Worldwide Beekeeping
Beekeeping => General Beekeeping => Topic started by: Yankee11 on January 17, 2015, 08:00:22 pm
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I like it. I decided not to feed these hives any pollen patties today :). And they have capped brood. These clusters went all the way doen into the lower deeps.
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs18.postimg.cc%2F6etztjtzp%2F20150117_124509.jpg&hash=bf892fe6a7d7924c984139419bf2314199d91cfa) (http://postimg.cc/image/6etztjtzp/)
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs18.postimg.cc%2F6svbt5e39%2F20150117_125802.jpg&hash=a6b79baf54a0ebe412962d834ccfed2996410b0b) (http://postimg.cc/image/6svbt5e39/)
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Hives look all right, but what's up with that green stuff on the ground?
I looked at my hives today, and they all had more bees that that on top of the frames, but I have a feeling the clusters are jammed against the lid.
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They were actually bringing in a tan and a red pollen today.
I was surprised at how big these clusters were. I split the deeps and it was like that all the way down onto the bottom deep.
Green stuff, yep, its coming up everywhere along fence rows and ditches.
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GREEN with jealousy! :D
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"what's up with that green stuff on the ground? "
............. :D :D :D
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We've had a green lawn all winter. Lots of nice rain. Sure looks nicer than this last summer with the drought and smoke in the air.
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I had to stop while walking by the hives today. I figured with all this activity, they're still surviving all right. I put some syrup out, but they're not on it too much today. The temperature was 56F. (please pardon the shaky phone photography).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXr_dZkfi1E
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Nice hive, what I would do with it now, Bridge in an extra hive body. Give the queen more room to lay. I hate to see you loose it. This hive will make a couple nucs in the spring if you can save it. Open the brood nest now.
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Hmmm, I wonder if I should do this? bridge in another hive body.... I don't know how to determine when to put on another medium, this time of year. I'll start a new topic.
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I'd say don't do anything at all till you see the first dandelion. (except maybe feed)
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That's actually 2 different hives. All my out yard hives are like that. Really strong.
My plan is to pull the queen out of each one of these out yard hives and put in nucs. Then let the mother hive raise a new queen. There main flow will not start until soybeans and cotton start blooming, probably July. By then all these hives will be built back up ready to go with new queens. I have around 22 of these in out yards. so if all goes as planned that will be 22 nucs started with overwintered queens.
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""I don't know how to determine when to put on another medium, this time of year. I'll start a new topic.""
This time of year, YOU DON'T.
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Yankee- "so if all goes as planned that will be 22 nucs started with overwintered queens.-
So are you gonna sell those nucs?
Iddee- "This time of year, YOU DON'T.
It's just that this 65 degree weather has got me swarm spooked. Perry says it's the length of the day that will amp up the bees and queen. I'm gonna have to bank on that I guess :-\
Pete- "I'd say don't do anything at all till you see the first dandelion. (except maybe feed)
Thanks Pete, I forgot the first danelion rule, That Helps!
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looks like a scary amount of brood to me, winter is NOT over.
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I will hold the queens in the nucs until the i can verify that the new queens get mated successfully. If not, I can combine nucs back the hives that didn't get a returned mated queen.
And yes, probably sell some.
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You have drones?
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So i dont know this rule of dandelion if some one would like to share? I did see one but it was in that garden yard that is a bit protected by the stock aid fence. The buds on our maple tree is tarting to crack so soon the bees will have maple pollen to store. wensday and thursday temp will be back into 30's So i am not sure about what to do for spring for these guys.
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Owing to our uncertain weather and expected lower than average temps I am only offering loose pollen in a central feeder, my elm is handling the rest, and I cautiously put 1:1 on Saturday, when I found my broodheavy fall hive had indeed died out
going thru the hives today to see what is left in the other 2. doing the hot one last. I have seen them out working dandelions around here. Dry air cools much colder and much faster and heats much hotter and much faster. The drought is hurting my bees. Are you getting rain?
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not much there are wispers of snow for thursday but temps will only hit a low of 34 so should melt and help with the moisture situation. when should i start looking at treating for mites? This my first spring with a winterized hive so asking lots of Q's and a greenhorn should.
Sorry to hear of your lose. It dose tug at your heart when you put so much into them and then enjoy the whole process.
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Yes. Been getting rain. I know we will a few more cold snaps but i think they should be able to handle
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No drones. I wont be pulling queens until they are getting ready to swarm.
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when should i start looking at treating for mites?
A lot of different mite treatments are temperature sensitive. Read the labels and decide which one you think would be best for you and the best time to use it.
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Rain/snow tonight then 60 on Sunday. Wow.
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yes. that's what Texas has too, only my 60's come on Saturday
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Yankee- "No drones. I wont be pulling queens until they are getting ready to swarm.
This last couple of weeks, I've seen two drones wandering out on the front porch.... could this be a sign of potential swarming?
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I am a bit puzzled with all the concern and consternation over "getting in" there this early. ??? I realize that all beekeeping is location sensitive, but folks, it's just past the middle of JANUARY! Unless I am completely out to lunch here, no one should be worried at this point about losing swarms.
The only concern that I would have is running out of stores. This can be checked by simply hefting without disturbing the inner sanctum.
If you are not seeing any nectar coming in, or any amount of pollen as well, it is extremely unlikely you have to concern yourself with swarming.
Same holds true for doing splits or making nucs, you have to let these colonies build up a "critical mass" before you go in there and weaken them by pulling nucs or doing splits. Like someone mentioned earlier, catching them before they swarm is ideal (maybe cutting it close, but I often do). Pulling nucs or doing splits before they are ready sets everything back.
As far as temps go, if you are only occasionally seeing temps above 60, then don't go rooting around in there a bunch. I would be waiting until those temps are consistently above 60 F.
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Okay :) Nice explaination. See, last early spring I was on the run with swarming, others as well. So there was a lot of info posted about swarming. I'm still learning about this process. One of the posts last spring was saying that swarming can be planned by the bees weeks in advance.
I do know not to get into the hives until the consistent 60's weather arrives. However, I am listening to other posts about signs of swarming, outside the hive.
Now you know that I have insubordinate bees, so nothing would surprises me at this point ~ :D
Are there signs that we as beeks can look for outside the hive to help us get ready for impending swarming.
Right now, my bees are packing in a lot of pollen, for each 10 bees that return to the hive, 3-5 are packed with pollen. And I'm seeing drones out on the porches.
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Thanks Pete, I forgot the first danelion rule, That Helps!
Hey! Fill me in on the 'first dandilion rule', please. I saw some a couple weeks ago :eek:
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"Right now, my bees are packing in a lot of pollen, for each 10 bees that return to the hive, 3-5 are packed with pollen. And I'm seeing drones out on the porches. "
jen, not familiar with your area, i have a couple questions; what are your temps, what is blooming for the bees to gather pollen from, and when (sorry i can't remember) did your swarming start last season?
if you are seeing pollen, and drones, (unless overwintered) your queens have started brood rearing. probably not unusual for your climate, just guessing.
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Yea, all I am doing right now is feeding a little. I have only pulled a couple of frames from 1 or 2 hives at this point. I am jut wanting to e\get my hives started building up.
No splits or nucs until hives are ready. I like full boxes of bees and brood before pulling anything. But that means I sometimes miss and away they go :)
But this year "I" have a plan.....Hear that ladies?