How do I inspect my ICU hive?

[AliciaH]

Some of you may remember, I had a hive with less than a cup of bees (with a queen) that was on it's way out.  I put in in a nuc and put it inside a window in my barn with the opening to the hive out through the window opening.

It's been a month and they're still in there!  I can peak through the crack between the nuc body and the cover and see them moving.  They are warm enough with the heat lamp not to be in a cluster which is good so they can retrieve the food.

I'd really like to look and make sure the queen made it and see if she is laying.  If I open the hive in the barn with the window closed, they won't be able to get back in when I'm done.

So, can I open the hive with the window closed so not to chill them, then open the window so they can get to the opening of the hive, closing it again when night falls?  It's about the only thing I can think of.

I know others out there have had similar situations for different reasons.  How did you handle your inspections.

[BlueBee]

I haven’t done it too many times, but why not do your inspection at night?  Get a red LED cap/head light and go to it! 

If all you need to do is check for brood, that can be a pretty quick process and doable at night.  Just remember that bees crawl at night so you don’t want to spend too much time manipulating them.

[D Semple]

Sounds like they are doing better than could otherwise be expected.

If you are already feeding and they are taking it, I can't see any benefit from an inspection this time of the year and would stay out of the hive.

Just my 2 cents

[Robo]

I agree with don't inspect.   They will not benefit in anyway from your inspection, it will only satisfy your desire.  With such a small amount of bees they need every one they can keep.   No need to loose some of their small mass to the cold.   What would you do different depending on what you find?   

If they are taking feed keep feeding.   Come spring you will either have a dead colony or perhaps a laying queen.

[iddee]

DITTO what Robo said.

[AliciaH]

I love the red light idea!  But it seems I will wait...darn! 

Okay, okay, you guys figured me out...and you're right, I'm just bee-deficit.  There really isn't anything I could do to change things at this point.  I was just curious to see if the queen made it okay.  But if she didn't and what I'm seeing through the lid gap are just the winter bees, then it doesn't hurt to leave the box there.  I was thinking I was getting around the heat loss issue because of the heat lamp, but there really isn't any point to go in now.

I'll save the red light idea for later!

Question, though.  The box was packed full of food, so I actually haven't been feeding. The box is warm enough that they are free to run around and get it.  Regardless of what you think about this decision, I should probably change my thinking and start adding syrup now?  The solstice is over, there is warmth in the box, so syrup should help stimulate the queen (if she's still in there) to start laying more sooner?

Thanks for the input!

[BlueBee]

I experimented with electrically heated Nucs last winter; just 2 to 3 frames of bees in each foam nuc.  Kind of like your ICU bees, but outside.  The bees never really clustered and we did have a long cold winter last winter. 

Those nucs had plenty of stores left by spring but I gave them some syrup anways to stimulate brooding (March).  That had no effect in my case, they didn’t take the syrup up.  You might have better luck with a pollen patty when the time comes to raise brood.  Definitely a little early to be raising brood in Michigan.

[AliciaH]

Do you think they didn't take the syrup because they knew it was too early in the season for them?

My other concern is that the heat lamp will warm the syrup.  Good for the bees, they might take it.  But if the syrup odor wafts outside the hive, I'm afraid it will attract yellow jackets.  This hive does not have the numbers to defend themselves.

[Robo]

If they have enough food, their best chance at this point is if left alone.  By introducing more variables (ie syrup) you create more chances for issues (yellow jackets, leaking syrup, drowning, dysentery, etc etc.)

[BlueBee]

LOL, what part of the tropics are you living in out there in WA state  :)

Yellow Jackets, this time of year?  Can’t say I have that problem :(  However I did have a problem with the syrup related to the heat.  The water content evaporated and the syrup crystallized into a solid sheet of sugar.  This rendered the top feeder useless.

To be honest I think my bees were too warm last winter (they never clustered) in their heated foam nucs and that might have created more problems than it solved.  My guess is if the bees don’t cluster at least a little in my cold climate, they seem to get out of phase with spring.   

[AliciaH]

Thanks for the advice, everyone!  I've never tried to save a hive this bad off.  Some would say not to, but since the queen was there, I couldn't let them go. 

You folks are nice to help me keep my perspective straight.  Because they are so small, I find myself second guessing things I would do if they were a stronger group.

And, yes, BlueBee, yellow jackets and hornets!  At a time of year when we normally have a reprieve from the pesky things, they're out and about.  Not exactly tropical up here, but we have had many days in the 40s and it seems to be enough for them.  Population is way down, of course, but enough flying to bother a weak hive.  Ga!