Hello everyone just a few questions, I'm new to beekeeping this year but have fallen in love. I am a retired disabled veteran and am going full force over the next couple of years for honey and propagation for personal and profit purposes.
I live in southern new England temps average between 20-90 degrees F .
1) I am using 10 frame langstroth hives right now but am open to suggestions for new hive styles for production/ survivability ( had interest in horizontal and rose hives cause I do have some back problems) I am decent at woodwork made a few supers so I'm up for a challenge and I would make most of my equipment myself
2) I've been feeding sugar syrup for the nucs I got them the last week of May but it seems that there not building much comb still haven't moved to 2nd brood box any suggestions
To help them boost seeing it's almost August and for future new frames? While asking about frames: foundation, starter strips or foundationless or combination?
3) Mites... Treat/ don't treat, natural or pesticide I've read heard so many differences?
4) I know this will vary per area but how many hives per yard I'm currently working a yard just shy of 3 acres (12k meters ^2)with 2 acres being wooded. The area surrounding this yard is mostly wooded with a houses spaced out but no major agriculture.
I know with beekeeping as anything else there are 100 ways to skin a cat I'm just looking for some view points and suggestions. What works for some may not work for all, one of the reasons I love beekeeping
Thank you in advance for your responses, if these questions have been answered before, if you could just point me in the right direction.
Brendan
I live in southern new England temps average between 20-90 degrees F .
1) I am using 10 frame langstroth hives right now but am open to suggestions for new hive styles for production/ survivability ( had interest in horizontal and rose hives cause I do have some back problems) I am decent at woodwork made a few supers so I'm up for a challenge and I would make most of my equipment myself
2) I've been feeding sugar syrup for the nucs I got them the last week of May but it seems that there not building much comb still haven't moved to 2nd brood box any suggestions
To help them boost seeing it's almost August and for future new frames? While asking about frames: foundation, starter strips or foundationless or combination?
3) Mites... Treat/ don't treat, natural or pesticide I've read heard so many differences?
4) I know this will vary per area but how many hives per yard I'm currently working a yard just shy of 3 acres (12k meters ^2)with 2 acres being wooded. The area surrounding this yard is mostly wooded with a houses spaced out but no major agriculture.
I know with beekeeping as anything else there are 100 ways to skin a cat I'm just looking for some view points and suggestions. What works for some may not work for all, one of the reasons I love beekeeping
Thank you in advance for your responses, if these questions have been answered before, if you could just point me in the right direction.
Brendan