Winter prep should be complete by the end of October with any extra warm days in November being a last chance to feed, maintain, etc.
This also means you should have a reasonable idea of your expected survival hive count, have your combinations done, and most importantly perhaps, you sh be preserving and storing you xtra comb. (Yes, even from full on dead outs, moth and beetle damaged, etc.)
As a beekeeper your comb may be your most important asset beyond your hives, frames and other equipment I’m the case if catastrophic or higher than expected fall/winter losses. (The hive is where the bees live. The colony is the bees that live in the hive).
Here are some ideas to help you get a great start, or even a faster/better restart, and expand your apiary’s hive count:
Plan hive locations to be in as much full sun as possibl, being accessible, with entrances and flight paths away from areas frequented by humans and pets. Make them dly up and out if needed.
Make sure you have adequate equipment to house the number of colonies you wish to maintain or to support your replacement/growth to take advantage of your leftover comb.
Order enough Nucs (or packages) as early as possible to replace dead outs and to augment available brood for planned splits.
What you might consider, if ordering Mucs from BeeResQ.com is the strength of the Nucs. With 3 frames of brood per nuc, you could easily order two Nucs and a queen to make a third nuc with a frame of brood from each of the two Nucs added in with a queen, some resources, and with distribution of left over comb to all three Nucs.
if starting from scratch, please consider starting with at least two, for many reasons, including ability to share resources between them and to help ensure survival.
Take some time to learn, attend some classes, and if intimidated or if preferring additional support, consider any of the following value added services from www.BeeResQ.com in the KC area:
Site/Location Assessment and Placement
Delivery/Setup/Installation
Starter Kits w/ Bees & Compatible Equipment Hive Rental/Hive Maintenance
Garden Hive Pollination / Small Hive Rental
Healthy Pre-mixed Syrup Depot
Free Intro Classes
Field Day and Workshops
Free Apiary Tours
Quantity and Volume Discounts
Hive/Colony Hosting Services
And more!
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