Still hammering away at getting the 10 new hives ready for this year's (Hopeful) growth. Another few weeks and it will be time to put the swarm traps out and once I am able to plant and the mowing starts I won't have the time to put these hive bottoms and tops together. Banging together some pre-cut brood chambers and supers doesn't take much time but bottoms especially do.
It was tough though because I really wanted to be out brush hogging the pasture to try and get some good grass growth going (The four G's Heh). I know it is more than likely a wasted effort as long as those useless animals of pasture destruction, otherwise known as horses are still out there but I got to try.
Anyway bee hives are a bit higher priority right now.
The Mark IV MoBottom Board is almost complete. I am using a router now instead of adding in shelf runners and learning to use the thing is a bit harder than I first thought. Mostly it's getting the guides set but one board I was working on today I guess the bit was loose because it moved out and cut much deeper than I wanted it too.
If I can get two more bottoms and three more tops finished by Thursday I should be good as that will leave me 10 full hives in reserve. Then about Mid-Summer I will need to bang together some more brood chambers to add to them. All of this is provided I catch enough swarms to fill them of course. Last year ended up being a pretty good swarm year but after this cold Winter who knows what this year will bring. I would also like to get one more swarm trap built and another fencepost stand to open up a new trap area with.
I am shooting for 20 hives by the end of the Summer which will put me back on track after the losses I suffered from the 2012 drought. I should also have three more hives coming on line into second year honey production this Summer. So far it has been my experience that a hive has to be about two years old to really get in the groove of honey. Take any before that and you are usually hurting their build up a bit. I am sure there are exceptions, and I have seen a few but as a general rule it works around here.
Also I learned to always take my glue into the main house with me now. I imagine it was the days of sub-zero temps that did it in but I am not taking any chances now. I tried warming the old glue up but all it did was further condense it down into a big glob so I just threw it away. Live and Learn.
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!
Don't they make glue out of horses? You may need them in the future. LOL
ReplyDeleteSf- Don't they or didn't they make it out of the hooves? Not sure these nags would supply me with enough to mess with. It's a good idea though at least it would give me an excuse to get rid of them.
DeletePP,
ReplyDeleteWhile taking care of my mom this past week, we got into a conversation about bee's. I told her of our interest in bee keeping. She said she had red several bee keepers were finding killer bee's invading their hives. Have you noticed this in the bee communities?
Sandy - As far as I know the Africanized strains have not made it as far North as I am. Of course maps are a few years old and there was some found a few hundred miles South of me several years ago but they seem to have stopped. The theory is they cannot survive Winter. I would bet that the genes have spread this far and further but that those colonies die off regularly and lose the battle of nature.
DeleteIf the router bit is dropping out it is more likely that you are trying to make too deep a cut. The vibration makes the cutter move down in the collet. It it is a 1/4 inch shank then try slicing out no deeper than 1/4 inch per pass in softwood less in hardwood and the bigger the cutter diameter the less you can take out per pass!
ReplyDeleteAnon - That makes sense actually. I think I did exactly what you say or it could have been the build up from the wood scrap in the groove. I have never used a router except when it was on a table so this free hand stuff takes some practice. TY for the info...
DeleteThe Bee King Rises. Good luck this coming summer
ReplyDeleteTY Rob!!!
DeleteCan't wait to read what happens and see how you collect the new swarms.
ReplyDeleteIzzy - I will do my annual swarm catching post soon.
DeleteImpressive! Hope you get all the bees your wanting. I might have to wait until next year for bees :( Other things have taken priority and like you it's almost garden time and we will be very busy.
ReplyDeleteKelly - It looks like my garden and planting has been pushed back now. We got a good rain last night so the ground is wet again and most of next week is looking like a high only in the 40's and more storms. The ground isn't gonna be workable for a few weeks at least now.
DeletePP- That is awesome. The owner of the little bee-keeping store near our South Carolina Estate is a lot like you, he makes and sells boxes much like the ones you are building. I would like to have some hives up there. Honey and bees wax items are a big market in that area.
ReplyDeleteJuGM - The store owner prolly is smart. He has figured out the best way to make money off bees... Sell to those who keep em and don't have many yourself :)
DeleteOnce we get out house built I can start making a real wood shop and not have to wing it with just hand tools. Maybe I will open up a store out here.... Hmmmmm...