Berthiaume 1 yard, where we winter half of our mating nucleus colonies along with a number of production colonies.
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all photos: Adam Foster Collins
By early June, the ‘brood factory’ nucleus colonies at Decker yard have been expanded to 4 boxes high (the bottom box is empty and used as a stand). By the end of the season, even though we’re harvesting brood every ten days or two weeks, most are five or six stories high.
Berthiaume 1 yard.
Nucs are pulled from the brood factories and made up in pairs which occupy a divided deep. These divided boxes serve as a base unit which is expanded upward into two or three stories before winter. Next year, they will cover any losses in the apiary, and extras will be sold to other beekeepers.
Decker yard brood factories in June.
Kork working the brood factory nucs.
Brood factories at Decker cell building apiary. Thirty five strong cell building colonies, and 68 brood factories. By the end of June, the cloud of bees headed to the fields on a nice day is beekeeping in another dimension.
Kate has a thoughtful moment while waiting for the rain to slow down at Buddy’s yard while making summer nucleus colonies for overwintering. The job must get done on schedule, so we set up canopies and carry on.
Freshly made pairs of nuc just placed at Gates yard. Cutting grass will have to come later.
Tucka and Mike go over the procedure at Berthiaume 2 yard while making up mating nucs for the breeding season.
Growing nucleus colonies in one of Mike’s New York yards.
Richard braves the heat of July helping MIke with some requeening.
Another look at newly-made pairs of nucleus colonies (two in each box).