Author Topic: Alaska Bee Keeping (Read 109074 times)

RAST · « **Reply #360 on:** November 19, 2020, 08:33:48 am »

Reading the website it is Yukon area in western Canada.

yukonjeff · « **Reply #361 on:** November 19, 2020, 11:59:39 pm »

Yea that's what I figured. Thats about 1000 miles away from here.

yukonjeff · « **Reply #362 on:** December 26, 2020, 03:09:01 am »

Merry Christmas.

All four boxes still buzzing. We have only gotten down to about -12 f. so far.

RAST · « **Reply #363 on:** December 26, 2020, 09:45:54 am »

Felt like that to me here in Florida @ 27f this morning. Yes I'm a crybaby about cold weather.

Zweefer · « **Reply #364 on:** December 27, 2020, 08:48:19 am »

Hang in there all! At least the days are getting longer!

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Bakersdozen · « **Reply #365 on:** December 27, 2020, 09:50:34 am »

That's great, yukonjeff! Fingers crossed for you and your bees! Happy New Year!

yukonjeff · « **Reply #366 on:** January 20, 2021, 03:10:58 am »

Thanks Guys. Still alive so far.

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #367 on:** January 20, 2021, 10:43:43 am »

Wow! Did you measure that stack of snow on top? I'm curious.
I am also wondering if you dig the snow away from the entrance so that air can flow and reduce the condensation inside?

yukonjeff · « **Reply #368 on:** January 21, 2021, 02:18:48 am »

No sorry I didn't but the snow is about knee deep on the level ground. The snow on top has melted down and blow away some.

And no I didn't dig the snow away from the entrance. They keep a small cave melted in front of it, but the moisture should be going up into my quilt box if its working properly. Three inch hole in the inner cover to vent moisture up into the grass.

Our weather is warming up to 33 f tomorrow I am tempted to pop the top and change the grass and peek down the hole and see how the sugar brick is doing and maybe put a feed jar on for a day.

Zweefer · « **Reply #369 on:** January 21, 2021, 08:26:08 am »

Glad to hear things are going well!
The feed jar - will they take it? As I understand it bees will not take feed below 55F... ow in your experience, so they take it so fast it is gone before it can cool?

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yukonjeff · « **Reply #370 on:** January 22, 2021, 04:21:30 am »

I warm the jar of syrup every day, they will take some until it cools too much. Or they wont if they are in cluster. ie too cold.

Well we have warmer weather, I popped the top on one and checked the grass, It was a bit damp on the edges but nice and dry when I dug down to the feed jar hole. I could see down and saw the sugar brick with bees walking around on top, so I didn't put the feed jar on. I am waiting to see bees instead of the sugar brick then I will feed.

Zweefer · « **Reply #371 on:** January 26, 2021, 09:09:51 am »

Lookin good!

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yukonjeff · « **Reply #372 on:** February 16, 2021, 08:54:08 pm »

Well we warmed up to +35 the other day and got to pop the lids and dry the grass in the quilt boxes. Was pretty dry just some frost and damp around the edges.

This is the double deep.

This is a single deep

Looks like plenty of honey still. Hope they can hang on another two months.

MudSongs · « **Reply #373 on:** February 17, 2021, 11:34:37 am »

Jeff -- how damp does the dry grass get?

I assume it's a shallow-like quilt box full of dry grass over the inner cover, with a screened inner cover hole and no ventilation holes on the sides or anywhere else?

The insides of your hives look pretty dry.

It looks great, and I do something similar, though I don't think it would work as well in my climate. Today, for instance, I've got 100km winds (62mph) blowing freezing drizzle off the ocean all over my hives. My hives would be soaked to the bone (and I've seen it) without extra ventilation up top. A great deal of the humidity in my hives comes from the outside environment, not just from the bees breathing and eating honey.

With the sugar cakes you've got up top (looks similar to what I do, a 12:1 sugar-to-water mix), do you get much sugar dumped to the bottom of the hives?

yukonjeff · « **Reply #374 on:** February 17, 2021, 01:56:40 pm »

Mudsongs

The grass on the edge got frosted and then damp when it thawed out, but for the most part it stays dry in the middle.

Its a medium with a 3'' screened feed jar hole. No other holes in the box for ventilation.

The inside of the hive was good and dry, even the inner cover.

The bees wont throw out sugar until spring. They are not working in the hive in winter, they are in cluster mostly and not throwing anything out. It probably helps absorb moisture as well. The bricks have to be completely dry before you put them on , they cant throw it out then.

I am 70 miles from the Bering Sea, we get alot of high winds and damp weather as well as very cold temps at times. I think eliminating the holes in your quilt boxes and no upper entrance would go along way in keeping your hive dry. Dont let in the moisture.

MudSongs · « **Reply #375 on:** February 20, 2021, 08:50:03 am »

Quote from: yukonjeff on February 17, 2021, 01:56:40 pm

I am 70 miles from the Bering Sea, we get alot of high winds and damp weather as well as very cold temps at times. I think eliminating the holes in your quilt boxes and no upper entrance would go along way in keeping your hive dry. Dont let in the moisture.

That's interesting. Adding extra ventilation up top is what keep my hives dry. Moisture gets in from the outside environment, but it's quickly wicked away through my ventilation rim. Nevertheless, I see how your set up would work too. I'm going to make a note to try that with one of my hives next winter and see how it plays out.

yukonjeff · « **Reply #376 on:** March 04, 2021, 03:26:50 am »

Good luck Mudsongs. It should work there.

Hoping for a cleansing flight in about another month. They have not been out of the box since late October.

yukonjeff · « **Reply #377 on:** April 11, 2021, 05:18:50 pm »

While you all are enjoying spring weather and pollen coming in, package bees, winter is still hanging on in the great white north. It was -15 F two nights ago but has since warmed up considerably to about +34 now. Unfortunately that warm always comes with a very bad storm here, two singles are buried today. they were all still buzzing two days ago so all Alive I believe. No cleansing flight yet. Hopefully this coming week.
I will dig them out after the storm is over, so they can fly if it warms up.

yukonjeff · « **Reply #378 on:** April 16, 2021, 09:32:51 pm »

Well we warmed up to +34 F so I unwrapped the hives and scraped the bottom boards. Put a feed jar on watched my bees fly today. All four made it this year. I am happy beekeeper now. Didn't have to buy package bees.

iddee · « **Reply #379 on:** April 16, 2021, 09:44:25 pm »

Congratulations. Job well done.