# Cold start for 2011



## NorthernIllinoisPlumber (Aug 17, 2010)

They got you those packages in the rain too?


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## high rate of speed (Jan 4, 2008)

Why shake em.use empty shells and let em crawl out.


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## WI-beek (Jul 14, 2009)

Its only going to get worse as global warming continues to cool things off. 

Eight more days of this crap and Ill be a full month behind last years start.


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## Ted Kretschmann (Feb 2, 2011)

It has not been a "cake walk" in the south,--miserble, rainy, cool weather. Yes, everything is turning green and blooming,but the bees can not get out to work it. Temperatures drop down in the upper 30's and lower fortys at night. So it is still winter time at night. So you should be the poor package producer shaking the order. I have shook bees while it was snowing, when I used to produce packages. You really do not want to disturb the bees but you turn your head and hold you nose as you watch them go down the funnel. The buyer is breathing down your neck and he is just a day away on the road calling up--" You have not go my order ready yet?!, JEEPERS< must I come down there and teach you how to keep bees and shake my own packages!" It seems like people out of New York always said Jeepers..TK


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## MDS (Jan 9, 2011)

I've got packages coming from California. They are two weeks delayed because of weather. Apparently the queens are delayed in mating.

Now I'm wondering if I will have to keep a close eye on the queens if they mated well or not. Guess I'll order a couple queens for May just in case. I'm wanting to start two nucs anyway.


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## greenbeekeeping (Feb 13, 2003)

The weather is crazy. Last year this time it was in the fifties. Now I look outside and there is still alot of snow on the ground. Having to bring in a grader to clear off the holding yard is crazy. Here is a picture that John took. It has melted some since then.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/...39790087_100000453684370_656707_8140133_o.jpg


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

Last year shook bees in 63° weather with sun and no wind. This year still snow on the ground here too. Strange, we're about 2 weeks behind. Can't get into one of my yards except on foot.


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## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

I'm a northern package producer/honey producer, and so I have to have the first load out of the south. With 800 package load this early in the season, Wilbanks has always done me right. They shook in between the rain and cold weather. I was the only load that made it out for the week I think. Just glad the bees are in and hope it warms up soon.:thumbsup:


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## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

greenbeekeeping said:


> The weather is crazy. Last year this time it was in the fifties. Now I look outside and there is still alot of snow on the ground. Having to bring in a grader to clear off the holding yard is crazy. Here is a picture that John took. It has melted some since then.
> http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/...39790087_100000453684370_656707_8140133_o.jpg


Wow Matt,
Did you move up north. Thats a lot of snow. It snowed one of the days we shook in, but nothing stuck. With it being as cold as it was we was able to drive into all of the yards this year and didn't get stuck.:applause:


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## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

high rate of speed said:


> Why shake em.use empty shells and let em crawl out.


We shake 800 packages in in 3 days. It's 500+ miles just shaking them in. If we had to go back and pull cages and boxes that would add another 500+ miles in expense and 2 more days of work. I did have some nice weather the last day, only wish I could pick and choose the days I shake. The bees don't do any good in the cages. Every day they are in the cages they are not getting things started.


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## Omie (Nov 10, 2009)

Ted Kretschmann said:


> The buyer is breathing down your neck and he is just a day away on the road calling up--" You have not go my order ready yet?!, JEEPERS< must I come down there and teach you how to keep bees and shake my own packages!" It seems like people out of New York always said Jeepers..TK


lol! You've obviously watched too many 1940's gumshoe movies. 
I think there were a few old farts who said things like 'jeepers', '_gee you're swell!_', or '_cheese it, the cops_!' when i was a kid in the 1950s, but they're all '_pushin up daisies_' or '_wearing cement shoes_' now.


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## NorthernIllinoisPlumber (Aug 17, 2010)

What a great relationship you have with them. They know you need them and they are there for you...:applause:


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## greenbeekeeping (Feb 13, 2003)

Ya Honeyhoueholder we moved up to wisconsin too work with John and Sheri Kohn last year. Was a lot nicer this time last year though. Glad you got all your packages installed. We've got alot of work to do up here and it would be nice if the weather would cooperate.


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## Mike Snodgrass (Mar 11, 2010)

Honey Householder....Will you now split those 800 and put them in sngl deeps? Do you run them in sngl deeps all year long with med supers? The weather should be getting better this week for us. I hope!!


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## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

Only about a 1/3 of them will get split. I shake a lot of the extra bees into packages for sale in 6-7 weeks. It one way of taking care of the local beekeepers need for bees, and paying for all my queen. I only work the bees in singles, because in 6-7 months from now I'll sell them. The extra honey all adds up. 25 ton at $4K a ton, I can buy new bees. The load I just shook in was just over $40K.


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## Peakebrook (Apr 18, 2010)

Honey Householder, with the number of packages you use every year, what is your method? Sounds like you directly release the queen.

Do yo keep track of queen acceptance, supercedure rates, and overall package failure rates? When will you next inspect the hives?

Thanks


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## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

With Wilbanks packages less then 2%. The bees are only out of the hives for 3-4 days, if that. Have more problem with the weather then the bees.:scratch: With packages they have to accept the queen or they are done for. I have better luck with package queens then split queens. The big reason for that when you make a split they have everything there to make a queen if they want and they do.:doh:
My method is starting with new package with fresh young queens each year. I spray my frames full with syrup to get thing started faster. Time is money. I have package order to fill in 6 weeks for local beekeepers, and the bees have to be ready. I sell the bees off in the fall and start cleanup for the next season.


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## MARBIS (Jun 10, 2010)

The Honey Householder said:


> My method is starting with new package with fresh young queens each year. I spray my frames full with syrup to get thing started faster.


THH do you install all of the 10 frames full of syrup OR?? Please explain how do you spray them. Thanks


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## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

I spray 6 frames full, avg of 3 gal. per hive. I had a custom sprayer build. Its like an over size fruit sprayer.


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

Its interesting to read how to roughly run your bee operation. I suppose that is alot easier than running south and working 16 hour days splitting bees into 3 framers. On the flip side I didn't spend 40K to make it happen. I think I am right at 5k for making it happen. That of course is not counting wood ware and everything else, just the trip and queen cells for making it all happen. I also dont have 800. Only a meeger 450. 

Speaking of which I am heading out tomorrow to check on my babies. I will bring back some my grafting colony back to this miserable weather. It dropped to 35 and snowing here today. Holy cow them good thing them girls are strong. The maples should start blooming here soon. Mapling just got done with here.


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## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

BMAC- I have 8 kids and the youngest is 2 so going south isn't an option. So until the kids move me out I'm stuck in the north. I would love to only work bees in warm weather. 35 deg today and even seen a little snow in the air. I can't wait to be one of those fair weather beekeepers. So until then I spend the big $ to make the big $.


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## MARBIS (Jun 10, 2010)

The Honey Householder said:


> I spray 6 frames full, avg of 3 gal. per hive. I had a custom sprayer build. Its like an over size fruit sprayer.


Thanks THH


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

The Honey Householder said:


> ...... going south isn't an option. ......


I understand. My trips are brief so I must hire a few helping hands to make sure everything is done in a very timely matter. Well maybe not completely. Next year I am planning to work them over our kids spring break so the entire family will be with me in 2012. Looking forward to having my wife there as the camp cook.


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## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

This year is starting to look like a wash out. If the rain doesn't stop soon, this will be the year that goes on the books for the worsest crop. Still not seeing any real nice honey making weather. 60's and 70's just don't get it done.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Here weather conditions have been the opposite. From mid April until mid June (8 full weeks of spring) we didn't get a drop of rain. In addition, during much of May and all of June daytime high temps were in the mid nineties. Weather more like we'd usually get in July and August. Heaven only knows what those months will be like.
The result? I expect to produce less than 50% of the honey I normally would. 
Hives I started from splits this spring would ordinarily have two deep bodies drawn and filled by now. Many (most) of those new colonies have barely drawn 10 frames and have absolutely no stores. Not only do I expect to be feeding them this winter, I'm going to have to begin feeding now!
It ain't pretty.


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

No doubt its looking bad for the year. Im thinking about pulling 1/4 of my supers and making more splits here. Don't seem to be able to make honey. Might as well make some bees.


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## TWall (May 19, 2010)

I got a little honey June 3 and 10. I checked yesterday and my hives look to be at a stand still. Comb honey has become drone brood!

Tom


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

No doubt. I have not set any comb supers out. That would be a waste of money at this point. Maybe I will put them out if we get any golden rod.


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## otto (Nov 2, 2010)

MSD,
Were you happy with the queens that you got from California?
I live in NOR Cal and bought 6 packages and they ALL had bad queens. I was told that I should 'give them a month....'
I got them the second week in April and every time I check them there is So little brood that I don't know how there are any bee in the hive at all. I have 3 that are doing great and they hives that we dumped swarms on top of via the newspaper method. 
The queens all laid patterns that were VERY small and scattered. I had bought 6 packs at 3 different distributors (turns out 4 came from the same place) they were all Carnies though 2 were supposed to be Italians. They all had VERY poor queens! 
I hope you got packages that are what they are supposed to be! Hope you have a great season this year!, otto


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## WI-beek (Jul 14, 2009)

Things have turned around up here in Wisconsin. Have had some real nice warm weather after lots of rain. The flow has been good for a month now, and swarm season started a couple weeks ago (about a month or so late). Due to cold spring most flows seem to be a week or two later. Im hoping this means a great July and August and hopefully a warm flowy fall. Heat wave is drying things out so I hope we start getting a inch of rain a week (at night, on Mondays, then low wind). Is that too much to ask for?


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## Ted Kretschmann (Feb 2, 2011)

better run circular around the outside of your honey house butt naked a half a dozen times, whooping and hollering like a banshee and hope the weather gods take notice. TK


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## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

Thanks TK, It worked! 1.8" of rain, now in the low 90's w/ little to no wind. The flow looks like its kicking in. Oh ya the wife wanted me to thank you too.:thumbsup: She got pictures too.


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## Tom G. Laury (May 24, 2008)

Ron would you post them please.


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## Sweet to the Soul (Sep 1, 2010)

I left out the "butt naked" part and only got 1/2" rain.


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

This may be crazy but is there a term "Full Monte" ?. Maybe Sweet found out how it got it's name. 

Crazy Roland


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## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

Tom, My wife said she was keeping those picture for a RAINY day. Whatever that means?:ws:k:


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## MDS (Jan 9, 2011)

otto said:


> MSD,
> Were you happy with the queens that you got from California?


I only ordered two this year and both did fine. I was worried about proper mating as the delivery was delayed due to rain. I'm glad they decided to delay the shipment.

I very happy with the queen I bought from Long Lane Honey Farm in Illinios but that could be luck of the draw. Will have to wait and see to include over wintering. 

None of my queen supercededed other than the one where I hurt the queen when removing burr comb.

I've started letting mine raise their own queens so I've become very much more aware of queen suppliers in terms of getting a good stock to start out with. The queens I get from California come with the new packages which I just buy from our local club. No idea, because I have not asked, who they get them from in California.


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## Ted Kretschmann (Feb 2, 2011)

I ran around my honey house butt naked and all my queens superceded.....TK


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## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

Nice to see some rain even if we get it all in one night. 5.4" in a 9 hour point. If that doesn't turn the main flow on I don't know what will.:applause: Don't care if the corp comes in late as long as we get it.


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