Mike will explain why his bee operation has prospered in New York. He will attempt to advise other New York beekeepers on how they can also do well in beekeeping. Raising your own bees rather than purchasing them year after year will be emphasized. Making splits, raising natural or grafted queens, walkaway splits and producing nucs will be covered. The timing of manipulations is important. We will also look at New York State locations from a soils perspective, where are the better locations , and what honey is produced in different areas.
Mike Johnston has been keeping bees for over 40 years. He has worked for 4 commercial beekeepers. Between 1979 and 1988, he spent ten seasons working for 2 large queen, package bee, and nuc producers in the Central Valley of California. After moving back to New York, he worked 23 years for Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District, 11 years as District Manager. Mike runs a 350 colony operation. Most of the bees are kept in two colony hives. You can learn more at: johnstonshoneybeefarm.com.
00:00 Start
00:42 Highs and lows of beekeeping
4:41 Why increase- young queens, splits
10:23 Grafting, raising queens
24:56 2 Colony hives
30:59 Swarming
32:21 Soils in New York State
41:38 Ventilation, Overwintering
44:35 Challenges, Disease
53:28 Winter losses and recovery
1:04:59 Questions
