G’day to everyone and I’m pleased to be a part of the community.
I’m just starting on my hobbiest beekeeping jorney and have much to learn so i expect you will see a few quetions from me from time to time. My focus is more on the collony wellbeing and hubandry rather than motivation for honey, although i will gladly accept the gifts of excess from time to time.
There is a probablility that i will “go native” at some stage in the future but still maintain my honey bee hives as well. Just need to find a way to fit everything in a suburbane backyard without annoying the neigboures too much.
in sydney honey is not a ‘time to time’ thing- it’s a near constant- bees produce a lot- and you’ll need to harvest it when it is there to ensure the hive has room and the bees don’t swarm. Over winter you can leave the equivalent of 4 deep frames of honey for the bees- in Sydney this is ample. Many new beekeepers state that they are ‘more interested in the bees than the honey’- which is great- but in truth hives need to be harvested.
G’day Semaphore,
Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it and I understand. I’m not intending not to harvest and I know it is in the interest of my colony to do so. As stated my main, although not only, motivation is to the benefit of the colony, including harvesting as and when required.