Author Topic: Confessional: New Low in Beekeeping  (Read 5077 times)

0 Members and 4 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline Bakersdozen

  • Global Moderator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 4574
  • Thanked: 488 times
  • Gender: Female
  • Location: Olathe, Kansas
Confessional: New Low in Beekeeping
« on: June 22, 2014, 03:18:35 pm »
I hit a new low in beekeeping today.  Not morally or being a bad steward or anything like that.  It's a new low in lack of preparedness. 
Tomorrow we go on vacation for two weeks.  Along with dozens of last minute things that need to be done, I checked my hives in the back yard one last time.  The other hives I inspected last week.  All my hives have exceeded my expectations ( we should all be so lucky).  With honey supers and hive bodies in place, for those colonies that are ready, I had one back up super ready to go on the next lucky recipient. 
Honey flow is still on and usually ends about the 4th of July here.  I am betting that due to an unusually cool spring and the recent rainfalls the honey flow will last a little longer.  The Golden Rain Trees here have just started blooming a couple of days ago.
Today I put my remaining super on a split that I did this spring.  To my surprise,they have built the comb out on 9 frames in the top hive body, so they were the lucky recipient.  The colony that really brought in the honey last year, have run out of room in the supers I had on there. I always feel like that at least some drawn comb produced is money in the bank.
So this is where I cut corners and hang my head in shame.  I quickly got an unassembled super, glued the corners, but only had a handful of nails.  Each corner got at least 3 nails.  Left it unpainted and for foundation used some old frames with undrawn foundation that had been given to me.  The frames had set outside and were horribly dirty.  I popped in new foundation and set this super on top.
In my defense, I unexpectedly more than doubled my colonies this spring and they have done very well this year.  Anyone stooped to such lows?

Offline Lburou

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2284
  • Thanked: 315 times
  • Location: DFW area, Texas, USA, growing zone 7a
Re: Confessional: New Low in Beekeeping
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2014, 03:39:04 pm »
I'm hoping my ability to anticipate the bees improves too.  Don't beat yourself up about it, we are only human.  Its not  like the bees are the only thing you are juggling right now anyway.  ;)

I have four or five hives needing a super and I was painting into the night last night.  When you think about it, that is a good place to be.  :)
Lee_Burough

Offline Woody Roberts

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 387
  • Thanked: 2 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Ash Grove MO.
Re: Confessional: New Low in Beekeeping
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2014, 04:22:56 pm »
You may have hit a new low but your still so high I can't see you from here. ;)

Offline Bamabww

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 343
  • Thanked: 4 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Moulton, Alabama in the Fairfield community
Re: Confessional: New Low in Beekeeping
« Reply #3 on: June 22, 2014, 06:29:16 pm »
Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. Sounds like that's what you did. We have to be able to adjust on the fly sometimes, which is just what you did.
Wayne

Offline tbonekel

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1053
  • Thanked: 25 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Bells, Texas
Re: Confessional: New Low in Beekeeping
« Reply #4 on: June 22, 2014, 06:41:40 pm »
Here is the real trick; Enjoy your vacation and don't worry! It won't help, of course. I think you did fine. They will probably clean those frames up and everything will be great. Have a great time where every you are going! Two weeks sounds great!

Offline Perry

  • Global Moderator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 7382
  • Thanked: 390 times
  • Gender: Male
    • Brandt's Bees
  • Location: Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia
Re: Confessional: New Low in Beekeeping
« Reply #5 on: June 22, 2014, 09:49:46 pm »
You may have hit a new low but your still so high I can't see you from here. ;)

And Woody is standing on my shoulders!  ;D
"It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor."      
Forum Supporter

Offline pistolpete

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 786
  • Thanked: 20 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Chilliwack, British Columbia
Re: Confessional: New Low in Beekeeping
« Reply #6 on: June 22, 2014, 11:26:49 pm »
Hey, at least you had a super.  2 years ago I ran out of boxes and my hive was full to overflowing.   I ran down to the workshop and ripped up the first sheet of 3/4" plywood I saw handy.  No rabbets on the corners or anything, just a few brads and some glue and on the hive it went.  No handles, no paint.   the bees didn't care, but the "low" part is that I'm still using that box today:)
My advice: worth price charged :)

Offline Bakersdozen

  • Global Moderator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 4574
  • Thanked: 488 times
  • Gender: Female
  • Location: Olathe, Kansas
Re: Confessional: New Low in Beekeeping
« Reply #7 on: June 22, 2014, 11:33:51 pm »
  No handles, no paint.   the bees didn't care, but the "low" part is that I'm still using that box today:)
pistolpete, isn't that the way?  Once it goes into service it's really hard to work it back out.

I looked out at that hive this afternoon and I think I am going to have to apply some duct tape to one of the corners.  Seems I have a gap there and a number of interested back door workers.

Someone, not a beekeeper, asked me if my bees are going to be OK while I'm on vacation.  I replied that "bees have been doing well on their own for a long time before I came along." ;)

Offline LazyBkpr

  • Global Moderator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 6842
  • Thanked: 205 times
  • Gender: Male
  • www.outyard.net
    • The Outyard
  • Location: Richland Iowa
Re: Confessional: New Low in Beekeeping
« Reply #8 on: June 22, 2014, 11:42:30 pm »
heheh..   Yepper.. that pile of boxes that need repaired or are marked to dispose of?  It is RIGHT beside the pile of broken and messed up frames...  and it is a GOLD MINE in an emergency...   I built a PILE of boxes and frames last winter..   I "think" I am going to be able to scape through this year without having to dig in that pile...
Drinking RUM before noon makes you a PIRATE not an alcoholic!

*Sponsor*

Offline apisbees

  • Global Moderator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 3723
  • Thanked: 331 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Vernon B.C.
Re: Confessional: New Low in Beekeeping
« Reply #9 on: June 23, 2014, 04:10:08 am »
The Warré Hive.
A box on top, or under the bottom brood box, with no frames will allow the bees to keep collecting honey. Yes they will fill it with comb and attach it to the covers sides frames and it will make a mess. the honey will need to be harvested by crush and strain but it is better than having the hive swarm do to no more space or loosing out on part of the honey crop.
Honey Judge, Beekeeping Display Coordinator, Armstrong Fair and Rodeo.

Offline tecumseh

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 856
  • Thanked: 71 times
  • Location: College Station, Tx.
Re: Confessional: New Low in Beekeeping
« Reply #10 on: June 23, 2014, 08:09:45 am »
I would first suggest you follow tbone's advice > Enjoy your vacation and don't worry!

long ago I heard a similar situation from a commercial bee keeper who planned well based on some mean year and then ran a booming year and found himself with too few supers.  he simply took shells piled them on (one to a hive) and then removed the as solid blocks of comb and honey. 

Offline riverbee

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 8924
  • Thanked: 410 times
  • Gender: Female
  • ***Forum Sponsor***
  • Location: El Paso Twp, Wisconsin
Re: Confessional: New Low in Beekeeping
« Reply #11 on: June 23, 2014, 11:34:10 am »
yes, what t-bone said, ENJOY your vacation!  i think we all have done things on the fly. maybe it wasn't 'pretty', but the bees don't care!
btw bakers, CONGRATS on your success for doubling your colonies!
i keep wild things in a box..........™
if you obey the rules, you miss all the fun.....katherine hepburn
Forum Sponsor