Winter? What Winter?

[Rodni73]

Nice warm Winter here in New Jersey! Today it reached the mid 50's in my yard and the girls were flying around! Compared to the previous two winters this winter been nice & warm so far apart from the freak ice storm in October. Let's hope it will last!

-I have a hive that refuse to die. Bought an expensive queen back in 2009 that was superseeded with a new queen that fooled around with our local mut drones.  Last year that queen again was superceeded in around June with a new black colored queen that was laying wall to wall. The colors of the bees changed from a typical Italians to darker colores bees! I have not medicated for Veroa since 2009 with no apparent damage.
If this hive makes it I will split it...!

-Regards to all
-Rodni

[gardeningfireman]

It has been above normal temps. here in NE Ohio as well. One good snow and that was it. It's making me concerned, though. When the temps are up like this, the bees eat more because they are more active. I am afraid they are gonna starve come late March, early April. I hate winter, but I wish it would stay in the low thirty's or twenty's to make the bees cluster tighter and eat less! :bee:

[SmokeEater2]

it's been warm here too. For the last few days the bees have been flying around in front of the hives and doing hive cleaning.

[AllenF]

Hey, quit bad mouthing this great weather.   :-D   Yesterday was great riding around and I am getting caught back up on splitting the firewood.  Bees can be fed.  And you can not complain about getting to wear crocs to church.   8-) 

[BlueBee]

No ice means I can put away the trike and get back on the bike :)  I get a little stir crazy up here in the winter when I can't get in some outdoors exercise  :evil:

[Hemlock]

getting caught back up on splitting the firewood

That's funny 'cause that's what i did all weekend but for NEXT years wood pile.

As far as this mild Winter goes; some red maple have begun i to BLOOM!  Which is good since all my hives have eggs and CAPPED brood right now.  The Winter Honeysuckle is blooming too.  Five weeks ahead of schedule....

[L Daxon]

Wow, Hemlock.  Your queens are laying already!?  I popped the lid on my 3 hives this week just to check the food stores and noticed they were all attacking the MC sugar I have on top so will be having to put on more sugar before spring, but didn't think to check for brood yet.  We have been mostly in the 50s and 60s the past few weeks.

I did see dandelions blooming in my neighbor's yard yesterday but weatherman said today this nice weather pattern for the country was getting ready to change and the colder air is coming down out of Canada soon.

[Hemlock]

Yeah and it's kind of spooky.  Everyone here is worried the bees will eat up their stores before a real flow begins.  Some are feeding with syrup already and the bees are taking it some.  Weather like this isn't supposed to show up 'till late February.  Glad i have a bunch of culled pollen/honey frames in the freezer.

The monthly club meeting is going to be a fretful & panicky one.

[AllenF]

I took  6 supers out of the freezer that I never got around to extracting and what was not capped in December.    Stuck them out for the bees to rob out to put some weight on the light hives.  The bees only robbed out the open cells.    So this weekend I had to open up a whole bunch frames and with this weather, they started feeding again.  BTW, the yellow jackets were out in force this weekend.

[Tommyt]

BTW, the yellow jackets were out in force this weekend.

I poured some fuel on one, at camp then preceded to make a nice campfire over it.
When I died it out the hole was almost 2 foot deep.
I also killed some with spray as they exited, they where big looked a bit like
large Grass hoppers
I wish I took picture,don't know what they where (Queens?)
But they where huge,yellow and black bees

Tommyt