When to prep for winter

[uglyfrozenfish]

OK, it's been a rough week.  Both babysitters I use were unavailable during the Indian summer and now I have little time left to prep my hives.  I am tempted to put on my coveralls and go into the hiave in 20mph+ winds on saturday and hope things work out.  I should have been feeding my hives since about two weeks ago but due to babysitter and family obligations I have not had 30 minutes to get into my hives.  There now that I got my frustated rambling out of the way what is better; open hive in inclimate weather and hope for the best to get the feeder on and honey super off and take one last peek for the year, or just wait till better weather and babysitter time line up so I can open them a little more comfortably. 

Thanks,
Lee

[BlueBee]

The winds and clouds are making it miserable here today.  I would wait until a sunny mild day, 55F to 60F to mess with the hives.  It looks like we'll get some of those next week in Michigan.  On a sunny day in the upper 50s, the bees that fly during manipulation will at least have a chance to get back into the hive.  On a day like this, they probably don't.

[danno]

Lee
I say for michigan you aren't a week behind.  More like a month

[BlueBee]

I agree with Danno, you're late, but it's still worth wintering the bees....just not on a cold cloudy windy day. 

I'm still feeding mine syrup, and they're still taking it fine (I was out of town last week).  My hives are insulated and warm so the syrup doesn't cool down in 30 minutes. 

Your bees may have already moved some of their super stores into the brood chamber for winter food, who knows.  If they won't take syrup in a wood hive, there are other options like dry sugar and fondant. 

[danno]

They will still take syrup and its not to late to give them a couple of gallons.  I do thinks it way to late to be pulling supers and doing full inspections.  Very good chance that they are setting up for winter higher in the brood chamber and are depending on that super being there come Feb

[Michael Bush]

In MI? You should have started in September...

[bee-nuts]

Unless the kids are younger than four, I would take them with, and you tell them to stay in the car.  I give mine (she is six and i took her along at 4) a coloring book, or one of those dvd fold up tv things, notebook and pencil to draw, or whatever will keep her busy.  She will watch me out the window part of the time.

I dont wrap mine till right before snow typically starts to stay stuck to the ground.  I dont want them to be to warm and eat all their honey and raise tons of brood when they should be just chillin out.

This last warm spell was a slackers last chance for getting feed on that should have been on a month starting end of august if they were light.  Now is too late if you have lots of feeding to do.  If you are light I would feed and make sure you feed every day if they will take it.  They will take syrup in the hive if its in the fiftys and there are enough bees to keep the hive warm over night.

Good luck, oh, in your case, I would insulate the hives now in hopes that they will be able to keep the hive warm enough over night to keep taking syrup and drawing comb.

[vksheilds]

Time is on our hand still not ready for winder  :mrgreen:

[Vance G]

If you have multiple supers still on the hives, you can pull the top ones off first thing on a cold morning very easily as the bees will be down in the brood chambers.  I would not go into the brood chambers at this late date.  There is little you can do but destroy the bridges they built to travel this winter and little you can do about anything wrong.
I would strip the supers off and weigh the two deep hive by rocking the colony up on one side and sliding a piece of plywood and a bathroom scale half under and rock the hive over onto the scale,  weigh it at the balance point.   If the woodware, bees and all weigh over 125 pounds you have nothing to worry about they are fine and take the supers of honey for your use.  If they weigh less or if you are cautious, put a full super back on top for insurance.   The other issues of treating mites, nosema or fouldbrood I will leave to ohers to beat you up about if they feel it neccessary.   If and when you have time, read up on options for dealing with them, but the best time to deal with them is past anyway and none may be a problem.   Good luck and I hope all is well.

[mikecva]

WE are coming off three weeks of rain and muck, 70 degrees today. I am winterizing them again (2:1) to make up for their not being able exercise (they use a treadmill  :lau: to stay in shape) so they eat their stores. Soon it will be plain sugar (at the beginning of very cold nights but 45-50 days) this will last about two weeks here if we do not have rain during that time.  -Mike

[Jim134]

WE are coming off three weeks of rain and muck, 70 degrees today. I am winterizing them again (2:1) to make up for their not being able exercise (they use a treadmill  :lau: to stay in shape) so they eat their stores. Soon it will be plain sugar (at the beginning of very cold nights but 45-50 days) this will last about two weeks here if we do not have rain during that time.  -Mike

Cold in Northern Virginia USA
:lau: :lau: :lau: :lau:

Just my $0.02

     BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

[Michael Bush]

The term "very cold nights" has a different meaning in VA that it does in NE...

[Jim134]

"very cold nights" In MA are at least -10F to -15F or so last year a few nights got
to -25F


    BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

[T Beek]

I usually start getting ready for winter around Fathers Day (at least I'm thinking/fretting about it :)).

thomas

[rgy]

i was feeding for the last month and closed it down for the winter yesterday.  south west Michigan 42 parallel.  hope they are good for winter but when I went to take off the feeders last week they were mean as could be so i think that tells me they are ready for me to GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[T Beek]

I won't wrap and fill feeder with sugar until just before Thanksgiving in Northwest Wisconsin.  If you close down too early they may consume their stores before first snow fly.

Based on past weather patterns we could still get some warm temps.  I'll continue to feed syrup until then, unless temps drop below freezing and stay there.

PS:  if your bees 'just' turned mean they could be queenless or have been getting robbed.  You might want to check further.

thomas

[mikecva]

 :lau:

OK, I forget every so often that this forum is world wide. Our very cold nights mean a wet 5 - 15 degrees where I need a jacket to stay outside for more then a few minutes. For those of you where 'very cold nights' mean  -10F to -15F, my hats off to you  X:X
as my old bones would rattle at those temps.  :brian:

This weather swing we are having in Northern VA is something else, I think the hot air we are having now is more from the upcoming elections then mother nature.   -Mike

[uglyfrozenfish]

Hey guys thanks for the input.
  I know I am quite late but really nothing I could do about it short of locking kids in the crib (2 girls 2 and 6 month) on the nice days I have been stuck.  Anyway, I do have about 40 lbs of honey that I am hoping to feed them yet this fall.  I havn't taken any honey away from them this year since they are new.  Thanks again, here is hoping for saturday's weather to be nice. :-D

[caticind]

Glad to hear ya'll's cold-weather experience in case I ever move up there and want to keep on beeking.

35th parallel, <500 ft above sea level.  My single coldest night last year was 10F.  Seldom below 20F lows for more than one night at a time.   8-)

I am about wrapping up feeding as the remaining goldenrod/aster flow will add a little extra or at least be stores-neutral over the next few weeks. Goldenrod at least half done, asters just started a week ago and can go as late as 3rd week November.  Equalizing hives this weekend, then making final check to judge how well they shut down laying for winter about Nov 15.  As long as they keep flying every day it's above 45, I'll ignore them until maybe Feb 1.