Author Topic: First check this year (Read 24799 times)

iddee · « **on:** February 02, 2014, 02:33:50 pm »

Checked my 3 hives and one I'm baby sitting for the winter. All have deep frames of honey fully capped, open and capped brood, eggs and pollen. All four totally ready for spring. Maples starting to bloom and fresh pollen and nectar in all hives. Couldn't ask for any better.

Even saw two of the queens.

blueblood · « **Reply #1 on:** February 02, 2014, 02:56:15 pm »

Jealous. We aren't even close. Lot of winter left here.

Perry · « **Reply #2 on:** February 02, 2014, 04:08:11 pm »

Quote from: blueblood on February 02, 2014, 02:56:15 pm

Jealous. We aren't even close. Lot of winter left here.

:'(

G3farms · « **Reply #3 on:** February 02, 2014, 04:23:42 pm »

Not been in mine that deep but have been doing some lid lifting.

Papakeith · « **Reply #4 on:** February 02, 2014, 04:32:24 pm »

looked in on mine today. three more dead

Perry · « **Reply #5 on:** February 02, 2014, 04:54:00 pm »

Bummer Keith.

Any idea why?

Papakeith · « **Reply #6 on:** February 02, 2014, 04:57:11 pm »

I want to say the latest cold snap got them.
Why it got them I don't know. Many of the dead we're head first in the comb. Possibly not enough ventilation and condensation got them? I dunno

riverbee · « **Reply #7 on:** February 02, 2014, 05:09:29 pm »

"Many of the dead we're head first in the comb."

starvation? how were the honey stores?

ps iddee, like all northern keeps, a looooong ways off.....

Jen · « **Reply #8 on:** February 02, 2014, 05:37:53 pm »

""Many of the dead we're head first in the comb.""

That's what I was thinking riv

Papakeith · « **Reply #9 on:** February 02, 2014, 06:23:35 pm »

Quote from: riverbee on February 02, 2014, 05:09:29 pm

"Many of the dead we're head first in the comb."

starvation? how were the honey stores?

ps iddee, like all northern keeps, a looooong ways off.....

All three hives had multiple frames of honey left. Just not where they were

riverbee · « **Reply #10 on:** February 02, 2014, 06:32:20 pm »

"All three hives had multiple frames of honey left. Just not where they were"

cold starvation is what i call it, bees with head in cells, big clump on the frames, with many fallen beneath the cluster, and on the bottom board, with frames of honey frames over on either side?

so, cold starvation i describe as this; weather so cold, with no let up, that the bees don't move to the honey stores in the frames nearby.

Perry · « **Reply #11 on:** February 02, 2014, 06:32:49 pm »

Cold starved. They used up what they had where they were, and it didn't warm up enough for them to break cluster and shift onto stores. Sad.
Can't control the weather.

Perry · « **Reply #12 on:** February 02, 2014, 06:33:45 pm »

29 seconds, dang it river!

riverbee · « **Reply #13 on:** February 02, 2014, 06:38:13 pm »

well perry, at least this time we are on the same page and thinking the same.....or what was it one time? in step, not outta step......so doing the same dance?!..

Slowmodem · « **Reply #14 on:** February 02, 2014, 07:34:10 pm »

Quote from: Papakeith on February 02, 2014, 06:23:35 pm

All three hives had multiple frames of honey left. Just not where they were

Yep. That's what happened to me last year. Here it got warm then turned really cold and I think they couldn't get the cluster to the food.

Perry · « **Reply #15 on:** February 02, 2014, 07:45:04 pm »

This is why (up until this year), I always put a thick patty of fondant right over the inner cover hole. I always have this feeling that the bees work their way up the middle, and then chose a side to go to with the stores. I then worry that they will get caught out on that side during a cold snap and not make it across the hive. I felt that with the fondant right in the middle they could always count on it for travel back and forth. This year is the first in a while that I don't have it on all my hives. I have patties on maybe a dozen of the 51. For the most part they were heavy so I only threw some on the ones I thought could use it. It's saved 4 of my nucs so far.
We can do everything we think of and sometimes it's just not going to work out.

Jen · « **Reply #16 on:** February 02, 2014, 09:22:08 pm »

Perry- I posted in 'feeding winter patties' already today. But two weeks ago I put a winter pattie in my hive. Got a 50 day today so took a peek, and IT'S GONE! paper and all.

I had no idea they would consume it that quickly. Glad I checked and had another one on hand. Gonna take a stab at making my own next week.

riverbee · « **Reply #17 on:** February 02, 2014, 09:46:20 pm »

jen that will tell you your bees are very low on stores, or none at all. for me when i use them, they last a month or better in the winter on a double deep hive.

iddee · « **Reply #18 on:** February 02, 2014, 09:47:53 pm »

They have started brooding. They can starve in 2 or 3 days if they run out. You have to keep it on them daily now.

Papakeith · « **Reply #19 on:** February 02, 2014, 10:03:24 pm »

I had feed on all of these hives. They never got (or went) to it.