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Author Topic: Cleaning Snow from the Entrances  (Read 7620 times)

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Offline blueblood

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Cleaning Snow from the Entrances
« on: December 06, 2013, 04:13:16 pm »
Drove back to the bee yard to check on the hives since the first significant winter storm of 2013 is under way. Cleaned the snow from the entrances. I am sure they were staying toasty warm in there, drinking warm honey and talking about the 2014 season. ;)
« Last Edit: December 06, 2013, 06:32:32 pm by blueblood »
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Offline iddee

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Re: Cleaning Snow from the Entrances
« Reply #1 on: December 06, 2013, 04:31:50 pm »
Why do you remove their wind block? Snow is porous and will let air in, but keep wind out. I don't imagine the bees have any desire to come out before the snow melts enough for them to get through. Maybe you can explain it, but I've never understand why any keep would remove snow from the entrances.

PS. You might want to reduce your pics a bit before loading them.  :shock:    :lol:
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“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
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Offline blueblood

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Re: Cleaning Snow from the Entrances
« Reply #2 on: December 06, 2013, 04:51:32 pm »
Good point Iddee, but ya never know in Indiana.  It was 60 degrees Wednesday, ha! I just want the bees to have a better chance of getting out if they need to and I was concerned about ventilation.  I am glad I did clean the snow off the hives with the 3/8" holes.  There were dead bees plugging them up.  I made those entrance reducers very quickly a couple of weeks ago and probably should have made the holes bigger.

On the pics, I assumed the attachment system would create thumbnails.  I was surprised by the big pics too.
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Offline iddee

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Re: Cleaning Snow from the Entrances
« Reply #3 on: December 06, 2013, 05:37:33 pm »
With a beginner admin like me, there will be many adjustments to be made. Just keep posting and we will find most of them eventually.
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“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
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Offline blueblood

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Re: Cleaning Snow from the Entrances
« Reply #4 on: December 06, 2013, 06:16:08 pm »
Sure thing Iddee.  Thanks for the wisdom on snow on the hives.  I will reconsider my practices on that one for sure.
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Offline blueblood

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Re: Cleaning Snow from the Entrances
« Reply #5 on: December 07, 2013, 10:42:32 am »
Iddee, went back out to the yard today.  You will be happy to learn, all the entrances have been re-covered with snow.  And, I just left them be.   :D
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Offline iddee

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Re: Cleaning Snow from the Entrances
« Reply #6 on: December 07, 2013, 01:25:28 pm »
If you are worried, when the temp goes above 50, go out and give them a 1 in. opening, if they don't have one. Until then, they are fine.
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“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Cleaning Snow from the Entrances
« Reply #7 on: December 07, 2013, 10:37:30 pm »
LOL..  same here in Iowa Blueblood.. went from mid 60's to around 10 degrees for five days, then it went to the 50's for about 3 days, and its supposed to be 2 degrees tonight, was 0 when I got up this morning.. we missed the snow you got  thankfully, but I hear its supposed to get us tomorrow.  :(
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Offline crazy8days

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Re: Cleaning Snow from the Entrances
« Reply #8 on: December 07, 2013, 11:23:05 pm »
We were suppose to get 1-2 inches of the nasty white stuff.  Missed us completely! Yee Haw!
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Offline ShepherdsWatchFarm

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Re: Cleaning Snow from the Entrances
« Reply #9 on: December 09, 2013, 12:31:34 pm »
I remove the snow to prevent water from backing up into the entrance. The snow melts a bit then refreezes in front of the entrance creating a dam.

Ed
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Offline iddee

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Re: Cleaning Snow from the Entrances
« Reply #10 on: December 09, 2013, 02:08:39 pm »
Hard ice, I agree completely. Soft snow, I would leave.
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Offline tbonekel

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Re: Cleaning Snow from the Entrances
« Reply #11 on: December 09, 2013, 04:07:25 pm »
This is something you don't see in Texas very often, but when it does happen, we are at a standstill. I'm really anxious about checking on them. I have seen several bees scattered on the snow. They don't have enough food to take them through the entire winter and I fed them quite a bit last week when the temps were warm.
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Offline ShepherdsWatchFarm

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Re: Cleaning Snow from the Entrances
« Reply #12 on: December 09, 2013, 04:22:40 pm »
Several bees scattered in the snow is my favorite thing to see this time of year  :D
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Offline Finally Home

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Re: Cleaning Snow from the Entrances
« Reply #13 on: February 09, 2014, 07:34:30 pm »
Here's a couple of mine.  No warm weather in our forecast yet.

 
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Offline riverbee

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Re: Cleaning Snow from the Entrances
« Reply #14 on: February 09, 2014, 09:04:28 pm »
nice SNOW  PICTURES........ :D :D :D

ps. no warm weather in our forecast yet either!


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Offline tefer2

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Re: Cleaning Snow from the Entrances
« Reply #15 on: February 09, 2014, 10:00:42 pm »
You mean you guys can see your bee hives? :laugh:
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