How to save bees from cold

[Finski]

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The most important thing is to minimize the hive space before winter feeding so that all frames are occupied. Then in frosty weather the colony goes into tight cluster. Bees need not warm up too large room.

Varroa  may deminish colony so that the cluster is unexpectaly small. What do you do then if you notice it?


BEFORE


AFTER


HIVE 2

[Finski]

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........7 W  TERRARIUM HEATER ADDED TO EMPTY SPACE

[Finski]

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SNOW TUNNEL,   50 HIVES IN IGLOO


Temp inside tunnel is about -5C even if out temp is -30C.

Location in Finland : Kerimäki  http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/Kerim%C3%A4ki.sijainti.suomi.2008.svg/344px-Kerim%C3%A4ki.sijainti.suomi.2008.svg.png





In my area 300 km to south the winter temp is warmer and hives suffer from moisture if they are under snow.  Snow is too often wet. It should be steady on frost side, like it is in north Finland 600 km from cost.

[Course Bee]

What was the air temp when you did this modification and how long did you have the hive open, Finski?

[Finski]

What was the air temp when you did this modification and how long did you have the hive open, Finski?

What picture?

My winter temp fluctuates between +5C - -30C

[Finski]

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Condensation water has "rained" back onto cluster.
Reason is that box walls are 3 cm thick and the inner cover 2 cm thick. So the inner cover had weakest insulation value and it was the coldest surface.

[Course Bee]

In the first set of pictures where you are adjusting hive space.

[Finski]

What was the air temp when you did this modification and how long did you have the hive open, Finski?

This winter I have done this about -7C in several hives. Some tens bees fly out and die at once.

Frost wind is bad because it blows the cluster outer heat away at once.

On these days we have sun not at all. It is so low if it is.

It is better to first think what to do and keep materials ready when you open the hive. It takes 2-3 minutes.

[Cascadebee]

Wow Finski, 

Did you shovel all that snow or use a plow or snowblower or just let it fill in?

What's your latitude?

Can I buy a queen from you?

[Finski]

Wow Finski, 

Did you shovel all that snow or use a plow or snowblower or just let it fill in?

What's your latitude?

Can I buy a queen from you?

I have been now much on my summer cottage.

My neighbour makes for car entrance the snow work with tractor. It takes one minute.

Otherwise I walk a path over snow. Path will be cowered with snow every week.
I bought fishing boots to wade in snow.

for cleasing flight I must shovel half cubic metre snow away in front of  every hive  like I did  last spring. Heavy job when there is 30 hives.

This happens in the first week of Marsh when sun starts to heat enough.

[tonyp]

Finski, do you expect those size clusters for this time of year to survive? Have you ever tried overwintering in 5 frame polystyrene nuc boxes? Just curious, good post.

[FRAMEshift]

What are you using as a divider when you reduce the hive space?  It looks like a piece of insulation.  But you are putting your heater on the far side of it, so you would loose the heat from the heater.

[Finski]

But you are putting your heater on the far side of it, so you would loose the heat from the heater.

I use very seldom heaters. Just for fun.

My routine use is during April and May. It is too expencive to heat hives with electrict because bees do fine with sugar and natural methods.

I try to join hives and nucs so nowadays that every hive has one box full of bees. I do not use deviders untill in spring when I have seen what has happened to cluster.

I have not much interest to play with old issues.

It is like a game "I saved a bee from water and I know that 1500 bees in every hive die every day naturally". 

I am like Jesus: I left 99 sheep in trouble when I went to search that one sheep.

.

[FRAMEshift]

Yes Finski.  You are just like Jesus.  I've always said so.  :-D

[Finski]

Finski, do you expect those size clusters for this time of year to survive? Have you overwintering in 5 frame polystyrene nuc boxes? Just curious, good post.

5 frame cluster in polystyrene hives are minimum practical nucs to over winter but they are bettr to lift to shed or cellar to coldest time December to April.

Those all clusters in pictures has been alive in spring. But spring build up is often painfull. They have only value of queen.  The pics are not mine all. I hav ecollevted them from our forum.

''''''''''''''

About discussion. It is better to try understand real things and not to try knock me down. You never succeed in that.

Last summer I got from couple of hives 200 kg honey per hive  in 2 months. Come on after if you can. We had hardest winter foir 100 years last year.

[Finski]

Yes Finski.  You are just like Jesus.  I've always said so.  :-D

sure. To live with his mother to age of 30 and if does something after that, it is a miracle!

[Finski]

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WINTERING HONEY BEES

by George Brezina, West Québec, Canada



OBJECTIVES:

Survival
Spring development
Cost and labour



EVALUATION OF WINTERING METHODS:

Average winter loss (include queenless & weak colonies to be united):

0 to 5% very good
10% expected (Québec)
Wintering cannot be taken out of context of year round management
Wintering method must have the capacity to withstand extreme weather conditions in exceptional years


WINTER CLUSTER = ball of bees keeping in the heat

outer layers - insulation (temp. above 10 0C / 0F)
inner cluster - heat production (by shivering flight muscles; energy of 20 40W light bulb; temp. 20-360C / 68-960F)
Open cluster will form at outside temp. 5-100C / 4O-5O0F; it will close from the top and tighten with dropping temperatures.

Input: honey and oxygen

Output: heat, water, and carbon dioxide



CLUSTER SIZE

large: smaller surface relative to volume (favorable to withstand extreme weather conditions) – colony may eat all the stores and die of starvation
small: may not be able to generate the heat to move to the stores – colony may die of starvation with honey left
Weaker colony - sometimes better chances to survive long winter but less likely to produce honey - do not winter it.

NUC - winter on top of another colony



CLEANSING FLIGHT

late winter, sunny days
ashes or shavings may be spread on snow to reduce losses
With no disturbance and cool temperatures bees may go over 5 months without flight.

If fecal material in rectum reaches about 1/2 weight of the bee - it will defecate inside the hive.





STORES

quantity - determined by strength of the colony, location, wintering method
- count min. 18kg / 4Olbs of sugar per hive or leave more honey and feed less
quality - indigestible matter will cause dysentery
- feed only proven mixtures e.g.
white sugar : water = 2 : 1 (or 3 : 2) by weight
(1/2l of vinegar per 10 kg of sugar against nosema)
timing - feed early (start by September 10)
- supplement if needed (in October) or leave sugar candy in top feeder

Compare other methods of local beekeepers.



STARVATION


major cause of winter losses
dead bees with heads inside the cells
(almost no bees and left-over honey - likely a varroa mite kill)



Two critical periods:

late fall (October, November)
some years colonies may consume a substantial part of winter stores
early spring (late February, March)
loss of the best (strongest) hives
feed (honey comb or creamed honey) if out of stores (heft the hive to check)
do not open hive in full sun
open for less than 1 min . (-50C / 230F is OK)


QUEEN

strain: best is a proven local queen or a queen from harsher environment
age: young— less risk of loss (new queen or from last year)
Important: laying queen in July, August (eggs for winter bee population)

requeen
feed wet sugar during inclement weather


TEMPERATURE:

low temp.:
not a problem
(e.g. On December 21/1993 temp. dropped to -300C (-220F) and stayed in -200C to -300C (-40F to -220F) range, often dropping to -400C (-400F ) with an extreme of -480C (-550F). This lasted till February 15/1994. A strong colony would survive this with no protection but run out of stores at the end of February. )

heat loss:
increased consumption
bees falling off the cluster
danger of starvation
high temp.:
cluster may break
high consumption
temperature drop may catch bees away from the cluster


HUMIDITY:

condensation and ice formation
molded frames
heat loss (increased conductivity of air)
Prevention:

ventilation
full width of lower entrance
(clean if plugged with ice, dead bees – snow is OK) or
upper entrance (notch in the rim of inner cover)
winter sun
dark color of the hive
insulation (reduces condensation)
permeable packing material (metal cover is a major source of condensation)
protection from ground moisture (tar paper)
overhang (tar paper under top cover)
absorbent materials (shavings in top feeder, newspaper)




WIND

heat loss
increased condensation
Protection:

protected location
wind fence
packing


DISTURBANCE

(rodents, hive inspections, ice removal, branches hitting the hive ...)

cluster looses temperature (at 180C / 640F it looses ability to generate heat)
increased consumption, loss of bees


MEDICATION

provincial /state apiarist may provide guidelines


CONFIGURATION OF THE HIVE

single box:
larger honey crop (honey super above the brood chamber is extracted)
less room relative to hive population (favorable environmental conditions)
possibility of insufficient empty comb space to form a tight cluster
higher risk of insufficient stores
potentially a superior configuration (with adequate wintering methods)
two boxes:
top box full with capped honey and pollen
bottom box partly empty
common configuration for outside wintering (Ontario / Quebec)
three boxes:
space for larger stores
larger clean up job of a dead colony in spring
Organize hive before fall feeding:

remove queen excluder
remove frames that are not built
move some pollen comb up


WINTERING INSIDE

cellars (ventilation essential!)
refrigerated /ventilated buildings (e.g. a converted hot room)
conditions: 30C/380F, 25ft3 per hive, darkness
feeding: 30 — 40 lbs of sugar per hive
well researched and tested – Quebec Ministry of Agriculture
cold spell in spring (after the hives have been moved out) may set them back
used by some large beekeepers in Montreal area


WINTERING OUTSIDE

stronger colonies in spring
lower cost
commonly used in Eastern Ontario / West Quebec


WRAPPING

Requirements:

Adequate protection
Ease of access to the hive/replacement (spring inspection, feeding, medication)


Grouping:

pairs
pallet of 4
stacking on top
added protection at no cost
more work
may not provide for easy access




Examples of Wrapping Methods:



BLACK CARTON (bottom waxed)

standard method in Eastern Ontario, West Québec
quick and easy installation
air space between the hive and the carton reduces heat loss by conduction
allows for the hive to be reheated by sun
may be marginal in exposed locations
preferably use with additional top insulation (e.g. 3" of polystyrene on inner cover)
tar paper on top of the carton box (under the outer cover) may provide overhang
supplier: Benson Bee Supplies Ltd.( 613-821-2797 / 1-800-214-7366 / fax: 613-821-2621)


WINTERING CASE

traditionally wood (or particle board), plywood platform and cover
filled with shavings, fiberglass etc.
pipe for top ventilation or not insulated front side
mouse screen
lightweight case may be constructed from an insulation board and used in a similar way as slip-over carton
good results


TAR PAPER WRAP

by itself may not be sufficient
may be used over fiberglass or straw insulation
benefits of over-insulating are questionable
may accumulate moisture
southern side may be left uninsulated (only wrapped)
may not provide for easy access to the hive


BURIED UNDER THE SNOW

best in combination with some wrapping
permeable insulation, total draft protection
will even temperature fluctuations
low honey consumption
possible delayed spring build up


NO PROTECTION

may work on occasion


BEE-HOUSE / PERMANENTLY INSULATED HIVES

used in parts of Europe
non-standard equipment


QUESTIONS and ANSWERS:

When to remove the winter packing?
The hive protection is more important in spring than in winter. A cold spell will chill the brood and set the hive back. In our climate wait till the middle of May or later - not before the tomatoes are planted out.

When to wrap the hives for winter?
Not too early. Cool hive will cease rearing brood and decrease consumption. In West Quebec it may be done in the first week of November (before the deep frost or heavy snowfall).

Is the upper entrance essential in winter?
It depends on the wintering method. Personally, I had better experience with full width of bottom entrance and no upper entrance.

Is it necessary to reduce the bottom entrance?
No. The primary reason for entrance reduction is the defense against robbing. Reduction of the bottom entrance may help to reduce the heat loss if the upper entrance is used.

How to protect the hive in winter against rodents?
Several methods exist. For example the height of the bottom entrance may be lowered to the size of the bee space using a metal strip. Metal screen (1/4") can be used. Care must be taken that the entrance will not get blocked by dead bees / ice.

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A venir bientot.

[FRAMEshift]

(1/2l of vinegar per 10 kg of sugar against nosema)

Is that 1/2 liter of vinegar per 10kg?  Finski, do you add vinegar to your sugar?  If so, how much?

[Finski]

(1/2l of vinegar per 10 kg of sugar against nosema)

Is that 1/2 liter of vinegar per 10kg?  Finski, do you add vinegar to your sugar?  If so, how much?

Nosema is really important question in wintering and in spring build up.

No. Vinegar is not a nosema medicine.

Only stuff is Phumidil B but it is forbidden in Europe Union.

I try to breed my bee stock to resist nosema, but it is difficult. I see differencies between beestocks when I buy new mother breeding queens.

Strong acetic acid kills nosema spores but the disease is in the hive, not in comb store.


http://www.capabees.com/main/files/pdf/nosema.pdf


I have found too that when the hive is nosema sick, is is not able to feed brood earlöy in spring.
That hive is not able to consume pollen patty.

Then I add frame of emerging bees from some big hive and 70% of queens start to lay normally and the hive will be normal. Part of queens will be ruined for ever for nosema or for some reason. Some stop totaly laying because of nosema.

[BlueBee]

Finski,

Thanks again for all this great advice and info.   Most of us DO listen to you!  Please don't get too frustrated with those that don't listen and PLEASE don't leave us.   Sometimes you just have to ignore those that refuse to listen, they may eventually learn too.