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Poll

What % of your colonies died this 2010/11 winter season

20% or less
6 (30%)
30%
3 (15%)
40%
4 (20%)
50%
3 (15%)
60% or more
4 (20%)

Total Members Voted: 0

Voting closed: May 26, 2011, 11:03:21 pm

Author Topic: 2010/11 Winter Losses for MN/WI/MI beeks  (Read 4633 times)

Offline T Beek

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Re: 2010/11 Winter Losses for MN/WI/MI beeks
« Reply #20 on: April 02, 2011, 02:01:33 am »
Local bees really do rule :)

thomas
"Trust those who seek the truth, doubt those who say they've found it."

Offline bee-nuts

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Re: 2010/11 Winter Losses for MN/WI/MI beeks
« Reply #21 on: April 02, 2011, 02:40:41 am »
http://www.vpqueenbees.com/

Unfortunately he does not have the time to offer mated production queens this year.  You have to settle for virgins or cells which i will.  I absolutely love how his queens wintered with no nosema or diarrhea to speak off and they were very conservative on stores. 

Very nice guy.  He will be sold out before you make up your mind!
The moment a person forms a theory, his imagination sees in every object only the traits which favor that theory

Thomas Jefferson

Offline T Beek

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Re: 2010/11 Winter Losses for MN/WI/MI beeks
« Reply #22 on: April 02, 2011, 09:23:53 am »
Wow $80.00 for a queen shipped from MD!  That's too steep (and too far away) for me.  I'm making my own and "selecting" a few local  acquaintances beeks to do the same.   

"LOCAL BEES RULE"

thomas
"Trust those who seek the truth, doubt those who say they've found it."

Offline bee-nuts

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Re: 2010/11 Winter Losses for MN/WI/MI beeks
« Reply #23 on: April 02, 2011, 02:33:37 pm »
Those are breeders for $80, not production.  Last year year I got open mated production queens for 20 I think.  He does not have enough time to deal with them this season.  So like I said its virgins or nada.  Next year he may have them again.  I may try a couple virgins.

The moment a person forms a theory, his imagination sees in every object only the traits which favor that theory

Thomas Jefferson

Offline Sparky

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Re: 2010/11 Winter Losses for MN/WI/MI beeks
« Reply #24 on: April 02, 2011, 10:44:56 pm »
http://www.vpqueenbees.com/

Unfortunately he does not have the time to offer mated production queens this year.  You have to settle for virgins or cells which i will.  I absolutely love how his queens wintered with no nosema or diarrhea to speak off and they were very conservative on stores. 

Very nice guy.  He will be sold out before you make up your mind!
If I remember correctly his cells are for pick up only. The nice thing about his stock is that they are survivor from non treatment bees.

Offline T Beek

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Re: 2010/11 Winter Losses for MN/WI/MI beeks
« Reply #25 on: April 03, 2011, 08:56:36 am »
My goal is to raise my own and/or trade or purchase from Great Lakes survivors ONLY.

thomas
"Trust those who seek the truth, doubt those who say they've found it."

Offline bee-nuts

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Re: 2010/11 Winter Losses for MN/WI/MI beeks
« Reply #26 on: April 21, 2011, 05:01:25 am »
This spring or lack of one is unbelievable.  They are calling for a low of 24 this night/morning in my area.

I was down to 11 colonies.  Now I am down to 9 or should I say last time I checked.  I had to combine one weak one with one that went queenless and one died.  I had or have two more that are very weak and have intended to add some bees and brood but the weather has been so crappy I have not be able to find any good days to do so.  It is dang near May and I think my girls have had three or four half way decent days to gather pollen.  Last year I had my first swarm on May 4th.  I had already made splits on overcrowded hives by now to try to stop the swarming that started May 4th anyway.

I just have this sick feeling that this will be the coolest summer on record. 

I guess I should count my blessings though.  I spoke with my area USDA rep to inform him I wanted to return the fence he loaned me.  He asked if I lost all my bees which I stated no, about half of them and he said I was one of the lucky ones.  He said that most lost everything and were lucky if they kept 20 percent.  Thats just really sad.
The moment a person forms a theory, his imagination sees in every object only the traits which favor that theory

Thomas Jefferson

Offline T Beek

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Re: 2010/11 Winter Losses for MN/WI/MI beeks
« Reply #27 on: April 21, 2011, 09:27:36 am »
Had 19F at 5:30am today with predicted high of 54F (minimally I'll be checking on their stores today).  If they're still alive I'll see them flying.  60's are predicted for Sunday.  If there's no (or little) wind, I'll be digging into my lone survivor with intended result being a complete tear down/clean up, squeeze down with the follower boards I've been building for "all" of my 10 frame supers, and depending on colony size, it seems certain I'll be able to remove at least the bottom box, maybe even the second from bottom (they're in 5 mediums).  

I wanted to do the above a few weeks ago when we had the last warm up, what was it, 2 days??!! And back to subfreezing :(  Spring IS coming, just hope it hurries up.  Its definitely been the LONGEST (harshest on bees) Winter in recent memory.  We've usually got peas planted by now (sure glad I built the Greenhouse :))

All that said, life in the North Woods sure hasn't stopped.  Besides the returning Sand Hill Cranes, We've had a flock of about 100 ring-necks on the pond behind our house (doing their mating thing, so entertaining), along with the usual geese, wood ducks, herons (still waiting for the Green Herons and Loons) and the like,.  Amazingly though, yesterday I 'heard' an American Bittern, very close by doing his 'Onk-A-Chunk, Onk-A-Chunk' call with real enthusiasm 8-)  

After the Gulf oil spill last year there were many around here who thought we might not see the wildlife we'd grown accustomed to ever again, and so far at least, I'm happy to report that many migrating birds have made it back, and despite the rotten weather seem to be relishing the return :) to their Northern birthplace.

I pick up 2 3# packages next week.

thomas
"Trust those who seek the truth, doubt those who say they've found it."

 

anything