# Intro as well as being treatment free



## Happy Home (Jul 4, 2019)

I am living in Ava Missouri, near the center of town and the bee tree is less than 50 yard from my back door. 

It was about 3 years ago that I saw the first swarm come out of this tree and not knowing anything about bees I called a beekeeper to come and get them. I just happened to be home when he showed up to catch the swarm and it intrigued me so I stood around and watched. probably a little closer that the beekeeper would have preferred but as he was not wearing protective clothing I did not seem to think it would make any difference if I was not in protective clothing either. It was then that I decided if I ever got the opportunity to catch a swarm I would not be calling another beekeeper to come to the rescue. 

April 30, 2019 I caught my first swarm, so I am very new to keeping bees, I caught my second swarm on May 12, from the same tree that is very close to my home. No one has taken care of these bees and I contend that they are treatment free. Even though I have not enjoyed any of the fruits of the bees labor in the past, the two swarms that I have caught are now in hives, Number 1 is in a deep Langstroth box with two medium supers all for brood, and Number 2 is in two Langstroth deeps for the brood. And I suppose that if it is treatment I did feed sugar water 1:1 for about a month, just to give them a head start on building comb, I did add another medium super an quit feeding. I intend to at least work toward being treatment free, and also using foundationless frames. 

I suppose that it is safe to call these the Lords bees as I have the hive set up near the country church that I attend. If I can manage to keep them over winter I intend to share honey with the church next year. If there is any extra to sell that will be just wonderful. I intend to make it a fundraiser for any ministry that the church may choose to use it for. Just to let it make sense to everyone my user name here is Happy Home which is also the name of the church that I attend. 

I have been doing a lot of studying and reading on forums and bee keeping websites, and doing my best to let the feral bees just do their own thing. I will be needing to open the top of the hive to see real soon how they are doing with filling that one super that I have put on each hive, since I have stopped giving sugar water. 

So I guess I am a treatment free beekeeper, for the past 14 years that just has all of three months experience with bees. 

A real learning experience, that I am enjoying beyond my wildest expectations. 

Happy Home


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Happy Home said:


> ........the bee tree is less than 50 yard from my back door......
> Happy Home


Welcome here!
Yes, you have been blessed.
I wish I had a per-annually occupied, swarm-throwing bee tree near by.
None that I am aware.
Keep that bee tree safe and it will continue giving you some good bees.


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## Happy Home (Jul 4, 2019)

GregV said:


> Welcome here!
> Yes, you have been blessed.
> 
> 
> ...


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

Your enthusiasm is infectious, you have done well hiving the bees, enjoyed your post.

Hoping the people of your Church will get to enjoy your honey.


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

Happy Home said:


> I will have to attempt to get a photo of the entrance and see if I can figure out how to post it.


welcome aboard hh!

for posting photos:

https://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?356133-Using-photos-in-your-posts


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## r2t2 (Apr 20, 2016)

Welcome HH! Glad to have another voice from Missouri here. I second GregV's remark -- You have indeed been blessed!

Keep the posts coming. We need as many viewpoints as possible.


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## Happy Home (Jul 4, 2019)

Happy Home said:


> GregV said:
> 
> 
> > Welcome here!
> ...


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## Litsinger (Jun 14, 2018)

Happy Home said:


> So I guess I am a treatment free beekeeper, for the past 14 years that just has all of three months experience with bees.


Happy Home:

Let me extend a warm welcome to you here on the forum. I enjoyed your story and I think it is really noble that you are looking for ways to bless others with the proverbial fruit of your labors. I sincerely hope the LORD blesses the hives you currently have and I become more aware every day of what a cultural treasure these tree colonies are.

Please do keep us posted as to how the rest of your year progresses, and I look forward to reading more about your beekeeping adventure.

Sincerely,

Russ


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Happy Home said:


> Happy Home said:
> 
> 
> > Well here goes for the picture of the entrance on the tree that my bees came from.
> ...


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## Litsinger (Jun 14, 2018)

Happy Home:

I just had an epiphany- if you live near Ava, Missouri you must be really close to Dr. Leo: https://horizontalhive.com/email-website-sharashkin/contact-sharashkin-lazutin.shtml

I expect he would be an excellent (and close) resource for you if you haven't connected with him already.

Russ


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## DanielD (Jul 21, 2012)

As a fellow Missourian, welcome to beekeeping. You will be blessed, and He will also bless you with trials along the way that you might learn more about beekeeping if you allow yourself to be trained by them. There seems to be a good supply of bees in Missouri that can survive without treatments or minimal treatment. 

I have a neighbor's hive 2 miles away that I tend to sometimes, and it's been going on for 4-5 years to my knowledge without being treated and doing well. I got a swarm from it and that has produced the best offspring queens I have had since for me. The owner had it for possibly 10 years before I came along, but I don't know if it is an unbroken continuation from the point he got them. If they ever did die out, they were still repopulated with the local feral bees around here.

One thing about the bees doing their own thing is that they don't labor to fill up 3-4 supers of honey for you to take. They will work to swarm to continue the species instead of make you a bunch of honey. You would benefit from learning how to manipulate them to keep them from swarming, and to produce extra honey for you to enjoy.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Litsinger said:


> Happy Home:
> 
> I just had an epiphany- if you live near Ava, Missouri you must be really close to Dr. Leo: https://horizontalhive.com/email-website-sharashkin/contact-sharashkin-lazutin.shtml
> 
> ...


I would also beg for a queen or two of his - being this close.
Surely, he always has some spare queens and such.


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## Happy Home (Jul 4, 2019)

GregV said:


> Happy Home said:
> 
> 
> > Hey HH,
> ...


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## Happy Home (Jul 4, 2019)

Litsinger said:


> Happy Home:
> 
> I just had an epiphany- if you live near Ava, Missouri you must be really close to Dr. Leo: https://horizontalhive.com/email-website-sharashkin/contact-sharashkin-lazutin.shtml
> 
> ...


Hi Litsinger, 

I do not know if Dr. Sharashkin is a member of this forum or not, but I did reach out to him via email, and asked if it would be possible to just visit his apiary. 

I was disappointed to get the reply that I would be welcome to visit for the fee of $450.00. He explained that he did have some other people interested in visiting and if I was interested I would be allowed to visit when they did and reduce to cost to $150.00. 

I explained that I was not able to spend that kind of money for the visit and thanked him for his reply. 

Based on this experience I get the Idea that Dr. Sharashkin is not interested in being any type of mentor. 

Happy Home


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## Litsinger (Jun 14, 2018)

Happy Home said:


> Based on this experience I get the Idea that Dr. Sharashkin is not interested in being any type of mentor.


Happy Home:

Well that is certainly disappointing. I suppose that is his prerogative but is unfortunate nevertheless, particularly given he is your neighbor.

While I have far less to offer, you are always welcome to tour my apiary anytime you end up East of the Mississippi and have spare time on your hands... and I would charge you a fraction of Dr. Sharashkin  (kidding of course)!

Further, as close as you must be to his operation, you are likely dealing with the same successful genetic material he is so that is an encouraging sign of the potential for your success in a TF context- it seems that genetics is 90%+ of the battle based on what I have read thus far.

Best of success to you on your new beekeeping adventure!

Russ


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## Happy Home (Jul 4, 2019)

Litsinger said:


> Happy Home:
> 
> While I have far less to offer, you are always welcome to tour my apiary anytime you end up East of the Mississippi and have spare time on your hands... and I would charge you a fraction of Dr. Sharashkin (kidding of course)!


I actually do get over in your neck of the woods on a fairly regular basis. Sometimes I have some spare time sometimes I don't. 

I will pm for contact info. and see if I can take you up on the visit. I have absolutely no practical experience in keeping bees. and would love to get the chance to take you up on that offer. 

Happy Home


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## Litsinger (Jun 14, 2018)

Happy Home said:


> I have absolutely no practical experience in keeping bees. and would love to get the chance to take you up on that offer.


I have but a little more than you do, but can certainly give you a few pointers on what not to do...

I'd be honored to have you stop in.

Russ


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Happy Home said:


> Hi Litsinger,
> 
> I do not know if Dr. Sharashkin is a member of this forum or not, but I did reach out to him via email, and asked if it would be possible to just visit his apiary.
> 
> ...


I can certainly understand - he is trying to make a living best he can (as an independent entity).
On the other hand, you just may have bee available to you just as good as Dr. Sharashkin's (as Litsinger pointed out).
Too bad, I am a long drive away, I would love to visit your location and set a trap or two nearby in exchange for some consulting.


PS: Litsinger - hint, hint.


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

Little surprised at the $450, but it may be the true cost.

When i was keeping bees commercially a lot of learner beeks made contact wanting to hang with me. I never said no, and usually i enjoyed the company, but i can certainly say that these days were normally not as productive as when i was unhindered. 

Some horror stories were - the guy who after we drove an hour and a half to get to the area we would be working, asked what time we would be home. Don't know, once all the work is done, i said. He looks at me and said he must be home by 3 pm to collect his daughter from school. I said why did you not tell me this before? He said, i just thought we would be home by then. So, didn't get all the work done needed, dropped him back to get his daughter, and i was back there the next day doing what should have been done the day before, and had to work 7 days that week instead of 6 to catch back up, no family day that week. Another horror story was the guy who wanted to know how to graft. Taking the frame of larvae, i showed him the queen, a very important breeder that i had bribed and called in favors to be able to get. A large part of my breeding program for the season was going to be based on incorporating genetics from this queen. For some reason I still cannot fathom, he reached over and touched it with his finger, squishing it's abdomen and fatally injuring it. There are other stories but i won't bore you with them all.

After discovering the many things that can go badly when taking out learners, what I ended up doing was say that if they came they had to bring their own lunch and water, be prepared to be stung a few times without wanting to go home, and be prepared to put in some hard physical work. Doing things my way could be an issue with opinionated people so i also learned that part of the pre trip discussion would be they had to do things my way, even if they disagreed with the method. Those things whittled numbers down a bit, and made the day go smoother for the ones that came. Had noticed that the time i would have to spend talking and explaining stuff, could be countered to some extent if the person was prepared to work as well, and rather than just fetch and carry i would get them into the hives alongside me, they would do everything i did. Which was good for them, and when i had to speak at a bee club recently a couple of members recounted to everyone that years ago they had come out with me and it was the greatest beekeeping experience they had, which was certainly good for my ego ha ha. 

Just, although i am rather surprised someone would ask $450 to have someone come along, from a purely commercial perspective it's probably about right. It's also likely that for a paying client, he would spend the time and give you a very educational day and you would really value the experience. All the same, you probably were not budgeting on something like that when you started the hobby.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

If there is going to be a little one on one education with the opportunity to work along side him, I would say it is worth it. I recently learned that Kirsten Traynor has a queen grafting workshop at her place in MD. The cost was outside my budget at $650 but I did not think it was overpriced. We will spend $200 for a nuc of questionable quality and not bat an eye. So for the cost of two nucs and a couple of hive bodies, you get to spend a day with a renowned expert. Got to keep it all in perspective.


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## Litsinger (Jun 14, 2018)

GregV said:


> PS: Litsinger - hint, hint.


Now I like the way you think, GregV. Maybe I will let Happy Home get tired of filling his yard up with 'survivor-stock' genetics and then I'll politely ask if I can set-up a trap-line in the Ozarks!


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Oldtimer said:


> Little surprised at the $450, but it may be the true cost.
> ............All the same, you probably were not budgeting on something like that when you started the hobby.


In the case of HH, it maybe someone be actually be interested to visit *him* .
I certainly would IF not for the distance.

Pretty much, I am ready to share some of my experience/resources/time in exchange for access to promising genetic material when I can
That where the real value is.

"If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain".


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Litsinger said:


> Now I like the way you think, GregV. Maybe I will let Happy Home get tired of filling his yard up with 'survivor-stock' genetics and then I'll politely ask if I can set-up a trap-line in the Ozarks!


On a paper map, you guys look just a short drive away apart!


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

JWPalmer said:


> ........ So for the cost of two nucs and a couple of hive bodies, you get to spend a day with a renowned expert. Got to keep it all in perspective.


If I was Dr. Sharashkin, I'd just run a line of give away little nucs and give them as complement to the visitors.
If you think of it - setting up a line of little nucs over summer costs near nothing to you.
And yet I somehow feel - there will be a line of visitors waiting to spend a day visiting and take a nuc home too.

The visiting price can be raised too to offset the nuc price.
Any nucs left not taken - just keep as-is or combine.
Everyone happy.


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## Litsinger (Jun 14, 2018)

Oldtimer said:


> Little surprised at the $450, but it may be the true cost.





JWPalmer said:


> If there is going to be a little one on one education with the opportunity to work along side him, I would say it is worth it.


Oldtimer: 

Great stories (as always). I enjoy reading about your experiences, and you and JW bring up good points.

I should clarify that I wasn't making a judgment call about Dr. Sharashkin being worth a professional consultation but that I was simply disappointed that there wasn't something more personal available to someone in their hometown, especially if it was a simple, 'may I come by and see your set-up and introduce myself' kind of thing. That said, I don't expect free advice from my lawyer, financial consultant or doctor so I suppose being a professional beekeeper is no different.

I recognize (but may not appreciate) that beekeeping as your livelihood is different than beekeeping as your hobby.

Thanks again to you both for the perspective.

Russ


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

Litsinger said:


> I should clarify that I wasn't making a judgment call about Dr. Sharashkin being worth a professional consultation


Nobody would have taken you that way Litsinger.


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## Litsinger (Jun 14, 2018)

GregV said:


> On a paper map, you guys look just a short drive away apart!


I suppose it is all relative- it is about 275 miles. Missouri is a lot wider than it appears!


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## Litsinger (Jun 14, 2018)

Oldtimer said:


> Nobody would have taken you that way Litsinger.


...now you've got me self-conscious thinking about what my reputation is here on Beesource!


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

Your rep is fine.


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

Happy Home said:


> April 30, 2019 I caught my first swarm, so I am very new to keeping bees, I caught my second swarm on May 12, from the same tree that is very close to my home.


Welcome to beekeeping. There are many ways to keep bees for fun. May you find your way cheerfully and with humility and gratitude.


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## Happy Home (Jul 4, 2019)

I wish to go on record as being non judgmental on Dr. Sharashkin being too expensive with his expertise. I did not feel offended it was just that I could not afford to spend that kind of money to visit his apiary. I really was not interested in having him open any of his hives for an inspection. I could have had a lot of value just seeing the activity of the bees around his hives. I actually had an interest in build a hive from his plans, but I thought I would like to see one first. I have almost decided to not go with a layens hive now, mostly because of my inability to afford to take a look at what I should expect to see. 

I am sure that Dr. Sharashkin is a wonderful person and a very good beekeeper. Someday it is possible that I can meet him and become friends, at least that is my hope. maybe someday I will win the lottery and be able to afford to expend that kind of money. 

Happy Home


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

Happy Home said:


> I actually had an interest in build a hive from his plans, but I thought I would like to see one first. I have almost decided to not go with a layens hive now, mostly because of my inability to afford to take a look at what I should expect to see.


Good choice not to build one.

Langstroth hives have been tested in the field for 150 years and survived virtually unchanged from what the Reverent Langstroth originally built. They have performed well, stood the test of time, probably 99% of hives in the USA are Langstroth, they are preferred by commercial beekeepers, and there is a reason for all that.

Beekeepers by definition, tend to be an individualistic and inventive group, and there are plenty of minds thinking up different hive designs. The designers, and their followers, will always present their particular design in the most favorable light, and reading their literature can be beguiling. My advice, be open minded, but also be a slow adopter of "new improved" hive designs.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Happy Home said:


> I wish to go on record as being non judgmental on Dr. Sharashkin being too expensive with his expertise. .......
> 
> Happy Home


HH, 
It is actually a good idea to NOT jump up and spend money for advanced course work while you are a beginner - UNTIL you are ready to consume the information served to you.
Eventually you may decide you don't even need it.
OR - if still want to visit - you'll be able to consume much more useful info for your time and money's worth.

You know - Calc 101 --> Calc 201 --> Calc 301.... 
You don't jump to Calc 301 immediately since you will not be able to consume the info they will dump on you.


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## Happy Home (Jul 4, 2019)

GregV said:


> HH,
> It is actually a good idea to NOT jump up and spend money for advanced course work while you are a beginner - UNTIL you are ready to consume the information served to you.


I agree, GregV 

Oh I actually was pretty close to you late last night, I did not have any extra time to kill with bees but I did think of you. I am not sure where exactly you are located but I was in Harvard Illinois. 

There about 2 hours and headed back to the heat in Southern Missouri. 

Happy Home


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Happy Home said:


> I agree, GregV
> 
> Oh I actually was pretty close to you late last night, I did not have any extra time to kill with bees but I did think of you. I am not sure where exactly you are located but I was in Harvard Illinois.
> 
> ...


Just 1-2 hours from me, indeed.


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## Happy Home (Jul 4, 2019)

Hi everyone, I feel blessed today I (mostly finished) bottling 28 pounds of honey from my 2 hives. I did not expect to get any honey at all this year since I caught the swarms this spring. 

I have one hive with 2 deep boxes and one super. and one hive with 1 deep box and 3 supers, from which I robbed 5 frames from each of the top supers, leaving the rest for the bees for the winter. 

It was a pleasant experience to share a pound of honey with each of the folks that attend our church, and still have a little left over to help advertise a little on the expectation of having a little to sell for next year. 

I am not sure exactly what I should expect but that did seem like a pretty good haul from 10 frames of honey. I did crush and strain and now I need to figure out what to do with the bowl of wax that I have left over. 

It has been a wonderful experience so far with the bees. 

Happy Home


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

You Tube videoes can show you how to process and clean the wax. 10 medium frames should net you right at or just over 1# of cleaned wax. Make tea candles or votives and give to the church members to remind them that bees produce more than just honey. It is fun too!


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Happy Home said:


> Hi everyone, ...
> 
> It has been a wonderful experience so far with the bees.
> 
> Happy Home


Good to hear, HH.
Keep it up.
Time to get set for the winter.


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## Happy Home (Jul 4, 2019)

Thanks GregV

That does bring up a question. Here in southern Missouri, I am not sure about getting the hives ready for winter. What do I need to do. I think I left enough honey for the bees so I hope to not feed them. The local guy that I have been talking to has not mentioned any type of wrap for the hives, I am going to have to ask some specific questions as to what I need to do. 

I just hope to have bees in the spring. two hives hopefully and if so I intend to split at least one of them for increase. Possibly creating several nucs to raise into full colonies. 

what a wonderful experience so far.

Happy Homel


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## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

Happy Home said:


> Hi Litsinger,
> 
> I do not know if Dr. Sharashkin is a member of this forum or not, but I did reach out to him via email, and asked if it would be possible to just visit his apiary.
> 
> ...


Happy Home He has a couple books, the 40 bucks and the read would get you 80% of what he is doing. He basically advocates catching the local stock, so you are on the same trail. Unfortunately he is making a living from it so it is all monetized at this point for him. Check out some of the "swarm trap posts" and yes welcome aboard. You will soon either love or hate the bees and the keeping, For some it is addicting. If the 2 hives you have make it , spring splits would be another item to research this winter.
GG


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## Litsinger (Jun 14, 2018)

Happy Home said:


> It was a pleasant experience to share a pound of honey with each of the folks that attend our church, and still have a little left over to help advertise a little on the expectation of having a little to sell for next year.


Happy Home:

Great update- glad to hear that you had such a successful season, and I enjoyed reading about how you were able to bless others with your surplus.

Reminds me of Proverbs 11:25...

Keep up the good work, and best of success to you in your overwintering preparations. How much stores do you estimate each hive has currently?


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## Happy Home (Jul 4, 2019)

Litsinger said:


> Keep up the good work, and best of success to you in your overwintering preparations. How much stores do you estimate each hive has currently?


Hi Litsinger, 

It is really hard for me to judge the weight of the hive. I did pick up the back of the hive and it felt like thirty or forty pounds to me. but my hives are setting on two concrete blocks and the edge of the hive is not on the blocks so picking up the back of the hive is putting the weight somewhat toward the center of the hive. 

I still estimate that there is probably 100 pounds or better total weight for each hive. I think there will be a little while longer yet for some of the blooming plants, although I really do not know where the bees are foraging at. 

I need to get some mouse guards up before winter and i am really not sure what else I need to do. 

I hope the bees do not suffer too badly by my lack of knowledge, I think that they have as good a chance of survival in a langstroth hive as they would have had if they had not been captured and left to fend for themselves. 

the only difference is they might have had about 20 pounds more honey per hive to work with. 

Thanks

Happy Home


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## Litsinger (Jun 14, 2018)

Happy Home said:


> It is really hard for me to judge the weight of the hive. I did pick up the back of the hive and it felt like thirty or forty pounds to me.
> 
> I still estimate that there is probably 100 pounds or better total weight for each hive.


Happy Home:

You are a little North of me, but guys around here shoot for 60 - 80 pounds of stores going into winter- so I would expect it would be preferable for you to have at least this much on your hives. If you are not opposed to feeding, you might want to give each hive a gallon or two of 2:1 syrup if there is empty drawn comb in the hive.

While this weekend might not be your best bet, you might look for a warm, sunny and not too windy day here in the next week or so to do a final check on the heft of the colonies. If nothing else, you can simply break them down to the box level and see how heavy each box is to judge the stores in each box and then button them back up.

Otherwise, you might check to make sure the hives are slightly tilted forward from back to front to make sure any moisture which accumulates in the hive through the winter is able to run out.

Finally, the only other thing you might consider is whether you want to provide top ventilation to your colonies or not. There are different schools of thought on this, and I won't try to steer you in one direction or the other- but you might research this a bit and decide in your mind how you want to handle this.

Otherwise, if they are healthy, have plenty of food and are able to stay dry you're over halfway there in regards to overwintering.

Best of success to you in your winter preparations.

Russ


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## Happy Home (Jul 4, 2019)

Good evening all,

I just posted a profile picture of my bee hives, today after I put them on a little better looking stand, and weighed them. The taller hive with 1 deep box and three medium boxes weighs in at 141 pounds. And the shorter hive with 2 deep boxes and one medium weighed in at 112 pounds. This is total weight of the hives boxes bees wax, brood and stores. I weighed the with bathroom scales, by tilting the hive up and sliding the scales under the hive and tilting it back on the scales. The taller hive is the primary swarm that I caught this spring and the shorter one is a secondary swarm. 

I think that they have enough stores to make it through the winter. I did raid just a little over half of the top super on each hive, about the 1st week in September. and both of the top supers were completely full of my very first honey, I was so proud of the bees. 

Anyway since I really do not know what I am doing, my question is do you guys think that I have enough weight in the boxes to make it through the winter? 

We should have a few more days that bees can fly before it gets cold enough to keep them in. and If I really need to do some extra feeding I should have at least some time to get some feeding in. 

I do appreciate all the input I have received from everyone on this forum. 

Happy Home


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## Litsinger (Jun 14, 2018)

Happy Home said:


> Anyway since I really do not know what I am doing, my question is do you guys think that I have enough weight in the boxes to make it through the winter?


Happy Home:

Good update. Have you had the chance to talk with any beekeepers in your neighborhood to determine what they shoot for regarding overwintering provisions? These folks could likely give you a pretty good idea of what you need with the typical colony in the typical year.

That said, there are several good past conversations here on Beesource regarding this very topic. Here are a couple:

https://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?348485-Hive-weight-going-into-fall

https://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?253673-Typical-empty-hive-weight

If you assume that your set-ups less stores weigh in the neighborhood of 70 pounds, this will give you a good idea as to what you have in terms of supplemental storage. So just going by rough rules-of-thumb I might suggest that your primary swarm is likely well-provisioned and the secondary swarm might be a little light.

The other thing to consider is making sure your stores are configured in such a way that the cluster can get to them. The following link gives this topic (and others) good treatment:

https://www.honeybeesuite.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-overwintering-success/

Good luck in your final preps- I know it is cold and wet here... I imagine you all are dealing with this too.


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## Litsinger (Jun 14, 2018)

Happy Home said:


> Anyway since I really do not know what I am doing, my question is do you guys think that I have enough weight in the boxes to make it through the winter?


Happy Home:

Good update. Have you had the chance to talk with any beekeepers in your neighborhood to determine what they shoot for regarding overwintering provisions? These folks could likely give you a pretty good idea of what you need with the typical colony in the typical year.

That said, there are several good past conversations here on Beesource regarding this very topic. Here are a couple:

https://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?348485-Hive-weight-going-into-fall

https://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?253673-Typical-empty-hive-weight

If you assume that your set-ups less stores weigh in the neighborhood of 70 pounds, this will give you a good idea as to what you have in terms of supplemental storage. So just going by rough rules-of-thumb I might suggest that your primary swarm is likely well-provisioned and the secondary swarm might be a little light.

The other thing to consider is making sure your stores are configured in such a way that the cluster can get to them. The following link gives this topic (and others) good treatment:

https://www.honeybeesuite.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-overwintering-success/

Good luck in your final preps- I know it is cold and wet here... I imagine you all are dealing with this too.


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

Happy home
I used this as a general ideal during my first year.
https://extension2.missouri.edu/g7601

It mentions 40 to 60 lbs. 
I have never had a swarm build up fast enough that I could take honey off first year and have always had to add food to be safe in oct. 

It might be a little late here to be adding sugar water but it would probably not hurt to put a big old sugar block on for emergency.

Do those boxes have comb in them? I have never had a swarm fill two mediums in the year I caught them. I would say I average between 13 to 17 frames being drawn in the year caught. I don't feed much though until adding some bulk in early oct. If the comb is drawn out, great but if just foundation, I would remove the extra boxes.

I am pretty new too though and so take the above with a grain of salt. 
Good luck
gww


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