Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: bwallace23350 on December 07, 2016, 10:03:35 AM

Title: What Happens if you open your hives in the cold
Post by: bwallace23350 on December 07, 2016, 10:03:35 AM
How will my bees react if they do this. I am trying to figure out if I need to feed them. On some of the warmer days I still see a few bees coming and going.
Title: Re: What Happens if you open your hives in the cold
Post by: Aroc on December 07, 2016, 10:11:14 AM
In your neck of the woods you shouldn't have a problem.  Crack open the top and take a peek.  Might have a sugar brick near by so you can slip it in.

In Montana it's a bit colder. :happy:...but I still manage to pop the quilt box up a bit and slip sugar in.
Title: Re: What Happens if you open your hives in the cold
Post by: Michael Bush on December 07, 2016, 10:45:17 AM
Heft the hive to decide.  Leave them closed.  It's winter.  Time to wait until spring...
Title: Re: What Happens if you open your hives in the cold
Post by: bwallace23350 on December 07, 2016, 11:37:30 AM
Thanks
Title: Re: What Happens if you open your hives in the cold
Post by: Acebird on December 07, 2016, 02:00:10 PM
If it was actually cold they would be clustered.  If you didn't break the cluster it wouldn't matter to them but what happens is the seal on the box gets broken and they can't fix it until it gets warm enough to break cluster.  Should you have to do this duct tape the seam until you get a warm day.