First year honey

[walldanzig]

Hi all

I get my first ever nuc of bees on Saturday. I have attended the courses and watched the videos. However I still have some questions and was wondering if you lovely people could help.
What I wanted to know was:
1) Do you extract honey in the first year?
2) When do you stop/start feeding them

I realise these may be novice questions to ask but that is what I am at the moment. Any help would be greatly appreciated

[vicky]

How exciting!
My bees arrived on monday so I've lots of questions too!

I helped my friends with their first ever extraction last week, so with that vast amount of knowledge (!) I think it's 'possible' to get honey in the first year, depending on how well the bees do - ie weather, flowers, queen vigour etc etc etc etc. I know you treat for varroa at the end of august and the treatment can taint the honey so mid august is your last chance for honey. Maybe a case of just crossing your fingers!

Feeding has to start in autumn so they build up for winter and have a chance to process the syrup before winter (dysentry). I will look into this a bit nearer to the time but probably september.

Ok, my turn, have you been advised to feed yours when you get them? My mentor told me to but the chap I got the nuc from said to leave them a week then see if they need feeding. They are bringing back pollen so presumably nectar too so I suppose they are ok....

And I'm finding it strange that I have loads of flowers but have yet to see a honey bee on any, loads of bumbles but no honeys?

Also (!) how long before I can open up the hive again? I've made up the rest of the frames to go in the BB, do you think it'll be ok to pop them in this afternoon?

Hope I'm not hyjacking your thread, but all the new beek questions in one place might be good idea?

Are you getting a nuc? (beware, mine were livid when they came out! Defo gloves!), where have you positioned the hive? What type of hive, and photos too please!

[walldanzig]

Wow thanks Vicky. You sound as excited as me. I don't think there is such thing as hijacking a thread is there where all here to learn.
I was told to feed them through June apparently June is a time when they can starve (so I was told) I was told to leave them for two weeks before I opened them again ( which is good as I'm on hols for two weeks).
I am getting a NUC but an nervous as hell about collecting them as I can't get anyone to come with me and I am going to drive.

I was going to collect them then leave them in the NUC box for an hour or so to let them calm down. I anticipated with my particular brand of driving they would be livid anyway. I was going to film putting them in so I will post once done.

Wish me luck.

[Headfry]

Hi Vicky, dont panic - bees tend to work what ever is flowering in bulk (if it is a good source of nectar) If rape is in flower near you then the bees will likely as not forgo your flowers and hit the big time! - that beign big yellow fields!

[Headfry]

Yes guys n' gals......it pays to be watchful in June, bees can starve! most often if you have just taken their stores (honey) So keep a very good eye on them.
Also , before you find out the hard way.....
Sometimes (and mostly with my girls) they get mighty humpy after you have stolen their food (honey)! They will calm down after a week or two, depending on available foraging and weather! Bee warned new bee keepers please and me because I never seem to learn - off I trot in skirt and flip flops to have a chat with my girlies and watch their comings and goings, not long before - ouch! that would be a sting then lol

[walldanzig]

Hi Guys

Quick update I know have the bees they are in a nuc box next to the hive. I will let you know how I get on

[vicky]

Exciting! Good luck

[walldanzig]

This is all new to me so just a break down of what I have done so far.

DAY 1

I collected the nuc and put this next to the hive. On the advice of the beekeeper I got the bees from I am going to leave them there for a week.

DAY 2

I have made some sugar syrup up I filled a two litre bottle of water halfway up with sugar and then filled it to the top with warm water. I then let this cool down and put it into a feeder.

Day 3

I went up with the feeder to the allotment(where the hive is kept) there where a few dead bees,5 or 6, around the hive not sure why.
I put the feeder,it's a bucket one with a gauze on it, on two blocks of wood on top of the nuc box. I have got to say i'm not convinced with this feeder apparently it encourages robbing.

Went back teatime and the bees where flying around in numbers and collecting around the feeder all seemed good and lots of activity in and out. Dead bees have gone and no dead ones around.

That's it so far the big test will be Friday when I move them into the hive.

[Mrs Dobby]

Our first year was 3 years ago now, we started with 3 hives between the 4 of us, and managed to harvest 1 super from the 3 hives (after deciding that we would leave each hive with a full super of stores for overwintering, rather than feeding them with sugar solution, which is akin to feeding them with nothing but chocolate, you can live on it, but it doesnt contain all the nutrients that their own honey contains), which gave us about 25lb of honey, not a lot, but enough for us to have a taste and have some to give to friends n family.

All 3 hives came thru the winter fine, and the following year we got almost 100lb of honey from each hive!

Varroa treatment in August?? We dont treat for Varroa until there are no brood in the hive, so usually December or early January, which combined with an icing sugar treatment weekly seems to work for our girls.

Good luck to all the new beekeepers, enjoy your girls!

[walldanzig]

I have put the bees in tonight. They where bumping me a lot and there where some bees outside when I left. I hope I did it right. Also they are going through a medium sized bucket every couple of days. Is this normal?