Audacious Idea: Small Hive Beekeeping

[Greg V]

Small Hive Beekeeping By Tom Seeley.

1) the colony occupies a small nest cavity (like in wild colonies),

2) the colony is likely to swarm each summer (as do wild colonies),

3) the colony produces a modest surplus of honey for the beekeeper.

http://beeaudacious.com/index.php/2016/11/22/audacious-idea-four-small-hive-beekeeping/

The swarming part maybe substituted by splitting for those unwilling/unable to let the bees swarm.

To me, this looks like a reasonable way for most small homestead beekeepers.

There is nothing audaciously new about this idea, just a re-discovery of old, traditional homestead beekeeping.

[Matt H]

Interesting idea.  I can say from a non-scientific, limited data point observation that my biggest hives tended to have the highest mite load (%mites on bees) however they also have had the highest survival rate.  

Overwintering in 1 deep as the author recommends in Wisconsin may be challenging, especially if one doesn't put on any emergency feed.  I can say from experience that even with additional dry sugar emergency feed, 5 deep frames is definitely not large enough.  I ran an experiment last winter where I had 8 5-frame nucs pushed together and insulated.  They had emergency sugar on top and none survived winter.  The closest I got was one made it into February.  

I guess it depends what one deems as an acceptable loss rate.  If 20% survival rate is OK for you, then this may be a viable option.  For me, even the Wisconsin average of ~50% is too high of a loss.  

[Greg V]

This year I plan to try to winter as many nucs as I have about and not combine them.

If a nuc fills 30-40 liters pretty well, I will winter it as is.

Lots of experimentation.

For one - I run my nucs in cardboard electronics boxes (as turns out - most are 30-40 liters in size).
Great, abundant, under-rated material.

I want to try to winter some straight in the cardboard.
Work great so far.

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[harold steinberg]

On that page he says "most (80%) of these colonies survive each year.”   He’s in Bozeman, Montana according to their Facebook page.

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[Greg V]

Tom Seeley has been in upstate NY for many, many year.
His research is mostly NY state based.

The same - North.

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[Matt H]

Ithaca NY, zone 6a.  A full zone warmer than Madison, so quite a bit warmer.  Their average high's in January are 31F versus 26F for Madison.  Average lows of 15F vs 11F for Madison.  Being more coastal they have a much more temperate climate and don't typically experience the hard cold snaps that the Midwest sees.  

It's the same but different....

On Wednesday, June 21, 2017 at 3:02:19 PM UTC-5, Greg V wrote:

Tom Seeley has been in upstate NY for many, many year.
His research is mostly NY state based.

The same - North.

On Wed, Jun 21, 2017 at 2:59 PM, harold steinberg <h.adam.s...@gmail.com> wrote:

On that page he says "most (80%) of these colonies survive each year.”   He’s in Bozeman, Montana according to their Facebook page.

On Jun 21, 2017, at 2:50 PM, Matt H <matthew...@gmail.com> wrote:

Interesting idea.  I can say from a non-scientific, limited data point observation that my biggest hives tended to have the highest mite load (%mites on bees) however they also have had the highest survival rate.  

Overwintering in 1 deep as the author recommends in Wisconsin may be challenging, especially if one doesn't put on any emergency feed.  I can say from experience that even with additional dry sugar emergency feed, 5 deep frames is definitely not large enough.  I ran an experiment last winter where I had 8 5-frame nucs pushed together and insulated.  They had emergency sugar on top and none survived winter.  The closest I got was one made it into February.  

I guess it depends what one deems as an acceptable loss rate.  If 20% survival rate is OK for you, then this may be a viable option.  For me, even the Wisconsin average of ~50% is too high of a loss.  

On Wednesday, June 21, 2017 at 12:05:51 PM UTC-5, Greg V wrote:

Small Hive Beekeeping By Tom Seeley.

1) the colony occupies a small nest cavity (like in wild colonies),

2) the colony is likely to swarm each summer (as do wild colonies),

3) the colony produces a modest surplus of honey for the beekeeper.

http://beeaudacious.com/index.php/2016/11/22/audacious-idea-four-small-hive-beekeeping/

The swarming part maybe substituted by splitting for those unwilling/unable to let the bees swarm.

To me, this looks like a reasonable way for most small homestead beekeepers.

There is nothing audaciously new about this idea, just a re-discovery of old, traditional homestead beekeeping.

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[Greg V]

Yes - little milder winter on average.
Though being on about the latitude, length of the no-flight period is about the same.

This, basically, shows higher importance of hive insulation here to get similar results.

[Paul Zelenski]

I disagree. I think insulation is overrated. Moisture is a much bigger problem than cold temps, in my opinion. 

[Greg V]

Moisture condensation is caused by poor insulation.

The simplest possible example all other things being equal:
* single-pane aluminum windows will give you LOTs of moisture condensate on them

* double-pane, argon filled, wooden/plastic windows will give you NO moisture condensate on them

Still insulation does not matter? :-)

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[marvin]

I usually overwinter a few colonies in one deep each winter.  They're always leftover late splits I make up in July that serve as emergency queens/bees for colonies that I want to boost or that need queen replacement late in summer.  Key thing is they are young queens.  I put them on top of strong hives separated by 1/8" plywood, and give them a fondant cake on top with a piece of foam insulation under the cover.  I don't think it's much different from how a lot of folks overwinter nucs.  They survive very well.  And come spring, they usually boom.  Some of my best honey production has come off those hives.  But unlike the author of this article, I'm not leaving them in one box.  I'm not a proponent of letting hives swarm.  But I could see where you could pull this off, especially with the kind of winters we seem to be having.  But when that abnormal cold one comes.....