Have not posted here in a couple years, have been out of beekeeping that long. My cousin who lives near me in southeastern PA sent me this picture. Never heard of an open air hive this far north. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200203/36789c8c2c146550c79dee8a6f08eff8.jpg)
Psparr - that's really cool! I had no idea an open-air hive could be found in Penns Woods. Great catch by your cousin and thanks for sharing! [Thumbs-up]
I live in North Ms and have never seen or heard of an open air hive even here. I could not tell form the pictures, but it would be very interesting to know if the bees were still alive and doing well? If so that pretty well tells us about bees surviving in freezing weather in our boxes. Should be a cakewalk for our boxed bees survival if these can make it there, as per frigid conditions. . lol Thank you for posting.
Phillip
Thanks for sharing.
Wow, amazing!
It?s a fake!!
What species of honeybee? Open comb is Very common in Asian bees.
I don?t see bees on the comb, not a single bee??? PhotoShop, it?s a fake, maybe a real hive in Asia, but PhotoShopped. I don?t believe a hive like that could endure the cold of Pa.
Quote from: van from Arkansas on February 03, 2020, 10:47:26 PM
What species of honeybee? Open comb is Very common in Asian bees. I hope those bees are not invasive species. I would certainly check the species of bees.
For that matter that could be Africanized as they are know for sometimes choosing open air. Regardless, that is a nice looking bee hive, just look how graceful it sits, woven to the limbs. I for one, am simply anxious to know if there are live bees there. If and I say if there are live bees there they would probably be clustered tightly in the middle not visible to the naked eye. Or they could all be dead. Perhaps Psparr, your cousin could go back on a warm day and take a closer look giving us an update?
Blessings,
Phillip
Quote from: van from Arkansas on February 03, 2020, 10:47:26 PM
It?s a fake!!
What species of honeybee? Open comb is Very common in Asian bees.
I don?t see bees on the comb, not a single bee??? PhotoShop, it?s a fake, maybe a real hive in Asia, but PhotoShopped. I don?t believe a hive like that could endure the cold of Pa.
Maybe not van
Psparr, even though you have not posted here in a couple years, I am happy that you thought enough of us and choose to post here once again. Very interesting post. Glad to have you back and active! Keep up the good work! May I add, you have a nice family.
Blessings,
Phillip
I see no bees on the comb, and there is no statement that it is still alive. I think the intent was to show that bees do make foolish decisions, although not often. Usually this occurs when the colony can not find a suitable nesting place, or when the swarm queen is a virgin and the bees start comb on the tree limbs before she mates and begins to lay. When she returns and finds comb, and she lays in it, the colony remains and is doomed.
I have seen only one exposed colony that survived over winter here in Arkansas, and that colony was protected by an overhang on a bluff. All of those on tree limbs with no overhead protection died in November.
Quote from: AR Beekeeper on February 04, 2020, 10:52:23 AM
I see no bees on the comb, and there is no statement that it is still alive. I think the intent was to show that bees do make foolish decisions, although not often. Usually this occurs when the colony can not find a suitable nesting place, or when the swarm queen is a virgin and the bees start comb on the tree limbs before she mates and begins to lay. When she returns and finds comb, and she lays in it, the colony remains and is doomed.
I have seen only one exposed colony that survived over winter here in Arkansas, and that colony was protected by an overhang on a bluff. All of those on tree limbs with no overhead protection died in November.
I think you are right AR. From my point of view I was wondering if a colony could survive the cold without an outside protected enclosure such as a hollow tree or even one of our box type setups. When I first started keeping 23 months ago, I was concerned that my bees would freeze during the cold months. Then I read where there are folks up north that keep bees with open screen bottoms throughout the winter. This amazed me, and even now we read where our friends here are concerned to the point of buying insulated hive bodies. Apparently for the cold, they are not necessary. I really appreciate you telling us of the open air survival bees there in your COLD winter Arkansas. And I appreciate you Psparr for posting this. Good stuff !!
Phillip
South Texas, Arizona, Florida, Arkansas ok one as Norvel says; very southern US also,I would believe an open hive; but Pa I don?t believe an open hive, by mellifera species.
Thanks for the input Norvel, Ar, hope to see you at the next meeting.
Thanks for the input Mr. Ben.
Quote from: van from Arkansas on February 04, 2020, 11:41:59 AM
South Texas, Arizona, Florida, Arkansas ok one as Norvel says; very southern US also,I would believe an open hive; but Pa I don?t believe an open hive, by mellifera species.
Thanks for the input Norvel, Ar, hope to see you at the next meeting.
Thanks for the input Mr. Ben.
Your welcome Mr Van it?s amazing that a healthy hive can survive these places in an open air circumstance, you might add some more stares to that list that List which may get just as cold as Arkansas such as some parts of Kentucky, Tennessee Missouri etc LoL It amazes me that they can survive anywhere that reaches below freezing in an open air hive, even with an overhang. Remarkable creatures.
And who knows, if these bees had a overhang such as a bluff? Who is to say? What is the low temperatures there in your area of Arkansas?
Some years below zero, kinda rare to get that cold whereas temps in the teen are the norm.
Cold blowing rain would be the killer, not so much cold temps. Not thinking about cold air as much as cold blowing rain which would kill an open hive as shown in the pic. Open hive under an eve as Ar texted is a different story. Pa borders Canada, well kinda, Lake Erie is between Pa and Canada.
Quote from: van from Arkansas on February 04, 2020, 12:23:00 PM
Some years below zero, kinda rare to get that cold whereas temps in the teen are the norm.
Cold blowing rain would be the killer, not so much cold temps. Not thinking about cold air as much as cold blowing rain which would kill an open hive as shown in the pic. Open hive under an eve as Ar texted is a different story. Pa borders Canada, well kinda, Lake Erie is between Pa and Canada.
Yes the overhang bluff that AR mentioned, affords protection from rain and snow. It?s the cold I am concentrating on after all our boxes protect from rain ☔️. For a hive to survive in below freezing or even the low teens without this outer (shell), open air, is in my thinking simply amazing! So who yet knows if they could survive PA in a similar situation? I sure do not know, I was presently surprised that they can and have survived your cold area. Good Stuff!!
Thanks
Phillip
HP and Ian, these are beeks that deal with absolute cold in Canada. I am amazed at both these beeks prosperous operations. Arkansas is tropical weather compared to Canada. Lol
Quote from: van from Arkansas on February 04, 2020, 12:37:02 PM
HP and Ian, these are beeks that deal with absolute cold in Canada. I am amazed at both these beeks prosperous operations. Arkansas is tropical weather compared to Canada. Lol
So true. But below zero without any outer protection is a different matter totally. I do not know how long I could survive with HP at 20 below, being well suited with the best clothing for protection. Boots for warmth etc, I bet I could last longer there with HP than I could in your below zero with only a tee shirt, shorts and flip flops lol
:shocked:
Blessings
no live bees in the pic, so this could possibly have been a swarm from last year that never found a suitable cavity to hive. Just built up over the course of the summer then died out when it got cold. It happens.
Quote from: Hops Brewster on February 07, 2020, 10:51:52 AM
no live bees in the pic, so this could possibly have been a swarm from last year that never found a suitable cavity to hive. Just built up over the course of the summer then died out when it got cold. It happens.
That was going to be my guess. It looks like the amount of comb a summer swarm would build before dearth hit.
Indecision gets you nowhere. (for people too, we might take an object lesson)
This is an air hive that was in a bush mid to late summer.
I cut it out and put it in a hive, still going now but not as the original shape.
The picture is 90 degrees wrong, tilt your head
Quote from: Hops Brewster on February 07, 2020, 10:51:52 AM
no live bees in the pic, so this could possibly have been a swarm from last year that never found a suitable cavity to hive. Just built up over the course of the summer then died out when it got cold. It happens.
This I would believe as Hops texted, sounds reasonable, very possible, also Old Beavo.
And the next time we see a post that says the bees always know best, remember those photos.
It?s certainly not fake, he nor I figured it was still alive. Very well could have been an indecisive swarm. The last swarm I got, I got a call on a Monday. Was out of town and told the lady I could t help her, but not to worry,they would find a home and move on. Well I got another call on Saturday and they were still hanging out in the same branch.
I have a couple of those on my property. Hard to see when leaves are on the trees.
Mine are from swarms. They don't survive the winter here, maybe down south...
If they are low enough I cut them down and put them in a box.
Quote from: Psparr on February 24, 2020, 03:24:36 PM
It?s certainly not fake, he nor I figured it was still alive. Very well could have been an indecisive swarm. The last swarm I got, I got a call on a Monday. Was out of town and told the lady I could t help her, but not to worry,they would find a home and move on. Well I got another call on Saturday and they were still hanging out in the same branch.
I know a fellow that did a cut out who lives in Florida. His bees left and landed in a tall tree where he could not reach and retrieve them. This hive never came down after making an open air hive. Thanks for getting back to us.
Phillip Hall