Worldwide Beekeeping
Beekeeping => General Beekeeping => Topic started by: Perry on April 03, 2014, 03:21:02 pm
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Checked on the nucs left in the back yard and one last yard with 10 hives.
With 4 nucs left out of 6, I peeked in again today. :o
All the fondant was gone in each of them!! This is the second patty I had put on. 3 of the nucs are still alive, 1 with fewer bees. The 4th was dead, and it was completely my fault. 3 frames of bees 1 with capped brood, all head first in cells, and a whack of them dead on the floor. I was disgusted with myself, to get them this far and they were obviously thriving and I let them down. Bummer.
Then I went off to my last yard accompanied by a neighbour. Of the 10 hives in this yard I had 1 dead-out, a single. Full of honey and almost no bees. I found open swarm cells on the bottom of 2 frames. This one was doomed in the fall (figuratively) and I just never picked up on it.
1 other hive is weak, maybe a grapefruit sized cluster, I am guessing it's queen-less due to the lack of bees, but I shoved a half patty of fondant over it anyway. Time will tell.
The rest either got a fondant patty slid in under the inner cover, or more fondant on top of the inner cover if they were low.
So, 2 confirmed dead-outs of 51, 1 or 2 pretty weak. 3 nucs of 6 still alive (should easily have been 4).
So far so good, still a ways to go.
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs2.postimg.cc%2Fqk9twhhxx%2Ffondant_pattys_3.jpg&hash=19ccbbd21e194abc3b18ee3570f6459f7b01b142) (http://postimg.cc/image/qk9twhhxx/)
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs29.postimg.cc%2F5n87s7g8j%2Ffondant_pattys_2.jpg&hash=e22cc2c49745561c1433bb363c6acdbb7aacbbe4) (http://postimg.cc/image/5n87s7g8j/)
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs30.postimg.cc%2F56utb75bh%2Ffondant_pattys_2014.jpg&hash=4f95f46e55c1d6835bf0c826078ff294d44483ba) (http://postimg.cc/image/56utb75bh/)
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Thats still not bad Perry!! Were going to have to have a chat about wintering nuc's I have plans to winter several if everything comes together.
I did notice your numbers on the hive lids... Wish I would have seen that yesterday.
I bought several packages of numbers, and I was looking at the hives wondering where to put them.. I wanted to put them on the bottom board... but they get too dirty, reducers slid in, screens put on etc, etc.. Cant do boxes, they get rotated out and swapped... so I decided on the lid.. shouldn't be a big deal to keep the lid in its correct location right?? Yep, right in the middle front... I'll claim I stole the idea from you before kiss kiss pat pat man calls me out on it. ;D
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Well, that's how the cookie crumbles sometimes. I am so glad we are done with that white stuff you have on the ground. I was installing my first packages three years ago today.
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Perry, you still have snow?!? When does that stuff go away?
I have a lot of respect for you folks that can keep bees in those conditions. I question your sanity, but still respect you. ;D
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How you guys pull through I don't know. Perry your going to have to put together a presentation on preparation and techniques for nucs.
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How you guys pull through I don't know. Perry your going to have to put together a presentation on preparation and techniques for nucs.
Excellent Idea!!!
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs28.postimg.cc%2F57x1gcl3d%2FHero_Perry.jpg&hash=b750c4615a48d6b2d738bf1a04731103cafc6b01) (http://postimg.cc/image/57x1gcl3d/)
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Perry, you still have snow?!? When does that stuff go away?
I have a lot of respect for you folks that can keep bees in those conditions. I question your sanity, but still respect you. ;D
We are currently under a winter storm watch with another 6-8 inches coming tomorrow. Glad my nucs don't come for another three weeks...
I too would like to hear your approach to wintering nucs Perry.
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Lazy ""I'll claim I stole the idea from you before kiss kiss pat pat man calls me out on it.""
LOL
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"Perry, you still have snow?!? When does that stuff go away?
I have a lot of respect for you folks that can keep bees in those conditions. I question your sanity, but still respect you. ;D"
.......... :D rc, that's character building, standing in snow with a veil on.........and that's when you know you are a northern beekeeper..... :D
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Amen, Riverbee. That will be one happy guy when spring shows up.
Long winters like you folks have would drive me nuts. I get a little cranky during our winters. By the time spring gets here, I craving seeing something green.
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Me Too rcannon, I need a more temporate climate ;) 8)
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Very Good Job Perry! I too want in that talk about Overwintering Nucs... I'll be overwintering 4 this year...
Do you use Screened or Solid BB and if you use Screened do you leave it open all winter?
Also how much venting do you have on your Hives in the winter?
Feed in Fall? If so what?
Now this Fondant... I know you mentioned it in another post of mine but can you explain it more?
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I'm listening as well ;) 8)