Thursday I decided to march into the field and check on the bees. It's been about 5 weeks of below freezing temps and snow storms every week. This pass week we had 3 storms. Even though I knew the bees should still have plenty of honey, I carried a 10 lbs bag of sugar and a piece of news paper. It took nearly half on hour to get down to the hives. The snow was above my knees and made walking very tiresome. I got down and there were no signs of cleansing flights. Unhooked the strap, lifted the lid and found a cluster of dead bees in the corner of the box on dry comb. Apparently, the bees didn't want to move sideways to get to the rest of the honey.
I had an empty medium on my other deadout, I stashed the sugar in it, strapped everything back down and hiked back.
I have a package of Italian bees coming in April and a package of Buckfast coming in May. Hopefully this year will be a breakout year. I am planning on doing better winter preparation.
Hopefully so, at least with the comb you'll be a mile ahead this time. I haven't even made it past my year mark yet.
Quote from: GSF on February 22, 2014, 10:00:20 PM
Hopefully so, at least with the comb you'll be a mile ahead this time. I haven't even made it past my year mark yet.
I do have plenty of comb...and just over 1/2 a medium of honey. It should be a great jump start. Plus with the Buckfast arriving a month after the Italians, I'll be able to pull a frame of emerging brood so the newer hive will have plenty of nurse bees.
I think one should bee planning for next winter.
This is how I would start. Look at nature wild hives in trees have more wood insulation than a beek
would give.( due to weight) and much greater ventilation then we afford our babes.
look at bee trees to understand just what I'm talking about. the bee tree has at minimum 2" of living
wood surrounding the colony. We force the ladies into 3/4 of an inch wood wrapped hives. Just
because this has been done for nearly 100 years, we wrap them with one layer of asphalt
impregnated felt. Ya some will survive, many will not. do this for your children today you'd be arested.
The farther north, the more harsh your winters are the more thought and consideration one needs to
give the girls. Are you not progressive? you want them to do for you! Insulation 2 inches foil lined
foam would help them.
one sheet down here cost is about $27 and should cover 1 or two double deeps. to cut this all one
needs is a straight edge and a sharp utility knife (scoring) or drawing the knife multiples,
(two or three) times and maybe a sharp kitchen knife with a longer blade. once this is done flip over
and bend the board at deep crease and score from that side till it separates. then to mate with the
next board you have cut and tape with foil tape.
Ventilation is a must too. every time you open the door and every crack in a homes walls
condensation escapes. Trap this moisture inside a home at high levels one gets more cold toes more
germs more viruses and MOLD.
if one opens slightly, a window at night, then you know of just what I speak. A small hole in the
correct position can drag adequate steam or water vapors out. careful not draft over the babes.
I would think if they didn't find this helpfull they would close vent hole pretty darn fast.
one also gets the same when too much ventilation is applied. check this out with a local heating and
airconditioning guy.
jay
30 GOING INTO WINTER 16 DEAD SO FAR :-x
Jay was your name finski in another life?
5 full hives and two nucs going into the winter. 3 full hives and two nucs alive right now.
Wade, any idea what happened?
Quote from: Bush_84 on February 23, 2014, 12:30:06 PM
Jay was your name finski in another life?
5 full hives and two nucs going into the winter. 3 full hives and two nucs alive right now.
Did not read real close but style looks a little familiar don't it ??? Naw not really :-D