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Jorn Johanesson

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unusual warm weather!
« on: December 12, 2006, 09:47:28 am »
It seams that the winter have given up at us, at least for a while. I am not complaining because the heating cost is not that high now.

But I see some danger coming against the bees. The bees have not yet clustered, it is also not possible to give extra feed now, and it have been difficult to find a brood less period for treating with oxalic acid, which means that the effect on varroa might be a little less than normal. I wonder what people in tropical areas are doing against varroa e.g. Brazil. What I see is needed now is to be very close watching the bees in the spring so that they can be given extra feed if the feed still present is less than 10kg in February.

Well I myself has always been a little greedy, steeling all the honey except what was in the brood box, so I feeded with sugar 15kg in autumn when honey harvest was over with and then kept 5 kg for feeding in spring. This was sufficient for the most years. The reason for this honey robbery is simple that even if we sell to honey packers here in Denmark we are getting double pries of what we have to give for sucker.

Offline Cindi

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Re: unusual warm weather!
« Reply #1 on: December 13, 2006, 12:23:53 am »
Jorn, it sounds like you have a quandry for sure.  But, how do you know that your colonies still have brood?  It sounds like you must have already had some cold winter weather, maybe there is not brood.  I don't know, too new to be able to advise you clearly.  Good luck, good day. Cindi
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Offline rusty

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Re: unusual warm weather!
« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2006, 07:53:30 am »
Hi all,

Talking about the weather, (I thought it was only us Brits that always talk about the weather)
we have had the strangest Autumn here in North Yorkshire. Wall to wall sunshine since the end of September. Where are the frosty mornings and long dark, miserable, grey misty days? The trees have given us a beautiful long display of autumn colours, staying up there on the branches and not blown away, and the sky has been a brilliant blue almost every day. I think maybe we will pay for it all in January, or is this Global Warming taking hold.

Good luck with wintering the bees everyone


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Jorn Johanesson

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Re: unusual warm weather!
« Reply #3 on: December 13, 2006, 08:14:04 am »
Jorn, it sounds like you have a quandry for sure.  But, how do you know that your colonies still have brood?  It sounds like you must have already had some cold winter weather, maybe there is not brood.  I don't know, too new to be able to advise you clearly.  Good luck, good day. Cindi

Not a single day with frost, and they have none coming in the weather forecast. By the way. I have no fear in opening the hive in winter, if it is just a short timed look. I once reassembled a blown over hive in the winter time and they came through the winter. A little care taken in spring but not much except replacing a few broken vax sheets.

Offline Jerrymac

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Re: unusual warm weather!
« Reply #4 on: December 13, 2006, 08:41:05 am »
I think maybe we will pay for it all in January, or is this Global Warming taking hold.

We didn't have any winter at all last winter. Already had more this time than all last year. Now it is Spring weather again. Global Warming??? Perhaps. Just remember, when those ocean currents stop flowing we'll drift into another ice age. Dress warmly  ;)
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Offline Cindi

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Re: unusual warm weather!
« Reply #5 on: December 13, 2006, 10:49:26 am »
I have no fear in opening the hive in winter, if it is just a short timed look. I once reassembled a blown over hive in the winter time and they came through the winter.

Jorn, I am curious about what is considered a short timed look when the hive is opened  We are sitting at +9 C right now, which is about +47 F.  Pretty mild.  We have had some very very cold and snowy weather, unusual, but happened, now we are back to wind, rain and mild.

I want to do the O.A. drizzle really soon, have been too caught up in house stuff to get out there an open hives.  .  I know the bees will be rather grumpy, so I will be wearing all my gear and gloves.  The brood rearing will begin in about 3 weeks so I gotta get my butt in gear.  Great day.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Jorn Johanesson

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Re: unusual warm weather!
« Reply #6 on: December 13, 2006, 12:03:14 pm »
I want to do the O.A. drizzle really soon, have been too caught up in house stuff to get out there an open hives.  .  I know the bees will be rather grumpy, so I will be wearing all my gear and gloves.  The brood rearing will begin in about 3 weeks so I gotta get my butt in gear.  Great day.  Cindi

I would do the drizzling now. O.A will not harm the larvae in capped cells if any, and if you have only 3 weeks for brood starting again you will hardly notice if any of open brood is harmed, except for those carried outside by the bees.

Opening the hive even if it is cold and freezing can be done without harm to the bees if you only open the hive for a few minutes. As I spoke I reassembled a hive that I came across of visiting an apiary. This was split apart and might have bee that for a day or two I am not sure. But cover was off and the upper brood box (I have always wintered my bees on two LS boxes) was not in place. I was very sure of that it was children that have played the bad guy. There were footsteps in the snow.

Bees are able to withstand rough handling.

Offline Kathyp

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Re: unusual warm weather!
« Reply #7 on: December 13, 2006, 03:12:10 pm »
Quote
Where are the frosty mornings and long dark, miserable, grey misty days?


i have them.   :roll:   ;)
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline Cindi

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Re: unusual warm weather!
« Reply #8 on: December 13, 2006, 08:52:40 pm »
Quote
Where are the frosty mornings and long dark, miserable, grey misty days?


i have them.   :roll:   ;)

Kathy, you should not be so selfish  :-D  Have a good one, girl.  Great day. Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Cindi

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Re: unusual warm weather!
« Reply #9 on: December 13, 2006, 08:57:34 pm »
I want to do the O.A. drizzle really soon, have been too caught up in house stuff to get out there an open hives.  .  I know the bees will be rather grumpy, so I will be wearing all my gear and gloves.  The brood rearing will begin in about 3 weeks so I gotta get my butt in gear.  Great day.  Cindi

I would do the drizzling now. O.A will not harm the larvae in capped cells if any, and if you have only 3 weeks for brood starting again you will hardly notice if any of open brood is harmed, except for those carried outside by the bees.

Opening the hive even if it is cold and freezing can be done without harm to the bees if you only open the hive for a few minutes. As I spoke I reassembled a hive that I came across of visiting an apiary. This was split apart and might have bee that for a day or two I am not sure. But cover was off and the upper brood box (I have always wintered my bees on two LS boxes) was not in place. I was very sure of that it was children that have played the bad guy. There were footsteps in the snow.

Bees are able to withstand rough handling.

Jorn, so OK, I will get on it.  Today was incredibly windy, tonight calling for even worse, probably will lose our power.  Eeeks!!!  In this day and age.  I remember reading earlier about the hive being all split apart that you talked about.  Dreadful, the poor bees, probably didn't know what to do.  Too bad they don't realize how much you helped them out.  I wonder if the kids got stung when the box was knocked over, if it was the children playing.  Kids can get rather rough and not even realize it.   My bees are in single brood chambers, should be pretty easy to drizzle them.  Would honey be better than the s.s. for drizzle, I have extra honey that I have frozen that I took off from a colony that I united.  The colony had had a formic acid treatment September 12, I presume definitely not fit for human consumption.  I would be curious.  Great day.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Jorn Johanesson

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Re: unusual warm weather!
« Reply #10 on: December 14, 2006, 08:16:27 am »
Jorn, so OK, I will get on it.  Today was incredibly windy, tonight calling for even worse, probably will lose our power.  Eeeks!!!  In this day and age.  I remember reading earlier about the hive being all split apart that you talked about.  Dreadful, the poor bees, probably didn't know what to do.  Too bad they don't realize how much you helped them out.  I wonder if the kids got stung when the box was knocked over, if it was the children playing.  Kids can get rather rough and not even realize it. 

I think it was just curiosity, and not for doing harm, because they could have knocked al 20 hives over if it was for doing harm (My apiaries hav only had 20 hives each).  I think they just ran away when the bees came out.

 My bees are in single brood chambers, should be pretty easy to drizzle them.  Would honey be better than the s.s. for drizzle,

If you do not have AFB and able to Recalculate then it should be ok. 1 kg Sucker, 1 l water and 100 gram oxalic acid . From this mixture is given 3-3½ ml each frame gate. You should end up with a ca 3% soultion.

Offline Cindi

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Re: unusual warm weather!
« Reply #11 on: December 14, 2006, 09:14:25 am »


If you do not have AFB and able to Recalculate then it should be ok. 1 kg Sucker, 1 l water and 100 gram oxalic acid . From this mixture is given 3-3½ ml each frame gate. You should end up with a ca 3% soultion.
[/quote]

Jorn, OK you have lost me.  I don't have any foulbrood, American or European, thank goodness.  I only had to deal with that varroa mite stinker.  I think it would be far safer if I just use the 1:1 sugar syrup and oxalic acid.  I am terrible at any kind (even the most simple) mathematical equation.  I am spelling, typing, and gardener pro.

I have 4 hives that I will be treating (maybe a very small 5th one, but it is probably now dead I would assume).  It was pretty weak the last time I checked and plain and simply was not able to get out to the apiary to unite it with another (this weak colony).  But we will see.  I have 10 frame Langstroth hives.  I will see the strength of the colonies, and how many frames of bees each today.  It is sitting at +1 C this morning at Abbotsford, which is across the river from me and further inland.  We are closer to the mountains and live in a cold spot.  We live in a little big higher elevation and about 1 km surrounding our immediate area it is quite colder.  So, I venture it is probably maybe -1 C right here.  Of course will be warmer today later, probably +4 C.

I see you put your face picture in your avitar, nice to see that.
We did not get the horrible 90 km winds last night that they were calling for, thank goodness.  Great day. Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Scadsobees

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Re: unusual warm weather!
« Reply #12 on: December 14, 2006, 09:20:29 am »
>>>
If you do not have AFB and able to Recalculate then it should be ok.
[/quote]

Jorn, OK you have lost me.
<<<

Cindi, I think he was refering to feeding honey to hives...if there is the chance of AFB in any hives, then feeding honey can spread it to the healthy hives.

I agree, stick with sugar and water.
-rick
Rick

Offline Cindi

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Re: unusual warm weather!
« Reply #13 on: December 14, 2006, 09:26:20 am »
Thanks Rick, I think that I will.  Good day. Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Jorn Johanesson

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Re: unusual warm weather!
« Reply #14 on: December 14, 2006, 09:32:19 am »

Cindi, I think he was refering to feeding honey to hives...if there is the chance of AFB in any hives, then feeding honey can spread it to the healthy hives.

I agree, stick with sugar and water.
-rick

Yes! Sorry thats the drawback in not being natural english, clarifations can be needed :-)

Offline Cindi

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Re: unusual warm weather!
« Reply #15 on: December 14, 2006, 09:44:01 am »
Jorn, I didn't realize that English was not your natural language, I guess I should have put 2 and 2 together.  I apoligize.  I understand you pretty much well enough and thank you very much for your information, greatly appreciated.  Best of day. Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

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Re: unusual warm weather!
« Reply #16 on: December 15, 2006, 01:03:35 am »
Jorn,

As to your question about varroa in Brazil.  I read somewhere recently that the Brazilians don't treat for varroa because it is not a problem there.  The smaller sized bees and the smaller sized comb, coupled with a brood rearing period 2 days shorter that EHBs means the varroa can't get as big of hold on the hive.  I take that as a good indicator for small cell comb or allowing the bees to regress the comb size on their own.

I'll see if I can locate the information and post a link.
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