Hello Sir
You are the closest I know to me. Lapeer Michigan, Between Flint and Imlay city or Port Huron. Anyway, I only have one hive this year started from a swarm I found May 30th. They have done quite well up till know. They have just about finished capping one full super. I found during my last inspection though that the weight of the bottom deep had dropped to nothing and the top deep wasn't as heavy as it was before I put the super on. I am not sure how much longer the goldenrod will hold out. I am leaving town till the 6th of october. When I get back I will pull the super. Should I plan on feeding as long as they will take it? Also with the snow that we normally get, is there anything I should do to help protect the hive? Thanks Bob
Harvey
I'm in Wisconsin so I imagine we have similar bloom dates. I don't think there will be much goldenrod holding out for long. I think for all the hassle involved for feeding just one hive you may just want to leave the honey they have and start feeding now. You could also take two or three frames and leave the rest and would at least have a couple jars. If your weather is like ours, typically it should be much cooler right now than it has been. Winter can start in October or sometimes it can wait till December which seemed to be the norm for a while. The point is that you are better safe than sorry. Another option you may consider is taking the honey and storing it add another box then start feeding. If the weather turns for the worse and they are unable to turn the syrup into stores fast enough you can put the honey back on. If they are able to turn the syrup into stores before the temp plunges then you can keep the honey. Just a couple ideas for you.
Good luck!!
Hi Bob!
Hmm...hate to say this, but I would be leaving that super on. Now every area is a little different with goldenrod, but at least in my area it is usually mediocre at best. I try to have my honey supers pulled off by mid to late August, and then everything after that is theirs. Even the golden rod that I see now is more than half done. Killing frost will likely be in only a couple of weeks.
I find that they store honey at the top first, filling down. If there is a super on there late, they will be working on filling that, even if the bottom box is dead empty, and work on raising their fall brood in the top brood box.
They need 80-100lbs. If you take off 30 lbs of honey, you will likely need to replace that with about that much sugar. So if you want to take off that honey, you will probably need to feed about 3-4 gallons of 2-1 sugar water back. If we get some bad weather in October they might not get that much.
But if I were in your shoes I'd take a few frames of honey at least :).
Winterizing...that is a whole 'nother thread. Most importantly I make sure that they have mouse guards on before it gets too cold at night. Then wrap with tar paper (wind break, some solar gain) later when they are less active.
Rick
>>>>So if you want to take off that honey, you will probably need to feed about 3-4 gallons of 2-1 sugar water back.<<<<
Since it takes half the sugar in energy to evaporate the sugar water, you would have to feed back 60 lb. of sugar to replace 30 lb. of honey. 7.5 gallon sugar and 3.75 gallon water, resulting in about 9 or 10 gallon 2to1 mix.
It might be best to leave the super.
Thanks for the replies, I would rather keep the bees up in stores then to short them for the winter. I am leaving on vacation tomorrow for two weeks, will be back on the sixth. I put down a gallon of 2 to 1 this morning and will refill it tomorrow, as the super is now all capped I am not worried about that being sugar water. When I get back I will see what they have accumulated in the two deeps. Then I think I will take two frames from super and replace with two empty frames. I will put the empties in the 1 and ten position and keep feeding as long as they will take it. A couple of jars of honey will be fine for the first year if that is all I can get.
I did see something new at the hive today though. Yellow jackets, one had a bee head in its paws! I also saw bees walking away from the hive and the landing board was covered in bees. It was yesterday too? There is still an awful lot of coming and going so they are bringing in something from somewhere. As far as wintering, I will reduce the main entrance havn't done that yet. also I have an entrance in the second deep, a one inch hole. eliminate that? or reduce to a 3/8 inch hole? The hive is six inches off of the ground. should i put a lean to on the front to keep the entrance clear of snow? Wrap with what tar paper? That I have.
I don't have years of experience to make claims on which way is the best way, but I like these poster demonstrations (scroll down toward the bottom of page) from the University of Minnesota Bee Lab.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/honeybees/components/freebees.htm
I'm not sure what I will use for the top insulating material but I think I am going to put insulation on the sides plus the tar paper too.
Good luck, and I hope We both got healthy bees in spring!!
I don't do a whole lot special other than tar paper. I like to leave the top as it is, that way I can tell at a glance by the dip in the snow that the hive is still alive :-D.
And before anybody else mentions that the dip in the snow is actually the guy looking at the hive, ha ha ;).
As far as the wasps/yj go...they are opportunists, they will wait by the hive for an older overloaded bee that can't make it in by the guard bees, then attack those bees to get the nectar from her stomach. Unless there are many many of them they won't have much affect on the hive.
Rick