I have the three hives and with a brutal winter up here in Southeast Wisconsin, the girls have been basically buried in snow since October.
We had a upper 40's F yesterday and I took a quick peek. Living bees in all three hives. One hive had taken their dead and put them all on top of the inner cover, at least I thought so. The reducers on all three were frozen closed so today I shoveled the entrances clear and freed the openings.
I had a 10' long screwdriver and was using it at the entrance to clear away ice. I was able to scoop away enough dead bees to fill a 2.5 pound coffee can from all three hives (grand total). I noticed a bad smell, kind of a sour odor. I'm going to attribute this to no ventilation and dead bees littering the hive.
The entrances are open now, there is the needed ventilation. I made some 2/1 syrup and placed in in boardman feeders since that's all I have.
Was that a waste of time? Will they take it in this weather?
Thanks in advance!
I would like to know one thing where do you buy a 10' screwdriver :?
Probably easier to cut a screwdriver in half and weld in the extra steel rather than to buy one that long. :-D
QuoteWas that a waste of time? Will they take it in this weather?
There was a recent post on this. If memory serves, they won't take it unless the syrup is 90 degrees F. You may have been better served making fondant. The stuff I made was from Robo's site (again if memory serves) it just called for water, vinegar, and sugar. What he has listed makes a lot. I used a 10 lbs bag and it made plenty for three hives.
QuoteI noticed a bad smell, kind of a sour odor. I'm going to attribute this to no ventilation and dead bees littering the hive.
While I'm thinking of it...I wouldn't worry about this too much. If your bees are alive, then don't worry about it. Nothing much you can do right now anyway. I wonder, do you have Goldenrod up your way? If so, I would bet that is the smell you are smelling. That mixed with not much ventilation and decaying bodies.
In the future, after a snow storm, you may want to go down and clear the entrances at the very least.
I agree about the sugar and the temp. Here is Robo's site for the emergency sugar boards. I have made a few of these this winter and they have worked great. I only used about 10 lbs per board on this instead of the 25 lbs the recipe calls for.
Good luck
F
http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/emergency-feeding/
i made the same stuff and did the 25lb size and i had enough to last all this past winter, The extra stuff i put in the freezer. They clean this stuff up
Quote from: beekeeperookie on March 03, 2008, 12:45:58 PM
I would like to know one thing where do you buy a 10' screwdriver :?
Craftsman makes em'. They really have some serious torque...lol
Quote from: beekeeperookie on March 03, 2008, 12:45:58 PM
I would like to know one thing where do you buy a 10' screwdriver :?
I keep getting emails about where I can get one...oh wait, I just checked, and that isn't a screwdriver!!! :shock:
They won't take 2/1 syrup for a while. Shoot, I've had that with honeybeehealthy on my observation hive where it is 60-70 F all winter and they haven't touched it.
As far as the sour smell...often when bees die, they...uh...relax a bit and defecate. This could be what you smell. The dead bees probably smell bad. Also , if they have nosema or dysentary, this also could be happening in the hive. But you'll have to wait for some better weather before checking.
If they were buzzing, however, they are still alive, and that is a great sign at this time of year. Yes, in the future, if there is a warmer day it is good to make sure they are open so they can go on cleansing runs if warm enough.
Rick
Quote from: Mklangelo on March 03, 2008, 01:23:02 PM
Quote from: beekeeperookie on March 03, 2008, 12:45:58 PM
I would like to know one thing where do you buy a 10' screwdriver :?
Craftsman makes em'. They really have some serious torque...lol
A ten foot screwdriver?
Quote from: Jerrymac on March 03, 2008, 02:11:50 PM
Quote from: Mklangelo on March 03, 2008, 01:23:02 PM
Quote from: beekeeperookie on March 03, 2008, 12:45:58 PM
I would like to know one thing where do you buy a 10' screwdriver :?
Craftsman makes em'. They really have some serious torque...lol
A ten foot screwdriver?
oops, what a difference a comma makes. 10" lol
I got a laugh out of it
Golly,....I'd hate to see the screws..It'd take a few people just to put a screw in!
your friend,
john
Quote from: Frantz on March 03, 2008, 01:15:02 PM
I agree about the sugar and the temp. Here is Robo's site for the emergency sugar boards. I have made a few of these this winter and they have worked great. I only used about 10 lbs per board on this instead of the 25 lbs the recipe calls for.
Good luck
F
http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/emergency-feeding/
I'm curious what the vinegar is doing for you on this recipe?
I use Robos recipe as well. I made a one qrt to 12 lbs version for five hives and I still have about half left. They are consuming this week as weather has lightned up a bit. I keep the vinegar in recipe, seems to prevent any mold from forming on the sugar blocks. I also place the syrup in chicken pot pie pans and that a perfect size for my set up and lids. Just real covenient. I heat to ~255F on candy thermometer. It will continue to get hotter after you remove from heat, so I stop at 255F or it becomes rock candy. Bees ate that too it should be noted.
Quote from: KONASDAD on March 03, 2008, 05:16:38 PM
I use Robos recipe as well. I made a one qrt to 12 lbs version for five hives and I still have about half left. They are consuming this week as weather has lightned up a bit. I keep the vinegar in recipe, seems to prevent any mold from forming on the sugar blocks. I also place the syrup in chicken pot pie pans and that a perfect size for my set up and lids. Just real covenient. I heat to ~255F on candy thermometer. It will continue to get hotter after you remove from heat, so I stop at 255F or it becomes rock candy. Bees ate that too it should be noted.
sounds good. Maybe my candy thermometer is off, I dropped it. I couldn't get it past 240F. I basically quartered that recipe and poured it into a couple of flat, 13" X 10" baking dishes and I'll cut it up in squares to get it out. I hope it won't be as hard as a rock.
Chances are you will not cut this stuff once it has set up. Let me know if you do though.. The vinegar is to keep the sugar from going rancid. It will without the vinegar. Your bees will end up worse than they are now. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Frantz
PS what elevation are you? That will make a difference on how hot you need to get the sugar and what temp you should pull it off. Just keep that in mind
QuoteThe vinegar is to keep the sugar from going rancid. It will without the vinegar.
There's another unsolved mystery, solved.
yeah i dont see you cutting this stuff aleast i couldnt. I poured my in little mini loaf pans and let them set then when i wasnt using them put them in the freezer
Quote from: beekeeperookie on March 04, 2008, 09:06:16 AM
yeah i dont see you cutting this stuff aleast i couldnt. I poured my in little mini loaf pans and let them set then when i wasnt using them put them in the freezer
Thats why I converted to disposable chicken pot pie pans from dollar store. Just rip it off of sugar board when neeeded.
Quote from: Frantz on March 03, 2008, 06:22:13 PM
Chances are you will not cut this stuff once it has set up. Let me know if you do though.. The vinegar is to keep the sugar from going rancid. It will without the vinegar. Your bees will end up worse than they are now. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Frantz
PS what elevation are you? That will make a difference on how hot you need to get the sugar and what temp you should pull it off. Just keep that in mind
I'm at about 700 feet above sea level. I pulled it off at about 240F and it dried real hard. Will they eat it or do I need to crumble it first?
I divided the recipe by 1/4. I may have put just a bit too much sugar in it, maybe around 6.5 pounds, maybe a bit more.
Quote from: Mklangelo on March 03, 2008, 05:32:09 PM
I hope it won't be as hard as a rock.
If you don't heat the sugar so hot and instead go only to the soft ball stage and make fondant candy instead of making rock candy, you can work it. It will be pliable like play dough. Here's a recipe. Instead of the marble, you can use a large 9x13 or so baking dish to turn it out for kneading. It's kind of fun to make.
To make Fondant, its ingredients are cooked to the Soft-Ball Stage
(234-240 degrees F), a lower temperature than it takes to make hard
candy, and is then cooled. The mixture is beaten and kneaded by hand
until it becomes pliable.
* 4 cups of granulated sugar
* 1½ cups of cold water
* ½ teaspoon of vinegar or
* ½ teaspoon of cornstarch
1. Stir the sugar and water in a saucepan, set on a comparatively cool part of the range, until the sugar is melted; then draw the saucepan to a hotter place and continue stirring until the syrup boils; remove the spoon and, with a cloth or the fingers wet in cold water, wash down the sides of the saucepan, to remove grains of sugar that may have been thrown there in the cooking; now add the vinegar or cornstarch, and cover the dish; the steam will melt grains of sugar, if there be any on the saucepan.
2. After three or four minutes remove the cover and, if a thermometer is to be used, set it into the syrup.
3. Let the syrup boil to 240 deg F.
4. In the meantime wet the hand in cold water and with it dampen a marble slab or a large platter, then, without jarring the syrup, turn it onto the receptacle prepared for it.
5. Do not scrape out the saucepan or allow the last of the syrup to drip from it (use the saucepan in making a dish of apple or other sauce), as sugary portions will cause the fondant to be "grainy." When the syrup is cold, with a scraper (such as is used in removing wall paper) or a wooden spatula, turn the edges of the mass towards the center; continue this until it begins to thicken and grow white, then work it up into a ball, scraping the marble clean.
6. When all is collected and worked into a compact mass, lay over it a damp cloth, tucking it in closely; let stand in this way for an hour or more to ripen.
7. Now cut into pieces and pack these closely in an earthen bowl; cover the top of the bowl with a damp cloth and then with heavy paper; the cloth must not touch the fondant.
8. This may be used at once or may be kept, in cold weather, several weeks, if the cloth be wrung out of cold water and returned about once a week.
9. It may be used as a frosting for small cakes, for "centers" of bonbons or for coating centers.