Honey in year two? A list of all the things that went wrong

I'm hoping I can harvest some honey this summer but I'm not sure what I'll end up with.  Here are the issues I have run into this season.

• Started out with good hive that wintered over - that was very encouraging...but that didn't last

• In early May, I tried to split off a new hive by grabbing brood, bees and honey from last year's hive and start a nuc

• A cold spell, that lasted at least a week killed all the bees in the new nuc I started

• Then I realized the queen died in last year's hive 

• I bought a new queen, put it in the hive in its little cage that it and the other bees were supposed to eat the candy plug so the queen could get out.  You give it 5 days to do this.  I checked in 5 days and the queen was dead.

•  I bought a new nuc with a queen to start another hive...still on my quest to  grow my business

• By this time, it was June and the rains started.  It rained practically the entire month of June.

• I was advised to merge the nuc with the old hive to try to get a good strong hive.  I did this and it worked. 

• However, I was told to add the queen excluder which I left on until early August.  Then I read that adding the queen excluder would reduce the amount of honey you get.

• Queen excluder came off and I started feeding the bees sugar water, something I did last year but didn't do this year. Not sure if it'll help with honey production but it will feed the bees and hopefully help them get through the winter.

•  I have people clamoring for my  honey...but last year's reserves are almost gone and am not sure what I'll get this year.

• I did say that this blog would tell my bee story...good or bad.  I'd say that this was a real learning year...and most likely a lean one.