# What are YOUR goals for the 2008 season???



## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

I love these types of threads. Gets your noggin working. 

I plan on buying some packages and putting into nucs. Letting them build up into a second deep nuc body and splitting them. I want to have a good amount of nucs going into this winter. 

I would like to put out swarm traps this year.

Raise more queens

Bring in some Russian stock. 

build up in numbers...

Add some more lines to the sales table like lip balms, wax candles, soaps, etc. 

Do more craft shows and farmers markets. 

Maybe sell some bees

Try to feed my bees pollen patties and syrup in Feb in hopes to get booming hives come April. 

Attend HAS.


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## spunky (Nov 14, 2006)

*2008*

Stay on budget ( so far sooo good )

Get to between 3-5 healthy hives

I am straddling the fence on the treatments for 08'

Bring in some Russian or Carni stock for the yard

make 80 or so lbs more of honey than 07' 

sell some honey, to show my wife some money is coming in from the bees, and find some decent cheap plastic containers


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## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

Given that my available time for bees is probably not going to increase, my plans are modest. 

- One package coming (Italians) for a new hive
- One nuc coming (Carniolans) for a new hive
- Switch to oxalic acid for mite treatment
- Possible a spring split, depending on how they winter over

That allows me to try Carniolans on for size as well as expand the number of colonies I have. Switching to OA will be new for me.

If I do have the time, I have a couple of locations belonging to friends where I could put hives. However, I'm trying to resist the temptation of sitting here in the winter, thinking that I'll have plenty of time to manage hives across multiple geographic locations when I really won't be able to manage it realistically. Our old, historic house and barn always need work...I live far from my real job.....all that stuff is easy to forget until the warm weather hits and everything needs attention at once.

I'd also love to end up with a hundred or so pounds of honey!


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## riverrat (Jun 3, 2006)

First off I am just hoping to get thru the winter without many losses. If that happens then I plan on increasing from 50 to 75 hives. Try to find more markets for my honey and Hive products. Most of all keep letting the girls educate me.


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## sierrabees (Jul 7, 2006)

Come Out Of The Year With More Survivor Hives Than I Start It With.


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## BGhoney (Sep 26, 2007)

Keep my 7 hungry hives alive for 3 more months

Just finished my 5 hive trailor, going to keep it in the blackberry flow for 2 months

7 more inner covers to finish and I'll have 20 complete hives to fill with bees

Try some queens with my cloak board

Get on all the swarm lists

Try and figure out how to winter some split nucs through next winter

Help a buddy at work, I talked into starting 2 hives this spring 

Can't wait

Oh and pick up a 20 frame extractor, new or used (wife's kewl with new )


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## REDTRACTOR1 (Dec 10, 2003)

*Goals*

1. Try to raise all the queens i can.
2. Get all the hive bodies i have filled with bees. 
3. Make all customers happy.
4. Make an extra 100 nucs before winter.
5. Sell a few breeder queens.
6. Get my new shop built.


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## berkshire bee (Jan 28, 2007)

We already made plans to start our club meetings in January this year instead of february 

get more people interested in keeping bees and do more to raise public awareness

do a few splits from strong hives

make more soap, candles, lip balm and lotion

do a few more craft fairs and double sales of honey and hive products 
I'd like to earn 50% of my income from beekeeping and related products but that's a longer range goal

read more beekeeping books

establish one more yard between home and the other hives I have

and the list goes on.......


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## thomas (Apr 23, 2006)

*Try to raise some queens*

Hello

I would like to add to this fine list of things i want to do and that is fill my three empty hives with bees from wilbanks and replace what i may lose so far none but still have three more months to go as everyone else does. Get three NWC queens from Tim and two dark russians queens from Ray Revis and start me a couple of nucs and try to catch swarms and fight with the mite problem i think i will treat in march and then again in the fall raise me some good queens from two of my hives that are full and flying when my others won't come out and sale a few nucs and increase my honey just a little more.


Tom


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## greenbeekeeping (Feb 13, 2003)

Goals
Expand from 200 in 07' to 5-600 in 08'
Keep looking for pollination contracts.
Build more pallets and lids
Look for a building.
Buy a skidloader and trailer
Raise more queens and look into some mating nucs
Teach the wife how to graft.
Look for more festivals to sell honey at.
Sell a few more nucs.
buy on operation out on contract.
Have a full semi load of 1 1/2 story hives to take to almonds or south for the winter.

Matt


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## Sarge (Jun 26, 2006)

Get rich beyond the dreams of Avarice.


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## allrawpaul (Jun 7, 2004)

prevent all swarming with nectar management. Start fgmo and thymol fogging. Get all hives fumigillin and pollen patties in march. Get a big honey crop for the first time. Build slatted bottom racks for my hives. Get all 13 hives through the winter and go into next winter with under 20 hives. Get my bees to draw a bunch of comb.


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## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

1. Expand my numbers by catching more swarms

2. Maximize my honey production from overwintered nucs

3. Raise queens and make summer splits

4. Build up nucs and enter next winter with 200 hives

5. Expand line at farmer's markets with addition of homemade soap

Grant
Jackson, MO


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## pamlico (Apr 29, 2007)

Learn, learn, and ask all of you questions so I can learn more.


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## beehoppers (Jun 16, 2005)

Go from 6 to maybe 10 hives. 
Learn more about the Russian bee.
Slatted racks for all. 
Lot's of honey per hive!!


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## Mike Gillmore (Feb 25, 2006)

1. > Dedicate a lot more time to testing and evaluating my bees for _hygenic behavior_. Select only the _best_ for requeening the other colonies. I have a real tough time pinching "perfectly good queens". I need to be a bit more calloused and deliberate in selecting only the best to breed from, and discarding the rest. 

2. > Find new yard sites that are outside the range of active farming. Not an easy task in NE Ohio. 

3. > Become more active through my Association in speaking to local groups about honeybees. Take on a newbee from our Beginner Beekeeping Class this year and commit to setting aside time for mentoring.


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## florida pollinator (Jul 31, 2006)

To make more bees and money than one knows what to do with and the law allows


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## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

mike.. i like yours!!!


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## mlewis48 (Nov 24, 2007)

1. continue learning as much as I can, so look out for the questions to come!
2. expand my 9 hives to 20 before the end of the year
3. acquire a new yard to support my new hives.
4. try to find a Beekeeping group to join,but I work 2nd shift so that will be hard to do.
5. improve my skills at making my own equipment, so I can afford to expand
6. find a dealer that is close to home so I can get more bees without the cost of shipping and the chance of loss that goes with it
7. hopefully get a swarm of ferel bees, nothing like the free ones
8. find a mentor
9. harvest some honey, left everything to the bees this past year 
10. try my hand at raising some nucs


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## yoyo (Jun 13, 2007)

1. Start with the same 3 hives I have now.
2. Buying 2 more packages and three queens
3. Make and set out a few swarm traps.
4. Finish all boxes and frames I have and fill them up.
5. Develop a market strategy and follow thru with it.
6. get my name out as the one to call for swarms and colony cutouts.
7. Obtain an extractor.
8. set up another beeyard
9. get a decent honey crop to sell, hoping for at least 150lbs.
10. keep the varroa, hive beetles and wax moths in check.
11. End up next fall with 10 hives with spare equipment to grow for the next year.


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## WVbeekeeper (Jun 4, 2007)

1. Set up some hive stands in the three of the locations offered to me.

2. Place an evaluated drone colony in each outyard that I set up.

3. Make about 90 nuc boxes for two story nucs. Will need 450 frames for this.

4. Place 15 nucs in each outyard with virgin queens to be mated.

5. Breed some feral x feral, feral x carniolan, and feral x italian for each yard
to see which I like best. I can always requeen what I don't like.

6. Make nucs early and often enough to not worry about swarms.

7. Do a few cutouts for some new genetics if they prove to be worthy. I have
a few scheduled for late March/early April.

8. Buy about 100 deeps and frames to put nucs in after they build up enough.
Will need another 550 frames for double deeps at this point. This will give 
some extra equipment because hopefully I will require 90 deeps, not 100, for 
45 new colonies.

9. Not worry about honey due to aggressive expansion.

10. Continue to not use chemicals.

11. Buy enough material for four electric fences.

12. Plan for 2009

I will have to wait until March to see what kind of numbers I actually end up 
with to work from. So far I have no losses. Hopefully I won't lose any in the 
next couple of months.


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## Troutsqueezer (May 17, 2005)

1) Maintain my four hives as they are - healthy happy bees. 

2) Live vicariously thru Chef's postings as he accomplishes everything in his list.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

BGhoney said:


> Keep my 7 hungry hives alive for 3 more months
> 
> Just finished my 5 hive trailor,
> 
> ...


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## golddust-twins (Sep 8, 2007)

Get my one hive thru this winter.

Introduce drone comb to my one hive.

Requeen with hygenic queen.

Purchase 2 nucs with hygenic queens for 2 hives.

Get all my deeps cut down to mediums

Change to small cell.

Learn to fog with FGMO/Thymol.

Trap a swarm or two.

Have some honey to sell to.

What else, what else..... Life is just too much fun .....


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## BGhoney (Sep 26, 2007)

*odfrank*

Just have to weld on the jack crank and I'll take pics this weekend and post them .


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## Hampton (Apr 24, 2007)

*Looking Forward..*

Good post Chef. I will be expanding this year both in hives and experience. I want to try my hand at splits, Nucs and will be looking into queen raising.


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## PAOuchHoney (Nov 25, 2007)

*Plans for 2008*

Entering my second year with the following plan.
1. I am ordering 10 packages to increase my colonies from 2, if they both survive.

2. Start all new hives on SC and regress the two originals to SC.

3. Split at least one of the original hives.

4. Make my own hives and frames. 

5. Place a couple bait hives to attempt to catch some swarms

6. Continue to avoid the use of chemicals, though probably will use powdered sugar as needed.

7. Continue to devise ways of involving family in the exciting world of beekeeping, better half already online, offered to sell honey and make other hive related products. One daughter has been helping and since I promised her her own hive, she has been trying to learn more beek info.

8. Look into steps needed to prevent hive damage bears. None seen but have heard stories of their being in the area. Looking to see what Game Commission will do once I expand.

9. Plant buckwheat for a different flavor and possible summer nector flow.

10. Continue to rely upon natural flora for most of honey production.

11. Become more involved in my local beek group and attend more seminars as time permits. and continue to evaluate for future plans.

This first year was pretty good for me. I was able to harvest close to 50 lbs of honey from my first two hives, combined, thanks to the goldenrod flow and still leave close to 2 deeps 3/4 full. 

David

ps. thanks to all for the great info posted. I enjoy the info and most sure does get the ole' mind working. Hope you all have a great 2008.


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## tecumseh (Apr 26, 2005)

1. make a little honey crop.

2. come spring time kick out a few nucs. sell some, keep some.

3. begin rearing some non grafted queens.

4. work up a process for determining next seasons (2009) drone mother hives.

5. acquire my first II queens (also for 2009).


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## Robee (Dec 9, 2007)

Get 2 hives up and running. My first year. Hopefully find a good mentor close by. There was no December meeting locally but there is one in Janurary. I have emailed the secretary for details. Join the group. Maybe take the class at B.R.C.C. in March.
Rob


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## Hill's Hivery (Jan 7, 2005)

Make it through winter with most of my 6 hives,
Start feeding in Feb with pollen and syrup for a good buildup,
Do some early splits to encourage honey production,
Learn, Learn, Learn...
Educate, Educate, Educate....
Catch a few swarms,
Some the bumper crop of honey to make up for last year!
Go into winter with around 20 hives.
Help a friend who just started beekeeping this last year!

Enjoy LIFE!!!


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## KES (May 17, 2007)

Since I just started with two hives this year, my goal is to get them through winter. I plan to learn more and more about bees and being a good keeper. I would like to have at least a small harvest but will be content to go into next year with strong colonies and maybe add one or two more hives. I would like to learn how to capture a swarm in 08. Really, if my girls make it through the winter I'll be pretty happy.


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## Dan Williamson (Apr 6, 2004)

1) Increase hive numbers to 100+ by late summer.
2) Sell more Nucs than 2007
3) Sell more Queens than in 2007
4) Double Honey production to 5,000 lbs
5) Purchase another bee trailer
6) Purchase a wax spinner
7) Try VSH/VSH breeder from Glenn Apiaries
8) Find additional retail outlets
9) Watch expenses closely
10) Enter all sales and expenses data into Quickbooks weekly instead of letting the work load pile up.
11) Increase efficiency in the beeyard.


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## Hobie (Jun 1, 2006)

I guess first, I just want to make it to spring with bees.

Generally, I want to gain better understanding of the behavior and lifestyle of bees, so my choices will help and not hurt them. And, if at all possible, I would like to SEE the queen! Dang it, she always hides from me.


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## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

I agree... first get to spring WITH the bees.


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## Joel (Mar 3, 2005)

Take a family vacation
Increase to 200 hives
Actually stay on schedule with beework through the season
Have all my honey off and extracted by Oct. 31
Add one more Sat. Market
Run 80% Biodiesel
Grow a huge garden
Make increase in the fall and overwinter nucs inside. (if I succeed with what I did in 2007)


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

I have gotten an oportunity to bring in a few Chilean Queens. Apperently they are suppose to be pretty good. I am going to make up about 25 nuc when the arrive.
We will see how they perform!
I got a quote of 15-17$/queen.


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## Yuleluder (Mar 2, 2005)

I plan to increase my colony numbers from about 40 to over 100. Continue to raise queens from only y best overwintered stock. Buy a couple of SMR, VSH breeder queens to add genetics to my yards. Sell queens and nucs in order to buy more woodenware for the above stated increase. Get my website online (will happen soon). Continue to be active in the beekeeping community. Add more apiary sites to my operation.



> 10) Enter all sales and expenses data into Quickbooks weekly instead of letting the work load pile up,


I like this one Dan, as I have started doing my taxes now and have a boatload of reciepts in my expense folder. I wish I would have added them up as I purchased the items.


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## Dan Williamson (Apr 6, 2004)

Yuleluder said:


> I like this one Dan, as I have started doing my taxes now and have a boatload of reciepts in my expense folder. I wish I would have added them up as I purchased the items.


My problem was that I did it all at once last year... Yep... in December. Adding up all sales and adding up all expenses.... Entering all bank deposits and withdrawals etc...... entering all Credit card info... all into Quickbooks...Geez... Took me a long time. I don't wanna go thru that again.

Much easier to do it as you go.


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## YellowBee (Jan 22, 2008)

*2008 Goals*

I have to say that though I have been a beekeeper for over 40 years I did not discover this website until this week so I am totally interested to keep myself involved with this wonderful site. I have opened over a million hives over my lifetime and have worked for some very large beekeepers. Now I have been a little sideliner for the last 10 years but my son will now join the bee business so we are gearing up to really grow. 
We plan to move to Cordovan queens for our grafting as the breed is traceable and will eliminate a lot of African Honey Bee (AHB) problems that plague the Southern US. 
We hope to improve our control of Small Hive Beetle using tarps on the ground as a natural control. This has had some limited improvment but I want to expand that system. 
We want to expand our wholesale markets and continue our production levels of around 135 pounds per colony (not bragging just the way it was by our records from extracting)
I hope all of you have a wonderful new year (Prosperous too!!)


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

>>Cordovan queens 

Hey Yellow!

How do the Cordovan stand up as to compaired to the others?


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## tecumseh (Apr 26, 2005)

wellcome aboard yellowbee.... I'm also kinda like the looks of those yellow girls.

do you have 'problems' with ahb in your general area? and could you inform us about your experience with tarps in the control of shb.


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## kirk-o (Feb 2, 2007)

My plans this year is to get my ant management well established to prevent the losses they give me.

set out swarm traps 

get more bees and bee locations


start marketing my honey
kirkobeeo


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## Beaches' Bee-Haven Apiary (May 22, 2007)

My plans:

1.) Make more honey & money!

2.) Triple my # of hives - 5 to 15.

3.) Expand my costumer base.

4.) look into getting a legal, state aproved, honey house.

5.) Expand and help my assoc. grow.

6.) Spend more time on BeeSource!

Have a great year y'all!

-Nathanael


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## YellowBee (Jan 22, 2008)

*Year plans and cardovans*

I have not incorporated the Cordovan Queens yet, however I have read a lot of journal articles (scientific studies) on gene purity and the fact that the recessive gene is traceable through coloration and I currently live where there is a significant impact from AHB (african honeybee) I am concerned with the continued genetic impact of the agressiviness of the AHB. I need to preface that I have worked many agressive hives but I also remember the 60's when the bees could be worked with few attacks from the bees. With my son planning on taking over the bees (with dad's guidance) I want him having good experiences and joys of bees that I have had. Cheers, Les


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## YellowBee (Jan 22, 2008)

*Tarps and small hive beetles*

Sorry to respond again but I did want to share a study I am doing on looking at behavior interuption or life cycle reduction but interferring with the behavior of the small hive beetle exiting the hive to burrow into the ground. By laying out the plastic tarp it gets the wiggling larva of the small hive beetle exposed to both desication and the heat of the hot tarp. So far my only concern is the heat created from the tarp as an effect on the hive. Though so far so good. I had a yard on a trailer with tarp under the trailer (an old cotton tarp *BIG*) The bees did fine. Anyway I am trying everything I can to control SHB as they are a mess here. Cheers! Les


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## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

make soup!!


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## Swobee (May 18, 2007)

*For 2008:*

Increase to 100 hives
Start up 4 new bee keepers 
Speak before 6 groups on promoting bee keeping 
Expand markets & product line
MEAD, MEAD, MEAD 
Learn queen rearing
Make nucs for next winter
Attempt to get our Dept. of Ag. in Kansas to consider that bees are a viable agricultural livestock option.
Get stung less


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