Worldwide Beekeeping
Announcements => Welcome => Topic started by: physicsfrenzy on February 17, 2017, 07:47:48 am
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Hello!
I'm from southwestern Pennsylvania, in the heart of Steelers and Penguins country. I got my first hive of Italians two years ago. Last year, I expanded with another package of Italians, then a late season trap-out. None of the three made it through the winter. :\'( Now I'm trying to figure out what happened and what to change/do differently when I do get bees again.
Shelley
physicsfrenzy
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:welcome:Glad you found us.
I'm also glad there is someone else on roughly the same time zone as me. ;D The rest of the slackers on the forum seem to be able to sleep in later than we get to. :laugh:
I am in probably a very similar weather zone as you so that will help in diagnosing what may have happened.
Did you do a mite count late summer last year? Are there plenty of stores left?
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:welcome:
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Welcome aboard.
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Welcome the nut house!!! Oops, I meant Bee House.. :laugh: ;D
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welcome to the forum shelley!
"I got my first hive of Italians two years ago. Last year, I expanded with another package of Italians, then a late season trap-out. None of the three made it through the winter. :\'( Now I'm trying to figure out what happened and what to change/do differently when I do get bees again."
italian bees are not very winter hardy. also queens will lay later into the season, and italians will also blow through the honey stores. perhaps try carni's?
or try to obtain bees from a local survivor source.
:bee:
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welcome to the forum shelley!
italian bees are not very winter hardy. also queens will lay later into the season, and italians will also blow through the honey stores. perhaps try carni's?
or try to obtain bees from a local survivor source.
:bee:
Thanks for the welcome! I think we're looking at Russians. My initial local supplier has a mish-mosh of Italians, Carni's, and Cordovans, brought up from Florida and Georgia. We haven't been real impressed with the survival rate of any of them, honestly. My supplier is approaching 50% loss on the year across the board.
I'm hoping to be able to catch a few swarms or removals this summer, too. The trap-out that we got last summer survived with low numbers far longer than I had anticipated into the winter.
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Welcome physics frenzy,
Sorry to hear about your tough luck, but if you hang in there you will succeed.
Best bet is going to be bees from your area. they will be better adapted to your climate.
Feel free to jump in with questions. I'm a novice myself but many on here will gladly help. :)
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Welcome physicsfrenzy to the forum.
Ken
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"Thanks for the welcome! I think we're looking at Russians. My initial local supplier has a mish-mosh of Italians, Carni's, and Cordovans, brought up from Florida and Georgia. We haven't been real impressed with the survival rate of any of them, honestly. My supplier is approaching 50% loss on the year across the board.
I'm hoping to be able to catch a few swarms or removals this summer, too. The trap-out that we got last summer survived with low numbers far longer than I had anticipated into the winter."
cordovans don't do well in northern climates. carnis can. i keep russians, and have for about 15 years now....lol, can't remember! not hybrids.....i get my bees/queens from the rhba. additional queens from the tinkering i do in the spring. i also have mutt's of.......but they survive!
and like neil said, bees from your area.....survivor bees!
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Glad to have you aboard :welcome:
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Welcome to the forum!!!! :)
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For those that were curious about my dead hives, we were able to go through them on Sunday...
Small, late season trap-out hive - too few bees to sustain through winter, not enough stores.
Large young hive from spring package - made it to the 3rd medium box up. Still had one more full of honey. Little to no pollen. Evidence of brood. Bees present, heads in cells
Large old hive - Still mostly in the 2nd medium box up. PLENTY of honey, little pollen. Evidence of brood. Bees present, heads in cells.
No evidence of wax moths or shb. The small hive did have a mouse or larger pest rip through some wax frames. I'm guessing that the warm snap we had right after New Year's was enough for the queens in the larger hives to start laying. With the eggs present, the cluster wouldn't move away to the honey stores/ran out of pollen, especially when the cold weather returned and they all froze/starved.
I have a few nucs on order for April from my supplier. We are extracting a majority of the honey that was untouched, probably close to 60#. And there's still a full box of honey frames saved for the new bees.
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I believe your post-mortem is probably accurate, they cold starved.
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Welcome aboard