Hello from Canton Michigan

[Draginol]

I'm 35 and my 10 year old son and I have just started beebeeping. 

We purchased two starter hives and equipment and have got them going out in the field next to the office where I work. So far, so good.  We're just hobbyists but hope to eventually have 8 to 10 hives over the next few years going at once.  Starting slow this year as we learn how to take proper care of them.

Found this site via the net and am having a great time so far.

[Cindi]

Draginol, welcome.  You will enjoy your time spent on our forum, it is a wonderful, friendly place, full of good advice and excellent learning tools.

I am happy that you are starting out with two hives.  This way, you can compare how each one grows.  If you run into trouble with any queen loss problems, you will not be sunk.  You can either requeen the one that ever lost it queen or unite it with the other one.  Having one hive only is, in my opinion, not a good idea.  Anyways, enjoy this forum, we all do.  Have a wonderful day, great experience and fun with your bees, great that your son is in on it with you too!!!!  Cindi

[buzzbee]

Hi Draginol
Welcome aboard to a fun place to learn and have fun!   Ken

[Draginol]

Thanks for the welcome!

Right now, about 3 of the frames are being used up in each one.  Basically each one is based on a package I think (I got the hive as-is from a trusted source who probably inserted packaged bees recently).

I am hpoeful in the next 3 or 4 weeks that we'll see some significant expansion.

I'm a little torn on whether I should add frames above the active frames or whether to move a frame from the outter edge and put it in the middle or whether to leave them alone to see if they fill the other 7 frames or so on their own.  Any suggestions?

[buzzbee]

Let them draw out most of the frames in the lower box before adding another box. You don't want to split the brood nest in the middle by putting an empty in the middle.They will move o the outside as they need space.The brood area has to be kept warm.
Forgot to ask,is the box a 5 frame nuc box or 10 frame box?

[Draginol]

10 frame box medium deep.

[Moonshae]

Welcome! I'm in the same boat as you, 2 new hives, just started. No plans to expand so large, though, unless I can find another place to keep more hives. My .19 acres in suburbia is pretty limiting, and I don't want to test my neighbors' patience too much. At least, not right away.

[Draginol]

My coworkers probably think I'm crazy.  I own a software company (there's about a 50/50 chance that you have some of our software on your computer right now in fact <g>) so we're pretty much a bunch of techies.  But there's a lot of open land around the office and I have a 3 acre parcel about 4 miles away that has another 30 acres around it that are uninhabited.  So down the line, I hope to scatter some bee boxes around.

[asprince]

Welcome Draginol,

What a wonderful project for a Father/Son adventure. You are a wise man. The time you spend with your son now will pay huge dividends in the future. This forum is like a family.

Steve