« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Bees up top already?!?  (Read 2824 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Zweefer

  • Administrator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 1831
  • Thanked: 165 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Eau Claire WI
Bees up top already?!?
« on: November 29, 2014, 05:15:10 pm »
I was out fixing a tarp on my boat next to my hives, and looked over to see bees through the upper exit. 
Went over and took the top medium off (insulation) and found the bees on top of the frames, but still below the fondant I left. 
I'm assuming they chimneyed straight up...
Not that there is anything I can do with high temps I the low 20's but any words of encouragement would be nice?

My current plan is to check every two weeks now to see if they need more fondant.

Logged
Keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.
Henry David Thoreau

Offline Perry

  • Global Moderator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 7382
  • Thanked: 390 times
  • Gender: Male
    • Brandt's Bees
  • Location: Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia
Re: Bees up top already?!?
« Reply #1 on: November 29, 2014, 05:30:01 pm »
Not to worry. I often have hives that are heavy and still find the bees hanging about up top. It seems some hives just do. On those I often do as you suggest, making sure there is fondant on top and then I monitor it every few weeks to see if they are actually using it.
Logged
"It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor."      
Forum Supporter

Offline Jen

  • Platinum Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10175
  • Thanked: 240 times
  • Gender: Female
  • Location: Upper California
Re: Bees up top already?!?
« Reply #2 on: November 29, 2014, 05:43:12 pm »
So Zweef, to bees ate the honey up thru the middle of the honey super, and are now where the fondant is...??
Logged
There Is Peace In The Queendom

Offline Zweefer

  • Administrator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 1831
  • Thanked: 165 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Eau Claire WI
Re: Bees up top already?!?
« Reply #3 on: November 29, 2014, 06:09:13 pm »
Thanks Perry!

It's too cold for me to even think of opening up the hive, so unsure of the honey left in the supers. But yes Jen, they are at the fondant.
Logged
Keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.
Henry David Thoreau

Offline Dunkel

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 544
  • Thanked: 33 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: under the bank in KY
Re: Bees up top already?!?
« Reply #4 on: November 29, 2014, 08:29:23 pm »
Had a few cases last year where the cluster moved up early and stayed up.  Just so happened they were hives with sugar cakes on top.  They left honey down below.  Kind of made me wonder about putting sugar on early.
Logged

Offline Riverrat

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2169
  • Thanked: 56 times
  • Location: oxford kansas
Re: Bees up top already?!?
« Reply #5 on: November 29, 2014, 08:32:15 pm »
Its actually fairly common. As long as they have stores and a few days every now and then to beak cluster they will be fine. ;)
Logged
"no man ever stood so tall as one that  stoops to help a child"

Forum Supporter

Offline riverbee

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 8924
  • Thanked: 410 times
  • Gender: Female
  • ***Forum Sponsor***
  • Location: El Paso Twp, Wisconsin
Re: Bees up top already?!?
« Reply #6 on: November 29, 2014, 08:43:21 pm »
zweef, what perry and rat said.......... ;)
Logged
i keep wild things in a box..........™
if you obey the rules, you miss all the fun.....katherine hepburn
Forum Sponsor

Offline Jen

  • Platinum Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10175
  • Thanked: 240 times
  • Gender: Female
  • Location: Upper California
Re: Bees up top already?!?
« Reply #7 on: November 29, 2014, 11:39:22 pm »
Zweef- "It's too cold for me to even think of opening up the hive, so unsure of the honey left in the supers. But yes Jen, they are at the fondant.

     I am of the mind that they want to eat the lesser perfect food now, and save the real stuff for the deepest part of winter  :)
Logged
There Is Peace In The Queendom

Offline pistolpete

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 786
  • Thanked: 20 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Chilliwack, British Columbia
Re: Bees up top already?!?
« Reply #8 on: November 30, 2014, 12:00:50 am »
all of my hives were at the top of the hive for the start of this winter.  In my most populous hive they even filled the space on top of the inner cover with bees.  The top two inches of the cluster are just the insulating layer of bees anyway.   
Logged
My advice: worth price charged :)

Offline Zweefer

  • Administrator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 1831
  • Thanked: 165 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Eau Claire WI
Re: Bees up top already?!?
« Reply #9 on: December 02, 2014, 08:52:40 pm »
Went to check and they were gone.  Must have gotten warm enough to head back to the better stores.
Logged
Keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.
Henry David Thoreau
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »