We harvested our first honey!!!!

[Avalon1984]

I can't wait too! It will be so much easier. Plus my colonie is just growing soooooo large. I swear I am attracting all bees from the neighborhood. I started with Italians and now I have all kinds of different ones. Some Russians here, some other ones there. And all regular frames held about 80% brood. My queen is busy Now I need to learn how to split up my hives when necessary. I already have the super and frames ready but so far they have not laid eggs in their queen cups and the cups are at the bottom of the frame.

 

[Avalon1984]

Awesome on the honey!!!

Sorry about the ouchies. I'm just wienie enough to not raise bees for that reason.

Need I say it was husbands idea but he felt that I would be better at it???? "Well dear, you are good with animals..."

 

[lee&lyric]

as I was finishing up I realized that there was a hole in my bee suit. And so did the bees Ouchie. Swelling is slowly going down and I am getting ready to order a new bee suit. I love my honey though!

Oooh, you poor person . You probably have antidotes, and home remedies for such things. DH thinks he wants in on the bee industry. We'll see.

 

[lee&lyric]

Avalon,

I have a ? When we looked up beekeeping it seems to get started is like $800! Is that accurate? Guess I never really thought of it, but had I, I would not have thought it would be upwards of $1,000 to get started keeping bees.

Lyric

 

[valmom]

Woot! on the honey How many hives do you have? What kind of extractor are you looking at? I'm not sure I want to harvest by hand.

I doubt we will harvest any this year since our starter first year hive had some setbacks this summer- like deposing the old queen and me not realizing it until I had almost no brood and finally got a new queen and had a yellow jacket infestation start robbing them. So I will probably let them keep their honey this year - they haven't filled the deep I put on for them so I never added the honey super. I hope they make it through the winter.

 

[Avalon1984]

Avalon,

I have a ? When we looked up beekeeping it seems to get started is like $800! Is that accurate? Guess I never really thought of it, but had I, I would not have thought it would be upwards of $1,000 to get started keeping bees.

Lyric

Hey Lyric,

That sounds about right. Sometimes you can buy your hives locally and save lots of $$$$ on the shipping but I like to go with a couple companies as I know the quality of the product. Brushy Mountain Bee has a special right now on an extractor beginners kit for $385.00 where you get everything for extracting except for the bottles and labels you'll be filling it into. I will go that route. Also, make sure you order your supplies WAY before your bees arrive. aMy hives were backordered for 2 months!

 

[Avalon1984]

Woot! on the honey How many hives do you have? What kind of extractor are you looking at? I'm not sure I want to harvest by hand.

I doubt we will harvest any this year since our starter first year hive had some setbacks this summer- like deposing the old queen and me not realizing it until I had almost no brood and finally got a new queen and had a yellow jacket infestation start robbing them. So I will probably let them keep their honey this year - they haven't filled the deep I put on for them so I never added the honey super. I hope they make it through the winter.

Hey Valmom,

I have one large hive right now and am seriously considering splitting them this week, just not sure because of the upcoming winter. I am waiting for the extractor kit from Brushy Mountain bee to arrive. It will all be low tech, no electric uncapping knife either. We'll see how it goes. I have been very careful on how much I extract and will check on them again this weekend. I talked to my local beekeepers and they all said that it is difficult to bring hives through the winter up here. Our biggest enemy is condensation. We'll see. I am torn on whether splitting the hive and increasing my chance by having one strong and one week hive or keep it as one and endanger too many bees for what food they have stored. Will order nectar cakes too, I heard that helps a lot during the winter.