Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: jxbeeman on December 10, 2005, 09:37:53 am

Title: Cluster position
Post by: jxbeeman on December 10, 2005, 09:37:53 am

just wondering if the cluseters have moved down by now.  i just took a quick look in my hives and all of them were at the top except for one which was way down at the bottom.  any ideas.  it has bee cold for at least 2 weeks up here in ny.  thanks

Title: Cluster position
Post by: newbee101 on December 10, 2005, 01:49:06 pm

I think the bees are there because thats where the food is. Did you feed in the fall? My bees filled up the empty brood area with syrup. They are between the top of the bottom deep and up into the 2nd deep.

Title: Re: Cluster position
Post by: Finsky on December 10, 2005, 01:53:48 pm

Quote from: jxbeeman

just wondering if the cluseters have moved down by now.  

I gived oxalic acid a week ago and from my hives 20% is only down and others were upp. I mean hives which have 2 langstroth deeps. I do not worry. They have enough food in upper box, as they have had before.

Here is a good research http://www.beesource.com/pov/usda/thermology/techbulletin1429.htm
.
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Title: Cluster position
Post by: Michael Bush on December 11, 2005, 08:01:40 am

>just wondering if the cluseters have moved down by now.

I think most of mine never move down.  They hadn't last I looked.  I'm going to throw some pollen patties on today since my observation hvie started rearing brood and it supposed to be kind of warm today.

Title: Cluster position
Post by: Finsky on December 12, 2005, 02:06:04 am

Quote from: Michael Bush

>.  I'm going to throw some pollen patties on today .

??? Where *.* you live?  Do you have snow there?

(http://pix.epodunk.com/locatorMaps/ne/NE_27401.gif)

Title: Cluster position
Post by: Michael Bush on December 12, 2005, 08:15:16 am

You're map is correct.  We have snow now.  I've never tried pollen this early but the observation hive has brood, so I thought I'd give the rest of them the resources and see what they do.

We will have snow off and on until April and occasionally I've seen snow on May 1st.

Title: Cluster position
Post by: Michael Bush on December 12, 2005, 08:19:14 am

BTW it was in the mid 40s F and they were flying.  (silly bees).

Title: Cluster position
Post by: Finsky on December 12, 2005, 08:46:12 am

Quote from: Michael Bush

.  I've never tried pollen this early but the observation hive has brood, so I thought I'd give the rest of them the resources and see what they do.
.

I read an Australian research where they tried to keep hives in foraging condition by eating pollen substitute over winter. Hive got sick. Their winter is something  +10 C or 50 F.

Title: Cluster position
Post by: jxbeeman on December 12, 2005, 10:35:02 am

i'm in upstate NY and we have like 5 inches of snow.  it is like 25 F out now and it is suppose to drop down to 9 F later today.

Title: Cluster position
Post by: Rich V on December 12, 2005, 11:05:27 am

Finsky
I enjoyed looking at your weather camera photos.
Yesterday It was 23 F. We have 6" of snow on the ground. My hives were covered with sunlight,and some bee were coming out to fly. About thirty were already dead on the fresh snow.

Rich V

Title: Cluster position
Post by: bassman1977 on December 13, 2005, 06:11:46 pm

We have about 7 inches of snow.  This morning it was 1F.  Warmed up to about 40F this afternoon with sun constantly hitting the hive. It's about 12F now (5PM EST).  None of my bees even bothered to come out.  I usually don't see them unless it is consistantly in the 40s.  Anything less than that and they are doing what I try to do...stay warm.

Title: Cluster position
Post by: Finsky on December 14, 2005, 02:29:38 am

It is better to leave bees in peace. Nothing usefull is to be done before spring.
This is good to read http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/HBE/05-055.pdf