Subject: From 2 to 10 Hives...Part #4

From 2 to 10 Hives: Master Hive Management at Scale

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From 2-10 Hives - Part 4 of a 4-part series!

From 2 to 10 Hives: Scaling Up Your Honey Harvest the Smart Way
[Part 4/4] Following our first post of four...

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🏆 Step 4: Master Hive Management at Scale

Keeping more hives doesn’t just mean “more of the same” — it requires a smarter, more strategic approach.

Once you move beyond 2–3 hives, you're managing a system — not just individual boxes of bees. Your decisions have a ripple effect across multiple colonies, and your ability to stay organised becomes just as important as your ability to spot a queen.

Here’s what mastering management at scale looks like:

Here’s exactly what you need and why it matters:

🗓️ Implement a Regular Inspection Schedule

Why it's critical:
As hive numbers grow, it’s easy to overlook warning signs. Queen failure, disease, and swarming can all sneak up if you’re not inspecting regularly and systematically.

How to manage it:

Create a rotation — aim to inspect each hive every 7–10 days in the active seasons. {Especially if a strong nectar flow is on}
Use a logbook or app to track queen status, temperament, brood pattern, stores, and varroa checks.
Assign priority hives (weak ones, swarm risks, queenless colonies) so you can give them extra attention.
Do jobs in batches:
- Inspections on the same day at the same apiary
- Harvesting should be planned all for the same day
- Make all splits on the same day
- These don't take place on the same day simultaneously
- Add supers on the same day

Pro Tip: Time-block your beekeeping days. Scaling up means working smarter, not longer.

EXPAND YOUR APIARY

Let's get into more detail for each point:

🧠 Know Your Colonies’ Temperaments & Histories

Why it matters:
As the number of hives increases, so does the diversity. Some colonies may be calm and productive, others defensive or prone to swarming.

Good hive management means:

Tracking traits over time (temperament, productivity, health)
Requeening aggressive or underperforming hives
Choosing your best queens to breed from (or sourcing reputable genetics)

Bottom line: Managing temperament makes your beekeeping safer, calmer, and more enjoyable — especially at scale.

🐝 Learn to Balance Strong vs. Weak Colonies

Why it's essential:
In a larger apiary, colony strength will vary. Some hives boom; others fall behind.

As a skilled manager, you’ll need to:

Equalise resources (brood, bees, food) between colonies
Use stronger hives to boost weaker ones [internal feeding helps too]
Know when to merge or split colonies for the greater good of your yard

Tip: Think like a conductor — not every hive needs to perform solo; you’re orchestrating the health of the entire apiary.

🔍 Develop a System for Swarm Prevention & Control

Why it's inevitable:
More hives = more swarm risk. Even experienced beekeepers can miss a queen cell when working across a dozen colonies.

Avoid chaos with:

Early spring management (space, inspections, swarm baiting)
Pre-emptive splits of strong colonies
Dedicated swarm traps in nearby areas

Bonus: Pre-emptive splitting creates more colonies on your terms — rather than losing bees to the trees. Moreover, it's a method of also creating additional revenue by looking to sell colonies you do not want to keep passed 6 weeks.

🔬 Monitor & Treat for Pests and Diseases Proactively

Why it’s non-negotiable:
At scale, pests like varroa mites or small hive beetle can spread rapidly between hives. One neglected colony can bring down the whole apiary.

Smart management includes:

Regular varroa testing (sugar roll or alcohol wash)
Following a treatment plan based on seasonal thresholds
Small hive beetle traps installed
Practicing good hive hygiene (clean tools, comb rotation, wax culling)
Clean gloves (Rubber PVC are my go to and easy to clean.)
Capensis Infiltration outside of their natural zone below the Great Escarpment - they become pests of A.M. Scutellata

Pro Tip: Invest in learning varroa biology — it’s the #1 threat to your bees and your success as a beekeeper.

Bonus: In South Africa, Capensis above the Great Escarpment is considered a pest and moving them outside of their traditional and also natural biome zone of the Western Cape is illegal.

✅ Summary: Think Like a Beekeeper, Act Like a Manager

Scaling up doesn’t just require more gear — it requires better systems, sharper decision-making, and consistent attention to detail.

When you master management at scale:

Your colonies stay strong, productive, and resilient
You reduce your losses and boost your harvest
You enjoy the process more — and stress less

✅ What to do with 10 hives?

Scaling up does provide opportunities that otherwise would not be easy nor practical to consider being a hobby beekeeper:

Your apiary generates about 8kg of beeswax for making products:
- Wax foundation sheets
- Beeswax candles to sell
- Beeswax balms, creams and salves plus lip balm
You could produce between 150kg-300kg of lekker raw honey to sell
- Small bottles @ 240g [labels cost and labour costs]
- Medium bottles @ 500g
- Buckets @ 1.5kg
- Make some personal honey mead using 5L = 20L of honey mead
You may decide to produce propolis @ about 200g per hive per annum:
- Make alcohol tincture with between 1kg-2kg of propolis
- Make swarm bait / swarm lure for more expansion
- Make sore throat spray with propolis
- Use propolis trays to harvest the propolis