Alaska Bee Keeping

[yukonjeff]

Well I pulled the top the other day and parted the straw and was able to look into the feed jar hole and see they were quite active and acting like it was summer time in there. And also all I could see was about a golf ball size piece of sugar block left that I put on this fall.

So I made two more bricks and want to add them but hate the idea of bees flying out only to perish in moments in our temps.
I am wonder if opening them up in colder weather would be better if they would be as active and want to fly out ?

 

Bee yard visitor



I also saw spring package prices, one supplier is charging $240 ! a package and I still have another $30 in freight to get them here, so I am hoping my two big hives make it this year.

[Bakersdozen]

"I wonder if opening them up in cold weather would be better if they would be as active and want to fly out?" 
The alternative might be starvation.  How sad it would be if you got them this far to only have them starve in February or March.  As long as they are not clustered, I would risk a quick dash in to install a sugar brick. 

[yukonjeff]

 Thanks,yes your right, my thoughts as well. I will pop it open for a quick change out, I was wondering if the low temps might kill the cluster  last time I opened up without at 20 degrees ,had to go light the smoker . I will keep one lit and handy in case.

Some interesting side notes, when I popped the top at 35  F (warm spell here ) the grass was wet up by the outer cover but as I dug down to the feed jar hole where I expected the moisture to vent, it was nice and dry.

That warm day I also watched water run out the lower entrance, must of been from the frost on the walls melting.


The lid was soaked, so changed it out with a dry one. I imagine foam insulation might help that.






 A few came out the other day at 35 F several plunged to their demise as well.

[Lburou]

Well played Jeff, it seems like you are doing everything you can to keep them alive. 

Seeing the inside of your top cover, and reading your plan to put insulation in the top cover, I would guess you are doing everything possible for the bees' success.  That insulation on top may reduce moisture build up inside the hive, and hopefully, slow or eliminate water running out the entrance.  I know I didn't do as much for my bees in Eagle River and they made it through three winters before we moved back to the lower 48.

Best Regards,

Leeb

[yukonjeff]

Thanks Lee, If it weren't for you and others on this forum, I would of had a box of dead bees along time ago. This is all learn as I go.

Well this morning at -10 F I decided to pop the covers and add sugar bricks, I was hoping the cooler temps would have them clustered and would not fly when I opened them up.And hoped as well the low temps would not kill them.

They were mostly deep down in the frames, but put out a pretty good roar. One hive I did have several guard bees come out at hit my hand but bounced off and hit the ground.

I did change out the lid do a dry one and mission accomplished.

   



Sugar brick was completely gone in one and one had a bit left.



Looked to be some capped honey left yet

[Lburou]

Jeff, you are the lead horse out there on the tundra, breaking trail is sometimes a lonesome job but somebody has to do it.  I've never read anything about keeping bees in your conditions.  That looks like ice on the front of those hives.  The frost on the inside of those hives concerns me, but it doesn't look like the bees are concerned about it.  Putting a dry top on them sounds like a great idea.   

[yukonjeff]

Thanks Lee. I wish I had another bee keeper here to compare my methods with.

Update: Well I was slow putting on a new sugar brick on one of my hives, and they ate up right through it and starved ,would of been their third brick this winter.

I am bummed because it was a strong hive. The other hive didn't even eat a third of theirs that was put on the same time.

When I added the last brick I noticed that when the hived rocked a bit , that is was very light. So they were living on sugar. I imagine my other big hive has nothing as well.

We had a warm winter again so they were active eating but able to move onto feed so that was good. I just need more to get them through winter next year.

I honestly think I can feed them sugar syrup and they will take it but don't want them to come out and fly and that's what they want to do after I feed them warm syrup in the fall it seams.

I sure hate to lose this last hive and hate even worse to order packages again, but looks like I am going to have to bite the bullet and see if I can still get a couple shipped out just in case.

Anyone ever fed syrup in wither before ?

[Lburou]

Jeff, sorry to hear about your loss.

I have a hive needing supplemental feed for their spring build up.  They now have both a sugar block and a frame feeder with sugar syrup.  Generally, the bees won't take the syrup below 50 degrees F.  Our temps are fluctuating now from 35-70 degrees, so, they will have whatever they want for now.

For next year, you can make some feeder boards to hold and feed larger amounts of sugar. You can use shallow supers or rip a deep super in two or three pieces.  The first picture shows a feeder made from 2X4's with a wire bottom only.  The second shows a luan bottom with a hole in the middle for access, (makes a nice spot for pollen substitute in the spring). I use 8 frame hives, so I can get away with the lual bottom at my location, wouldn't try it in AK, I would make a much larger hole or use wire for the entire bottom like the first picture.






HERE is a video showing how to make sugar boards. 

[yukonjeff]

That's AWSOME Lee !
I had that thought in my mind but needed to see a picture. I am thinking a Medium just like you have there might just do.

Thanks !

[Lburou]

That's AWSOME Lee !
I had that thought in my mind but needed to see a picture. I am thinking a Medium just like you have there might just do.

Thanks !

You want an almost air tight fit between the sugar board and hive bodies, so make sure the wire is accommodated with some kind of shelf on the bottom side of the board so you can fasten the wire and not interfere with the bottom edge of the sugar board (some may call it a feeding rim).

[yukonjeff]

I was thinking a inner cover with like a 12" hole cut out of the center.

Perhaps the box could be packed with damp sugar and dried so it would stay in, enough to set on the hive anyway. More to stew on.
Thanks again

[Lburou]

...Perhaps the box could be packed with damp sugar and dried so it would stay in, enough to set on the hive anyway. More to stew on.
Thanks again

Jeff, I added a link to a video showing how to pack the container with damp sugar to my last post.

[riverbee]

jeff,
i am not a fan of candy sugar boards, they may work for you or anyone else reading this or maybe for those in southern climates.
my own opinion, i just think feed ought to be placed directly on top of the frames for the bees to access, not through the inner cover or a wire screened 'candy board'. bees move up and will cluster on, around or below the feed.

how i do it is place 2 inch shims on my hives, and make sugar bricks to place in, no boiling, no complicated recipes or blowing up or setting your kitchen on fire or sugar spilled on the floor............ just simple bricks, dried before you set them in the hive........here is the thread:

SUGAR BRICKS
some great posts on this thread and some improvements to feed the bees during winter months.

also, one can use the 'mountain camp' method.  never tried this but beeks say this method works.

i prefer to use the 'bricks'.

would just like to say, thanks for joining up and being here.  i enjoy your posts, and i enjoy your pictures and just want to say THANK YOU!

[yukonjeff]

Thanks Again Lee. I will have a look.

Riverbee. I agree and don't plan on cooking any sugar. I have my bricks right on top of the bars with a three inch shim, but didn't check in time and was surprised they ate through the second brick so quick and starved.

Lesson learned. I hope to figure a better insurance policy I can add to it, so it never happens again. Was a nice strong hive, so was a waste that didn't need to happen.

And thanks I appreciate being here and enjoy reading yours and everyone's differing perspective's, Helps us new bee keeps out Alot.
So Thank You All. 

[Barbarian]

Jeff, thanks for your posts.
The two hives were fed equally yet one died.
Perhaps the problem is not with the feeding method.
Maybe the strain of the surviving hive is more suitable for your conditions,

At the end of the winter, I assess my remaining hives. I will try to avoid breeding from a hive that needed feeding or consumed a lot of stores.

[yukonjeff]

Thanks Barbarian.

I was mulling over the same thoughts. That particular queen, I thought was pretty good, But... was always behind the other hive. Even when I stole four frames from the other hive to start NUCS. The one I stole the frames from was still out preforming and made more honey than the dead hive.
So you could be right, It might be a blessing to have her gone.

If this last hive makes it, I am going to see if I can make another queen or two, she is a real trooper and would like to have another just like her.

Thanks again.

[riverbee]

i always look at/consider:
mite problem/mite associated viruses
queens
my neglect
environmental
combination of one or all of the above.
strongest hives typically succumb to mites or mite related viruses or in winter, cold starvation, loss of the queen.
losing strong hives really kicks my butt. losing any hive i don't like. i haven't had any losses for the past few years.
sometimes i find things with no answers. i have kept 3 deeps and followed doc spivaks u of m for keeping bees in northern climates. i have tried all sorts of different bee races. i settled on russkies.
i requeen when i think necessary, utilize swarm cells and/or let the bees requeen themselves.
i treat for mites when necessary. i didn't like the 3 deep thing and went back to 2 deeps.
i may be neglectful sometimes but i do pay attention to weather, what's blooming and what's not, pollen and nectar coming in and how my queens are doing, and mite loads. i equallize hives, and supplement for what looks to be needed.

i had a really strong hive that did puzzle me this year. (russian queen)
snarky as all get out and crazy for the past 3 years.
same queen, i marked her (i don't usually mark queens) great layer, great honey making hive. treated for mites.
hive busting at the seams going into winter again this year. almost added a third deep.
deep honey frames full, kept watching to put sugar bricks on.
one week shes there, open up the next week to add a shim and sugar bricks, not one bee to be found in the hive and it was october.
absconded.
not only this one but three others. open the hive, not one bee or dead bee in the hive.

i did everything right, or so i think.

so here's my synopsis.......we have two gas pipelines running through our property, and underneath a river that runs through our property. one of the gas pipelines was exposed this past spring during a flood. propane.
the pipeline had to be replaced and redrilled underneath the river bed.  it was an incredible experience to watch the process of how this is done.
the pipeline company had to mow down about 3 -4 acres or more of fall and late fall blooms that my bees would typically use for winter stores within the easement and more outside the easement (yes they paid) to replace the pipeline.
goldenrod, milkweed, asters etc...........
i watched when they mowed these floral sources down. thousands of bees in the air, and thousands of bees caught and lying dead. 
the pipelines i guess are about 300 yards from where my hives sit.
we had noisy equipment, trucks, and lights running 24-7 for almost 2 1/2 months.

i kept checking my hives because of the loss of the foraging.

dunno, but i think lost my hives to environmental reasons.

"At the end of the winter, I assess my remaining hives. I will try to avoid breeding from a hive that needed feeding or consumed a lot of stores."

barbarian, there are many factors for why bees need feed or consuming stores.
i will feed my bees when there is no incoming pollen/nectar sources. seems the past few years, late summers will create a feeding situation with warmer weather. not sure i wouldn't breed from these hives with great queens, because i have.........just saying,
we are not always dealt the best and do our best when it comes to keeping what we have going. 

[Lburou]

Jeff, I forget whether you have done anything with the dead hive or not...?  Maybe you could look for mites in that dead out? 

I lost a hive this Winter that had dwindled to 843 bees and died in a near 0 degree cold snap, (queen with no brood, no unhatched bees).  I put all those bees in an alcohol wash to count mites.  I brushed the bottom board debris onto a white surface and counted mites. Two of us counted Zero mites using a magnified light!  I saw a nickel sized spot on the comb near the dead queen's carcass showing some white mite feces, that must have been the site for the last brood to hatch .  Don't know where the mites went.  It would be interesting (not necessary) to know the mite load in your dead hive.  JMO 

[yukonjeff]

Sorry guys, we cant blame Mites on this one. I did two full MAQ treatment's. One was in early July right before the flow and another right after in Late August/early Sept.

I watched my first hive succumb to mites so was on the ball this year. (except dropped the ball later. lol)

The hive was roaring with bees the last time I put on a brick. I wish I would of thought to take a picture but you could see where they ate up through the sugar brick and died in a cluster right on the top bars where the sugar brick was. Just a ring of sugar left and a pile of dead bees.

I cleaned out the hive and not a lick of honey in the three deeps. bees are dead in the comb head first.

I am going to open up the nucs and have a look, I am pretty sure both are gone too, will regroup and wait for my two packages coming at the end of April and try again.
Fingers crossed I can keep the last hive in sugar for another month and a half.

[Barbarian]

Bees dead with head into the cells is usually a sign of starvation.

The mass of bees in the box could be a sign that the Q did not stop laying. More bees means need for more food.