I’m really happy we managed to get one nuc right as we move into the tulip poplar nectar flow. This is the big flow in our region and all the nectar gives the bees the ability to build comb and numbers to carry on into summer. We have a dearth in July and so this early start is key to a good start to the season.
Our two nucs coming in May will likely miss this flow and we’ll have to feed them to help them make up for what they missed. If this new hive gets a booming start we will be able to feed their excess honey frames to the “younger” nucs instead of sugar water.
My goal this year is to end up with at least three very healthy hives going into next winter. If we’re lucky we will need to split Artemis and end up with four.
4 comments:
Sounds like you have it all under control and the bees will be happy and productive.
Beeeeeeees! <3 <3 <3
I love the look of your hives. Mind sharing your source for them?
I bought three of these hives from a beekeeper in Colorado who developed the hives in concert with Tom Seeley’s research at Cornell. If you haven’t read Tom’s latest book, get it. It’s really good.
The website for the beekeeper’s hive business is no longer online, and I can’t find any site he may have migrated to. :/
The hives are made of double thick western cedar that is left rough on the inside to encourage propolis making by the bees, and it has a different kind of entrance than most Langstroth hives do. I really love the hives. They were all natural and I painted this one with milk paint and will be painting the other two that I left unfinished before the other nucs come. I’m really sad to see that he’s not online at this point, as I wanted to get another hive from him.
They were not cheap and it cost a lot to have them shipped, but they’re super nice and should last a long time.
If you haven’t read about Layans hives, look them up. They’re horizontal instead of vertical and you can inspect, etc. with much less invasion of the brood nest. I’m wanting to try one when I can.
A, I hope this year goes better for the bees than last year. That we can get started earlier in this season should help.
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