How many dead bees in winter is normal??

[T Beek]

Bee Natural is what its called. beenaturalwordpress.com

thomas

[Acebird]

thanks

[T Beek]

check out the one on bee HEAT, its simply amazing 8-)

[Acebird]

http://beenatural.wordpress.com/

I got it.  You were mising a period.  Nice video, thanks for the heads up.

[T Beek]

Sorry, but this won't be the first Time I've admitted to being a self-confessed tech-NO-peasent :lol:  Dennis site is full of good info for those wanting to keep bees as naturally as possible and the feedback can be very cool sometimes.  One of my favorite places to visit.

thomas

[skatesailor]

I've been asking that question for several years.  The Old-timers (older than me anyway) used to bring their hives inside their basements or rootcellars.  I don't like the idea of heating them, I think its best to allow them to acclimate, which means "doing what ever you have the heart to do" to keep them alive.  At least for the first few years as you learn and they hopefully survive.  That's the "keeper" in beekeeper I've found out.

thomas

I am trying a variation of this. I moved my hives inside my cattle trailor. I believe it is more important to keep them dry and out of the wind. They can take care of the cold if they have enough stores. I'll let you know how this works in the spring. As far as dead bees I seem to get a handful each day that the weather is above 30 degrees.

[T Beek]

AGREED skatesailor.  There's another beek around here who does something similar, hauling his bees here and there in an old bus.  It works well for him.  Bees are kept out of any "wet or rainy/cold" with entrances facing outside for those moments they can stretch their wings.  Very cool and DO let us all know how it turns out.

thomas

[Tommyt]

This is unreal hope you don't mind me linking it

Bee Vision and Heater Bees

[Yuleluder]

Does anyone have any data to back up the statement made in the video about bees incubated at 34C becoming nurse bees and the bees incubated at a 1 degree C difference living longer? I was under the impression that honeybees went to different tasks based on age and not based on their incubation temperature.

[T Beek]

There's a lot we "don't know" about honeybees, that's the most honest reponse.  Technology, in this case infra-red photography, took us humans a little bit closer to understanding them.  I've watched at least a dozen times.

thomas

[Acebird]

I was under the impression that honeybees went to different tasks based on age and not based on their incubation temperature.

I don't see why both can't be true.

[T Beek]

There's likely other (many) factors we're not aware of as well. 

I'm on my way out to check my hives right now.  I'll report on any dead since its 28F ABOVE zero, warmest in a couple weeks.  Some were cleaning house yesterday, got up to 26.  Kinda worried about 2  colonies.

thomas

[skatesailor]

29 degrees and windy but the sun was out. About a dozen and a half dead bees out of 4 hives stored in my cattle trailor. Don't know how many the chickens got outside the trailor.

[AllenF]

I doubt many of the dead bees made it outside the trailer.

[Brian D. Bray]

The loss of 1/3 to 1/2 of the bees that went into cluster during the winter is not that unusual.  The important thing is to emerge with a queen and a cluster large enough to respond to spring stimulus.  This can be done with a softball size cluster come spring.  I've successfully overwintered bees in a double stacked medium nuc (2 medium 5 frames) and then had it go on to grow to 4 medium box brood nest plus surplus over the course of a season.  Late swarms or splits are ideal for this approach.  It is also a great way to develop survivor stock.

Currently I have bottemless hives facing a south wind and experience temps averaging the mid 20's for a week or more at a time and haven't lost hives except for blow overs.  Hives that get blown or knocked over during cold periods lose the ability to retain heat in the cluster as most of the boxes become exposed to the air at both top and bottom.

A cluster of bees will survive if they have sufficient stores, the hive integrity doesn't get compromised (knocked over), they don't get wet, and the temps don't dive to the basement for 10-14 days straight so they can't retrieve stores.

[Acebird]

I got to ask, how does a 60 pound hive get blown over if it is only 18in high?  Don't you set up a wind break for the prevailing winds (natural or otherwise)?

[AllenF]

The last hive I had to fall over was a foot off the ground on steel supports and a poplar limb broke came down on top of it during a bad storm.   Broke the top and warped the top super. 

[Brian D. Bray]

I got to ask, how does a 60 pound hive get blown over if it is only 18in high?  Don't you set up a wind break for the prevailing winds (natural or otherwise)?

Flying debris, 80-90 mph winds are known to be of low hurricane strength and a flying limb, 2x4, or what ever can knock a hive off its stand. A 4x8 sheet of plywood ripped from a neighbors shed took out 2 hives.

[T Beek]

In my limited experience over five seasons, my winter survivor hives loose "at least half their starter bees" by the time Spring arrives.  It would be discouraging if they didn't build back up so quick.

thomas