Cluster position

jxbeeman · December 10, 2005, 09:37:53 AM

just wondering if the cluseters have moved down by now. i just took a quick look in my hives and all of them were at the top except for one which was way down at the bottom. any ideas. it has bee cold for at least 2 weeks up here in ny. thanks

newbee101 · December 10, 2005, 01:49:06 PM

I think the bees are there because thats where the food is. Did you feed in the fall? My bees filled up the empty brood area with syrup. They are between the top of the bottom deep and up into the 2nd deep.

Finsky · December 10, 2005, 01:53:48 PM

Quote from: jxbeemanjust wondering if the cluseters have moved down by now.

I gived oxalic acid a week ago and from my hives 20% is only down and others were upp. I mean hives which have 2 langstroth deeps. I do not worry. They have enough food in upper box, as they have had before.

Here is a good research http://www.beesource.com/pov/usda/thermology/techbulletin1429.htm
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Michael Bush · December 11, 2005, 08:01:40 AM

>just wondering if the cluseters have moved down by now.

I think most of mine never move down. They hadn't last I looked. I'm going to throw some pollen patties on today since my observation hvie started rearing brood and it supposed to be kind of warm today.

Finsky · December 12, 2005, 02:06:04 AM

Quote from: Michael Bush>. I'm going to throw some pollen patties on today .

??? Where *.* you live? Do you have snow there?

Michael Bush · December 12, 2005, 08:15:16 AM

You're map is correct. We have snow now. I've never tried pollen this early but the observation hive has brood, so I thought I'd give the rest of them the resources and see what they do.

We will have snow off and on until April and occasionally I've seen snow on May 1st.

Michael Bush · December 12, 2005, 08:19:14 AM

BTW it was in the mid 40s F and they were flying. (silly bees).

Finsky · December 12, 2005, 08:46:12 AM

Quote from: Michael Bush. I've never tried pollen this early but the observation hive has brood, so I thought I'd give the rest of them the resources and see what they do.
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I read an Australian research where they tried to keep hives in foraging condition by eating pollen substitute over winter. Hive got sick. Their winter is something +10 C or 50 F.

jxbeeman · December 12, 2005, 10:35:02 AM

i'm in upstate NY and we have like 5 inches of snow. it is like 25 F out now and it is suppose to drop down to 9 F later today.

Rich V · December 12, 2005, 11:05:27 AM

Finsky
I enjoyed looking at your weather camera photos.
Yesterday It was 23 F. We have 6" of snow on the ground. My hives were covered with sunlight,and some bee were coming out to fly. About thirty were already dead on the fresh snow.

Rich V

bassman1977 · December 13, 2005, 06:11:46 PM

We have about 7 inches of snow. This morning it was 1F. Warmed up to about 40F this afternoon with sun constantly hitting the hive. It's about 12F now (5PM EST). None of my bees even bothered to come out. I usually don't see them unless it is consistantly in the 40s. Anything less than that and they are doing what I try to do...stay warm.

Finsky · December 14, 2005, 02:29:38 AM

It is better to leave bees in peace. Nothing usefull is to be done before spring.
This is good to read http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/HBE/05-055.pdf