Checked hives

[Bamabww]

So far all of my 5 hives have made it. They are bringing in some of the grayest pollen I have ever seen. Our maples aren't blooming yet but are very close.

[Marbees]

Jim, sorry to hear that

Wonder if Mr. Bush ever mentioned his winter losses in any of his books....

[LazyBkpr]

That wasn't my statement Iddee, but at this point I believe in it strongly.. I "had" 4 deep south packages..   ONE of them made it through last winter, It died this winter 2 inches from honey. The rest of my hives are still kicking. The rest of my hives are northern bred or feral bees.. When I see something, or have something happen to me personally it makes believing otherwise difficult.
    Tim Wilbanks whos father is Reg from Wilbanks Apiaries in Claxton Georgia has convinced me to try the Georgia bees, so I have two packages coming to compare them to my survivors. He did indeed say that reputable breeders import outside genetics from northern breeders to insure this problem does not happen..  so it may well be that the four packages I purchased were from someone who did not take similar measures.
   Compounding my problem, is that prominent members of two of the local clubs where I attend meetings, denounce the ability of "southern" bees to survive here, as did the gentleman I helped care for his bees for over eleven years. So I come with predefined prejudices..  I am always open to learning and changing, which is why I have Georgia bees and Tennessee queens ordered. I am not going to leave that to chance, so just in case, I also have northern queens coming.
   So it will be interesting to see first hand the differences when winter again forces the bees into a cluster.

[Bakersdozen]

I finally got a chance to check two hives that are about an hour away.  Both doing great.  One was a package last year and the other is a strong split I made.  I had placed fondant on them in December and glad I did.  I put more emergency food on today, using the mountain camp method.  It was way too windy to do anything more.  These two along with the two in my back yard gives me 4 out of 4 hives doing well, so far. 
Knock on wood.

[iddee]

Lazy, if it wasn't, someone hacked your account.

""Wonder what percentage of these losses were direct descendants of southern package queens and not requeened before winter?""

Reply # 11.

[Gary]

Lost 2 of 12 hives. One with 40 pounds of honey and 4 sugar patties placed on 15 January. Several 60 degree days and the queen went into high gear. Then a string of days  in the single digits and below zero. Nearly 5 frames of eggs, pupae and larvae. Too much for the cluster to cover.
The other one puzzles me. Huge pile of dead bees on the bottom board and in front of the entrance on the ground, 45 pounds of honey, 3 winter patties, just a little brood, and very few dead bees on the comb anywhere. They were in very good shape two weeks ago. 3 day mite count was only 17 last October so not a problem there. Late reaction to pesticides?   

[brooksbeefarm]

Perry, the other 3 that i loss were weak hives that i should have combined, but with all the early snow on i couldn't get to them. I still have 42 more to check, i would be happy with only 15% loss, time will tell and this is the time of year when you lose them. Jack

[G3farms]

Lazy who did you order queens from in TN?

[blueblood]

Lazy, I am following your line of thinking.  I have only finished two complete seasons with bees and have already concluded my feral bees are the ones making it through the winters.  My packaged bees...not so much.  Those feral bees are really acclimated to being up here in the cold in my opinion.

Jim, I don't wrap my hives.  But, It was a harsh winter for us here wasn't it. 

[iddee]

If you are talking ferals VS. packages, I'll always be on your side. IMHO, ferals caught down south will be better than packages with southern queens. I also think ferals caught up north will be better than packages with introduced northern queens. I think bees will always do better with blood related queens.

All mine are ferals and I lost one of five so far. It was 15 plus years old and never been treated.

[LazyBkpr]

she informed me that the winter had been severe and she had personally experience a largest loss of bees.  she also works in a Dadant store and she say reports of high winter death losses are mounting by the day.... some as high as 80%.

The manager of our Dadant store up the road is from Wisconsin i think.

Wonder what percentage of these losses were direct descendants of southern package queens and not requeened before winter? It would be common sense that if something is continually genetically selected down in florida somewhere for generations. The ability to handle themselves in winter conditions could be completely eliminated from their genepool.

There is an area bout 20 minutes from me that has four colonies and that's it as far as i know. They are an old line of bees that have made it through the mites and everything else.

Two of those four are dead right now since last year. Might not be but one alive this spring.

Two colonies are in an old 1800s farm house and one each in two more old houses. One of those old houses goes back to the late 1800s most likely.

They got alot of swarming to do to catch back up. but i'm supposed to get a call up there when a swarm is hangin. I'd like to give the genepool a try anyway.

   Yeah, I copied and pasted it from Ralphs post, I just didnt quote who it was from.. Post #10 sorry for the confusion...   

[blueblood]

Lazy, I like your signature, ha! I have read over it until now....yes, Pirate!

[G3farms]

A pirate ye may be, but better not be a sailing yor ship down the road!


Especially around Dave!

[LazyBkpr]

Nope. dont do that anymore when in Pirate mode.. Daves cohorts don't have the forgiveness they did when I was a kid.. Back then, you were given a ride home and told NOT to go get that car till the next day.. now .. DO NOT PASS GO, do not collect 200 dollars, go straight to jail.
     Was also a day I knew my wonderful lady would come get me...  WAS, being the key word here...

[G3farms]

LOL pirate mode. LOL