[wholesomedirt]

Is it feasible to install 5 packages (assuming all packages are successful), and then make 10 nucs off of those 5 packages in the same season? I would also rear my own queens. I know their would be little to no honey production. I'm just curious about the timing.

 

[Vance G]

With early packages and at your latitude and with feed when required, you could do this. That said, out of five packages, one is going to be a dud and another marginal. When splitting the hives resulting from the packages, it is unrealistic to expect 100% success. It can be easy as you dream or as big a nightmare as you now can't imagine.

 

[Beeonefarms]

Do you have the patience, time and provisions to make this happen..... Only you will know... I bet you could, i bet you could daily log this with pictures and give hope to the masses that are on the fence of the adventure of the season. Go beek go
" In my experience in Tennessee nothing that starts with hey y`all watch this ever ends well!"

 

[Moon]

I'm kind of in the same boat as you right now wholesomedirt with trying to increase numbers with limited resources. I just made up 10 splits on a day that was to cold for it with hives that didn't have as much brood as I expected. Everyone continues to tell me to be patient and to grow slowly. Forcing things or over extending yourself with resources in time can be such a disheartening and humbling experience; at the same time, how will you ever know what you're capable of if you don't try. I say hope for the best and plan for the worse. Worse case scenario you try, it doesn't work, you recombine and all you've done is gained the experience of knowing what you can and can't do.

Good luck.

 

[wholesomedirt]

Thanks , everyone, for the words of encouragement. In case things don't work out for me in terms of timing and bees, I have a local source for bees. I figure queenless packages would perhaps be a supplement if things don't go as planned.

 

[gunter62]

Wholesomedirt. It can be done. If you can get your packages built up into 2 full boxes by the end of June, and you have the queens available, do an even split. Singles can overwinter here. I have overwintered 4 frame medium nucs. I'm just east of you.

 

[wholesomedirt]

Is it best to go in with two story high nucs or keep them at singles?

 

[gunter62]

I like the two story better. I think it gives the cluster the best chance of staying in contact with food. Like I said, I have successfully wintered a r frame medium nuc, but the cluster was small, and they were slow to build-up in the spring. Two story mediums did much better.

 

[sqkcrk]

It's possible.