Back Yard Beekeeping #3: Stepping Into Your Second Year
Grant F. C. Gillard
Synopsis "Back Yard Beekeeping #3: Stepping Into Your Second Year"
So you started keeping honey bees last year. Your first year, no doubt, was overwhelming. You meticulously prepared them for winter and much to your surprise, they survived! Now what? On the other hand, if your first year ended in a total loss over the winter, what now? What lessons does a winter dead-out provide? What are the strategies to get a fresh start? How do you prevent repeating the same lessons over a second time?Second-year bee hives that survive the winter are an entirely different animal than the nuc or package you installed a year ago. These hives are ready go, which means a potential honey harvest awaits you. But before you order up your plastic squeeze bears and dream of winning a blue ribbon at the county fair, you will need to think about managing the swarming impulse. All colonies of honey bees carry a genetic instinct to swarm. If your honey bees swarm, you lose the margin of foragers responsible for your harvestable honey.Now the question becomes of whether or not you address the swarming inclination, and whether or not you want to harvest honey. Spoiler Alert: If you have close neighbors, it's a good idea to develop a strategy for swarm management. Secondarily, how will you prepare for a potential honey harvest? Where and how will you harvest your honey? Once harvested, then what? Where will you store it?Your second year also holds the promise of splitting hives, making nucs, and the possibilities of expanding. Maybe you'll need an additional location. How far do you want to take this dream of expanding your hobby?Second-year beekeeping holds a lot of promise. Each choice contains a variety of options. In this volume from the Back Yard Beekeeping series, Missouri beekeeper Grant Gillard explores potential scenarios and the possible options. Grant started keeping honey bees in 1981, back in the days when this hobby was far less complicated. Today, he manages around 200 colonies and sells his honey at local farmer's markets. Follow Grant's advice and suggestions to make the most of your hobby, with the special emphasis on choosing the option that works best for you.
