Offered neglected hive - what to do?

[klieb]

Hello,

A friend of mine has a new hive that he started up last spring, but hasn't really kept up with.  I'm willing to take it on, but being new to this I'm looking for advice on how best to move forward with it this late in the year.  Basically, it's a single hive body with no supers that apparently swarmed once in the summer.  I haven't been over to look at it yet, but it appears to be at least functioning (there's bee activity, and the swarm seems evidence that reproduction was taking place at least in the summer).  I think that the colony doesn't really have enough food reserves to get through the winter (which are mild in the Northwest, by the way).  Should I put another hive body on top, and institute a feeding program through the winter?  Just feed through the winter with the single hive body?

Thanks in advance,

Kurt

[Irwin]

What part of the north west ? You need to up date your profile so people can better help you. My bee's a still collecting pollen and nectar very little but still some And I'm feeding. I live in Lakeside Oregon about 15 miles north of  Coosbay

[klieb]

This hive is in metropolitan Portland, OR.

[rast]

 Of course you should go get if he is going to neglect it. I would leave it as a single and feed until it gets too cold for them to take it. I don't know enough about your winters. I really doubt they will lay in another box this late, If its too cold they would not move up to get to any food they would put in another super this late. They would also have to have enough nectar coming in to build comb before filling it with food.  You really need to get into it and see what they have now.
I hope someone from your area can give you a better answer. I just know I would try.
Rick

[poka-bee]

I would check it out for sure. See if they have stores or not & feed.  It isn't super freezing here but there isn't much for them to gather past the middle of Oct. You can't do any worse than the other keeper did...Jody

[Brian D. Bray]

What part of the north west ? You need to up date your profile so people can better help you. My bee's a still collecting pollen and nectar very little but still some And I'm feeding. I live in Lakeside Oregon about 15 miles north of  Coosbay

Coosbay, the city, should be called Sand Dune City.  Either that or Sand Flea capital of the world.  LOL

[Irwin]

What part of the north west ? You need to up date your profile so people can better help you. My bee's a still collecting pollen and nectar very little but still some And I'm feeding. I live in Lakeside Oregon about 15 miles north of  Coosbay

Coosbay, the city, should be called Sand Dune City.  Either that or Sand Flea capital of the world.  LOL

Lakeside has the sand flea's my dog told me  :-D

[LBEE]

Hi!

I would not recommend adding a hive body and frames because the bees would have to heat a larger volume!  If you put a sheet of plywood,  cut to size,  with a hole in it,  or if it has an inner cover,  you can put an empty hive body on top of that and feed through the hole in the cover between the two bodies.  Put a lid on the top of the upper body.  Feed heavy syrup,  2 parts sugar to 1 part water if the hive is light.  I believe the total weight needed for a single hive is about 90 lbs.  (Your local beekeepers could give you a better idea.)  It would be well to feed pollen substitute and treat for nosema with fumagillin.  Check what the varroa mite count is and,  if necessary,  treat.  The weather forecast for Portland,  next weekend is for better weather than during the week which,  if accurate,  would give you a window of opportunity to inspect the hive.  The Oregon State Beekeepers Association lists branches and you could attend a bee club meeting which was closest to where you live and get the benefit of others in your area which know the territory better than I do.  (Since I do not have enough posts,  I can not post links,  but you can do a Google Search.)

Do a search on:     bush "for feeding bees"
will give you a good article on feeding bees.

Do a search on:     bush "moving bees"
will give you a good article on moving bees.

Please excuse the round about way of doing this,  but I can not yet post links.


You will need to check the hive in February,  March and April to make sure they have enough "stores" since many of the hives run out at that time.

Wish you the best.

Larry


http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm
the link to bushfarms on moving bees
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmoving.htm
and the link to the Oregon State Beekeepers Association
http://www.orsba.org/

[annette]

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmoving.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm

[beemaster]

Thanks Annette:

For Posting Links. LBEE, hang in there you will be able to post links very soon, just stay active and before you know it all will work fine :)

[klieb]

Thanks for your advice, I'm going to get on it today!