when is it to cold ?

CBEE · October 25, 2007, 09:59:49 AM

When is it to cold to open a hive ? weather has turned off here finally and daytime temps are in the 50s and 60s right now. At what point do I cease popping the top to check on them ?

randydrivesabus · October 25, 2007, 01:10:41 PM

check on them for what?

CBEE · October 25, 2007, 02:00:38 PM

I'm new to this bee keeping thing so I may ask some stupid questions :-D
Maybe what I am really asking is at what point in time do you put the opening reducer on and not bother them for the winter. Is there a standard like after the 1st frost ?

Understudy · October 25, 2007, 03:05:06 PM

Once it's starts dropping below 50F/10C. You need to leave them alone. Check the hive before the temps drop that low. Make sure the queen is okay and you have enough honey stores in the hive. Cover the screened bottom if you have one. Reduce your entrances to minimum size.
If it gets really cold wrap the hive in styrafoam and or tar paper.

Sincerely,,
Brendhan

CBEE · October 25, 2007, 03:17:59 PM

Thks.. Thats the basic answer I was looking for and wanted to make sure of.

Cindi · October 26, 2007, 10:41:12 AM

CBEE. There is no such thing as a dumb question on our forum, none whatsoever. So if you want to ask a question and you think it is too dumb to ask, ask yourself this: "Do I need to learn more", if the answer is "yes". Then ask any question that you want, anytime. We were ALL once new beekeepers and we probably should have asked more questions, but didn't because we got intimidated and thought our questions were "dumb". NOT SO.....

But the answers you got were correct. The bees need to be left alone during the wintertime for their shutdown period. Once you have ascertained that things are good, then let them be alone.

When the bees are in the winter cluster, they do that because they are cold and are trying to keep their cluster warm. If we interrrupt this heat generation of the cluster too much, it is not good for them because they have to work harder to heat the inner cover of it up again. The bees vibrate their thorax to generate heat. The outside bees move to the inside and the inside bees move to the outside. It is cool how they look after one another in this manner (heee, hee). They are logical.

Anways, I carry on, but CBEE, you must ask all the questions that you want, and again, never think one is a dumb question. Remember there are lots of new beekeepers on our forum and all the questions ask is learning fuel for their minds too. Have a wonderful and beautiful day on our great planet, Earth. Cindi

qa33010 · October 29, 2007, 02:26:43 AM

CBEE I woul...oh yeah Welcome and welcome to the ranks of the addicted ;). I would have to agree with Cindi, which isn't hard to do, ask away I have not been doing this long myself but I do get the eerie feeling I'm going to be more in the dark than I was a couple years ago. I learn more and get more questions. Of course the bees don't help since they don't read books. :evil:

Edit: Sorry I forgot. The rule of thumb I was taught was, if they are working something then it should be okay to open them up. But like Cindi said it will cost them more to reheat than to keep warm. I would just occasionally check the weight of the hive and make sure they're not too light for winter stores. I have a stethascope(-1sp) I use to check for hum in the winter instead of thumping the hive body. Gives me an excuse to stay out there longer. :-D

Cindi · October 30, 2007, 10:17:16 AM

qa33010. Hey, now that stethoscope is a great idea, holy smokers!!!! I think every beekeeper has their curiosity peaked in the wintertime when they go out and see nothing going on in their colonies. All they see is the boxes, no bees. The thought always comes to my mind. Are they alive? Yes, and I fall into doing that very same thing. I go to each hive and give a little bump (or big, depending on how much they need to be bumped, heee heee). They always express their displeasure by the loud hum. But that is disturbing them, and that is not quite really fair, they just want to keep their cluster warm and comfy.

So, another item to add to my tool box, along with all the many new items that I have added this year. I am off to the thrift stores to check out for stethoscopes. Doubt if I can find one, but maybe......one never knows. Too bad we didn't have a doctor in the family, hee, hee. Have a wonderful and beautiful day on this great planet -- Earth!!!! Cindi

DrKurtG · November 01, 2007, 11:49:25 PM

OK. So, to reduce the openning or to open it all the way to prevent condensation? Right now, in southwestern Virginia, the winters are not extreme, but cold enough to have an effect. I have been told by a very knowledgeable beekeeper that it is best to remove the reducers and keep the opening clear so that condensation is not a factor.

Yes?

qa33010 · November 02, 2007, 01:13:17 AM

Wellll..., I have SBB's so I just make sure I have a crack open on top and the entrance is reduced as much as possible. When I go fully upper entrance then I won't worry too much about cracking the top for ventilation.

But with solid bottom boards you may want to try 1/4" hardware cloth for ventilation, protect from winter varmints yet allow your bees to take cleansing flights. Won't help with robbing though, if it starts.

randydrivesabus · November 02, 2007, 07:05:56 AM

Quote from: DrKurtG on November 01, 2007, 11:49:25 PM
OK. So, to reduce the openning or to open it all the way to prevent condensation? Right now, in southwestern Virginia, the winters are not extreme, but cold enough to have an effect. I have been told by a very knowledgeable beekeeper that it is best to remove the reducers and keep the opening clear so that condensation is not a factor.

Yes?

i left the SBB open and no entrance reducer last winter and they did fine.