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Author Topic: winter it's cold  (Read 2840 times)

Offline briguy

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winter it's cold
« on: November 09, 2004, 09:59:49 pm »
does any body add insullation ?
i have a small nich one frame of bees
iam feeding but i dont know if they can
survive -5deg f.

its an economic problem feed 20 dollars of sugar and
hope they make it or let nature take its course and buy
new bees for 40 bucks in the early summer?

what do i do?

brian

Offline Beth Kirkley

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winter it's cold
« Reply #1 on: November 09, 2004, 11:11:29 pm »
You say this is a nuc and only one frame of bees? You would definately need to do something to keep them warm.
- insulate the box
- maybe a fish tank heater
I wouldn't think they would eat $20 in sugar being that small of a hive. But I'm wondering how well they can make it even come spring. If they can build up in numbers.
May I ask...... why is it only one frame of bees? Do you have any other hives you could join this small group to instead?

Beth

Anonymous

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winter it's cold
« Reply #2 on: November 10, 2004, 12:55:10 am »
If you only have a one frame nuc of bees it will never survive the winter. There won't be enough bees to create a cluster large enough to produce enough heat to make it through the winter no matter how much you insulate it.

Offline Finman

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Re: winter it's cold
« Reply #3 on: November 10, 2004, 07:36:07 am »
Quote from: briguy
does any body add insullation ?
i have a small nich one frame of bees
iam feeding but i dont know if they can
survive -5deg f.

its an economic problem feed 20 dollars of sugar and
hope they make it or let nature take its course and buy
new bees for 40 bucks in the early summer?

what do i do?

brian


You live in Kalifornia and I am in Finland. It is a big difference with climate.  We have frost at winter -20 C = -4F, somethimes  -30C = -22F.

In Finland we need 20 kg = 20 dollar sugar per winter. Our winter is from September to first of May = 8 months. Also in May bees survive with sugar.

I am sure that you do not need 20 dollars sugar. Our sugar is 1,3 US$/kg.

I have insulated boxes. They are foam plastic.  I have had mere wood  30 mm, and that consumes 50% more sugar at winter as insulated box.

We have here medium yield 50-60 kg per hive. In Northern Finland sometwhat  30 kg/hive. It depence if ithere are too much bees in same pastures.

Now we have like summer +7C.  See traffic camera.


Our honey price is in stores  13 US $/kg.  That is big difference with sugar.

At spring hive price is here  about 600 US $

 

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