Im new to this site but ive been keeping bees for 3 years now and need some help! Ive got most of the basic down im just a hobby keeper i like to visit the hive and show ppl them and like them helping out with my garden and crops on the farm, my uncle started several years ago and just hearing him then reading a book on bees i was sold so after buying a 10 frame hive and two supers top frame feeder and all the trimmings i was neck deep into my bees and loved it i always look forward to my trips to the hive even moved it into my back yard to watch them from the house. Now the part i need help on, my first winter my bees suffered from CCD so i think they just all just left right before nov. upper and bottom box completely drawn out even plenty of capped honey so i ordered another hive this year due to the fast approaching cold snap and my crazy work schedule i didnt get to build a wind break like i had planned for my hive (it gets windy at my home) needles to say the cold wind was too much for the hive to take and when i checked into the hive it appeared that there was only half as many bees as there should of been to survive, so i believe that they might have for some reason swarmed before the cold snapped. So now im back to square one which is where i find the problem now i have a hive 3/4 drawn out and even has capped honey. I want to continue keeping bees i dont even do it for the honey even tho i bought my own cheap extractor. My options are one order another box of bees from the place i have which comes to bout 130$ and then i need to wait to april to have them mailed so that is kinda out because i get laid off in the winter for my line of work and i have to order them now which is money i dont want to put out now plus i will have to leave work early on the day of arrival to pick them up if they get here on time. Next is my uncle who has several hive but he lives all but into new york and the cost of driving up there staying to split a hive and back is gonna be costly as well. Which brings me to looking for someone near me that would be willing to split a hive in the spring, or if anyone knows of any dealers local that sell them. i live near carlisle which is outside of harrisburg.
Welcome Miller. Have you looked for a local bee club/association?
I can say about your neck of the woods, but there was several of us who had queen problems this year. The queens I had that didn't fail, swarmed. This leaves a hive queen less and gambles with the chance of failure if they don't produce another queen or if she gets knocked off on her mating flight or something else.
Since most bee keeping questions are location specific you may want to update your profile and put your location down.
Move your boxes to the south side of your home. no building needed. this takes care of the wind.
now for the temps insulate your hive. you do still have bees? yes? you will need to down size to the smallest box you have. a nuc. perchance one only has a full deep. then make two follower boards moving them to the center of the box. and insulate the sides and top. one deeds to be able to put sugar and pollen patties on top of the frames. and insulation on top of that.
water inside the hive is not good so dry sugar, is the way to go
don't forget to reduce the entrance way down
any one with better info come on
go to your profile and up date that with local
this should give you a incling how to proceed
I am in Columbia (west of Lancaster where 30 crosses the river) and i will may have a few hives to sell in the spring or will know someone that does by then
I'm in SNOW SHOE PA. right off IN. 80 I will have nuc's in the spring.
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I guess id be looking for something like a nuc to start my hive back up, i have a 2 deep 10 frame hive with two med supers and a top mountable feeder i went all out when i decided to start keeping, even bought all the meds. i only have the one hive but would like to in the future build and split my hive once i have one that does well over winter.
Bjorn Apiaries is not too far from you either. He sells nucs from over wintered bees in PA. He is in Dillsburg.