February – Taught at the Beginner Beekeeping class at the Mount Vernon Nazarene University (go to Hive Parts, or Queen Cells to see what I taught)
April – Started year with two very strong hives and two other hives I bought for retail. I Split the original two hives into a total of eight, plus two bought hives, to prevent Swarming. These original hives were from a Carniolan Swarm I caught in 2023, the two bought hives were also Carniolans.
May – Caught the first swarm of this year from my own hives in a small dogwood tree. I emptied all my Hive Toppers/Vent Boxes and added queen excluders to the hives promising to make the most honey. The first extraction was on the eighth, I got fifty three pounds of Black Locust Honey. Second extraction was on the twentieth, I got sixty seven pounds of Wildflower Honey. Ended this month with twelve hives.
June – The third extraction was on the thirteenth, I got forty five pounds of wildflower honey. Caught the second swarm of this year in a birch tree. Ended this month with thirteen hives.
August – Fifth extraction, I got forty nine pounds of Aster Honey. Caught third and last swarm of the year in the small dogwood. Ended the month with twelve hives.
Overall conclusion of the beekeeping year – Started with two hives and bought two more, caught three of my own swarms, and got two hundred seventy seven pounds of honey. Of the twelve ending hives two were bought Carniolans and the rest were the Carniolan swarm I caught in 2023