Beekeeping

[CloverKnollFarms]

Deployed my last hive box last night. We are at 16, and I think I'm good with that. Is like to keep at least 10 good producers, and 6 in the wings in case of losses.

I'm still building hives. Planning 15 for sale next spring. Those and a motorcycle restoration will be my winter projects.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Getting ready to put the bees to bed this coming week. The fall flow is starting to diminish. Also building hives for next springs orders. Out of the fields and back into the wood shop.

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

How does that box separate the brood from the honey? Nice looking boxes. I am planning to start building mine vs buying them this winter.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

How does that box separate the brood from the honey? Nice looking boxes. I am planning to start building mine vs buying them this winter.

Bees naturally separate brood from honey. No need to do anything to force it.

I had a couple guys contemplating building their own. Then they looked the tools they needed, the time it requires, and decided paying me a paltry $300 in labor per hive was money ahead. Especially when factoring in build quality.

 

[drumminj]

So far I have managed to keep my two colonies alive since I got them as nucs this spring. I was worried I was going to have to reduce one of the hives to a single deep as they hadn't built out any frames in their second deep, but with the goldenrod flow they ramped up quick and built out and filled four frames last I checked. Feeling better that both colonies will be in good shape going into winter.

I have however done two things I didn't want/intend to do: feed syrup (since mid-july) and treat for mites. Felt the feeding was necessary to get them to build out enough frames to store enough food for winter, and rationalized treating for mites to give them a clean/fresh start since I don't know what condition they were in when I got the nuc.

We'll see if they survive the winter and how I feel come spring. It's definitely an interesting hobby, and maybe next year I'll get to try some of my own honey. Bought and cleaned up a used extractor this summer.

Still thinking about building a layens hive and some swarm traps over the winter.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Planting some rye this week, to frost seed clovers into in February. The bees out here have done their best, when we have a good solid stand of clover to work on.

We are making winter pillows for above the brood nest, this weekend. We will start to offer those and divider boards as add ons next spring for orders.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Building 240 frames before next spring. Started on that today. Will need 480 of these buggers for the frame side pieces. Almost 1,000 pieces in all.

 

[BackRoad]

Your work is precise! Just as a friend, be careful to not let the build quantities and familiarity with the routine make you numb to safety Mr. CloverKnoll.

A couple of years ago, I installed 56 windows in my house...custom fitting each of the three jamb extensions, the sills, and all the face trim...constant, tight measurement table saw and miter saw work for what seemed like weeks.

There were no events, but a few times I caught myself ripping on the tablesaw without really stopping to focus on what I was doing...

It's easy to let the monotony of routine actions overshadow the potential risks...

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Your work is precise! Just as a friend, be careful to not let the build quantities and familiarity with the routine make you numb to safety Mr. CloverKnoll.

A couple of years ago, I installed 56 windows in my house...custom fitting each of the three jamb extensions, the sills, and all the face trim...constant, tight measurement table saw and miter saw work for what seemed like weeks.

There were no events, but a few times I caught myself ripping on the tablesaw without really stopping to focus on what I was doing...

It's easy to let the monotony of routine actions overshadow the potential risks...

Very valid points and yes, when making this many widgets that can be a real concern

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Also, last winter I did start sending all of my 2x material for frames through the surface planer, to get it all within a few thousands of an inch. That way it all mates up well in the assembly jigs with the other components. I've had beekeepers buy frames from me, and throw out ones they have bought from other providers, simply because the attention to detail is so poor from other wood workers.

Yes they are boxes for bees, but it doesn't take a significant amount of time to make a precise part vs a non precise part.

 

[ponytug]

Also, last winter I did start sending all of my 2x material for frames through the surface planer, to get it all within a few thousands of an inch. That way it all mates up well in the assembly jigs with the other components. I've had beekeepers buy frames from me, and throw out ones they have bought from other providers, simply because the attention to detail is so poor from other wood workers.

Yes they are boxes for bees, but it doesn't take a significant amount of time to make a precise part vs a non precise part.

I think that having/making standardized inputs yields all sorts of benefits in the subsequent processes. Very wise.

You have a sawstop saw, right?

All the best, Peter

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I think that having/making standardized inputs yields all sorts of benefits in the subsequent processes. Very wise.

You have a sawstop saw, right?

All the best, Peter

I do not, no. I have a well tuned DeWalt job site saw. 7491RS

So speaking of standardized... I use digital calipers to check widths and thicknesses for parts. Some parts are intentionally cut .010" undersize to aid in assembly.

When you start stacking tolerances, things go wonky pretty fast. Stretching a tape on these smaller parts isn't enough.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Harvested 140 pounds today. All 11 hives are tucked in for winter.

 

[drumminj]

Harvested 140 pounds today. All 11 hives are tucked in for winter.View attachment 4274876

You harvest in fall, eh? Have a fixed # of honey frames per hive you want for them, taking any excess?

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

You harvest in fall, eh? Have a fixed # of honey frames per hive you want for them, taking any excess?

We harvest in the fall, because summer seems an odd time to harvest from a bee colony.

Also, honey from the fall will help with fall allergies, spring honey will not.

I leave each colony with 30-35 pounds of honey for winter. We never feed sugar.

That usually equates to leaving a total of 10 frames in a hive.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

A couple hives probably have 50ish pounds for winter, because this year they stacked a lot of honey in the brood nest, so that was all left.

 

[drumminj]

Also, honey from the fall will help with fall allergies, spring honey will not.

I didn't think about that. My allergies this fall have been kicking my butt...maybe I should go steal a frame from each of my hives

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I didn't think about that. My allergies this fall have been kicking my butt...maybe I should go steal a frame from each of my hives

Not a bad idea.

Yes, the summer honey harvest will do little, if anything, for fall allergies.

 

[fishin coyote]

I harvested mine 2 weeks ago. Got honey from 8 out of my 10 hives and ended up with 237lbs to go with the 75lbs I got in July. Yields were down but still a pretty decent amount considering the drought conditions for out area.