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Author Topic: How long can bees survive Sub 0 Temps?  (Read 3078 times)

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Offline gtrr4

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How long can bees survive Sub 0 Temps?
« on: February 23, 2015, 07:23:14 am »
Just curious if anyone knows this?  I only ask as this past week I had Temps below 0 at night not including windchill.  This cominh week has 4 of 5 nights below 0 again for Lows.  How long can the girls endure this type of continious environment?

Jason
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Offline iddee

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Re: How long can bees survive Sub 0 Temps?
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2015, 07:27:54 am »
As long as they can stay dry and keep the temp. up inside the hive. Normally, until they run out of food or get wet from condensation.
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: How long can bees survive Sub 0 Temps?
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2015, 08:49:52 am »
What Iddee said...
  My bees lasted from mid November to mid February last year with about three forays in temp above 0, but not above freezing.
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Offline gtrr4

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Re: How long can bees survive Sub 0 Temps?
« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2015, 12:51:10 pm »
OK, I will keep my fingers corssed that they were held up in some good honey stores.  Next week should have a couple days where they will be able to get out.  I am anxious to see hey they held up.
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Offline LogicalBee

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Re: How long can bees survive Sub 0 Temps?
« Reply #4 on: February 23, 2015, 03:54:30 pm »
Your northern neighbor says not long! 

This kind of sustained cold takes a heavy toll on the bees unless everything is perfect in your hives.  Unfortunately that is not usually the case.  I've had plenty of dead outs with honey still in the hive.  When it's this cold for this long (3 of the Great Lakes completely iced over), it can get too cold to move to new stores and they simply freeze to death.  The smaller the colony the quicker they tend to freeze out.  Anything you can do to keep the extreme cold off the bees is good.   
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