# Beekeeping hours spent



## jaqblakely (Mar 29, 2007)

Hi Bee Keepers!

I am thinking of buying hives for our property and was wondering how time consuming the maintenance and honey collecting was. Per week/month or seasonal.

Thanks,


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

I was wondering the same thing. I just jumped on to post the same question, as I saw a complete setup for sale at a garage sale today and the seller said that her son "used it for a couple of seasons and then gave it up because he didn't have the time". 

So I was wondering just how much time we're talking about. It was three boxes on a stand, with a lid. So just one colony I guess. How much time does one hive need?


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

let's see.....don't mind my thought process, I hope....

set up,...a morning. come back in a couple days to see if they're still there and happy. If you're feeding syrup, you have to make the syrup (30minutes) and make sure they get enough....so checking on them to see how much they're eating takes maybe 10 minutes every few days.

check on them in another week. check on brood. this takes maybe 20 minutes a hive. (take your time. go slow)

after that....if all is well, you have to add your 2nd body (takes a couple minutes). Check for mites/nasties. Easy to do if you're using a sticky bottom board. Just pull it out and see if there are critters on it. If there are a lot of critters, you need to medicate the hive.

add honey supers as needed. depends on how the honey flow is going. We usually take honey middle summer (once) and fall. With 5 hives I'd devote a day to getting the supers, capping, and then extracting honey. I put it into 5 and 10 gallon containers with a spout. Later I put the honey into Bears or Jars as I need them.

we use a dadant extractor, 3 frames at a time. goes pretty darn quick. I don't melt the wax....we give the frames back to the bees as is. I have a great source of beeswax for candlemaking, so I just don't bother.

You CAN take honey all summer. Go to the hives, grab a full super, extract it. :shrug: doesn't seem to matter to the bees. I just like doing it all at once.

Other than that.....you need to check on the hives to make sure nothing has happened...bears, skunks, critters. And if you have a weak hive, make sure you check on them, close the entrance a bit,......help them along if necessary.

all in all....it's one of the least time consuming critter hobbies you can have.

now....that's coming from a person with 6 hives max. I'm sure the guys who do this for a living spend every day all day working...hard work. moving hives, checking/breeding queens, honey production....makes me tired just thinking about it


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## jaqblakely (Mar 29, 2007)

Thanks for the info, Ann. Is spring the best and only time to set up a hive? How much research did you do prior to setting yours up?


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

sorry for delay posting, but i've been away from computer.
we did a LOT of reading before starting with bees. Talked to a couple of beekeepers in the area, but it was mostly reading. Usually I would suggest getting involved helping or at least talking with a local beekeeper...you get first hand info...but you also get biases. 

I really don't know if you can set up hives during the summer. spring seems (logically) to be the easist time....they have time to settle in, lots of moisture, a small hive doesn't have to fight off huge established hives, etc.

We have started new hives in the summer, tho. Think "swarm". There is something for bees to eat anytime stuff is growing in the wild. Even during drought our bees got pollen. Actually thrived during the dry/hot summer months.


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## Russ_NEPA (Sep 28, 2006)

I think this is an interesting question for the hobbyist beekeeper. It leads down a dangerous road though. A lot like asking how much you can earn as a hobby beekeeper. If time or money are considerations then you probably should be very cautious getting started.

By that I mean this. How much time do you spend raising a child? How about a pet dog? Bees take much less time than these, and provide a service besides.

Bees are actually more like fish than kids or dogs in terms of time requirements.

Having said that, if you catch the "BUG" (pun intended), then you could find yourself spending hours just watching your girls come and go. You could find yourself spending hours reading and worrying about varroa mites. You will be making feed spring and fall, and hoping it is enough. You will dread losing a hive during winter, and rejoice upon seeing them fly out in the spring.

THAT is what could happen.

A very interesting question indeed!


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## Batt (Sep 8, 2006)

Russ...Very interesting indeed. I usually figure on and hour/week during nice weather. I'm usually wrong as some times it takes only a few minutes for my 4 colonies. Sometimes longer. But when it is time to take the honey off, it's an all day job with DW & DDx2 helping....(we go to bottles and labels at one time) And worth every minute of it!! Everyone should one time see the face of their GD or GS light up with their first taste of just off the frame honey. Priceless!!

As far as times to start a colony...The old saying is:

A swarm in May is worth a load of hay,
A swarm in June is worth a silver spoon,
A swarm in July ain't worth a fly.

Is actually pretty appropriate. If you get them late in the year, you will have to feed them heavily in order for them to get thru the winter.


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

Agree with Adron. april or may..good time to start a hive. the best time to get READY for your bees is fall or winter tho  build the hive bodies. make the frames. Plan where you'll put the hives. Order the bees. Maybe build a storage shed for your beekeeping stuff. Read all the archives from bee magazines 

By the way, some hobbyists don't overwinter bees. they just order new packages in the spring. that way they don't worry about feeding all winter. can take all the honey in the fall. Just have to start over again every spring. 

not the way I like to do it, but I know people who do.


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## off_da_grid (May 22, 2007)

Wisconsin Ann said:


> By the way, some hobbyists don't overwinter bees. they just order new packages in the spring. that way they don't worry about feeding all winter. can take all the honey in the fall. Just have to start over again every spring.
> 
> not the way I like to do it, but I know people who do.


I agree. Not overwintering seems like a cruel joke played on the very bees that 
supplied you with so much honey, propolis, and wax. Besides overwintering is all part of being a good beekeeper.


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## indypartridge (Oct 26, 2004)

Ann,

You forgot to mention the hour a day hanging out at the online Bee boards!


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