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Author Topic: How are your bees doing?  (Read 34518 times)

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Offline Jen

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Re: How are your bees doing?
« Reply #60 on: February 16, 2014, 11:29:13 pm »
Good to hear litefoot  :)
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Offline riverbee

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Re: How are your bees doing?
« Reply #61 on: February 17, 2014, 12:24:00 pm »
"Ok, first of all, nobody comment on my redneck reducer. Be nice!  :)"

nice video and very classy reducer there tbone!..... :D
ps if they are getting jammed up at the door, you can give them a little more redneck space..... :D
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Offline Jen

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Re: How are your bees doing?
« Reply #62 on: February 17, 2014, 12:27:55 pm »
Funny Riv  :)
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Offline kebee

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Re: How are your bees doing?
« Reply #63 on: February 17, 2014, 03:34:57 pm »
Had to make some syrup for the ladies and since it was 68 degrees I said I will see how they are doing, lite my smoker up and went in, still had honey left in the frames I would say half left, and they were a lot gentler than the last time I went in. At the first hive I had a bee buzzing around my head and I was smoking it to get move and could not why? It was inside, I got away from the hive and took the suit off to get it out. They are out ever where looking for nectar so it must have got in when I was putting the suit on. I will say I have some good bees to have made it through the cold weather we had and one is real strong, 2 full brood boxes and a super of bees, may split this hive come April, I am please with them, now come flowers bloom for the bees, and I do see a few coming up.

Ken
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Offline Noronajo

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Re: How are your bees doing?
« Reply #64 on: February 18, 2014, 07:44:14 am »
Popped the cover on a single deep hive last week, decided I better check the doubles when the temps hit upper 60's. I 5 hives in one location , 2 singles and 3 doubles. Tulip hive had 5-6 frames of stores , Daffodil pretty much all 10 frames in top deep were still full of honey. Queens in both had a small brood frame going and the ladies sounded happy. Then I opened Iris- bees were all in the top as expected but those on the outer frames were dying- not a drop of honey to be seen any where. These hives were all well prepared for winter, I thought, but Oklahoma weather being what it is- early freeze then a long warm spell, cold, hot , cold, then freeze your a$$ off cold- well, I hightailed it home to make more fondant. This is the first year I've made fondant but I know if Iris is empty at least one other hive at my other location is too. I've always joked about not encouraging welfare bees by feeding but I bought 2 packages in 2011 and by splitting have had as many as 12 hives . If feeding protects my investment, so be it. Besides, they are so very QUIET when they're starving!

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Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: How are your bees doing?
« Reply #65 on: February 18, 2014, 07:55:18 am »
We had sunshine and winds yesterday with temps near 60 for the first time in a long time.   Behind my windbreak that I built, for the hives in the back yard, I was able to check on emergency food stores.  Good thing too.  One hive was out and the other almost out.  Now I need to get another beautiful day to check the others.
Saw the most interesting burr comb.  The hive without emergency food had incorporated the bits of newspaper leftover into the burr comb.  Does any one have any ideas on where they got the wax to make the burr comb? 
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Offline Jen

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Re: How are your bees doing?
« Reply #66 on: February 18, 2014, 12:29:14 pm »
Noranajo ""I've always joked about not encouraging welfare bees by feeding but I bought 2 packages in 2011 and by splitting have had as many as 12 hives . If feeding protects my investment, so be it. Besides, they are so very QUIET when they're starving!""

Nor- Good story, I have also adapted to feeding... kicking and screaming all the way. But this forum has taught me so much on how to help your bees survive. For me, it's taken 3 years to get my hive up and running healthy. Sure want to keep them that way ~
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Offline Jen

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Re: How are your bees doing?
« Reply #67 on: February 18, 2014, 01:48:18 pm »
I've only had temps to lift the lid and slip in winter patties. Looks good at this point
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Offline Noronajo

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Re: How are your bees doing?
« Reply #68 on: February 18, 2014, 02:55:51 pm »
I was wrong about the 3 hives at my second location being as close to starvation as the Iris hive- 2 were still heavy enough I could hardly budge them. Barely a mile down the same dead end road but totally different- 'course one of the early dead outs was at this yard and perhaps a rob out by these 2 unusually hefty hives. It's hard to tell if you're not there every day. Anyway, all 8 are fed and hopefully set for a week or so.
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Offline Jen

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Re: How are your bees doing?
« Reply #69 on: February 18, 2014, 04:25:50 pm »
Finally-  Oooooh I love seeing that! So Cool!
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: How are your bees doing?
« Reply #70 on: February 18, 2014, 04:48:28 pm »
Oh yeah, Got some pics of yellow snow too!

   Good news and bad news..  Hit 50 here today!!!   Bees are flying..  I was so happy i sort of leaked a little!!  Knew I should have wee'd before I went out there!
    I knew I lost the last of my texas Itallians, but had high hopes for the rest..   ALL still alive is the good news, but ALL more than half way through the five pounds of sugar I put on them last november. This is NOT a good sign with a possible month of HARD winter left..  Added more sugar to every hive..  Don't like letting them run that long on Sugar alone..   Might have to try some syrup in baggies if they burn through the rest of the sugar.

   Yellow snow.. when it looks like this you KNOW they have been cooped up too long!


  All hives are in the top, IN the sugar and using the top entrances.


   The last of my southern bees..  they were partly in the bottom deep and partly in the top deep.. like they STARTED to move up, and then it got too cold...



   the hives out back and at Dads place are in the same predicament.. this is going to be touch and go. I am praying that temps are not as drastic till spring arrives in full force..
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Offline Jen

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Re: How are your bees doing?
« Reply #71 on: February 18, 2014, 04:53:14 pm »
Yaaaaay Lazy! So glad you got to see your bees. Maybe that will hold ya for awhile  :) 8)
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Offline riverbee

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Re: How are your bees doing?
« Reply #72 on: February 18, 2014, 04:56:55 pm »
wow, some great pix!
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: How are your bees doing?
« Reply #73 on: February 18, 2014, 06:53:57 pm »
Yep, it held me for about 5 minutes!!   Wife came home I had the post hole digger out trying to drill into the frozen ground for new stands...  No luck  >:(
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Offline JUDELT

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Re: How are your bees doing?
« Reply #74 on: February 18, 2014, 07:26:07 pm »
sorry to hear about all the cold everywhere. We sure had more than normal the last 3 weeks! we are having above normal for the next 4 days, then some cool comes back by the weekend. the bees were out bringing in Maple and winter honeysuckle today like it was springtime! Love seeing them and hearing them! Hurry up SPRING!!
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Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: How are your bees doing?
« Reply #75 on: February 19, 2014, 05:40:26 pm »
Quote from: LazyBkpr on February 18, 2014, 04:48:28 pm
Oh yeah, Got some pics of yellow snow too!
 
Hey! Frank Zappa forgot to include honey bees when he said, "Watch out where the huskies go, and don't you eat that yellow snow."
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Offline Bamabww

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Re: How are your bees doing?
« Reply #76 on: February 19, 2014, 06:01:54 pm »
Checked all 5 of my hives yesterday and all were alive and well. Bees unusually aggressive at first but calmed down as the inspection went on. I had one hive I had been worried about making it through without some supplemental feeding but as I indicated in another thread, they were doing well and had barely eat any of the 3 lb. sugar brick I placed in the hive 3 months ago.
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Offline rodmaker

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Re: How are your bees doing?
« Reply #77 on: February 22, 2014, 06:12:26 pm »
Checked four hives yesterday and three today all have a minimum of twelve frame of brood all stages. The queens seem to be laying in both upper and lower brood chambers equally . Not to bad i started winter with thirteen queen right hives now have seven real strong and two with no queen.I was able to give both of the weak hives a frame of brood to eggs to see what happens if they will raise a queen or i might have to follow up with another frame next week. Am i wasting my time and bees or should i keep trying to save them.? any opinions out there?
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Offline Perry

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Re: How are your bees doing?
« Reply #78 on: February 22, 2014, 07:21:21 pm »
Do you have any drones flying or soon to be? Those frames of eggs will help, but if there are no drones flying for a new queen to mate........
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Offline rodmaker

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Re: How are your bees doing?
« Reply #79 on: February 22, 2014, 08:13:55 pm »
Perry- I have drone brood capped in six hives and I'm thinking it will probably take a couple of more frames to get them going. Have Queens ordered but don't want them to get to weak before i can requeen.
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