How many colonies are you starting this year with?

[pdmattox]

Just wondering how many everyone was starting the new year with? :)

[beekeeperookie]

I will be starting with two italian hives  :-D

[reinbeau]

We're going to install two more here (unfortunately our girls seem to have succumbed to the cold snap we just went through  :-\), two at my mother's which is two towns over, and three nucs at our home in Maine.

[buzzbee]

Starting with three,the wife may want one before the time starts.

[TwT]

im starting with none  :-P , maybe some one will start with 58 like Dallas ;) , he wasnt scared :) , I am going to raise my own and as many as I can.......

[buzzbee]

Ted '
I heard you got ten hives out behind the shed!! ;)

[TwT]

got a few more than that but them hives are already started  ;)

[Greg Peck]

I have one and will be adding 3 more. Hopefully I will get some swarms this year as well.

[Michael Bush]

I was going to try to hit 100 this year.  The last two cold snaps after the warm weather seem to have taken a toll though.  We will see what Spring brings.

[Kirk-o]

I have one colony comming in the mail and I have already cut one out.The one I cut out I have added smal cell medium and they are small cell bees from the start.I'm hopeing to get more swarms or cut outs to put on small cell.
kirk-o

[thegolfpsycho]

I combined down to 18 in the fall.  Have lost one so far this winter, so hoping to crank it up with 17 this spring.  Had plan of doubling this year, but am thinking a decent year with 20-25 will cause me too much work to sell the honey.  I like it better when they come looking for it than me pedaling it.

[SteveSC]

Look at MB up there..100 hives..he hates to brag......  :roll: :-D  Just messing with ya MB...

I'll have 8 Italians and 3 Russian hives in 07' if all make it through the winter. 

[Keith]

Looking forward to my first year with three. Two Russian and one carniolan.

[BeeHopper]

Two overwintering, 6 new packages in April = Eight.  :-D

[Kris^]

I've gone into the new year with 10.  A very weak one looked to be gone by mid-January.  However, I was thumping hives earlier today and it seems like another one is rather quiet.   :'(    Surprisingly, it was one of the strong ones I had (that I'd bought as a single box hive this past July), and it still feels kinda heavy.  If it reaches the 40s again this weekend I'll check it out.   So the answer is . . . 8?  But I'm reminded of the saying, "don't count your chickens before they hatch."

-- Kris

   

[imabkpr]

I was going to try to hit 100 this year.  The last two cold snaps after the warm weather seem to have taken a toll though.  We will see what Spring brings.

M.B. What do you contribute the loss to?   Charlie

[Cindi]

I have two colonies that have survived.  Checked them the other day and I think they will be good.  Still lots (Carniolans) of honey and about 5 frames bees.  Like it is said, don't count the chickens before they hatch.

I am going to buy two - 4 pound packages with 2 queens in each package.  I have intention to hive the 4 pound package into one colony.  I will take the extra queen from that package and give to a nuc that I plan to make from one of my old colonies.  I will do the same with the other package.  This will give strong colonies to make lots of babies so I can make more nucs.

Once the nectar flow is well on its way, I will hopefully do some more nucs.  Still new to this, but when I make the nucs, I am going to purchase a mated queen(s).  That way I know that she will be a proven layer and of good breeding.

That's my intention, we'll see if it all follows through.   Great day.  Cindi

[Michael Bush]

>M.B. What do you contribute the loss to? 

They were doing well when it was still in the 50s F.  It looks like the cluster was out to the edges of the box when the cold snap hit and the outer ones didn't make it back to the cluster and died.  The center cluster was still alive on all of them until it happened again.  Some of them died altogether then and some are still doing well.  We will see how they do, but all have pretty small clusters as a result of that first cold snap.  Going from 50 F to -12 was too fast for them apparently.

[imabkpr]

>M.B. What do you contribute the loss to? 

They were doing well when it was still in the 50s F.  It looks like the cluster was out to the edges of the box when the cold snap hit and the outer ones didn't make it back to the cluster and died.  The center cluster was still alive on all of them until it happened again.  Some of them died altogether then and some are still doing well.  We will see how they do, but all have pretty small clusters as a result of that first cold snap.  Going from 50 F to -12 was too fast for them apparently.

M.B; sorry to hear about your loss. One thing we can't control, the weather.

[kensfarm]

"Going from 50 F to -12 was too fast for them apparently." 

For me too.. being out in that cold is punishment.. I'll take the mild weather. 

Just ordered some equipment this week for 2007.. going from 3 to 10-12 hives.. getting a couple local nukes.. couple queens..  maybe do a couple walk-a-way splits.  Thinking of building a TBH.. and some hive equipment to save money..  my problem is having the time..  spring time is pretty busy.. plowing, planting, haying.  I burn up all my vacation from work..  doing farm work.

[bluegrass]

I will be adding as many swarms and cut out as I can get my hands on. I may or may not buy any this year. depends on what things look like when the weather warms again

[Brian D. Bray]

I will be restarting with 3 packages after loosing my hives to a wind storm this winter.  80 mph winds just knocked them down and blew them away.  Hardly a bee left amid the combs.  I've decided to try one each of italian (I know what they'll do), Minnesota Hygenic, and NWC.  I might get a russian queen and start a nuc and do a comparrison of types over the next few years.