I had a chance this fall to put my hives in a pole shed for the winter here in central Wisconsin to keep them out of the wind and to moderate some of the temperature swings. They are doing very well so far (7 of 7) but I'm starting to wonder when would be the best time to get them back in the open. I was thinking early March because I will move some of them into a yard a couple hundred yards away and I don't want to mess up their orientation. Anybody out there with any experience with pole sheds and overwintering?
Thanks,
Greg
Hopefully you can move them to a permenant location before your roads bans take effect, and flowers start blooming where you are :-D
thomas
I did that for several years wintering in a pole shed then in the spring moving them out in the open around a hundred yards.I use to do it after the snow was gone and the bees didn't seem to mind. One time I moved them a little later when warmer and did see some bees flying around the pole shed but for just awhile.
Ian Steppler overwinters in a barn. He has some good info on his website and blog.
As a new member I'm not allowed to post links yet. Google Steppler Farms and you can find his website and blog.
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It is easier to use polyhives than carry hives to the ched and away.
Poly helps more important thing. Spring build up is faster.
Thanks for the ideas!
Greg
When the snow is gone move them out . Be sure to check food supply because not much is out there to gather.
Bullship
Bullship,
Will do. I'm hoping for a couple of warm days here in the next couple of weeks so I can get in the hives and add some sugar to the top bars. They all went in pretty heavy but I'm thinking that being out of the wind will keep them warmer and a little more active. With the activity leading to smaller stores.
Thanks,
Greg
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I have for interest 2 frame occupied nuc in pole shed. When it make tight cluster it is an apple size.
I put there 7 W heater. when outside temp was 0C. Bees were widely spreaded.
Yesterday out temp was -20C, bees were collected against the heater surface.
The terrarium heater has thin aluminium cover which spread the heat to the area like a frame.
I have made this many time and result has been fine. Bees have not much stress to keep alive.
I repeat, that these experiments only tells how importat heat is in wintering.
It is nonsence that bees do better in cold. Their origin is in Africa.
Finski, do you think Varroa does better in cold or warm?
In cold, the bees are in a tight cluster and it would seem the Varroa might have an easier choice of hosts to suck on. If the bees are warmer and spread out more, maybe more Varroa falls off the bees and lowers the amount of mites in the hive?
I have no idea, I'm just wondering if you have an opinion based upon your experience?
QuoteTheir origin is in Africa.
So is it for humans. ;)
We moved our first hive 50 ft and got a rude awakening what a mistake that was. Then we found out that you can move a hive 2 ft or 2 miles. So how do you get away with moving them 100-200 yards?
Quote from: BlueBee on January 27, 2011, 03:39:26 PM
Finski, do you think Varroa does better in cold or warm?
In cold, the bees are in a tight cluster and it would seem the Varroa might have an easier choice of hosts to suck on. If the bees are warmer and spread out more, maybe more Varroa falls off the bees and lowers the amount of mites in the hive?
I have no idea, I'm just wondering if you have an opinion based upon your experience?
our varroa expert says that varroa dead rate is same as wintering bees. In finland 50%.
In warm climate brood season is longer and varroa douple itsel every month.
In very warm plases there ar no brood brake. Killing varroa is difficult.
In NEW Zealand there was plenty of feral hives and nursed bees robbed varroa weakened hives and got a huge mite load there. Hives died in few weeks.
Warm or cold hive, bees regulate their temperature and it helps nothing in varroa control.
Quote from: Acebird on January 27, 2011, 05:01:24 PM
QuoteTheir origin is in Africa.
So is it for humans. ;)
We moved our first hive 50 ft and got a rude awakening what a mistake that was. Then we found out that you can move a hive 2 ft or 2 miles. So how do you get away with moving them 100-200 yards?
if bees make cleansing flight in point A you cannot move them 100 yards to point B
if bees make cleansing flight via upper entrance, you chall not close the entrance after that.
Bees make in low temperature quick flights out and the entrance must be there, where it was before. In cold weather they have no time to seach a new entrance. Sometimes 4 inch is too much.