# Intentions



## giant pumpkin peep (Mar 14, 2009)

I have 5 hives, and plan on expanding next year.


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## PeeVee (Dec 10, 2009)

I have 6 now and expect to expand. I would like to be at 25 in 3 years.


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## charmd2 (May 25, 2008)

I have ten hives now. Figure seven will make it through winter. Plan on splittingstrong hives after the flow and keeping any swarms I may get.


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## Ski (Jan 18, 2007)

I have 10 hives and one nuc now and plan to cut back to 5-6 hives. My head says to get more hives but my body says its not a good idea.


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## Merlyn Votaw (Jun 23, 2008)

I ha15 hives I don't plan on buying more but will take any swarms plus the hives that make it thru the winter. Getting to old for many more. Almost 72 now.


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## johng (Nov 24, 2009)

I have 16 would like to go to about 25


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

3 hives, & 4 NUCs, & plan to stay more or less the same.


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## hipifreq (Sep 9, 2010)

I have _0_ hives and I plan to c) expand my apiaires.

Starting in the Spring - plan on getting two packages in all-medium Langs, and if I get a swarm it'll be going into a TBH just to try it out.


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## concrete-bees (Jun 20, 2009)

i have 24 going into winter and as they say ... go big or go home !!!!

im hoping to have 50 this time next year - buying packs, nucs and hives


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## Countryboy (Feb 15, 2009)

I have 40-some hives going into winter and plan to expand next year.


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## MARBIS (Jun 10, 2010)

I have 5 going into winter, plan to expand to 30 next year.


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## wildflowerlanehoney (Aug 17, 2010)

3 going into winter, splitting, swarms, and buying my way to 10 or 15 next year.


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## BigDru (Aug 4, 2009)

I have 3 hives and I plan on staying with 3.


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## mlewis48 (Nov 24, 2007)

I have 67 hives now and plan on expanding to 100 before the season is over, next year.


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## jldoll (Oct 22, 2010)

I have two hives, Plan to stay with two hives, At 60 years it's great hobby.
Jldoll Indiana


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## rkereid (Dec 20, 2009)

I have 12 hives and 7 nucs now. This time next year I would like to have 25 hives and about 10 nucs.


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## LAC (Sep 19, 2008)

I currently have 5 hives, and would like to increase to 10 hives from splits or swarms.


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## dixiebooks (Jun 21, 2010)

I have one hive and plan (hope) to go to five by the end of next year through a split (providing, of course, that my current hive survives the winter) and catching new swarms/cutouts/etc. -james


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## bigbearomaha (Sep 3, 2009)

depending on how business picks up and bees come in via swarm collections, cut outs and splits, I anticipate going into next winter with probably 40 hives, maybe more.


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## Kingfisher Apiaries (Jan 16, 2010)

I have 18, plan to expand to 30-40 next year. 

mike


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## hemichuck (Oct 27, 2009)

I have around 40 going into winter this year.I hope to make it through to spring with 25 good hives.I plan on expanding to 50 with splits and swarm collection next spring.Thats about all I can handle as a hobbyist(still got a job)


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## ChristopherA (Jul 20, 2010)

I am going into winter with 14 hives. I plan on buying 30 nucs in spring plus splits from my current hives, so I am adding 30+ in spring. I am going to be raising Russians, Carnies and Minn Hyg in three different beeyards.


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## Broke-T (Jul 9, 2008)

We have 120 currently and plan to split to 200+ next year.

Johnny


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## Mud Songs (Sep 30, 2010)

I have 2 hives and I plan to expand my apiaires by starting at least 2 more hives from nucs next year.


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## Gregg (Dec 22, 2003)

Had 700 this summer, currently 536 in CA, will run 700 for honey next summer here. No more expansion plans, 700 is as many as I want to handle on a part time basis.


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## willrich68 (Jan 8, 2010)

I have 6 hives and intend on expanding to at least 12 this spring.


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## PerryBee (Dec 3, 2007)

Currently have 18 going into winter.
Would like to get to around 25 next year.


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## NowThen (Nov 26, 2008)

13 going into winter. Planning on 25 for next year. Growth will be accomplished through survivor splits and package purchases.


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## ekrouse (Aug 26, 2004)

Had 12 hives last winter, 10 in the spring. Made 6 splits, ended up with 12 in the Fall, 10 going into Winter. I hope to split all in the Spring X 2 so I'll probably end up with the same 10 I have now going into next Winter.

Don't tell me my math doesn't work... It's beekeeping!

-ekrouse


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## peacekeeperapiaries (Jun 23, 2009)

ekrouse said:


> Don't tell me my math doesn't work... It's beekeeping!


:lpf: so true!


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## valleyman (Nov 24, 2009)

I came out of last winter with 2 strong hives, split them, bought 4 nucs, wound up with 8 good hives of pure Russians. Rolled 1 queen in mid Sept. they made a new queen, she didn't take. Requeened in early Oct. no luck, they didn't want a queen so I'm going into winter with 7. Plan on adding 2 nucs in the spring, or as many as it takes to make me 9, Which is what my apiary platform holds. Will catch swarms and expand as availible by sitting them on blocks. I have an advantage as Walter T. Kelley Co. is 30 miles away and cypress hive bodys go together quickly. I just need to keep about 20 frames made up and laying around.
As has been posted, it is beekeeping and whatever plans you make be ready to change them.


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## John_H (Dec 2, 2009)

I have 8 hives going into winter and plan to make splits from strong hives next spring to get to 12 or 14.


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## D Coates (Jan 6, 2006)

I have 11 hives, 5 10-frame nucs, and a 5-frame OB hive. I hope to get to 15 hives and 8 to 10 10-frame nucs. I'm getting an electric extractor (9 to 20 frame, need to see what money I earned by the end of the year). I'll also work harder on raising my own queens more consistently.


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## Humanbeeing (Nov 23, 2010)

I have six hives now and have told my supplier I want 5 more packages next spring. Plus however many splits and swarms I can do. I have chances for quite a few swarms here, and I just built a ROBO SWARM SUCKER and I am building swarm boxes to set around some bee trees I know of. So, I can definitly say I am expanding as much as possible. I would like to have 30 hives next October. Might not be completely out of the realm of possibility, since I only started with two packages this year. Bees just seem to grow on you.

I leave the bees in the trees and try to pull the swarms into my boxes and breed virgin queens with the survivors. I let them keep on surviving. Here is one of my secret bee trees:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCKYTinTUDo


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## Omie (Nov 10, 2009)

I have two hives this year, and I hope to have 4 hives by this time next year.


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## Ma-Honey (Aug 8, 2010)

I started with one this year ( first year) medium 8s and plan to expand to three next year.


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## Oldbee (Sep 25, 2006)

_"I'd like a rough consensus of where you plan to be next year." _

Doesn't that depend on where one is,.."starting from"?

Perhaps this thread should have at least, two different catagories. For those with 1-5 hives; and #2,.. those with 25 or more hives and how many plus or minuses one intends to go from there.

Me: 2 hives now; 4 hives next summer.


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## brooksbeefarm (Apr 13, 2008)

I had 60 hives this summer, two were robbed out and the ones that had weak queens and hives that were light on stores (late swarms i caught) i combined. I now have 45 strong hives going into the winter and hope to build back up to 60 or 70 hives. I sell honey at home and the farmers market. Jack


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## RiodeLobo (Oct 11, 2010)

first hive going into winter. planning 2 nucs and 2 packages and a split
(if they don't make it more pacs and nucs) for spring. So minimum of 6 and as many swarms as i can catch.

Dan


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## Buffalolick (Jan 26, 2010)

Going into winter with 9. Will expand as much as possible every way possible


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## DutchBee (Jul 14, 2009)

"I have 6 hives and I plan to expand my apiaires.

I am planning on 25 for next year.


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

I have 26 hives now, plan to expand to 50 next year.

How about you, Grant? Want to answer your own question? 
Regards,
Steven


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## Laurence Hope (Aug 24, 2005)

I have about 70; probably will boost it about 10


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

I really do have quite enough colonies Grant. Any more would impact the management of the others. One thing I do intend...I made up 470 4 frame nucs this june/july. We had unusually hot weather later in the summer which caused some absconding from the nuc boxes. Some I had expanded upwards with 4 frame supers before that heat wave. Not one 2 story nuc absconded. I plan on getting more of my nucs made before the middle of july and expanding them up.


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## little55 (Aug 6, 2008)

I have 28 hives and hope to expand to about 50 after all is said and done. I am going to make several mating nucs prob around 25 or so, so a lot of my expansion depends on how well those nucs hold up. I will combine them in the fall to make up full hives or make 2 story nucs depends on my mood at that time.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

50% losses - 2007, 200% increase
50% losses - 2008, 200% increase
80% losses - 2009, 300 - 400% increase (sixty baits and swarms)

92 hives (queens) at peak of this summer, probably 25% losses to date, lots of dwindling hives, it's a losing game these days, probably already down to 70. 

But I made about two tons of crop, honey sales are adequate, somebody has to catch all those baits flying around. Life is good.


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## Stlnifr (Sep 12, 2010)

I have zero hives now but plan on having 3 to 5 by the end of 2011. By the end of 2012 I would like to have 10 or 12.

I plan on all hives being KTB Hives and all comb being natural comb. Hopefully somewhere in the 4.9mm but the bees will decide this.


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

Started May with 175 hives, packed around 400 for winter. The goal is 500 by July 1 next summer. Had a bad Summer last summer(16 months ago), lost alot last winter. 

Roland


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

I have 8 colonies. Mostly Charlie Harper Russians and Michael Palmer Northern queens.

It will be difficult for me NOT to buy bees in the spring...

I may order a couple of booster packages and a few more of Charlie's queens in the spring (as insurance) and I also intend to get a couple more of MP's queens in the summer as well. 

8 production hives would be plenty for me but I have room for some nucs to help with managing resources.


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## DChap (Oct 19, 2005)

I have 20 hives going into the winter, would like to expand to 50 by next summer

Blessed Bee
Doug


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## Faith Jaudon (Jun 23, 2010)

I have 25 hives now and intend to expand.


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## S&H (Feb 25, 2010)

42 hives; planning for 80 next year.


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## mmiller (Jun 17, 2010)

3 hives now and expanding to 12 in the spring. After the flow hopefully will be able to split the 3 for a total of 15.


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## Claressa (Oct 1, 2009)

I have 2 hives now and would like to get to 10 with a combination of splits, swarms, and a couple of packages.


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## timgoodin (Mar 10, 2007)

I have 15 now and hope at least 12 make it through the winter. I'd like to be at 20 by next fall by doing splits, some queen rearing and swarm collections. Tim


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Pretty telling here, eh Grant? Seems everyone is intending on making significant increase in their apiary.


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## PerryBee (Dec 3, 2007)

While I admire the fact that many of us are looking to increase, I wonder at some of the projections. Is it realistic, some of the numbers being bandied about? Just how hard can you split without allowing for a reasonable time frame for growth?
IMHO some of these expectations are overly optomistic.

Perry


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## Andrew Dewey (Aug 23, 2005)

I have about 30 hives now and I plan to expand next year. (I've bought wooden ware for another 20)


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## peacekeeperapiaries (Jun 23, 2009)

PerryBee said:


> IMHO some of these expectations are overly optomistic.Perry


I did a quick run through the posts, for the most part I dont think there are too many here that are overly optimistic... 15 to 30...40 to 80...depending on your location, blooms, weather, strength of hives, availability of queens/cells, etc. most of these guys potential increases look pretty doable...just my opinion.

We didnt get to meet our increases this past year for several reasons...but im bound and determined to get there this year...we have 150 and we are aiming at 350....and crossing our fingers and praying...everyone have fun


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## giant pumpkin peep (Mar 14, 2009)

I think a lotta time people underestimate there bees. I have a friend who is a bee haver. He dosn't know what hes doing and generally asks me for help. I gotta call maybe the end of june, he had a problem, not as many bees as before. I figured ok,maybe they swarmed, need a new queen, or starving. I go there and there was no queen, no cells, no brood, no nothing. There might have been 2 thousand bees at the most. I found him a virgin queen, and donated a frame of brood. I instuceted him to feed em like theres no tomaroww. I went over there very week to check up on em.(the bees) By august there was a boderline hive that I think will live thru winter if the bee haver dosnt mess up....which of course I need to keep calling em and checking on the bees.


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## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

PerryBee said:


> IMHO some of these expectations are overly optomistic.
> 
> Perry


I couldn't keep bees if I wasn't optimistic!

Grant
Jackson, MO


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## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

StevenG said:


> How about you, Grant? Want to answer your own question?
> Regards,
> Steven


To quote an line from an old black and white, cops-n-robbers film, "I'll be the one asking the questions around here!"

But since you asked, I'm at 150 and would like to bump up to 250 hives. I'm selling every drop of honey I can produce. I've got more people who want bees on their farms so locations are ready for the opportunity. 

The more hives I have, the better beekeeper I've become and I've also noted other areas of my life that have become more efficient, largely out of necessity. I've not reached that point of diminishing returns, yet. Time management, prioritization and organization, record keeping are absolutely critical. And yes, optimism, faith and a strong sense that this is what I should be doing helps. I'm having a blast.

Having heard Michael Palmer in person, I am hot to bring a bunch of nucs from next summer splits into the following winter. Perhaps to use for expansion, perhaps to sell in the spring of 2012.

I've also kind of figured out this queen rearing thing, thanks to a young man named Corey Stevens from the Dexter, MO area. He's got me switched from queenless cell builders to queen-right without needing a Cloake Board. I'm bring my "A-game" this summer.

The reason I sparked this line of discussion was for a proposed talk I'm giving next February. I'm under the impression that most beekeepers want to expand or will at least take advantage of swarm opportunities to add to their number. I know I do! However, some of the initial feedback from the leadership indicates their thoughts that a fair number of people who are set and will not want to expand (due to urban neighborhoods, family obligations, etc.) One of the best ways to become a good speaker is to know your audience. I thought I could get some good feedback here.

Some time ago, my wife thought I was getting too large with twenty hives. Then one year I made enough money selling honey to send her on a 7-day cruise. She even let me come along. Now she worries if the phone doesn't ring at dinner time with another swarm to catch! She likes to help at the Farmer's Markets, but this outdoorsy thing with the poison ivy, the ticks, snakes and chigger....well, it's not for her but she gives me full support.

Thanks for your responses,

Grant
Jackson, MO


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## NY_BLUES (May 14, 2009)

I am at 7 hives going into winter, hoping to go to 12-15 next year.


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## valleyman (Nov 24, 2009)

Grant, 
I thought when this thread started it would get boring very quick. I was wrong. I have found it interesting to learn the plans of others and the optimisim that is across the board. I think a true statement is you have to be optomistic to enjoy todays beekeeping world. In your last post you just gave me inspiration that my wife might start helping me again. She seems to have lost interest. I bet if I can turn a profit it will jar her interest again. So that is my new expansion goal is to actually turn a profit off of ever how many hive I wind up with.


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

I've ordered 50 nucs for May 1. Plus the ones I'm bring through the winter.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

I am at 21 going into winter. My goal is to come out of winter with 21 healthy hives, all that produce a bumper crop  

I don't want to increase much beyond where I am right now, but I do want to jump into queen rearing this spring. I've had a Jenter system in my garage for many years and its time to get busy with it. I've got a few really good queens that should make good breeders. I'm sure there's a strong market in my area for quality locally produced queens. This year will be my first attempt at making more than just a few queens. Probably see me on the queen rearing forum asking lots of dumb questions.


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## Mike Snodgrass (Mar 11, 2010)

Going into winter with 3..The bees will decide if i double next year or not through survivors and another 3 packages! It is my intention though. After that im out of room and will need an outyard for any more. Which is also the plan for 2012!:thumbsup:


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Grant said:


> I'm having a blast.


To me, that speaks loudest to me. No matter if you're going from 1 to 2, or 20 to 40, or 125 to 250...or staying the same. Remember to have fun. Keep that enthusiasm. Experiment. Continue to learn until the day you're done. What other job could be so much fun?
Bees are like that.


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## beecuz (Apr 14, 2010)

Grant -

Poison ivy, ticks, snakes and chiggers - I know them well. I am a 66 year old soon to be retired lady with just her second winter of bees soon under her belt...I started with three hives, lost one during a summer dearth, purchased one new hive plus a nuc last spring and am into winter with four hives...hope to make it through til spring and grow to eight hives via splits or buying more bees from Dadant. Hope to double next year as well. Love my bees. Haven't sold honey yet or leased for pollination, but that is my ultimate goal. 

beecuz

"...for breath is sweeter taken even as the last in places dear, with gardens, fields and dogwood trees; in forest stands of bamboo shoots, of ginger root and honey bees..."


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## ccar2000 (Aug 9, 2009)

I have two hives going into this winter and my goal is to have both of them survive. I do not really want to expand as I want to remain a hobbiest. As it is now the amount of upkeep and time necessary is manageable for me. I keep chickens, a small orchard and a vegetable garden as well. I sell and barter with my "goods" just to keep these hobbies affordable.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

Grant said:


> snip... switched from queenless cell builders to queen-right without needing a Cloake Board. snip


Grant,

If you have time, perhaps you would be so kind to start a topic on the queen rearing forum regarding the above quote?

I know I'd really like to hear more....

Thanks in advance.


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## Lauren (Jun 10, 2010)

I have one, hope to get to two full hives, 3 nucs by next year.


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## KNC Bees (Sep 4, 2010)

I currently have 5 hives going into my first winter and have 9 cut-outs lined up for spring. Also hope to buy 2 more Italians this spring.


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## winevines (Apr 7, 2007)

Given that I have a full time job elsewhere... this year I really might want to reduce the number of hives I have going into Fall of 2011. I said that last year too, but then there were all those swarms I caught, and queens I actually made myself and ordered and what not........ I was a victim of my own success in some ways which was incredibly wonderful and time consuming at the same time. Plus to have all this increase with no packages? Awesome. To have bees or a queen to sell or give to someone in our club who hits hard (bee related) times? Wonderful.

Right now I have 5 hives and 13 nucs plus two more hives I am care taking since their Dad moved away that will become mine in the Spring. That is a lot of sugar... 

Will likely sell off 75% of the nucs by April 1 and take it from there. That will leave a lot of empty boxes to potentially fill up again.


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## Cascade Failure (Feb 4, 2010)

2 hives and would like to expand.


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## max2 (Dec 24, 2009)

I have about 20 hives and will be happy if I have the same in 12 months time....but looking at all this expansion going on...I may buy shares in Dadant or Kelly's. Business is going to be great!!


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