What does a beekeeper do in the winter?

[Michael Bush]

>ya mean crazier right?

Of course.

[Finsky]

i I follow stock markets in my stone cave

[Mklangelo]

i I follow stock markets in my stone cave

I check all my light bulbs.

[Finsky]

I check all my light bulbs.

who check all your candles?

[buzzbee]

I watch beekeeping debates at Beemaster!

[annette]

I plan on learning about top bar hives this winter so I can purchase one someday. Getting frames ready with starter strips and reorganizing the bee shelves. Also visiting the girls in the winter and dreaming about seeing them again.

We have a very short winter also, and by February when the sun comes out we can be up to 70 somedays.

Annette

[tillie]

I'm planning to yes, build stuff, but also I want to learn how to make candles and to make lip balm with all the wax from my crush and strain.  Beekeeping has taught me so many outside of beekeeping things like:
1.  A 1X2 is not 1" X 2"
2.  How to use a drill and hammer
3.  What the different sizes of hardware cloth are all about
4.  How to melt and mold wax

So I'm on to making candles, etc.  This morning I ordered containers for lip balm, coconut oil, and 1" round craft mirrors to glue on the bottom of the lip balm containers ----- so I'm off and running in the lip balm direction for all those chapped winter lips!

Linda T in Atlanta  ;)

[indypartridge]

Make sure you're on the mailing list of all the bee supply companies so you gets lots of catalogues! Then curl up in front of the fireplace and look at all the stuff you think you'll need.

[BAStallard]

I will be building hive boxes, and studying for next year.

[Michael Bush]

Hardware cloth sizes:
1/8" (#8) no bees can get through. Pollen tends not to fall through
much but will some.  Great for anything that needs to be beeproof, like a push in cage, a queen cage, an entrance closer etc.
1/7" (#7) pollen will fall through easily. If wires are bent
sometimes bees can get through. If wires are straight it is beeproof.  Good to have directly over the pollen trap drawer and under the #5 that they are entering the hive through.
1/6" (#6) worker bees can and will squeeze through but they have to
really work at it.
1/5" (#5) worker bees can get through pretty easily but they lose at
least one pollen grain in the process. Good for a pollen trap above
the #7 that lets it fall into the drawer. Also good for push in cages
for queen rearing to get the queen to lay eggs of a specific age in a
specific area.
1/4" (#4) Workers, drones and queens can get through but not mice.
1/2" (#2) Workers, drones, queens and mice can get through.

[reinbeau]

Make sure you're on the mailing list of all the bee supply companies so you gets lots of catalogues! Then curl up in front of the fireplace and look at all the stuff you think you'll need.

This beek curls up with seed catalogs, too, dreaming about the flowers for both the bees and her gardens!  :)  Hubby builds more supers and dreams about increasing the number of hives in the spring.

[Sean Kelly]

I fire up the old ham radio on 40 meters and chitchat.  Or I'm at work delivering gas to angry people (hey man, it's not my fault the prices are high, I just deliver the stuff).

Of course the rest of the time I spend drooling over beekeeping catalogs.

Sean Kelly

[bassman1977]

I dread over the winter.  I hate it.  While I am doing that, I am inside staying warm and prepping for the upcoming bee season.  I don't know how Finsky does it where he is.  Winter 9 months out of the year would drive me batty.

[Cindi]

Wintertime, the time of short days and long nights.  Dinners at 5:00 so I can have the evening for "me" stuff.  The time for great food, wintery type foods, like meat and gravies, mashed potatoes, eating the vegetables put down from the gardens in the summer.  Creating great soups and stews, dumplings, home made bread.  Lots of M&Ms peanuts (I get sugar craves in the winter, think I may have SAD), hee, hee.

Reading over the seed catalogues and deciding what more additions to my bees' gardens, probably mind-melding with Ann as she does the same thing.  Studying bee books and internet research on this favourite subject.

Still spending time outside working, I can work outside almost 365 days a year, we only have deep freezing for a short time in January, maybe 2 weeks at the tops.  Oh ya, and spending lots of time on this forum with my friends.  Did I have enough time for all this, doubtful, only daydreaming of days to come.  Spring will soon be here.  Have a wonderful and beautiful day, enjoy this winter sleep.  Cindi

[DennisB]

Re-reading the  book Hive Management and other books trying to learn as much as possible to help the ladies do well next year. And recall how much fun I had this past year, my first year. This is done after work, of course. (have to pay for it somehow)

[Finsky]

.  I don't know how Finsky does it where he is. 

We have TV and video shop behind the corner.  We look Bold and Beauties  :lol:

.

[CBEE]

keep the fire going till its spring and I can hook the vulcan # 10 hillside to the team and turn some ground for taters and greens. :-D

[Cindi]

CBEE, I was trying to get what you meant about hooking the Vulcan #10 hillside to the team.  What does that mean?  It sounds to me like you have a team of work horses.  Can you elaborate on this for me?  It sounded interesting and I want to more, curiosity never once got this cat!!!!!  Have the best of a beautiful day, great health to us all.  Cindi

[CBEE]

That would be a team of work horses and an old hillside walking plow. I am kind of partial to 4 hoof drive

[Cindi]

CBEE.  When I hear of people still using horses to plow their fields, and whatever they have, this takes me back to thoughts of when times were so basic.  It makes me think of the hard working souls that took their trustful teams out to do the work they did to bring food to the table.  I don't know why, but it makes me feel happy.

You are fortunate to have a team of horses to work with you.  I envy that, and I admire that at the same time.  I know it is so much easier to get on a tractor and do this work, but the commune with nature that you must feel is something that I could only long for.  The earth beneath your feet, the scent of the horses' sweat, beautiful and wonderful thoughts. 

We used to keep horses for pleasure uses.  There is not a flower, a herb or anything in my mind's eye, that is more sweet than the smell of these animals.  Their scent is unique and I love it, even more than the scent of the beehive.

We have a fellow in a neighbouring town that still has his team of horses that work his fields with him.  When I happen to see this man and his team if I am driving by in my car, I watch with the greatest intent.  It is a beautiful sight, and I am enthralled by it.  I see him now and then take his team down the road to his other fields, the traffic slows, and the horses carry on.

I take my hat off to you to have this belief in your team of horses.  You are a fortunate human to have these animals by your side.  Have a wonderful and beautiful day, enjoy your life you're livin'.  Cindi

P.S.  Do you have a specific breed that you use?  This team of horses that I see are Percherons, if I am not mistaken.  They are a beautiful piece of animal.