[the.hines]

Do you think it is too late to start a hive in south GA.
I just moved down here and want to get back into it. I will feed them this fall and winter.

I am liking the warre type hive and thought about giving it a try. (going to make it so it will be cheap.)

 

[mercury996]

I think it depends, are you purchasing a nuc or performing a split from one of your own hives? I don't know where you would get package bees at this time of year but if that is the case you most defiantly would have to feed a lot this fall...
If they don't have a laying queen right off the bat then you have to wait for them to get up in going in that department as well as draw out a bunch of comb... Do you have a hive already you can pull brood from to give them a boost if needs be (helps so much)?
My exp is I started two hives last year from 3lb packages and I hived them June 1st (I am in northern AZ) due to shipping problems.
Had a lot of hiccups with supersedure, mites and problem drawing the comb... Fed them a TON of sugar syrup till it was too cold to feed and then in Jan I did the mountain camp method... I also purchased a whole deep of capped honey from a local beek and gave them that. Maybe I went overboard but seeing as I had started them so late and had so many setbacks I wanted to help insure they survive. Both hives made it through the winter no problems (mild winters here) and are bustling this spring. They even had a bunch of the capped honey left this spring and got off to a good start... Have to split one of them they are so crowded... I think its safe so long as you are diligent in making sure they are fed well...

 

[MikeJ]

I think even a package (if you could get one) would still work as long as you continually fed to winter.

Mike

 

[KQ6AR]

I think there is plenty of time left in south GA.
Probably only a few months out of the year you couldn't if you feed them.

 

[kwest]

why would it bee to late down there? i am still making splits and nucs up here in Montana and i continue to make some more in July. You just need to give them the feed and push them. I think it is pretty funny that you guys worry about starting hives down south and up north here spring/ summer has just begun and the flow last year was over about the first week of sept. Seems to me you would have plenty of time yet.

 

[erwkkkk08]

Not too late at all, I live in N.E. FL., and continue doing splits until mid Aug.. It usually doesn't get cool here until around Dec., you have plenty of time to get a colony going. Good luck!

 

[cdanderson]

Are you putting mated queens in these new splits or letting them raise their own queen ?

 

[Rob73]

What factors do you have to consider when deciding if you have enough time or not to start a new hive or make a split? How do you know if you have enough time? Time....kind of a funny ole thing isn't it? Is it so much time, or temperature, or is it the stages that the plants are in?

I would like to try raising a some queens next year. So knowing a little more about the "time" thing could help me out too.

Rob

 

[little55]

why would it bee to late down there? i am still making splits and nucs up here in Montana and i continue to make some more in July. You just need to give them the feed and push them. I think it is pretty funny that you guys worry about starting hives down south and up north here spring/ summer has just begun and the flow last year was over about the first week of sept. Seems to me you would have plenty of time yet.

Time is not the issue it is timing. You don't want to get robbing started down south this time of year, but if you don't feed they will not build up. Talk to some of the local beeks would be my suggestion and see how they do it. Also do a search on dry feed during a dearth.

 

[Joseph Clemens]

Just to see what was possible, I continued making up nucs, raising cultivated/grafted queen cells, and putting them together to make nucs with mated/laying queens. I had been doing it all through 2009, so I just continued the process all through the Winter and am continuing the same process now.

 

[beemandan]

There are a couple of issues to consider, in my opinion. South GA is a haven for small hive beetles. A weak hive will be under attack right from the get-go this time of year. The SHB population is approaching its peak.
Will there be a nectar flow? Here in the GA piedmont our nectar flow has almost ended. Without a natural nectar flow it'll be a bigger challenge to get bees to draw out new comb.
Personally, I'd wait until spring and get an early and good start. Less likely to be disappointed.