawn foundation and or capped brood it will really get them off to a great start.
Definitely. Another thing I love about the wax dipped PermaComb is that I always have plenty of "drawn" comb around.
I order the three pound when it's mail order to make up for the dead bees from shipping. But if I can pick them up when they are trucked in the 2 pounders seem to do fine.
Next time try putting the 2 pounder in a five frame nuc instead of a 10 frame box. Amazing how much faster they take off without all that extra room to heat. I put them in a five frame MEDIUM nuc. In four weeks you'll have to move them to a larger box, but by then the nights are warmer and they have some brood emerging.
>If you can give the new package even 2 frames of drawn foundation and or capped brood it will really get them off to a great start.
Definitely. Another thing I love about the wax dipped PermaComb is that I always have plenty of "drawn" comb around.
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> I put them in a five frame MEDIUM nuc. In four weeks you'll have to move them to a larger box,
When I catch swarms, I put them in a medium box with nine frames of PC. If I put an average sized swarm on two frames of brood and seven empty I'll have to add another box after one week. A large swarm will take two boxes of PC right from the git-go.
In my area, I never got two deeps drawn let alone surplus the first year. Now using PC, my worst swarm filled three medium boxes and my best filled seven.
When I catch swarms, I put them in a medium box with nine frames of PC. If I put an average sized swarm on two frames of brood and seven empty I'll have to add another box after one week. A large swarm will take two boxes of PC right from the git-go.
In my area, I never got two deeps drawn let alone surplus the first year. Now using PC, my worst swarm filled three medium boxes and my best filled seven.
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I've had the same issue. I haven't mastered our flows yet, but it seems that anytime I find a swarm it is right when the flow is down. they make no progress unless I feed. I am going to small cell currently, but the PC method seems like a way to get things going.
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