Bee Boy
House Bee
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Posts: 211
Location: Illinois
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« on: May 22, 2004, 12:10:51 PM » |
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How many hives do you have currently set up with bees and everything?
Bee Boy
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Bee Boy
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Beth Kirkley
House Bee
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Posts: 103
Location: Eastman, Georgia
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« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2004, 12:46:33 PM » |
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I have two, that got a shaky start but seem strong now. The first was started last summer from a 2 lb package of bees. The second was a split from the first. At this point I want to get myself up to 10 hives. I think that will be enough of a job - part time mind you - but a job anyway. It takes me about 30 minutes in each hive to do a good look through. That's from the start of opening the lid, to the end of closing it up. So I figure with 10 hives I could manage it well, but I'd have to be very diligent in my inspections. On nice weeks I could look over 2 hives and be done. During rainy, cloudy, or cold weeks I'd have a much larger job to manage on the possible ONE day I'd get for inspection. That can be pretty rough if I don't start to get over my dependence on the bee suit. That thing gets HOT very quickly.
Beth
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Queen Bee
House Bee
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Posts: 79
Location: NC
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« Reply #2 on: May 22, 2004, 02:49:54 PM » |
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I have ten hives and two nucs! I will probably add another nuc this fall. I add the nucs just to have a place to 'keep' queens.
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BigRog
House Bee
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Posts: 111
Location: Richmond, Virginia
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« Reply #3 on: May 22, 2004, 06:21:52 PM » |
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Ya forgot 0!  Next year for me |
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"Lurch my good man,…what did you mean when you said just now that 'You've got better things to do than run my petty little errands'…….?"
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beefree
House Bee
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Posts: 80
Location: michigan
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« Reply #4 on: June 06, 2004, 03:10:51 PM » |
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i only own one. i'm taking care of 4 that belog to someone else, and 2 more that belong to his son (different location). And i may be helping out somebody during honey harvest...or if his tree throws a swarm (he volunteered to show me how to catch it, beekeepers are as friendly as quilters and i never thought i'd ever meet another group of people so helpful as that).
Next year i will have ONE (okay, maybe two) in MY BACKYARD (enough of this driving 40 miles one way just to work the bees).
beefree
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Those who are merciful to the cruel become callous to the meek.
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Lechwe
House Bee
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Posts: 69
Location: Holt, Michigan
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« Reply #5 on: June 06, 2004, 08:35:24 PM » |
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I only have one of my own right now. I am taking care of 4 others for another person who is sick and can't. Next year I plan to get 2 more packages and split my current hive.
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Lupus
New Bee
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Posts: 26
Location: Alpharetta, GA
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« Reply #6 on: June 09, 2004, 11:15:25 PM » |
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I have had over 20 but I am starting over from scratch this year. If this last split works I will have 7. I am planing on making 8 this year. I will try to stop myself at 10. I think 8-10 is a good hobby number more starts getting a little serious.
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beemaster
Site Founder
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Galactic Bee
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Posts: 5964
Location: Manchester, NJ
It is my pleasure to bring the forums to you.
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« Reply #7 on: June 10, 2004, 11:15:53 AM » |
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I think if Bee Boy redid this poll and broke it down to NUMBER OF HIVES from 0 to 10 then we'd have a more balanced poll. This poll does though show that the majority are indeed backyard beekeepers and NOT farming bees at higher hive rates.
I'd be curious to see the numbers 0-1, 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, 4-5, 5-6, 6-7, 7-8, 8-9, 9-10, more than 10. Then I know we'd see some interesting numbers - my guess is 2 to 5 hives is typical in the forum from all the many posts I have read.
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Anonymous
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« Reply #8 on: June 27, 2004, 01:54:28 AM » |
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Started with 2 splits from another beekeeper last year. One died this spring and I got another hive in May. Split both hives in May. Created a nuc by combining frames from the original two hives that has grown strong enough to now be in a regular hive body and is going strong. Started another nuc last week that now has queen cells in it so I'm hoping for the best.
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tejas
House Bee
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Posts: 78
Location: Red Oak, Texas
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« Reply #9 on: June 28, 2004, 12:08:44 PM » |
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One hive for me, but sure wish I had started with two like most people suggest. I think it would have made it much easier to know if your hives are doing ok or not. I will add at least one more next spring.
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asleitch
House Bee
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Posts: 203
Location: UK
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« Reply #10 on: June 28, 2004, 12:24:28 PM » |
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I started with 1, to which I added a "nuc", then got 2 swarms, and then after artificially swarming the first hive, have ended up with 5. (this is still my first season, having started in March). It's really really handy to start with a few, as I can really see the differences between them. I'm improving at spotting the queen, and on manipulations, it's far easier to do comparisons.
Adam
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Poll
