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BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: 10framer on November 25, 2013, 11:18:29 am

Title: winter in dixie
Post by: 10framer on November 25, 2013, 11:18:29 am
i think we may actually have a winter this year.  florida, and everybody within 100 miles of the gulf might not but i think the rest of us are going to see more sustained cold weather than we've seen in ten or fifteen years.  hope everybody is prepared and your bees make it through ok.
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: asprince on November 25, 2013, 11:23:16 am
What makes you think this? We have been having record warm days. I will say we are due for some cold weather.


Steve
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: Vance G on November 25, 2013, 02:21:09 pm
My mother was born and lived in North Dakota and she swore the coldest winter she ever spent was one in Georgia when she was doing that Rosie the Riveter thing refurbing shotup B-25 bombers.
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: GSF on November 25, 2013, 08:40:42 pm
One of the things that makes our "mild" winters so hard is the rapid temperature swing. I've see it be in the teens and within 36 hours it'll be seventy. Then it'll be 50-60 and hit the twenties. If it would stay cold it wouldn't be so hard. Our cold is usually a wet cold as well. I started basic training at Ft Leonard Wood, Mo in Jan "78. They said it was the worst winter on record for the fort. We would run around 5 am with ice scraped up waist to shoulder high on the sides of the road. Frost accumulated on our eyebrows. I just don't remember it feeling that cold. Maybe it was the 18 year old thing.

Today I was shaking pecan trees. My torso was sweating and my fingers (in gloves) felt like someone was hitting them on the end with a hammer.

My goats have put on their winter coat - course it is the last week in November. Yesterday my bees were bringing in pollen, today winter cluster. I'm still scratching my head on the pollen. It's been frosting here for at least 3 or 4 weeks. Everything's dead but they're finding it somewhere.
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: capt44 on November 25, 2013, 10:36:40 pm
We here in Central Arkansas are having some cold weather already too.
But with the way the jet stream dips and rises we'll have 3 or 4 cold days and nights then warmer days and nights.
It makes for the bees to use more food during a winter.
they say around this region a blustery and damp winter.
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: 10framer on November 26, 2013, 10:03:07 pm
steve, i think we've had some record lows too haven't we?  i'm not sure why, i just have that feeling.  i'm not predicting a blizzard but if we have a week around christmas or new year where the highs are close to freezing it won't surprise me. 
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: GSF on November 27, 2013, 06:10:29 am
I heard on the radio yesterday that someone else said it was going to be a cold one. Reason? The squirrels were building nests on the south side of trees. Never heard that one before, will keep it in mind tho.

I like keeping things like that in mind per chance there's truth in them. I wonder if the Indians knew how to predict if it was going to be a harsh winter.
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: bbbthingmaker on November 27, 2013, 08:38:49 am
We had ice in the trees yesterday (Tuesday) but none on the roads.  No bees flying.
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: GSF on November 29, 2013, 08:21:01 am
Thanksgiving Day; 22 that morning, 47 that afternoon, and some of my little Einstein's were bringing in pollen that afternoon.
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: 10framer on November 29, 2013, 09:48:04 am
gary last year i was sitting in a deer stand above some hives and when the sun hit the entrance it was 38 and the bees started flying.  probably just cleansing but still pretty surprising.  if this week is any indication of what winter will be like it's going to be a cold one.
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: bud1 on November 29, 2013, 10:28:04 am
since when has florida become part of Dixie? never read of the battle of Jacksonville or datona. shucks youall are a different eity like California. don't get me rong on this as I have a coupla great friends in florida  but Dixie no way
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: 10framer on November 29, 2013, 04:45:30 pm
since when has florida become part of Dixie? never read of the battle of Jacksonville or datona. shucks youall are a different eity like California. don't get me rong on this as I have a coupla great friends in florida  but Dixie no way

the florida brigade charged cemetery ridge.  the carpetbaggers didn't take the state over til after the war of northern aggression.  now new york has just about annexed it, i think.
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: dprater on November 29, 2013, 05:41:34 pm
Worked in the yard with a T shirt on today :). Bees were bring in pollen, just dont get any better. 

dan
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: bud1 on November 29, 2013, 06:10:23 pm
jst jacking a little 10frame  gota get rid o some this winter blues    feel sorry fo youall and yo yankey invasion
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: 10framer on November 29, 2013, 06:15:51 pm
ha!  i'm native alabamian, we haven't been invaded just yet.  my place in the country is about an hour and a half south of atlanta so we're still holding the line in south georgia for now.
dan, i ended up staying in town and re-running my electric fence.  one of my dogs has been fence jumping lately and i needed to get that under control.  i did work in a tee shirt, though.  it was a nice change from the last week but it's already getting cold now and the sun's not down yet.
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: GSF on November 29, 2013, 08:43:19 pm
From somewhere on this website;

When I retire I'm gonna move up north..,       :lau:                        :lau:



 :lau:     :lau:      :lau:     :lau:     :lau:     :lau:      :lau:


 :lau:             :lau:                            :lau:
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: Carol on November 30, 2013, 01:33:28 pm
I used to be a Yankee...now I am a "darn" Yankee...

A Yankee comes to Florida spends his money and goes home...
A darn Yankee comes to Florida and stays... :lau:   I'm staying. It went down to 39* a couple of nights ago...wood stove going...by 10 am I had the windows and doors open.  Lovin' it.
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: 10framer on December 06, 2013, 01:02:50 pm
and we go from a week of record lows into a week of record highs.  i still think we are in for a really cold week or two in late december/early january.  this big winter system that's nailing the rest of the country now is going to have a follow up and that one won't miss us.
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: GSF on January 24, 2014, 09:12:38 pm
(10framer)
winter in dixie
« on: November 25, 2013, 10:18:29 AM » Reply with quoteQuote 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
i think we may actually have a winter this year.  florida, and everybody within 100 miles of the gulf might not but i think the rest of us are going to see more sustained cold weather than we've seen in ten or fifteen years.  hope everybody is prepared and your bees make it through ok.

I think you may be on track with the cold winter thing  :th_thumbsupup:
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: 10framer on January 24, 2014, 10:10:01 pm
gary, the good news is i'm also predicting an early spring. 
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: Joe D on January 25, 2014, 01:42:16 am
It's gone to have to change pretty quick to have an early spring here.




Joe
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: BeeMaster2 on January 25, 2014, 07:12:47 am
GSF,
Even FL is having a cold winter. Right now it is 34 degrees F right now. The heat pump has been on a lot all night long. Knew we were going to have a cold winter this year when the Alaska TV shows kept talking about how cold it stayed during the summer. Never heard about that on the news. They don't want to dis bunk the global warming thing.
How long will it take for them to go back to saying that we are causing it to be too cold?
Jim
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: GSF on January 25, 2014, 07:20:29 am
(10framer) gary, the good news is i'm also predicting an early spring.  

Keep us posted!



Sawdustmaker; What Alaska TV shows, or more precise, how do you tune into them?
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: 10framer on January 25, 2014, 11:09:51 am
jim,
a couple of papers came out in 2012 predicting colder winters in the u.s. and europe because of the the receding ice caps.  i flew across the andes in 2011 and there were no snow caps.  coral reefs are dying due to ocean temperatures going up.  i don't see any way to deny that the temperature of the planet is on a rising trend just because we're having a cold winter.  i don't know how much of it is a man made and how much is a natural trend, though.  i do know we used to have winters that lasted into march just about every year when i was a kid and last january we were having highs near 80 in january and i never remember that happening in the 70's and 80's.  when i see the polar ice cap come back i'll believe that there isn't some kind of global warming going on.
rob
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: Moots on January 25, 2014, 11:46:55 am
jim,
a couple of papers came out in 2012 predicting colder winters in the u.s. and europe because of the the receding ice caps.  i flew across the andes in 2011 and there were no snow caps.  coral reefs are dying due to ocean temperatures going up.  i don't see any way to deny that the temperature of the planet is on a rising trend just because we're having a cold winter.  i don't know how much of it is a man made and how much is a natural trend, though.  i do know we used to have winters that lasted into march just about every year when i was a kid and last january we were having highs near 80 in january and i never remember that happening in the 70's and 80's.  when i see the polar ice cap come back i'll believe that there isn't some kind of global warming going on.
rob

rob,
I'm guessing this discussion doesn't really belong in this part of the forum...

But from a general "statistical" point of view...looking at a planet that's 4.5 BILLION years old and trying to reach some significant conclusion, one way or the other, as to where it's headed in the "big picture", based on personal observations is pretty silly.  As a matter of fact, trying to make huge claims regarding it's future direction based on the 100 years or so of recorded data that's available doesn't really pass the smell test either in my opinion.

Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: buzzbee on January 25, 2014, 12:15:51 pm
All I can say is my personal almanac called for more snow this winter than we had all of last summer. And it turned out to be true. I will be writing next years edition soon if ya'll want advance notice to get a copy!! :-D :-D
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: 10framer on January 25, 2014, 02:07:55 pm
jim,
a couple of papers came out in 2012 predicting colder winters in the u.s. and europe because of the the receding ice caps.  i flew across the andes in 2011 and there were no snow caps.  coral reefs are dying due to ocean temperatures going up.  i don't see any way to deny that the temperature of the planet is on a rising trend just because we're having a cold winter.  i don't know how much of it is a man made and how much is a natural trend, though.  i do know we used to have winters that lasted into march just about every year when i was a kid and last january we were having highs near 80 in january and i never remember that happening in the 70's and 80's.  when i see the polar ice cap come back i'll believe that there isn't some kind of global warming going on.
rob

rob,
I'm guessing this discussion doesn't really belong in this part of the forum...

But from a general "statistical" point of view...looking at a planet that's 4.5 BILLION years old and trying to reach some significant conclusion, one way or the other, as to where it's headed in the "big picture", based on personal observations is pretty silly.  As a matter of fact, trying to make huge claims regarding it's future direction based on the 100 years or so of recorded data that's available doesn't really pass the smell test either in my opinion.


i didn't bring it up but since we're talking about it i think we can tell things about the climate way farther back than 100 years.  we know about ice ages from tens of thousands of years ago and we know there were periods where it was a lot warmer.
we know the oceans have been higher and lower.  i plow fields in the middle of georgia and find sea shells all the time.  we may have only been recording temperatures for a short time but there are all kinds of ways tell what has happened in the past.  
the arctic ice cap is something like 20 or 30 percent the size it was 60 or 70 years ago.  a lot of land that was perma frost in alaska the last 100 years has thawed recently.  i think i can say that the planet is warmer than it was 50 years ago based off of that and be pretty safe.  
i never said anything about any big picture or make any huge claims about future trends.  i made some observations that are easily backed up.  
the world has been on a warming trend during my life time.  if you read everything i said you'll notice that i said i have no idea if it's just a natural trend or man made.  anything you see in my statement beyond that is just something you're reading into it.  
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: Moots on January 25, 2014, 03:37:29 pm
jim,
a couple of papers came out in 2012 predicting colder winters in the u.s. and europe because of the the receding ice caps.  i flew across the andes in 2011 and there were no snow caps.  coral reefs are dying due to ocean temperatures going up. i don't see any way to deny that the temperature of the planet is on a rising trend just because we're having a cold winter.  i don't know how much of it is a man made and how much is a natural trend, though.  i do know we used to have winters that lasted into march just about every year when i was a kid and last january we were having highs near 80 in january and i never remember that happening in the 70's and 80's.  when i see the polar ice cap come back i'll believe that there isn't some kind of global warming going on.
rob


** Emphasis added

rob,
My apologies if I misread something...seemed to me like your statement was trying to make a point.  The part I highlighted seem to imply that Global warming is undeniable.  Not knowing how old you are, It's quite possible that for much of your life the trend has been in a warming direction...Yet from '65 to '75 there was a cooling trend and predictions of a mini ice age...And now, if I'm not mistaken, recent data is showing a cooling trend since '97, that's 16 years...Some might consider that a trend!  This recent "trend" is one of the reasons we don't hear "global warming" near as much from the alarmist, but now hear "climate change" instead.  Many are predicting this cooling trend could last to the middle of this century.

Will it?  I have no idea....My only point was...I'm not convinced that anyone really knows, and any absolute statements from either side claiming an "un-deniable" stance on near any aspect of this issue makes me skeptical.  
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: Joe D on January 25, 2014, 04:25:52 pm
I hate to put my 2cents in, but when I was a youngen in the winter, most every but not all, the ground would bee spuid up, some of yaull may not know what that is, it is when there is ice spuid up out of the ground.  That would usually be in January or February.  I haven't seen that in a good while.  So I would have to agree with Farmer,  and I would like to borrow  his plow also.



Joe
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: mitch on January 25, 2014, 04:46:16 pm
since when has florida become part of Dixie? never read of the battle of Jacksonville or datona. shucks youall are a different eity like California. don't get me rong on this as I have a coupla great friends in florida  but Dixie no way
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: GSF on January 25, 2014, 08:20:45 pm
about florida,

From my perspective the Panhandle is a totally different country than the bottom. Whole different atmosphere, folks are more countrified and friendly.

about global warming/cooling. I don't know but I do know;

The hot keeps getting hotter,
The cold keeps getting colder, and
heavy keeps getting heavier.
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: 10framer on January 25, 2014, 09:16:24 pm
ok, i'm not going to get into a big argument over it but i did try to find something on the cooling trend since '97 because i'd never heard that before.  i looked at the epa, nasa and noaa statistics and they all show an increase.  noaa has a list of the ten hottest years since 1880 and 9 of them are after 2000 and the other is 1998.  i love a good conspiracy theory but i don't see how all these organizations could possibly fake the data or what they could possibly gain by doing it.  anyway, it's been a cold winter in the south so far. 
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: Moots on January 26, 2014, 01:05:23 am
ok, i'm not going to get into a big argument over it but i did try to find something on the cooling trend since '97 because i'd never heard that before.  i looked at the epa, nasa and noaa statistics and they all show an increase.  noaa has a list of the ten hottest years since 1880 and 9 of them are after 2000 and the other is 1998.  i love a good conspiracy theory but i don't see how all these organizations could possibly fake the data or what they could possibly gain by doing it.  anyway, it's been a cold winter in the south so far. 

10,
Here's a couple references concerning the cooling trend...

The Telegraph - Sept 2013 (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/climatechange/10294082/Global-warming-No-actually-were-cooling-claim-scientists.html)

C3 Headlines (http://www.c3headlines.com/global-cooling-dataevidencetrends/)

Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: chux on January 26, 2014, 06:46:48 am
The global climate shifts. Everybody should agree on that. We shouldn't be surprised to see a cooling or heating trend over any period of time. Those trends could last 5 years or 5 generations. Who knows???? Beekeeping will be modified by the individual for his or her climate.

The earth was probably a huge greenhouse for the dino's. After the Great Flood (meteor, or whatever you think caused the climate change), things cooled and the dinos died. Now we may be warming back up. Who knows how long it will last???!!!
 
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: 10framer on January 26, 2014, 10:10:53 am
well, i guess we're going to do this.  the telegraph is just a propaganda machine like some of those sites that "report" things about gmo's and monsanto but never show a statistic or list links that don't exist as their reference (you can search all you want but you never find the actual studies they quote).  1998 was a peak year and if you look at the numbers they reference every year after 98 except for 99 and 00 is substantiallly warmer than every year before 98 and 99 and 00 are warmer than all but a couple of years.  so, yes it's cooler than 98 but it's warmer than 97, 96, 95, 94, 93.............after i went halfway up the page i stopped bothering.  
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: Moots on January 26, 2014, 11:28:06 am
well, i guess we're going to do this.  the telegraph is just a propaganda machine like some of those sites that "report" things about gmo's and monsanto but never show a statistic or list links that don't exist as their reference (you can search all you want but you never find the actual studies they quote).  1998 was a peak year and if you look at the numbers they reference every year after 98 except for 99 and 00 is substantiallly warmer than every year before 98 and 99 and 00 are warmer than all but a couple of years.  so, yes it's cooler than 98 but it's warmer than 97, 96, 95, 94, 93.............after i went halfway up the page i stopped bothering.  

10,
You said you had "never heard it", I simply showed you where it was being said...
If you think those sources are un-reputable, that's fine! 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there a huge email scandal a while back where many of the scientist responsible for gathering the data that you quote as "undeniable" were coordinating the intentional withholding of data that didn't support their global warming theories.  :?

As I said earlier, I think it's wise to have a certain amount of skepticism concerning claims made by either side of this discussion. 

I think chux pretty much summed up how I feel about  this entire issue....  :-D 
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: 10framer on January 26, 2014, 12:09:41 pm
could we see a cooling trend in the near future?  i have no way of knowing.  there is no doubt that the planet has warmed and cooled many times in the past and that it will again in the future.  we just seem to be warming now.  again, i'm not looking to prove anything here i'm just saying that we are in some kind of warming cycle right now.  these recent posts have lead me to read a lot of stuff.  one interesting theory is that as the ice cap melts above us it will actually lead to more cold winters in the northern hemisphere because it changes the jet stream.  i also found something showing that we have actually had a cooling trend in the south east united states while the rest of the country has been getting warmer.  i'm not a hard core global warming/climate change person but i do think it has become warmer over the last 25 or 30 years in particular.

so....it's supposed to get cold again next week.    
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: Carol on January 26, 2014, 01:24:05 pm
All I know is....the bees are bringing in lots and lots of pollen today.
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: derekm on January 26, 2014, 06:33:06 pm
well, i guess we're going to do this.  the telegraph is just a propaganda machine like some of those sites that "report" things about gmo's and monsanto but never show a statistic or list links that don't exist as their reference (you can search all you want but you never find the actual studies they quote).  1998 was a peak year and if you look at the numbers they reference every year after 98 except for 99 and 00 is substantiallly warmer than every year before 98 and 99 and 00 are warmer than all but a couple of years.  so, yes it's cooler than 98 but it's warmer than 97, 96, 95, 94, 93.............after i went halfway up the page i stopped bothering.  
the telegraph a liberal propaganda machine ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha haha ha you obvuiosly dont know uk media and politics.........
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: GSF on January 26, 2014, 07:46:17 pm
I found a dandelion blooming yesterday. I also found several shoots that were not far off from blooming. As most folks in this region we've had some bitter cold for weeks now. I guess the old equinox has the last say so. Tonight is going to be the first time in a while we haven't had to run our water.
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: 10framer on January 26, 2014, 09:38:34 pm
well, i guess we're going to do this.  the telegraph is just a propaganda machine like some of those sites that "report" things about gmo's and monsanto but never show a statistic or list links that don't exist as their reference (you can search all you want but you never find the actual studies they quote).  1998 was a peak year and if you look at the numbers they reference every year after 98 except for 99 and 00 is substantiallly warmer than every year before 98 and 99 and 00 are warmer than all but a couple of years.  so, yes it's cooler than 98 but it's warmer than 97, 96, 95, 94, 93.............after i went halfway up the page i stopped bothering.  

the telegraph a liberal propaganda machine ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha haha ha you obvuiosly dont know uk media and politics.........
i wasn't saying it's liberal, i was comparing it to some of the liberal sites.  i was saying it's very biased, must be a problem in the translation.......wait a minute. 
you're right, i know squat about u.k. media and really don't care to.  i can waste enough time and energy hating the media right here at home.
   
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: 10framer on January 26, 2014, 09:47:01 pm
gary, i saw dandelions blooming during the freeze a couple of weeks ago.  i was letting my dog tree squirrels in the park yesterday and saw one bloom in a small stand of henbit.  today my bees were bringing in pollen in every hive but one.  i was concerned it might be dead and i opened it up and found the bees clustering, it was 61 degrees.  not sure what was up with those bees.  anyway the pollen was whitish, i'm wondering if the red maples are starting to bloom.  if we get through this cold snap this week and the maples come on in get ready.  i may have to stop working on my barn long enough to start building equipment.
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: asprince on January 26, 2014, 10:45:58 pm
I started cleaning up dead outs this weekend. If I were rich I would throw them all away and start with new but since I am not..........

If the forecast holds true we may get snow this week. What do you think about that Rob?
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: 10framer on January 27, 2014, 01:05:12 am
steve,
i think we may get some.  they claim 2 to 4 inches but they also keep saying that the forecast could change between now and then.
honestly, i thought this would have been playing out by now.  i thought we would have our cold week between christmas and new year and that we'd have highs around 70 by the second week of february.  
this could be the last big snap or we could have an ice storm in march.  this has seemed more like winter did when i was a kid.
so far no dead outs on my end but it may still be a little early to start doing a jig.  i'm tempted to do splits in early march if i start seeing drones in february again this year.  it bit me when i did it last year then turned cold in march and wet in april.  my second round in august went well, though.  
i'm going to be feeding thin syrup the end of this week and if the weather stays warm i'll keep feeding it until i see clover blooming.  
will you be looking for queens early?
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: GSF on January 27, 2014, 06:30:49 am
Rob, Thin syrup? for building comb? I've been feeding a little bit better than 2:1 sugar/water. I'm afraid if I don't keep feeding them they'll starve and if I do they'll swarm.

Keep me posted on doing splits. Judging by the vast number of bees I have going and coming I could do a split now - but I know better. I could have sworn my Arkansas Black apple tree was trying to bud.
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: 10framer on January 27, 2014, 09:13:44 am
gary, i'll be trying to stimulate brood rearing.  they're on their own when it's time to build comb.
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: Joe D on January 27, 2014, 10:45:53 am
Depending on the station you listen to, we are suppose to get between 2 and 5 inches of snow tomorrow with a high in the middle 20's.  Saturday I saw several young buds on Laurel Cherry trees here.  They normally are in bloom mid Feb.  I gave my bees a refill on the sugar syrup Saturday, also checked the weight, couldn't pick up the back of any of my hives.   Spring will be here shortly, I hope.ha  Good luck to you all




Joe
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: Moots on January 27, 2014, 11:25:33 am
Depending on the station you listen to, we are suppose to get between 2 and 5 inches of snow tomorrow with a high in the middle 20's.  Saturday I saw several young buds on Laurel Cherry trees here.  They normally are in bloom mid Feb.  I gave my bees a refill on the sugar syrup Saturday, also checked the weight, couldn't pick up the back of any of my hives.   Spring will be here shortly, I hope.ha  Good luck to you all

Joe

Joe,
Question...If your hives are that heavy, obviously they have plenty of stores...So, why are you feeding Sugar syrup?  I assume not to prevent starvation (they have stores).  Are you trying to stimulate early brood?  If so, I'm assuming simply having the stores won't do this, instead they need to be actively bringing in nectar/sugar to get this behavior? correct?

My current game plan is to try not to feed unless necessary to prevent starvation...I'm just curious as to what are the pluses and minuses of this strategy and what others are doing and why....
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: 10framer on January 27, 2014, 11:38:53 am
moots, i usually don't feed but i sent most of mine into winter lighter than i would have liked to.  i think pollen probably stimulates better than syrup but what seems to happen down here is that as the pollen starts coming in the nectar lags behind and if you don't have a lot of stores the bees can starve in february because they burn through what they have fast.  i like double deeps but i didn't send any of my hives into winter that way.   
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: BeeMaster2 on January 27, 2014, 12:32:27 pm
Gary, I'll be trying to stimulate brood rearing. they're on their own when it's time to build comb.

10framer,
I keep hearing you need to feed them at this time of the year to stimulate brood rearing. My observation hive went from just a few hundred bees visible (with no brood to both sides of the visible frames full of bees and brood right now. I have not fed them one bit. The q  started laying about 7-12 days after the winter solstice. It started out about the size of a silver dollar, on one side and as soon as it was covered with bees, they then started on the other side.
Jim
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: 10framer on January 27, 2014, 02:15:13 pm
jim,
i don't normally feed but i pushed the bees last year by splitting in the spring and then again in late summer so most of them went into winter light and then we ended up with a way harsher winter than usual. 
i probably should have worded that differently, though.  i'll be feeding to keep them from starving during the build up is probably a more accurate description.  up here winter is tricky, the maples come in and fire things up and then it's a race between starvation and the clover flow.
my real point was that i wasn't planning on feeding for the purpose of comb building.  i took a quick look in one hive a couple of weeks ago and found 4 or 5 frames with brood (not full frames) and another one i pulled 5 frames and didn't find any and put it back together.  the hive with no brood was the stronger of the two but it's also more carni than italian so they may start a little later. 
i'd like to see 3 or 4 days with highs in the 60's where i could get through all of them and get a better feel for what's been going on in the hives during all this cold weather.
   
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: 10framer on January 27, 2014, 10:35:57 pm
10 day forecast has a couple of days with highs of 68 and 69.  maybe the groundhog won't see his shadow.
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: chux on January 27, 2014, 11:43:23 pm
60 today. Tomorrow night, getting down to 9. Hmmmm. The girls are bringing in red pollen and golden yellow pollen. I heard there is a flowering bush in the area that blooms in winter. Must be. "Chrisi...something." I would like to feed just in case, but this cold weather scares me. Dont want a wet cluster.
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: iddee on January 27, 2014, 11:47:39 pm
How about Camellias?  Your red maple should be blooming by now, too.
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: 10framer on January 27, 2014, 11:56:33 pm
i saw some bees bringing in the reddest pollen i've ever seen in atlanta last january.  didn't consider camellias but the timing would be about right.  red maple should be coming in down this way right about now.
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: asprince on January 28, 2014, 08:34:26 am
Maples are in bloom and the bees are working them heavy when the temperature permits. Camellias are like crape myrtle, some they will work and some they will not.

Steve
Title: Re: winter in dixie
Post by: chux on January 28, 2014, 10:52:26 am
Camellias. Thats it. Thanks iddee. A neighbor has a row of them.