BMH
Drone Bee
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2015
- Messages
- 1,440
- Reaction score
- 42
- Hive Type
- National
I have 14 colonies going into winter. All in good health, treated for varroa, lots of stores.
Come spring, I want to forfeit any honey production and focus solely on aggressive, organic growth. I am getting married and need the cash!
I had good practise of rearing queens last year.
What's my best strategy?
My original thought was to wait until the drones are flying well and take a 4 frame nuc from each colony and give them a queen cell from my best performing hive from last year. This would result in 14 nucs and 14 small colonies both with enough time to build up to a good size before selling them.
But it dawned on me that If i build up the colonies artificially earlier in the year using protein patties I may be able to take 2 x 3 frame nucs from each hive and still leave all of the spring and early summer for colonies to build up before selling them all. This would leave 28 nucs and another 14 (nuc size) full colonies)
What are your thoughts?
Also, what do you think is a reasonable asking price for a poly nuc and poly hive colony?
Come spring, I want to forfeit any honey production and focus solely on aggressive, organic growth. I am getting married and need the cash!
I had good practise of rearing queens last year.
What's my best strategy?
My original thought was to wait until the drones are flying well and take a 4 frame nuc from each colony and give them a queen cell from my best performing hive from last year. This would result in 14 nucs and 14 small colonies both with enough time to build up to a good size before selling them.
But it dawned on me that If i build up the colonies artificially earlier in the year using protein patties I may be able to take 2 x 3 frame nucs from each hive and still leave all of the spring and early summer for colonies to build up before selling them all. This would leave 28 nucs and another 14 (nuc size) full colonies)
What are your thoughts?
Also, what do you think is a reasonable asking price for a poly nuc and poly hive colony?