# Honey Harvest?



## kosh (Apr 6, 2004)

Hi! 

Did anyone get a harvest from a new hive this year? I expected to get nothing. I started my hive from a 3lb package of italians in mid April, the hive was very strong, and in July i split the hive (the split is still living in a polystyrene 5 frame nuc and doing very well, they will go in a 'real' hive next spring.). I opened the hive back around the 23rd of August and they had only drawn out a tiny portion of one or two frames of the medium honey super. Yesterday I opened the hive, planning to just remove that super and get them ready for winter when low and behold they had a lot of honey in the super. I then put the inner cover with a bee escape between the upper brood chamber and the super so they can work there way out, but i expect a pretty decent honey crop considering I originally thought i'd get none. The super was pretty darn heavy too so it is definitely mostly full! So I've now ordered some equipment to extract (borrowing an extractor).. 

How is everyone else doing? did anyone else get a harvest from a new hive this year? I'm in South Eastern Massachussetts.

Peace,
Jason


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

This is year 2 for me.

Last year I started with a 3# box o' bees and captured a swarm. Made a split from one.

Didn't take honey from any hives last year.

Lost the split over the winter (starved out.)


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## justgojumpit (May 5, 2003)

I have already harvested 30-35 ;lbs of honey from my two langstroth hives, am waiting for another 10-15 lb harvest from those, and maybe 10 lbs from my top-bar hive, which i haven't touched yet, due to lots of honey, but none capped. I started with three 3lb packages, sold two splits, and merged a swarm back in with the original hives. I'd say i did pretty well! I did notice a varroa mite walking across a comb in my top-bar hive. i'm waiting for the last harvest, and then on go the miticide strips!

justgojumpit


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

This year we have harvested 57# from 2 hives - have another 2 medium supers ready to extract (waiting for BIL to come up this weekend to join in). The two boxes weigh 95# - of course that includes box, frames, wax, etc...


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## DOlthaus (Oct 13, 2004)

I tried keeping bees and was successful for a couple of years but I have a question. How do you treat for mites and keep the honey from being contaminated with the antibiotic/antiparasitic? I treated the first year but not the second. I found the hive very weak by that fall. Too weak to make it through the winter. 

What is the rule here?

THanks for the help. I plan to try again but need to learn a little more this time.


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## justgojumpit (May 5, 2003)

you treat for the mites with either apistan strips or food grade mineral oil. with the strips, you cannot treat with honey on the hive, or it will be contaminated. with the FGMO, you can treat any time you like.

justgojumpit


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

I am going into my 2nd winter with hives and have never chemically treated for mites.

For varroa mites, I also use open bottom hives with slatted racks and a 3" spacer between the slatted rack and the bottom super. I will smoke the hive with pine needles to encourage excess grooming. Next year I will place 2 frames with drone foundation in each hive so I can remove excess drones.

There has also been success against tracheal mites by using small cell foundation.

I noticed varroa once this year in one of my hives, after smoking with pine needles and placing menthol crystals* in hive for two days, I no longer saw any varroa. (* temps need to be above 80. I will place a plastic baggie poked with holes inside the inner cover and leave for a couple days.)

My hives have plenty of stores (2 full supers) going into the winter.


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