during the winter months,0 here this morning, how long can the bees go without a cleansing flight?? Pembroke
They can go a very long time, but I believe the length of time varies with the moisture in the hive and the stores. Ventilation is also key. Do your best to make sure you take all the steps you can to keep the moisture down in the hive and you have done all you can about it. When I wintered bees in North Dakota along the canadian line, They sometimes went more than three months without a day they could fly and survive! I doubt in Kentucky there are three months without a flight day. But, my humidity problems were much less than yours!
I've seen dead bees in front of my hives in the snow at temps in the low 20s. They will be activly flying when its in the mid-30s if the sun is out. With the dead ones the question becomes, were they sick or were they in cleansing flights and didn't make it back, or did the undertakers take a risk and remove some? Fact is, they were on the outside and got there somehow, either on their own or by another bee.
To answer your question "I've read" where bees have remained inside the hive "holding it" (cuz they hate pooping inside)for more than three months (and there's some around here who think bees are stupid :roll:), which makes perfect since to me because we can easily go three months around here (and more) without it getting above freezing (32F). But It won't be long now and I'll start seeing poop stamps in the snow. Can't wait.
Oh yeah, the things we wish for at this time of year. :)
thomas
When you got to go, you got to go.
You know you're a beek when you're looking forward to seeing bee poop in the snow... The weatherman is claiming it's supposed to get up to 45 by Friday. Looking forward to seeing some poop in the snow!
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My bees come out couple of times in October and stay there up to middle of Marsh. It is 5 months.
After cleansing flight they continue winter sleep about a month.
In north Finland bees are one month more or 1,5 and so it is 6 months in the hive.
Quote from: Finski on January 24, 2011, 02:44:41 PM
In north Finland bees are one month more or 1,5 and so it is 6 months in the hive.
Finski, where are you in Finland? I once had a friend in Turku. And another friend of mine was a beekeeper in Umea, Sweden.
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I live in Helsinki. My brother has lived near Umeå 40 years. He kept there Italian bees 20 years.
My hives are 100 miles to east from Helsinki = red point
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Sippola.sijainti.svg/344px-Sippola.sijainti.svg.png)
Temp range today -8 this morning high of 17 mid afternoon. About a half dozen dead bees on the sill that weren't there yesterday. These hives are in my cattle trailor with a light canvas covering.