Author Topic: Getting ready for warm winter?  (Read 1735 times)

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Offline Gypsi

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Getting ready for warm winter?
« on: November 21, 2020, 07:23:12 pm »
I still needed to reduce space on my biggest hive, even though we haven't had first freeze. 2 deeps plus a medium were a bit much, and they'd get a little hungry and go rob the stacked nuc hive
Needed a new bottom board and cover board, both were deteriorating badly, and I hurt my wrist so had to do it when I had help.

the queen in the big hive is laying up a storm. The nuc hive will benefit from a couple of frames of her brood and some extra stores. (there are 4 nucs strapped together in that stack, but I've found small hives survive better in stacked 5 frames than in a 10 frame.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/n406/gypsi_fw/PB210163.JPG

(I pay for storage on photobucket so learning to use it with this forum. )





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Online Bakersdozen

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Re: Getting ready for warm winter?
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2020, 09:16:17 am »
Look at all that brood!  What a difference 500 miles to the north makes.  Do you have to provide supplemental pollen this time of year?

I think we are experiencing a warmer than average winter.  I keep doing the "heft test" on my colonies and am still able to feed liquid 2:1 sugar syrup to the light ones because it is warm.  Next week our colonies should be broodless and fingers are crossed that I will be able to the oxalic acid dribble for varroa.  I saw orientation flights all week long, but those bees emerged about 21 days prior.

Offline Gypsi

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Re: Getting ready for warm winter?
« Reply #2 on: November 22, 2020, 11:45:49 am »
They are bringing in pollen still. We haven't had a freeze, we have been 10 degrees over average temperature for most of November. Finally cooling a little now. I don't think I fed more than 4 times this year. Reducing my hives down to what the area will support, and rainfall this spring and summer,  have really helped me out. I didn't get a massive honey harvest, but I got some.

I'm running screened bottom boards with cover boards to prevent drafts. So humidity isn't an issue.   I'm really starting to enjoy my bees as all the hot queens were replaced and they are nice productive bees and I can't find a mite
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Offline Zweefer

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Getting ready for warm winter?
« Reply #3 on: November 23, 2020, 08:29:10 am »
Photo came in fine, I’d say you have it figured out...
We have had a warm start up here as well... hasn’t dipped below 0, and any snow hasn’t stuck around for more than a few days.  That is looking to change tomorrow (3 + inches projected) even though it was mid 40’s yesterday.  It’s tough to plan around it, that is for sure.   


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« Last Edit: November 23, 2020, 08:29:29 am by Zweefer »
Keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.
Henry David Thoreau