my first winterized hive?

[mamapoppybee]

So this is my first go round starting a spring season from a winterized hive. What do i need be doing, planning for, and watching for? temps today were near 69! So i went to do a bit of a hive watch and to what do my eyes see pollen in there baskets! So advice tips tricks in the arena would be of great help?

[iddee]

Step 1...  Lift back of hive to check for weight.
If light, feed.

If heavy, go to step 2.

Step 2... Find new recipes for cooking with honey.

[Gypsi]

hahaha.  we have more cold coming, step 1 is important. I'm inspecting mine as soon as I light smoker

[tedh]

I'm right there with ya mamma.  I've noticed there are MANY books for beginner beeks, how to start a hive etc., yet nothing I can find for 2nd year folks.  I had a conversation last week or so with Scott asking the same questions.  I'd like to say "we've done it!"  Getting a hive through the first winter (the jury is still out on that here), but, what now?  My whole goal in 2014 was to have live bees in 2015.  What is it we should be doing, learning, looking for THIS year?  For me, I'm going to try reading more on bee biology, making a split or two, and yes maybe even try to raise a queen or two.  Ted

[Slowmodem]

I'm right there with ya mamma.  I've noticed there are MANY books for beginner beeks, how to start a hive etc., yet nothing I can find for 2nd year folks.  I had a conversation last week or so with Scott asking the same questions.  I'd like to say "we've done it!"  Getting a hive through the first winter (the jury is still out on that here), but, what now?  My whole goal in 2014 was to have live bees in 2015.  What is it we should be doing, learning, looking for THIS year?  For me, I'm going to try reading more on bee biology, making a split or two, and yes maybe even try to raise a queen or two.  Ted

I'd suggest looking at swarm prevention, too.  (unless that's what you want)

[Gypsi]

What I did to my double deep hive was initially set aside the top box with lid on a hive sized flat board. and go through the bottom box to discover what I expected, almost no stores and almost no bees downstairs.  THen I went through the top box enough to size up the honey situation (4 very heavy full deep frames) and determine the queen is laying, some of the comb is a mess.  I detached it from a side wall put a solid plasticell frame between the tangled comb and the side, and got out of there gracefully.  Then removed bottom box from bottom board, set the top on the bottom board, put the bees on the board (heaven forbid one could have been the queen) upside down on the new "bottom box" where the brood were, and after a minute, gently used a brush to send them home. PUt the old bottom box on top, put on inner cover with its sugar brick and covering medium, put the jar feeder on it, and covered with the telescoping lid (which still has a styrofoam sheet inside it.)

I have had good success with this in the past.  Less invasive than "checkerboarding" Puts brood bees and honey all in one place so if they have to go into cluster they can hopefully reach stores.  If the outer frames had had honey in them I would have shuffled them toward the center, leaving brood in absolute middle or wherever the bees put it.

Hope this helps.  A LOT of hives starve in February or March here as it often is warm in December and January and they eat up their stores.  I don't think I robbed this hive last year at all, their stores are pretty good but I feel they will be better able to reach them and less likely to swarm because of what I did today.

[tedh]

Slow:  I was hoping the splits would relieve any swarming tendency.  Ted

[Ray4852]

If you saw pollen going into your hive, that’s good news. You have a queen. Follow iddee advice. My advice. Treat for mites as soon as possible.

[iddee]

Biggest thing to remember. More bees starve the last 2 or 3 weeks before the flow starts than all the rest of the year together. The queen has ramped up laying, and there are 20,000 more hungry mouths to feed, right when the stored food is at it's lowest.

[Gypsi]

on 2nd thought I'm pulling the now empty top box OFF my double deep and replacing it with a box of stores from the freezer, so I can spray that empty comb with BT.  Just in case we get another cold snap after fleas start to hatch.

[LazyBkpr]

THat was going to be my question.. is winter OVER where your at?

[Gypsi]

some years winter is over before Feb 1st, some years it is over April 1st, and I never know which.  Have thawed all the comb but got stuck in bookkeeping today, couldn't pull that box off for BT spray. 

I don't have trees pruned or wildflower seeds in yet, my broccoli has a few crowns, one is small and had a couple of blooms on it yesterday. we are forecast for a rain snow mix on Friday morning but with a high of 50 and a low in the 30's winter is a bit hard to define around here.

In other words who the heck knows, I prep bees for freezing and 90's in the spring, never know which one we will get.  Arkansas is close to the same I think

[LazyBkpr]

heh I can understand that..

   I would recommend NOT reversing, and in fact, not doing anything until     "winter"     was over. So long as they have reserves?  If they have honey around and or above them then let them be bees.

   for example..   Here, we dont plant until memorial day, which will be MAY 25th this year..   I use planting as a general GUIDE to when Spring is officially here..
   However, that does not mean that I leave my bees wrapped and keep sugar cakes on the hives until then.

   I know, that when March arrives, we will be getting some flight days.  I still dont unwrap the hives or remove the sugar cakes. I DO put the pollen sub out on good days for the bees.
   April arrives, and we get more days. I know, that in April, the temps are on the upswing..  We MAY still get snow and freezing days, but the chances are much less..  After the first week of April, when we get a 60 degree nice sunny day, I will finally de winterize.
   I will unwrap the hives, inspect, clean the bottom boards, rotate boxes, remove any remaining sugar cakes etc..   Dandelions are about to bloom, dutch clover is popping, Maples and locust are blooming etc..  The FLOW is arriving!  I give the bees another week or so to re organize, and then I will begin slapping the supers on the hives.  Hives that are getting an undrawn super also get syrup.   
   Another week or sometimes even TWO as they build up after winter, then I start the one week insspections. Usually QUICK inspections, looking for queen cells and swarm prep.   

     Might be more information that you were looking for, and or not enough?   In general this is what I do..  Second year, is much like EVERY year.  The only difference is that I LOOK at my spring colonies, and my notes form last year. I pick out the colonies I like best, and then I make queens and replace ALL of the queens I think did not make the grade.  It might only be a few queens.. It might be a large percentage of them if I have one queen that was astonishing in productivity gentleness and resistance.

   I hope that was helpful!