Subject: First year honey production in the Northeast

From: "The O'Keefe's" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 28 Jul 1996 19:32:48 -0400

This is our first year with bees.  I was hoping that someone in the
Northeast US can tell us how much honey we can expect.  The hive is strong
and we added the honey super with foundation on July 7 and as of last
weekend we had about 1.5 frames drawn and honey in them (but not capped). 
What are our chances of getting any honey this late in the season?  Is
this late for our season?  What types of stuff will be producing nectar
this time of year for the bees.  I figure we'll take the super off around
the first of September or so - honey or not.  Do you have any
suggestions?

Thank you

The O'Keefe's
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From: Jon Camp <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 00:30:20 GMT

Boy, that really narrows it down.  Northeast. CT,NH,ME,MA, and 
are we counting Rhode Island or not?  The flow from state to 
state varies so drastically one can't even begin to give you an 
answer.  Here in "cowhampsha", the state gives the average at 
30lbs per colony surplus.  That can vary by plus or minus 100lbs, 
either way, depending on about a dozen factors.  How about 
posting what state you live in and maybe a beekeeper in your 
vicinity can give you a better guesstimate.  If you wait until 
September to pull off any surplus and put on your Apistan, you'll
probably be ordering another package next spring.  Mid August 
would be a better time to start treatment.

  Jon C. - Silver City Apiaries, in; "live,freeze and die", NH
                       
                  (it's better on the border)

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From: [email-masked] (Aaron Morris)
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 96 08:33:55 EDT

In article <01bb7cdd.15f33e60$6aed77ce@dennishome>
"The O'Keefe's" <[email-masked]> writes:
 
>
>This is our first year with bees.
Welcome to the world of bees!  Truly fascinating, no?
 
>I was hoping that someone in the Northeast US can tell us how much
>honey we can expect.
 
Well, Northeast US puts you east of the Mississippi and north of the
Mason/Dixon line.  Hmmmm, where might that be?  In these parts of the
Northeast (upstate NY) one can usually expect to harvest from a first
year hive started from packaged bees early in the spring and fed
regularlly through the onset of the major summer honeyflow (mid June)
perhaps a shallow super, maybe two if the bees are exceptional or the
honeyflow is better than average.  Now, this year has not been typical.
A rainy wet spring and high demand for bees pushed back delivery of
packages later than I have ever experienced.  Packages requested for tax
day (April 15) didn't arrive until early to mid May and good forage
weather didn't start until the first week in June.  However, I was
fortunate to have hives fully stocked with stores from colonies that
succumbed to varroa at the end of last summer.  Packages installed in
those fully stocked hives took right off and have brought in a
prodigious crop so far, with expectations of much more!  The wet spring
gave way to a cooler and wetter than normal, but to my tastes a perfect
summer, with plenty of comfortable humidity free days and sufficient
rainfall so that the honeyflow has extended way past what is normal.
Clover is usually sunburned dry by now, but this year it continues to
bloom and forage abounds everywhere!  This time last year everything
was drought parched and the only good forage to be found was purple
loosestrife,  and that was only if your hives were located near a
waterway where loosestrife had invaded.
 
>The hive is strong and we added the honey super with foundation on
>July 7
I don't know how your hive was building up, but for an established hive
(which yours will be next year), July 7 is a bit later to be supering.
Early to mid June is a better time in this part of the northeast.
 
>and as of last weekend we had about 1.5 frames drawn and honey in them
>(but not capped).
Sounds like your hive is following the average.  I suspect you may have
not fed your bees for as long as you could have to help them build up,
but again, it sounds like your hive is in the average range.
 
>this late for our season?
In a normal year this is the time when the early flow has wound down.
However, this season the flow is continuing strongly past its normal
end.  Clover continues, loosestrife is coming on strong, and wild
flower forage is everywhere!
 
>I figure we'll take the super off around the first of September or so
>- honey or not.
Before mites, September 1 harvest was early.  That's about the middle to
peak of the fall flow (goldenrod and asters).  Mid September (3rd weekend)
used to be a good target date for fall harvest.  Now that mites have hit
the scene, Sept 1 is late and sucessful beekeepers are harvesting in mid
August, treating for mites, and foregoing the fall flow.  THIS season,
in these parts, mites have not been reported and I have not seen any
personally, so it may be possible to harvest the fall flow and still treat
before winter sets in (harvest mid September, install Apistan strips, remove
the strips around Thanksgiving).  However, before I follow that strategy
I'll ether roll my hives to make sure that varroa is not a problem.
Only then will I gamble on the fall harvest.  It's better to skip the
fall flow and have bees in the spring than to harvest and have naught in
'97.  However, right now mites have not been a problem (I've kept grease
patties in my hives throughout the summer to protect against tracheal
mites) and I'm guardedly optimistic for a good fall flow if my hives
test negative for varroa.  The summer weather has been perfect, and if
it continues the fall crop should be exceptional!
 
>suggestions?
If your part of the northeast is close enough to my part of the northeast,
consider becomming a member of the Southern Adirondack Beekeepers Association.
If not, find an association in your locality (many are represented on this
newsgroup).  The tips and comradery of a local association are invaluable!
 
Sincerely,
Aaron Morris - I think, therefore I bee!