Deep Freeze Coming

van from Arkansas · March 06, 2019, 06:14:02 PM

Wednesday 3/6/19. Bees flying, dragging out dead larva. All Hives survived, but at a cost of freeze killed brood. I do not know extent of freeze kill but looks like the bees will be OK, I THINK, I HOPE!!! Every hive had dead larva of various ages on entrance.

Jim, please advise, did you get ground frost? Pasture OK?

Any body else in the South have bee mortality with this lastest cold front?
Best to all.

Ben Framed · March 06, 2019, 06:55:14 PM

It reached 43 F here today. I am happy to tell you that all of my hives have survived. I noticed very little dead bees in front of the hives. When I say little I mean maybe 5 in one, maybe two or three in another some with 0. All 7 late Nucs have survived thus far. I hope the rest of you, which were in this unexpected freeze zone fared as well.
Phillip

BeeMaster2 · March 06, 2019, 07:37:54 PM

Van,
It was pretty windy this morning so we had very little frost. Judy saw some on the clover leaves.
Tonight is is supposed to go down to 32 again but for a longer period and less wind. If we don?t get frost tonight I have a pretty good chance of not having it until next winter.
Jim

drobbins · March 06, 2019, 07:45:11 PM

I don't know about you folks, but in central NC we have another chilly night to go

jtcmedic · March 06, 2019, 08:27:15 PM

Same as Jim a little further south and west so will see how it goes tomorrow.

Ben Framed · March 06, 2019, 08:30:48 PM

Quote from: drobbins on March 06, 2019, 07:45:11 PM
I don't know about you folks, but in central NC we have another chilly night to go

We do also 29 F.tonight. But much better than the previous three nights. Plus a heat wave tomorrow of 53 woo!!

van from Arkansas · March 07, 2019, 09:54:07 AM

Jim, are you good,,,,did you get frost last night??

BeeMaster2 · March 07, 2019, 10:03:22 AM

Van,
Yes we had frost but it looks like it was mostly on the tall grass and clover in my yard. Frost does not bother clover. The cows have kept the fields cut short and I did not see much frost in the pastures. A lot of my grass is in between pine trees and the trees protected that grass. It looks like I will bee good for another 10 days. Our last frost is usually March 30. We are supposed to have a warmer than average March.
Jim

jtcmedic · March 07, 2019, 06:58:08 PM

No bored on the boards so that?s good 30 here

Ben Framed · March 07, 2019, 07:29:51 PM

Quote from: jtcmedic on March 07, 2019, 06:58:08 PM
No bored on the boards so that?s good 30 here

Good deal, so far, good reports. While this may or may not be boring to more experienced beekeepers, this is a learning experience for me, maybe others here also?

jtcmedic · March 07, 2019, 08:46:50 PM

I am always learning and reading.ment to say no brood on the board. Haha

drobbins · March 07, 2019, 08:49:46 PM

got down to 25 here last night
no worries, got to about 50 today and the girls were rockin
hefted the backs of my 2 hives and they're heavy

van from Arkansas · March 09, 2019, 04:29:33 PM

Saturday 3/9/19, 71F, first warm day in a week. One dead out, small cluster, maybe 300 bees. Hive had close to 50 pounds of capped honey which is now in the freezer for future nucs. A support quality hive so no big loss. I am guessing the low population is due to Varroa last fall or nosema Apis. Did see some brown splatter on inside of inner cover, not bad though. One out of fifteen hives gone, now down to fourteen hives.