Alaska Bee Keeping

[riverbee]

keith thanks for the photos.  we purchased labeled fireweed honey while in alaska, somewhere on our way to girdwood and talkeetna. one jar was almost clear and one jar was similar to the color of the light golden color in your last photo. wish we had purchased more and sent it back to ourselves!

[yukonjeff]

When  I robbed the two frames the Fireweed had been done for about two weeks, but it seamed they were still coming in loaded. Could of been the small goldenrod we have here but I didn't see much of it, and that could of been mixed in. Along with pollen ? see the picture the yellow daisy pollen they were tracking in. That was about the same time.

I believe  if I super and extract at the right time next summer I can get pretty pure Fireweed honey, I would still say this its mostly Fireweed since I watched them work it pretty much exclusively. I don't think it would take much of another nectar source to taint a clear color of honey and give it tinted color.

I will watch closer next year and take some varied samples.

I have a question since you are honey judge. Do you ever see cat willow honey ? is there a such thing ? How is it ?  We have nothing but willow and alder and cottonwood here and plenty of it, I thought I saw my bees coming in loaded from something and nothing was blooming yet this early spring, and had nectar in the frames.

[apisbees]

"Do you ever see cat willow honey ? is there a such thing ? How is it ?  We have nothing but willow and alder and cottonwood here and plenty of it, I thought I saw my bees coming in loaded from something and nothing was blooming yet this early spring, and had nectar in the frames."
It is one of the first nectar and pollen sources. It is what pushes the bees to get into heavy brood production in the early spring. Some of it's pollen gets saved but any nectar it produces gets used by the bees for colony build up and if any was stored by the time the bees get through the dandelion flows, Its stronger flavor will over power it. So although the beekeepers doesn't get to taste any of its honey, it is a very important honey plant for the bees.

[yukonjeff]

Thanks. We have so much willow here I am thinking they might be able to fill supers after they plug the brood nest. Like I said every bush here is willow or alder. My package hive swarmed on me two years ago in June. Less than 30 days in the box.

[yukonjeff]

Well I put my bees to bed, we have had a small amount of snow for two weeks now and temps not bad, still 20-35 degrees.we are getting rain again now so winter is late again this year.
I used those wraps ,and I think they will really make a difference.





I put on a 3 " shim and a sugar block at 20 degrees with no smoke,..... bad Idea. had to go light the smoker.  lol

I stuffed a medium super packed with dry grass above them and have the feed hole open to vent into the grass, I can change it out anytime it gets damp.

 

[Lburou]

Is that entrance cover made of birch bark?

Good luck Jeff 

[riverbee]

thanks jeff, enjoyed the pix......., especially the first one of your wrapped hives and the moon? pretty cool!

wish you the best on overwintering your bees!

[yukonjeff]

Thanks Lee, yes  that's birch bark arctic entry way   they get hit with the stormy south wind pretty fierce on the hill there.

And Thanks Riverbee .One note on these Russians is they went to bed on their own around the middle of September, and go totally quiet, no buzzing at all, my  Russian hive last year did the same. They were alive when I checked.

My two main hives are very strong when I pulled the inner covers the  third deep was packed with bees on both hives and they were all over the sugar brick, both had been treated twice with MAQS once in July and once in September.  They were fed all they would take and then some,Hopefully we will have a short mild winter and live bees in the spring.
 

[Perry]

Not much to forage on here anymore. Soon time to wrap and then the beekeepers season of worrying begins (we all do it).

[yukonjeff]

Well the last fly day here was Nov. 13 since then we have had some snow and a lot of nasty storms.



Looks like we are getting some snow this year.





This is how high our sun gets this time of year. We are still losing daylight so gets even lower on the horizon yet.




 Now its a long cold wait till April. Good luck to all and Happy Thanksgiving.

[Perry]

You've done all that you can do. Time to set back, grab a few bee mags and maybe a catalogue or 2 and dream about next year.

[yukonjeff]

Getting plenty of snow this year. No temps below 10 F yet, so warm winter so far here.
Wondering if I should clear the upper entrance or leave it blown in.

[riverbee]

you could jeff if you are concerned about it.... if it get's iced up, just take a hive tool and clear the ice away.

"One note on these Russians is they went to bed on their own around the middle of September, and go totally quiet, no buzzing at all, my  Russian hive last year did the same. They were alive when I checked."

pretty true, just later in the season for me, and had to get used to not hearing much when clustered. but they do ramp up if you knock on the hive.
i do use a stethoscope, my hearing is not all that great, to listen for the 'silent' hum.

thanks jeff for the great photos!

[Lburou]

...Wondering if I should clear the upper entrance or leave it blown in...?

The main thing is make sure there is some air circulation.  Air will go through fluffy snow but not crusted snow.  I have heard that the Aleuts and Eskimos have 50 different words describing different types of snow, do you think that is true?  Saw one of your youtube videos of ice fishing, it looked pretty cold to me.   

[gibb]

The Sami people have 180 different words for snow.

[Lburou]

The Sami people have 180 different words for snow.

Interesting!  My grandmother was Swedish and Norweigen...The Sami must be cousins. 

[yukonjeff]

Hi Guys. Sorry ,have not been on in awhile was in Thailand and then got home to bad internet for the last few weeks.

I appreciate all the comments.

 Update : Had wolves come in and check my hives, they are about 75 yards from my house.
 I do hear bees in the two big hives when I checked yesterday so they are alive. I am also seeing a few bees in the snow, so some are coming out not sure thats good.

We have only gotten down to - 4 F and mostly in the 20s all winter, but bad storms and high winds weekly and not much sunshine.





I think the bees are taking care of the upper entrance, no need for me to worry.



I cant hear nothing in the Nucs and I figure they were too small to make it anyway so not much faith in them at this point.

[Bakersdozen]

We have only gotten down to - 4 F and mostly in the 20s all winter, but bad storms and high winds weekly and not much sunshine.



I cant hear nothing in the Nucs and I figure they were too small to make it anyway so not much faith in them at this point.

My gosh!  We have had colder weather here in Kansas City!  We always have winds. 
About the nuc...you might be pleasantly surprised.

[apisbees]

Loosing a few bees in the snow as the winter progresses is a good thing. The last of the summer bees will fly out of the hive on their own at the end of their life as to avoid the bees having to remove then from the hive later. It is a natural instinct that bee do not like to die in the hive.

[yukonjeff]

Thanks, Very interesting,and good to know. I was thinking my black hives might of warmed them up too much and sent them flying but we have not had hardly a sunny day all month, so I don't think they are getting much solar gain yet.

I am considering opening the big hives up and checking their sugar brick and adding another if needed, I hate for them to come boiling out again and die from the cold. I lost a couple cups of bees when I added the first ones in November.