Bee season 2011

I had one hive that survived winter thanks to by friend Bob who feed them while I've been working out of town.
I checked them Friday when I got back to Winston and found that they had swarmed. (bad Beekeeper!)
The new queen had not started laying yet and if I didn't kill her, the hive might survive. I hope so as I can't find any packages for sale around here.

I am a bad beekeeper, I've known this for a while and they say, who ever they are, admitting the problem is the first step in recovery. I bought 4 packages of bees this year and, I fed them and fed them, but they never did store much honey, being Italians, they made more bees, I'd feed 20 lbs of sugar and they would make 15 pounds of bees. In the fall I had four week hives and not much honey. I fed again and they made more bees. As winter came closer, I decided to take my lumps in the fall and combined the four hives into two. When I joined them together, using newspapers, I fed them yet again. I was hoping that they would store the honey in the top brood nest, so I could reclaim the bottom comb for next year. Of course they filled the whole brood nest with the syrup. I waited until they ate the bottom syrup and got my comb, because at this point, I had about enough of these bees. Did I mention they had SHB, I know I didn't, I was lucky I put these bees in a separate yard 10 miles or so from my uninfected, highly mite resistant survivor stock I've kept isolated for 8 years, that haven't been treated in 6 years now. I know, they will get them also.
At any rate, these bees might make until spring, if I can keep feeding them candy or the mites or SHB or CCD doesn't get them. But really, if they die out before spring, I can freeze the comb, kill the beetles and start out next year with survivor stock and plenty of brood comb.
It looks like a win/win situation for me anyway, so that makes me a BAD beekeeper.

Mickey's bee blog

This is the place I will comment on my adventures in beekeeping. I have been keeping bees for several years now and really enjoy it. It can be difficult sometimes, but the honey sure is good.