Overwintered Nuc doing well

[newbee101]

My first time overwintering nucs has so far worked. I know its early still but they have lots of food and seem to be thriving. It was 50 degrees today, all hives flying. I left work early, just to check them out.

My Italians..

Minnesota Hygenic, mated locally

Last Russian hive

[Apis629]

Looks like your hives are comming through the winter just fine.  Nice photos and, well done.

[newbee101]

Thanks Apis!

I used no Apistan.I used no ChekMite. I used no Oxalic Acid. I used no Food Grade Mineral oil. I used no Antibiotics. I used no Smoker. (Because I am lazy, and it never stays lit anyhow)
I did use screened bottom boards, drone comb removal and 1 powered sugar dusting.

[Kirk-o]

Keep going dude
kirk-o

[Cindi]

newbie101.  Sounds like things are just rock and rollin'.  Excellent.  Keep on keepin' on.  Best of days.  Cindi

[Finsky]

Thanks Apis!

I used no Apistan.I used no ChekMite. I used no Oxalic Acid. I used no Food Grade Mineral oil. I used no Antibiotics. I used no Smoker. (Because I am lazy, and it never stays lit anyhow)
I did use screened bottom boards, drone comb removal and 1 powered sugar dusting.

Sounds bad.............

[newbee101]

Thanks everyone, except Finsky. He is always so encouraging.  :evil:

[Finsky]

Thanks everyone, except Finsky. He is always so encouraging.  :evil:

Only cat lives with thanks. .. If you say that you have not handled your mites, it sounds bad. You need not to be broud of that. 

[newbee101]

My mite counts were reasonble going into the winter. 2 of these hives are in their 3rd year with no chemical treatments.

If you say that you have not handled your mites,You need not to be broud of that.

Well Finsky, I am.
The first year I used Apistan. The hive died.
The second year I used Oxalic Acid vapor on one hive. It died. The other 2 survived.
Last year I used no chemicals, I lost 1 nuc and 1 weak Russian hive out of 10 in my home yard.

[Finsky]

My mite counts were reasonble going into the winter. 2 of these hives are in their 3rd year with no chemical treatments.

If you say that you have not handled your mites,You need not to be broud of that.

Well Finsky, I am.
The first year I used Apistan. The hive died.
The second year I used Oxalic Acid vapor on one hive. It died. The other 2 survived.
Last year I used no chemicals, I lost 1 nuc and 1 weak Russian hive out of 10 in my home yard.

That is really really bad...........

5 winter ago I lost about half of my hives when my mite population had developed apistan resistant. I have had mites 20 years. I do not under estimate them. But when you handle them. tere is nothing to worry about.

I may say that postive thinking is the worst enemy in beekeeping. Nothing goes with hope.

[Michael Bush]

That nuc looks stronger than my hives. :)  But then mine tend to winter on a pretty small cluster.

What Finsky is trying to tell you is that without doing SOMETHING the bees always succumb to the Varroa eventually.  In my experience natural cell size is enough to handle the Varroa, but "nothing" is not.

[Zoot]

Newbee,

Your bees certainly appear to be doing well. Maybe you just got lucky for a season.

Last year I used no treatments of any kind, only management technique (slatted racks, Top entrances, plenty of ventilation). I did sugar treatments in Nov (rolls, shakes) and found no mites. Literally none. Total counts of fall in the summer had been minimal.

I have no illusions about the future or the tenacity of this pest and will treat if it ever becomes necessary (maybe api-guard) but for now my only intention is to shift slowly to small cell.

The surrounding operations here are plagued with severe varroa problems. Lots of dead hives this year.

[Finsky]

.
Truly those hives are minimum size to overwinter. Very good is that there are no sings about nosema. It is quite easy to loose that size colonies.

Why 4 hives are that size, Newbee would tell, because very important is to get hives' brood area maximum size before autumn. The winterball will same size as brood area in fall. You you try for example to owrwinter with honey, it stucks the hive very quickly and bees have no room to raise bigger colony.

It is very difficult to speed up that size colonies. It must have it's time.  When they occupy whole box after that build up is easy.

[newbee101]

It is very difficult to speed up that size colonies. It must have it's time.

We have 10 weeks or more before a flow. The Minnesota Hygenic bees built up so well last year, I lost 2 huge swarms. I am going to 3 Deeps on a few hives this year, give them more room.

[gottabee]

Have you looked at Api Life-Var  http://www.beeequipment.com/products.asp?pcode=788
The Varroa will win without a sound integrated pest control strategy. I am glad things look good for you at this juncture.

[Finsky]

, I lost 2 huge swarms. I am going to 3 Deeps on a few hives this year, give them more room.

That explains  much. 10 weeks is really good time to develeope. I woud help much if boxes are insulated. You may make an experiment. Put two smallest to the styrofoam hives and compare build up. It is easy to construct from styrofoam construction board with polyuretane clue. Afterwards you may use them for nucs.

Here is construction of self made styrofoam http://bees.freesuperhost.com/yabbfiles/Attachments/IMG_0223_001.jpg
As you see, bees are able to bite construction board.

I made 20 nuc for mating so that I sawed byed styrobox with circle saw and I clued styro boad to place of missing wall.

Here is self made styrofoam langstroth box.  http://bees.freesuperhost.com/yabbfiles/Attachments/IMG_0223_001.jpg
Not mine.

[newbee101]

That nuc looks stronger than my hives.

That, made my day!

What Finsky is trying to tell you is that without doing SOMETHING the bees always succumb to the Varroa eventually.

Isn't a screen bottom board,drone comb removal and powdered sugar, doing something?

Have you looked at Api Life-Var  

Yes, if I think I need it, I might go that route.

Truly those hives are minimum size to overwinter.

I am at the end of the winter, 27 days until spring. Lets see what they look like in May, eh Finsky?

[newbee101]

Put two smallest to the styrofoam hives and compare build up.

I am ordering 2 as a matter of fact. I want to compare to wood hives like you said.
http://www.betterbee.com/products.asp?dept=240

[Finsky]

I am ordering 2 as a matter of fact. I want to compare to wood hives like you said.
http://www.betterbee.com/products.asp?dept=240

That is good. You will se a miracle. On another hand the biggest hive should get the best advantage from warm hive and then give emerging bees to weak one. So you get your hives faster to rise up.

[Kathyp]

Isn't a screen bottom board,drone comb removal and powdered sugar, doing something?

you are going to find that many tell you not to use meds to treat bees.  for some that seems to work.  for many more, hives are lost.  there are treatments that are not "poisons", but are effective.

the SSB and the PS are to diminish mite load.  research on drone comb removal does not support it as a treatment.  it may help. no treatment will kill 100% of mites, but 70 + percent kill is not to bad.

i understand not wanting to poison bees/honey/wax, but i also think that managing mite load only to the extent that your hive does not die, is a bad practice.....it is also not helpful to those around you trying to maintain halt hives.

my 2 cents worth  ;)