Gus works 85-plus hours a week in the oil patch and still keeps bees. A lot of you are in the same spot: daylight is short, weekends go fast, and the bees do not wait. What is your real schedule for the yard? How many hours a week can you give it, and what do you skip so the important work still gets done? Reply with your hours and your one non-negotiable hive task. Help each other find a schedule that holds. @Gus Lutjens @Paula Carnell @Thomas Thiel what does your week look like with the bees right now?

Winter is when a small yard either holds or shrinks. Food, mites, a dry box, and a plan for a weak hive are the four I watch first across our yards. What is on your list this week, and what have you already finished? One or two items is enough. If you are new, post the one winter step you are least sure about and let the group weigh in. @Jim Flach @Justin McAdams @Xander Du Preez what is one winter job you already checked off, and one you are still putting off? Read someone else's list and tell them what you would add.

Gus raised the point that time is money, and buying queens can be the faster path when the calendar is full. We sell queens at $65 regular and $50 on sale, and nucs at $275, so I see both sides every spring. Buying is simple. Raising takes space, timing, and a few more hives than most backyard setups have. Which do you do now, and why? If you have never bought or grafted, say which you are leaning toward for 2027. If you want the full classroom and the Sideliner Budget Sheet, Premium is $19 a month. VIP is $99 a month and includes a one-hour 1:1 call with me each month. @Gus Lutjens, @Nicholas Mundell, @Tommy Gan, which way are you going next spring?

The challenge is done. Thanks to everyone who posted a plan. If you want to keep going, there are two ways. Premium is $19 a month: the full classroom and the Sideliner Budget Sheet. Sell one nuc and the whole year is paid for. VIP is $99 a month and adds a one-hour 1:1 call with me every month (normally $200). If you are already a member, you keep everything you have. No pressure to upgrade. If you only want to ask a question, post it under this thread. Next Q and A: Wednesday, Nov 18, 7:00 PM Central. @Gus Lutjens @Xander Du Preez @Tommy Gan what is the one step from your plan you will do before the end of the month?

If you sell honey at all, where does the first jar usually go: neighbors, a farmers market, a feed store, online, or somewhere else? I started in 2017 with 10 hives around Burleson, Texas. Early sales were mostly people who already knew us. The channel came later. Reply with your main channel and about what you get for a pint or a pound. If you have not sold any yet, say who you would ask first. Answer each other if you can. @Jim Flach @Justin McAdams @Paula Carnell , where did your first jar go?