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TOPIC: My Beekeeping Adventure!

Re:My Beekeeping Adventure! 12 years 1 month ago #16467

Classicfur I think I will try expanding to a 3 medium brood area this year makes sense. Just never realized 3 mediums equal 1 deep, thanks. I've had some space issues in the past but the bee's have worked it out just something I'll have to keep an eye on. Thanks again! Trahn

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Re:My Beekeeping Adventure! 12 years 1 month ago #16468

Classicfur when your going to start your packages will you be starting with 1 medium or 2? The packages I've started with where 3lbs. and always just started just one medium but keep an eye on them. The bee's would build comb from center to sides and when they got to the last outer frames I'd add a super. Just didn't want them to start building vertical to quick but just might be a step I could skip and go with 2 mediums to start. Latt I second the jump right in that's when the learning really starts.

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Re:My Beekeeping Adventure! 12 years 1 month ago #16471

trahn007

I will be starting off with 3 lb packages also. One medium box would be just the right size to start off with. They will be able to keep warmer in the one box after installation compared to two boxes.

I will share a huge beekeepers secret that was given to me by a 72 yr old beekeeper that had over 50 yrs experience.

I was in my third year of beekeeping when this old man brought large smallmouth bass into my taxidermy shop to be mounted. As we were talking, he says \"I see you have some bee hives out back\". I told him that this was my third year of beekeeping. I asked him if he had bees? He said he had been beekeeping his whole life.

He asked if he could look at the hives and I said yes. As we looked at the hives from about 10 ft away. I asked if he had any good advice for me. He smiled and said \"Queen Space and Timing\". He walked over to one of my four hives and bent over with his ear close to the lower corner of the hive next to the entrance and listened to the hive and then watched the bees going in and out of the hive. He did this to each of my four hives.

He came back over to me and says \"Queen Space and Timing. I asked what does that mean? He says \"to bring in lots of honey, you need to have lots of bees. Which means you must give the Queen more space to lay eggs at the right time.\" Ok.

He pointed to two of my hives. and says, \"Both of those hives are ready for a third deep box. The queen will be running out of space to lay eggs very soon. And if the Queen see's that she is running out of space, she will slow down her egg laying and she may never regain momentum again. Tomorrow you will check those two hives and if 70% or more of the brood space is occupied, then you add the third box. And then you will call me on the phone. Most beekeepers under estimate what their Queen and bees can do. And you will find that out this season. Those two hives will bring in atleast 140 lbs of honey and you might get lucky and get 200 lbs in each hive,\" And then he left.

The next day I checked those two hives and sure enough one hive was at about 70% and the other was at about 85% capacity. So I added a third deep box on each hive. That night I called the old beekeeper and told him what I found and that I added the boxes. He says to me \"you have just made two Mega Hives! There are good hives with two deep boxes, but it takes three boxes to make a Mega Hive. They will bring in honey quicker than you can take it off. And come next spring, you divide those two hives and end up with four hives.\"

Sure enough that fall, One hive ended up with just over 180 lbs of honey and the other had 207 lbs of honey. The one hive ended up filling up six medium boxes with honey. the hive was getting so tall, I had to keep taking one full super off each time I added a empty super. I was in Awe!

Oh and I did end up splitting both of those hives in the spring.

It all boils down to allowing the queen room(Queen Space) to lay as many eggs as she can and add a new box before she needs it(timing).

Thats my story of a old man that taught me how to make a Mega Hive.

classicfur

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Re:My Beekeeping Adventure! 12 years 1 month ago #16475

Classicfur that is good advise. Going into my third year really didn't get a chance to really expand hives. First year is all about buiding comb and stores and my second year was a very wet year. This is something I will keep a very close eye on this year. Thanks 4 the advise.

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Re:My Beekeeping Adventure! 12 years 1 month ago #16495

Hey trahn0007

Just want to claify one thing about Queens.

Most Queens are only capable of filling 2 deep boxes or three medium boxes. Then you have some Queens that are exceptional egg layers and those are the queens that could produce a Mega Hive.

Anyway, the timing is the same when you start off in one medium box and it reaches 70%, then you add another medium box and so on.

But never let the Queen get close to running out of space to lay eggs that she has to slow down her production because there is no more room and there is not a new box above.

Will you be starting your package on comb or foundation?

Thanks, classicfur

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Re:My Beekeeping Adventure! 12 years 1 month ago #16502

The first super will be comb and all the rest will be foundation. Only have one super with comb. I've been using wired fountain for brood frames and those plastic wax coated for storage... They hold up better it the extractor. I'll have to check and see if I have any pics of my set up.

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Re:My Beekeeping Adventure! 12 years 1 month ago #16503

Pics from when I started my packages.

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Re:My Beekeeping Adventure! 12 years 1 month ago #16504

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Re:My Beekeeping Adventure! 12 years 1 month ago #16505

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Re:My Beekeeping Adventure! 12 years 1 month ago #16506

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