"Newbie" here in Vermont.

[Barngodess]

Hi everyone ! My name is Melissa, and I am a newbie to beekeeping !! This past winter a friend told me about splitting his hive in the spring..... his hive had a big loss, so it's just NOW, in mid July, I have about 1500 bees in my hive ! This is all new to me, I only know what I've read. I have been a LONG time honeybee admirer, and now I am happy to have them here !! It's been a great learning experience so far !  Hope to learn much more here ...... so glad I found this place !

I am married, our 2 sons are grown and moved away. We have 6 grandchildren, but they live in another state. We live in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, on 12 acres with 2 draft horses, and 4 Labs. And now, with 1500 honeybees !! 

Melissa
 

[buzzbee]

Welcome to the Beemaster forum. Hope you enjoy your time here.You have just introduced your self to a great bunch of people!!There are many topic areas to peruse and we do our best to keep a family friendly atmosphere here.Again welcome aboard!

[Moonshae]

Welcome! Hope you can get to expand your hive's population pretty quickly, 1500 is a pretty low count!

[bluegrass]

I am from Vermont's N.E. Kingdom too (Lyndonville, Wheelock area) Welcome to the boards. Vermont's winter is hard on bees even strong colonies. We have family in the Sharon area that also keep bees and loose 50 or more % of their hives every winter. I am afraid that your small hive is not likely to make it through. You can hope for a really late frost and a strong golden rod bloom and maybe with some special care they will get through. I would recomend that you move the hive into a protected area like an out building or old barn, but with so few bees you would loose too many doing so. Run an ad in the Trading Post  looking to buy a bee colony and then combine them into the other hive.....it will greatly increase their chances and you will have some extra equipment fo next springs splits. You could also find a second queen and either requeen or set up a two queen hive and try and get them built up some within the next month. There are several other members on here in Vermont, you might see if anyone is willing to sell a hive or raise a queen for you. Good luck, and say hello to Vermont for me:)

[Cindi]

Melissa, welcome.  Again, as other said, you will find this forum to be a wonderful learning tool, we are family.  Listen to the beekeepers in your area, they know your weather.  And yes, as Bluegrass told you, it is really important to have strong colonies going into winter.  1,500 is not even close to being enough, find a way to get more bees and combine them to help your hive out to become strong for this forthcoming winter.  Good luck, girl, have a wonderful day, great life.  Cindi