Wisconsin Beeks: Do you have any brood now?

[bee-nuts]

I will start wrapping my colonies this weekend and am wondering how effective an OA drip would be at this time.  I think to be completely broodless its about a month early but Im thinking they cant have much brood now, at least colonies head by older queens.  It will be warm enough to poke around a little bit but Im just wondering if anyone else can fill me in on their conditions at the moment.  Now would be the most convenient time for an OA drip as its time to wrap them up for winter.  A month from now would be difficult  when clusters will not be accessible in bottom deeps with hive wrapped up.

For the sake of knowledge, I will most likely to through two or three colonies completely to learn brood conditions at this time of year here.  I will try to pick a colony head by an older queen and a young queen and take video.  As long as the bees dont go crazy on me which is likely, I will publish the video.

I really hope this winter is not as harsh as the last one.  Most beeks here really took a beating.  I lost over half of mine.  I heard of several losing everything.  I put twenty to bed last season although at least three or four were hopeless due to very high mite loads and small populations.  Being the way I am I had to give them a shot.  They amazed me being three of them made it into February before they froze out.  I lost some of my strongest colonies right away in December with the first cold snap that hit with 40 mile an hour gusts and 20 below zero for three or four days in a row.  I originally left one yard unwrapped to test the theory that they need no help.  That yard to a heavy hit right away.  I ended up digging the survivors out of the snow and wrapping them lol.  One thing I think that may have had more effect than the harsh winter we had was the fact that last fall we had no pollen, I could find almost none in the combs.  The season before they had several combs packed full.  The last time I was in my colonies they had plenty of pollen stores so I hope they are going into winter in better health this winter and I will get 70% or better wintering.  Time will tell. 

[BlueBee]

Bee-nuts, I checked a couple of my colonies during the warm spell earlier this week.  I found some capped brood, but no open larvae and no eggs.

Didn’t check them all because of the reasons you said!  The boomers are still a bit testy.

[T Beek]

Very little 'capped' brood in my three hives, and no visable open brood.  I haven't dug in too far, just enough to get winter ready inside.  I'm also wrapping up for winter next week.  Feeding this year was the longest I can remember, about six weeks, averaging just under 100 lbs of sugar a week :shock:. w/ open feeding.

Forage wasn't available for my bees when unusual warm temps came about in October.  

My two Langs seemed lighter than I would have liked, but my LONG Hive was packed with bees and honey.  Now, if I can keep them alive and don't get hit by another bear, next year should be my great expansion year.  

Only have room in current enclosed yard for nine hives and that's the goal for 2012.

thomas