Winter survival in question

[Stone]

I have four questions about this:

1. I fear that two or three of my eleven colonies won't make it through the winter because they haven't accumulated enough stores.  One is from a swarm I collected and two others are from hives I combined.  I've very tempted to combine this one with a stronger one at this point. If I don't do something, this one will definitely not make it.  Is the timing for this advisable?

2. I don't use excluders and have open brood nests in all of my hives. What is a good way to tell if they have enough honey for winter? Weigh each box and subtract for brood frames. I really don't have a clue about this and I'd be grateful for your suggestions.  I run all mediums.

3. Another question is, do I have enough time to feed them into a good chance for survival? My guess is that I don't.  I can only get to them on the weekends!

4. I don't know anything about overwintering nucs but is there a way of breaking them down into several nucs and introducing queens that would give them a better chance for survival?  Where can I find out about the theory, practice, and procedures of doing this?  I'm very eager to hear your ideas.

[BjornBee]

Winter survival at this time is based on brood production, not stores. Yes, it would be nice to have 80 pounds for each hive. But for those that don't, you as the beekeeper have the ability to give them all the feed they need later.

What you can not due to squat and lay eggs. The bees that will carry the hive through winter is the brood being produced right now. Concentrate of brood production. And combine those hives not with 5-6 frames of brood. Weak hives are hives that are limited in brood production and will not turn around in the next 4 weeks. 4 weeks by the way, will be October. Not much time in regards to brood cycles and the ability of hives to go from weak to "winter ready". 

[Stone]

Bjorn,

What you say is a relief to me because each of my hives is packed full of brood - even the ones I worry about.  But as I said, their stores are VERY low.

[Finski]

.
I use to exctract all honey away from hives and replace it with sugar syrup.

My hives over winter with one or two langstroth boxes. They are insulated styrofoam.

20 kg sugar per hive is enough for food from September to start of May, when willos start blooming.

80 pound ? Is it the hive weight?

[Robo]

Larry,

Brood is the key at this point,  but don't delay on getting them feed.  The sooner you can get it to them, the better the chances they can ripen it and get it where they want it.  You are very close to me, and I started feeding my light hives this morning. Fall seems to be coming early this year.   I would load them up with a couple gallons of 2:1 syrup this weekend and keep pumping it to them as fast as possible.  Each gallon of 2:1 is ~8lbs of sugar.

[Stone]

Good to know that "brood is the key" at this point.  No scarcity, as I said.  But I'd like to know the reasoning behind this.   My concern was too much brood and not enough food!  :)

I gave that colony 1 1/2 gallons in a baggie feeder last week. Those baggies are kind of messy.  Good deal of it spilled because my hive wasn't completely level, and the yellow jackets were right on it.    Wasps seem to be pretty bad this year.  I'm going to get out my perforated containers next time.

Where can I find out about overwintering nucs??

[Robo]

Where can I find out about overwintering nucs??

Michael Palmer is a great source -> http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,24461.msg191498.html#msg191498

[Stone]

Rob,

The link is apparently too old.  On the site, it does not work correctly.

[windfall]

Michael Palmer is pretty regular over at beesource.com. A search there for overwintering nucs will provide a wealth of info regarding folks doing this in the north.
There is also some pretty good info at kirkwebster.com but you have to dig for specifics. He is another respected vermont keeper (like Mike) who uses overwintered nucs as a basic part of his apiary plan.

But I think you are a bit late for that. Both of those guys make up 4 frame nucs in july and early august with mated queens to get the needed build up prior to fall. I guess you could cut down a hive to a single nuc with the queen and combine the remained with a weak hive to boost it....just a begginers guess

[Robo]

Rob,

The link is apparently too old.  On the site, it does not work correctly.

Still works for me.   I have appended the video below.  I haven't watched this particular video, but have been with Michael when he has done this presentation on a few occasions.    Yes he does start his nucs with new queens in the summer,  but you can still cut your hives down to nucs and follow his process.

www.beemaster.com/overwintering of nucleus colonies.wmv

[T Beek]

If you can only visit your hives on weekends consider open feeding by placing 5 gal pails 100 yards from beeyard if possible. 

thomas

[Robo]

Larry,

I wouldn't recommend open feeding in our area.   You will start a robbing/fighting frenzy.  Furthermore, your 8 strong hives will take most of the syrup along with yellow jackets and other bees in the area.   If you really want to pump it to them,  get some empty gallon paint cans from Lowe's/Home depot.   You can invert 4 of them in an empty deep hive body.

[derekm]

insulate - feed
thats it
the scientific journals show that insulation works for bees 38mm plus of polystryene foam ...

[Stone]

Hey Rob,
Yep, I never open feed. That paint can idea is a good one.  I'll have to puts few more openings in my inner covers like you do, though. :)

[Robo]

Larry, 

You can take the inner cover off to feed,  or just prop the cans up on shims on top of the inner cover.  The bees can come up through the hole and then under the cans.

[Stone]

Good one.  Thanks, Rob.

[buzzbee]

Extra entrance reducers make good props for the feeder buckets.