# How to hold steady at a hive number...



## awebber96 (May 28, 2012)

Years ago, when I got my second hive and ordered equipment for a third, my wife asked, "Just how many of these things are you going to get?" I (naively) replied, "Oh, I could never imagine having more than ten." Obviously this was a rookie mistake, as she is now holding me to this self-imposed limitation. 

So, my question is: what is the best strategy for holding steady at a particular number? Assume I come out of each winter with 8-10 hives (the neighbor lets me hide a few nucs behind his house to cover winter losses). I get a kick out of catching a few swarms each year, and always seem to have to do a few swarm-prevention splits. I estimate I might have 5 extra nucs each year. My goals are honey production and low-stress beekeeping.

So what to do with my few extra nucs during the year? Is it viable to sell them? Should I just pick the queen I like best, pinch the other, and combine to hold hive numbers down? Are there any other good ideas?

What have others done to hold their apiary at ten hives or so? Thank you in advance for your ideas.


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

Comply with state requirements for selling nucs (inspection etc.) and put an ad in Craigslist.


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## ccar2000 (Aug 9, 2009)

Donate your surplus to the FFA or 4H if you are not looking for a profit. Maybe mentoring someone with your nucs will make you feel like you have more hives yourself? If that's not your thing than any combination of selling, pinching and combining would work

Edit: Scouts or any youth orgainzation would be equally good


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## MTN-Bees (Jan 27, 2014)

Hold at 10 at your house and then start looking for other property to put them on. You could probably sell a couple of Overwintered Nucs on CL very easy. I use the 4 over 4 double Nucs and have put honey supers on top of them. I would have to say for me increasing my numbers adds stress.


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## awebber96 (May 28, 2012)

MTN-Bees said:


> Hold at 10 at your house and then start looking for other property to put them on.


Haha. No, my wife would get suspicious if I got into my car in a beesuit, and she is pretty smart--she'd notice if more bottom boards started being delivered...


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

On second thought, counseling.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I have a similar problem in that my wife thinks nothing of tying up $800 in a quilt to give to one of umpteen nieces but had a fit when she saw how many bee boxes were stacked in the garage. But now my beekeeping stuff is at a level of "All those bee boxes" So if I add fifty more, it is really not quantifiable as it is still "All those bee boxes".

If no one is going hungry and the bills are getting paid, she should be happy your doing what you love. Or are you just fond of the injections of formic acid?


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

awebber96 said:


> My goals are honey production and low-stress beekeeping.


What do you do with all the honey? Keeping at 8-10 hives should be no problem. It sounds like controlling the desire to have more is the problem.


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## WWW (Feb 6, 2011)

awebber96 said:


> So, my question is: what is the best strategy for holding steady at a particular number?


Well that question can have many answers depending on who is answering it, you must decide what it is that you want to achieve. As stated above you may wish to donate your nuc's to a good cause or sell them, it's up to you.

Personally I don't split to prevent swarming, I find it counterproductive to do so and this would weaken my colonies and I cannot manage in that manor here where I live, if I did I would have very little honey when it came time to harvest. I manage my hives with a three deep unlimited brood nest which allows for natural spring expansion with limited swarming and a large population of bees to bring in the nectar during my short spring flow.

I know it is fun to catch swarms but one needs to just let them go and wave goodby, on the other hand if you do want to catch them for resale or to replace deadouts then that is your prerogative, I keep three nucs year around for replacing any winter deadouts which are few and far between and these nucs also help in honey production because I super them as well, there are no loafers in my Apiary .


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## Lauri (Feb 1, 2012)

If you have 10 triple deeps or 30 singles, do you _really_ have more bees?
You have more tops and bottoms, more colonies, but in actuality you have about the same amount of bees, you just have 20 more queens.
That's the way I figure my carrying capacity with a lot of hives of various sizes. From four deeps high to five frame mini mating nucs. I figure them into (20 standard frames) double deep _equivalent_ for my hive count.


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## WWW (Feb 6, 2011)

I agree the bee population would be very similar, however the way one wishes to manage their colonies would no doubt differ.


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## hilreal (Aug 16, 2005)

I am sure you could easily find homes for the nucs or splits with someone in the Miami Valley Beekeeper group. If not let me know and I'll drive down and take them off your hands if the price is right


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## papabear (Mar 5, 2014)

awebber96 said:


> Years ago, when I got my second hive and ordered equipment for a third, my wife asked, "Just how many of these things are you going to get?" I (naively) replied, "Oh, I could never imagine having more than ten." Obviously this was a rookie mistake, as she is now holding me to this self-imposed limitation.
> 
> So, my question is: what is the best strategy for holding steady at a particular number? Assume I come out of each winter with 8-10 hives (the neighbor lets me hide a few nucs behind his house to cover winter losses). I get a kick out of catching a few swarms each year, and always seem to have to do a few swarm-prevention splits. I estimate I might have 5 extra nucs each year. My goals are honey production and low-stress beekeeping.
> 
> ...


I would have inspected sell and give money to wife. well maybe some money. lol


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

First off, never EVER quantify anything with the MRS. They will remember that number for 100 years or better. lol
Like others have said sell the extra bees to help offset costs associated with the 10 hives you are limited to.
BTW, my wife asked me once how many of "X" are you going to have. I then asked how many pairs of shoes does she have? She never asked me that question again for some reason.


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## Lauri (Feb 1, 2012)

Mr.Beeman said:


> I then asked how many pairs of shoes does she have? She never asked me that question again for some reason.


Or fishing poles, if it's the Mr. you are trying to appease. It's all good until the bees crap on his boat & truck. Then it's a bit of an evil eye. But hey, I have to have something productive to do while he is out on the ocean.

He thought I had way more hives, but when I pointed out the actual frame count and hive equivelant, he saw it was just an illusion  
At least it is_ somewhat[/I ]accurate ._


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## johng (Nov 24, 2009)

Get a second yard the wife doesn't know about. :lookout:


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## rjphil (Feb 13, 2009)

My wife gave me gift certificates for (more) woodenware. I'm so lucky ...


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## D Coates (Jan 6, 2006)

I told my wife I can't see getting more than 5 when I started 9 years ago. Yep, rookie mistake. I'm at 25 with 12 nucs but I truly have to stay at 25 hives as I've not got time to work additional hives effectively at this stage of my life. This is the first year I didn't buy or make more equipment. Nucs are fluid as I use them for all types of things through out the year. Assuming I've got surplus nucs from heavy spring splits and swarm captures I'll put them on Craigslist. But I always seem to find uses for them. If 10 frame nucs are getting too strong I usually cut them in half and add the queenless population to a hive that needs a boost. Or, I kill off a dink hive queen and newspaper combine a strong 10 frame nuc on top. It can really help bring non performing hives up to producers quickly during flow.


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## T.Smith (Aug 26, 2009)

I'd prolly be divorced


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## hilreal (Aug 16, 2005)

johng said:


> Get a second yard the wife doesn't know about. :lookout:


I'm careful never to put more than 5 hives at any location that is visible from the road.....if she asks I am really not quite sure, some died, some got split, just hard to keep track of a moving target.


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## Cabin (Nov 30, 2014)

T.Smith said:


> I'd prolly be divorced


Be sure to get the bees.


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## Millenia (Apr 8, 2014)

Vance G said:


> I have a similar problem in that my wife thinks nothing of tying up $800 in a quilt to give to one of umpteen nieces but had a fit when she saw how many bee boxes were stacked in the garage.


This made me laugh because it is so true. LOL It's all about perspective, I guess. I would never ask my husband how many guns is enough. I'm sure the answer would be that you can never have enough guns. We're in the process of building a "bunch of boxes." I'm sure the comment of "all those bee boxes" isn't too far away. My husband usually humors my hobbies as long as it doesn't involve extra mouths to feed. He's still trying to figure out if bees technically qualify.


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## garusher (May 28, 2012)

Vance G said:


> I have a similar problem in that my wife thinks nothing of tying up $800 in a quilt to give to one of umpteen nieces but had a fit when she saw how many bee boxes were stacked in the garage. But now my beekeeping stuff is at a level of "All those bee boxes" So if I add fifty more, it is really not quantifiable as it is still "All those bee boxes".
> 
> If no one is going hungry and the bills are getting paid, she should be happy your doing what you love. Or are you just fond of the injections of formic acid?


Yep, I just compare my hives to the Hilton Chicken house i built my wife and the $1.50 eggs they produce.


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## BadBeeKeeper (Jan 24, 2015)

awebber96 said:


> Years ago, when I got my second hive and ordered equipment for a third, my wife asked, "Just how many of these things are you going to get?" I (naively) replied, "Oh, I could never imagine having more than ten." Obviously this was a rookie mistake, as she is now holding me to this self-imposed limitation.


When the Mrs. asked me, I did some napkin calculations and said it would probably take about 60 to replace the income from my job. But, at the time, I didn't factor in the ongoing costs of upkeep so it could be more than that. On the other hand, I didn't factor in any extra income from selling nucs, queens, or pollination rental (but not really planning on doing that...yet) so 60 might still be a good number. It doesn't really matter, I have more than enough room and so as long as I can start showing a profit (break-even this year, maybe?) she'll be happy...and she helps, a LOT.

If you can get some money coming in from them, she might not mind you having more.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

garusher said:


> Yep, I just compare my hives to the Hilton Chicken house i built my wife and the $1.50 eggs they produce.


LOL Now that is classic. I can hear her now ... you like those eggs don't you? Yes dear...


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

Make increase every spring, combine every fall. Sell honey and some of the nucs. Give your wife half of the proceeds from sales and watch the problem disappear.


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## Eddie Honey (May 30, 2011)

Keep 2 wives and that would allow for 20 hives, yes? :lookout:


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Eddie Honey said:


> Keep 2 wives and that would allow for 20 hives, yes? :lookout:


The only way you can keep 2 wives without a heart attack is if you were 18 or had more then one gold card that wasn't maxed out.


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## marant (Jan 18, 2014)

TWO WIVES??? Talk about stress!


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Always some sage advice given here. lol


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## kingd (Oct 31, 2013)

awebber96 said:


> Years ago, when I got my second hive and ordered equipment for a third, my wife asked, "Just how many of these things are you going to get?" I (naively) replied, "Oh, I could never imagine having more than ten." Obviously this was a rookie mistake, as she is now holding me to this self-imposed limitation.
> 
> So, my question is: what is the best strategy for holding steady at a particular number? Assume I come out of each winter with 8-10 hives (the neighbor lets me hide a few nucs behind his house to cover winter losses). I get a kick out of catching a few swarms each year, and always seem to have to do a few swarm-prevention splits. I estimate I might have 5 extra nucs each year. My goals are honey production and low-stress beekeeping.
> 
> ...


 I agree with the others, Sell or give away the excess,I can not see you having any problem moving them.

Now I am lucky that my wife loves "her" bees,Keeps me busy and it is cheaper than collecting/restoring cars (so far).


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## BlueRidgeBee (Jun 12, 2013)

Lots of good suggestions on this thread! 

I made this mistake too...think I said I wouldn't have more than three. Now at 8 hives (and 3 - 5 nucs, which I've explained, don't count in the total) it's my bear fence area that is too small and needs enlarging...which is hard to do on the sly!

Really though, once the amazing tasting honey (and honey-money) started coming in, the complaints stopped and I now get woodenware gift certifs for holidays. It's my back and time constraints that will keep me in the 8ish range. 

I plan to stay at this size by selling nucs (per state rules). Discovered last year that providing a really good nuc with strong bees to other area beekeepers is a great feeling......vs the couple of dud nucs I bought starting out. 

Another tip if needed: having your woodenware delivered to a friend's house and adding it into your inventory slowly attracts less spousal attention than those big boxes arriving on the carport! HAHA!


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

BlueRidgeBee said:


> Another tip if needed: having your woodenware delivered to a friend's house


Apparently this friend doesn't have a spouse.


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## Tim KS (May 9, 2014)

Millenia said:


> This made me laugh because it is so true. LOL It's all about perspective, I guess. *I would never ask my husband how many guns is enough.* I'm sure the answer would be that you can never have enough guns. We're in the process of building a "bunch of boxes." I'm sure the comment of "all those bee boxes" isn't too far away. My husband usually humors my hobbies as long as it doesn't involve extra mouths to feed. He's still trying to figure out if bees technically qualify.


Good for you. There is NEVER a limit on guns to own. Myself, I've never seen a gun I didn't want to own. I try to keep an equal balance between them & bees.  :thumbsup:


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

The first 26 years I never went over 7 but a fixed number is not possible. Most of that time was between 2 and 4, which was my goal and I probably could have done that if I didn't get attached to experiments along the way...


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Yes Michael, it is the goal that is fixed not the number of hives.:thumbsup:


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## awebber96 (May 28, 2012)

Heh. Thanks for all the beekeeping (and marital) advice. I liked the idea of FFA/4-H donations.

BlueRidgeBees's tip about having woodenware delivered to somewhere other than one's home is one I wished I had heard earlier: the day my wife came home to find a palletized drop shipment from Mann Lake in her spot in the garage was not a good one for me...


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

I have always said this about my guns but it applies to my bee equipment as well, if I die will someone please tell her what they are actually worth before she sells them for what I told I paid for them lol


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

Dup post sorry


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## j.kuder (Dec 5, 2010)

my wife always trys to run the show she has different standards for herself and always expects me to do what she wants. i make her miserable. too bad ha ha.


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## Stephenpbird (May 22, 2011)

Slowly, slowly catchy monkey.

Start rearing queens, with all those little hives (mating nucs) everywhere there's lots of grey areas to hide a few more hives. Naturally you have to overwinter them.

Try a little bit of confusion, "No Dear that a queenless starter, I know its complicated but its really not a proper colony", and "Not quite dear, that's a queenright finnisher". 

Or pass the blame eg. Mr Palmer says "that's a brood factory, you should have one nuc for every production colony".:lookout:

Now how many hives do you have? 
It also explains why it's said "you should rear your own queens, it's one of the most interesting and rewarding parts of beekeeping".:thumbsup:


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## rolftonbees (Jul 10, 2014)

Stack them like condos put the bottom of one on the cover of another.

Or. Sell some splits and give cash to wife, then ask how many you should have again.


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## j.kuder (Dec 5, 2010)

rolftonbees said:


> Stack them like condos put the bottom of one on the cover of another.
> 
> Or. Sell some splits and give cash to wife, then ask how many you should have again.


cash? give her a jar of honey!!!!!!!!! she prob.already got your cash.


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## D Coates (Jan 6, 2006)

Stephenpbird said:


> Slowly, slowly catchy monkey.
> 
> Start rearing queens, with all those little hives (mating nucs) everywhere there's lots of grey areas to hide a few more hives. Naturally you have to overwinter them.
> 
> ...


It warms my heart. No matter what country, it appears we try the same things. Those techniques is how I got to 25 hives. What's ironic is they use the same techniques on us to get more of what they want too. "No, those are robins egg blue low heel pumps. I need robins egg blue flats to go with that outfit... They're completely different." Uh,... okay....

The only thing that keeps me from getting more is I've not got the time to be a "beekeeper" to additional hives. I'd end up as a "bee-haver" which is no fun.

"Slowly, slowly catchy monkey." I'm assuming there's a translation I'm missing but that makes it all the funnier. I'll be using that euphemism in my household to keep my wife and kids off balance.


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## Sticky Bear (Mar 15, 2012)

You might trying telling her they are native pollinator hives and you don't know why the honeybees keep moving in.  Good Luck!


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## Ramona (Apr 26, 2008)

D Coates said:


> It warms my heart. No matter what country, it appears we try the same things. Those techniques is how I got to 25 hives. What's ironic is they use the same techniques on us to get more of what they want too. "No, those are robins egg blue low heel pumps. I need robins egg blue flats to go with that outfit... They're completely different." Uh,... okay....
> 
> The only thing that keeps me from getting more is I've not got the time to be a "beekeeper" to additional hives. I'd end up as a "bee-haver" which is no fun.
> 
> "Slowly, slowly catchy monkey." I'm assuming there's a translation I'm missing but that makes it all the funnier. I'll be using that euphemism in my household to keep my wife and kids off balance.


A nice summary of the history of the phrase...

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-sof2.htm


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## Stephenpbird (May 22, 2011)

D Coates said:


> It warms my heart. No matter what country, it appears we try the same things. Those techniques is how I got to 25 hives. What's ironic is they use the same techniques on us to get more of what they want too. "No, those are robins egg blue low heel pumps. I need robins egg blue flats to go with that outfit... They're completely different." Uh,... okay.....


Haha, yes sometimes we just have to admit defeat and move on graciously.




D Coates said:


> "Slowly, slowly catchy monkey." I'm assuming there's a translation I'm missing but that makes it all the funnier. I'll be using that euphemism in my household to keep my wife and kids off balance.


I am English and I have no idea where I learned 'Slowly, slowly catchy monkey.' from. I always understood it to mean the following 

Yahoo answers. quatt47 answered 8 years ago (https://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070702095402AAjGj30)
"It's actually 'Slowly, slowly catchee monkey.' It comes from the days of British colonialism when many far eastern countries were under British rule. Soldiers posted there used to try to catch monkeys to keep as pets and despite all their efforts were not very successful. Many natives spoke 'Pidgin English' which was a simplified form of English. They showed the soldiers how to do it by demonstrating a simple but effective method. This was to place a basket containing fruit in a clearing in the jungle where the monkeys lived. The basket would have a narrow opening and be tied to the ground. Monkeys would come along and stick their arms inside the basket to get at the fruit. The opening was just wide enough to allow for this but as the fruit was grasped the fist was too big to get out of the basket. The monkeys were so greedy that even when soldiers approached they would not release the fruit and thus be easily caught. Naturally this took patience on the part of the captor who would have to wait quietly until the monkey was snared. Thus the slow approach proved to be more effective hence the phrase.

*This is now used to describe that a slow and patient approach to a problem with careful thought is often better than rushing in ."*

I did hesitate before I hit the post button and then I even looked up what the phrase meant just to be sure. It is kind of fun.


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## awebber96 (May 28, 2012)

Good thing I don't come to BeeSource for marriage advice. :shhhh: When asking how to hold steady on 10 hives so as to keep a promise to my spouse, over half of the advice is to keep getting more hives and then trick or lie to her. 

Such advice is easy when it's not your :wiener: on the line, I guess.


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

You could register www.bobbitHoneyFarm.Com.

Inside the cover you can print a fortune, horiscope, ....or 'tip of the day'.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

awebber96 said:


> Good thing I don't come to BeeSource for marriage advice. :shhhh: When asking how to hold steady on 10 hives so as to keep a promise to my spouse, over half of the advice is to keep getting more hives and then trick or lie to her.
> 
> Such advice is easy when it's not your :wiener: on the line, I guess.


I hate it when my dancing weiner is on the line


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I am sure she is perfectly justified in placing such strictures on something that pleases you: Since you limit the chocolate she can eat, limit the shoes she can buy/dresses/quilts she can make/ bedding plants she can buy ect ect. 



awebber96 said:


> Good thing I don't come to BeeSource for marriage advice. :shhhh: When asking how to hold steady on 10 hives so as to keep a promise to my spouse, over half of the advice is to keep getting more hives and then trick or lie to her.
> 
> Such advice is easy when it's not your :wiener: on the line, I guess.


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## j.kuder (Dec 5, 2010)

i guess it depends on weather you got a great spouse. or not


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## Sticky Bear (Mar 15, 2012)

No, it is all in good fun, those of us who are married know who wears the pants. :lookout:



awebber96 said:


> Good thing I don't come to BeeSource for marriage advice. :shhhh: When asking how to hold steady on 10 hives so as to keep a promise to my spouse, over half of the advice is to keep getting more hives and then trick or lie to her.
> 
> Such advice is easy when it's not your :wiener: on the line, I guess.


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## D Coates (Jan 6, 2006)

You never bend the truth with your spouse? She never bends it with you? "Do I look fat in this?" "Is she pretty?" Are you 100% honest every time she asks that or some version of it? Come on now , anyone who's married knows where the limits are and stretches to them. The ones who've been married for any serious period of time knows don't go beyond that though without serious thought. It's up to you to figure out where the line is. If you go beyond that line, do you believe strongly enough in what your engaging in that it's a field you're willing to fight and possibly die on (proverbly speaking)? 

For me, until the kids are out of the house or I give up other hobbies I'm at 25 hives. I'm a father first, that requires serious time commitments. There's a line there and I'm not willing to cross it at this point.


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## Cabin (Nov 30, 2014)

awebber96 said:


> Good thing I don't come to BeeSource for marriage advice. :shhhh: When asking how to hold steady on 10 hives so as to keep a promise to my spouse, over half of the advice is to keep getting more hives and then trick or lie to her.
> 
> Such advice is easy when it's not your :wiener: on the line, I guess.


It depends on how you look at it. When your wife first asked the question you lied to her. But if you told her the truth(honey I have no idea what I am planning to do) you expected an argument so you took the easy way out. Man up, admit to your wife that you lied earlier. Or make 10 very big hives!


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## D Coates (Jan 6, 2006)

Stephenpbird said:


> Haha, yes sometimes we just have to admit defeat and move on graciously.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Cool history lesson. Just last night my daughter was complaining about how much math homework she had to do and was trying to rush through it. I pointed out some mistakes and said "Slowly, slowly, catchee monkey." Gave her a kiss on the cheek and walked off. Dumbfounded she watched me walk out of the room. She knew what I meant by it but I'll explain the full meaning once asked.


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## Stephenpbird (May 22, 2011)

awebber96 said:


> Obviously this was a rookie mistake, as she is now holding me to this *self-imposed limitation*.


so a self imposed limit has turned into a promise...



awebber96 said:


> Good thing I don't come to BeeSource for marriage advice. :shhhh: When asking how to hold steady on 10 hives so as to keep *a promise *to my spouse,


if it was a promise and not a self imposed limit Ya blew that promise a while back, who is hiding what? Where? 



awebber96 said:


> (the neighbor lets me *hide *a few nucs behind his house to cover winter losses).





awebber96 said:


> Such advice is easy when it's not your :wiener: on the line, I guess.


you put your wiener on the line before we gave any advice :ws:

Come clean, tell the wife the truth about the nucs :gh: and that you would love to have many more hives  opcorn:


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## green2btree (Sep 9, 2010)

I took such a financial bath trying to breed and sell horses, that my husband is very happy with my new bee obsession. Still have a couple of horses, but no longer spending money like water trying to get and keep the critters pregnant. Maybe you need to take up some really expensive hobby temporarily. Just make sure it is one you secretly hate, or you will end up in even hotter water!

JC


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## Tim KS (May 9, 2014)

And what's so wrong about simply saying, "I enjoy beekeeping so much that I've changed my mind." :applause:


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## Cabin (Nov 30, 2014)

Tim KS said:


> And what's so wrong about simply saying, "I enjoy beekeeping so much that I've changed my mind." :applause:


A man admit he was wrong?????


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