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Author Topic: Attention beeks in the north read this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (Read 29636 times)

Offline garys520

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Re: Attention beeks in the north read this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #20 on: January 18, 2011, 12:49:49 pm »
I had two of my hives run out of stores last year, so this season I gave them a little extra sugar water this fall, plus I loaded them with fondant.  It's cheap insurance vs. $90 a package.  I've been using Bee Cozys for a couple of years and love them.  I just make sure the top of the insulation doesn't block the top ventilation.

Offline ronwhite3030

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Re: Attention beeks in the north read this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #21 on: January 18, 2011, 05:01:29 pm »
Home bru did you say you were leaving your excluders on during the winter? if you are take them off.

Offline bassman1977

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Re: Attention beeks in the north read this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #22 on: January 18, 2011, 06:32:15 pm »
I've tried a number of different ways for wintering a hive in PA.  My best success came when I have had 3 mediums (or equivalent), full hive of course, solid or closed SBBs, mouse guards, and the inner cover cracked the width of the fat part of a door/window shim.  Last year I tried keeping an extra box or two of honey on top of the original 3 mediums I normally winter with, just to see what happened...those 3 hives died.  The only one that survived was the one wintered as I mentioned above.  Any other year, no issues due to the weather.
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Offline backyard warrior

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Re: Attention beeks in the north read this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #23 on: January 18, 2011, 10:09:45 pm »
Home bru u must remove your queen excluder in the winter that way if the bees have to move the cluster to get to the food the queen isnt left behind to die  ;)

Offline greenbtree

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Re: Attention beeks in the north read this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #24 on: January 19, 2011, 10:25:18 am »
So far my hives seem to still be humming along.  I stuck womping big candy boards with rigid insulation on top of them on all my hives going into Winter.  Solid base boards (haven't got around to making my SBBs yet :-D) with reducer/mouse guards.  Even the one where the mouse guard got misplaced and a mouse got in still has a nice healthy sounding hum going.

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Offline HomeBru

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Re: Attention beeks in the north read this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #25 on: January 19, 2011, 12:27:49 pm »
I don't own a queen excluder.

quote author=backyard warrior link=topic=31169.msg252198#msg252198 date=1295402985]
Home bru u must remove your queen excluder in the winter that way if the bees have to move the cluster to get to the food the queen isnt left behind to die  ;)
[/quote]

Offline backyard warrior

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Re: Attention beeks in the north read this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #26 on: January 19, 2011, 06:29:48 pm »
Ok just checking because you said that you did on your other post before this one about losing your hives

Offline Dr. B in Wisconsin

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Re: Attention beeks in the north read this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #27 on: January 19, 2011, 08:12:47 pm »
I checked out my bees the other day and they looked and sounded OK. I screwed some of the 2 inch insulation board on 3 sides. I hope they are as sung as a bug in a rug this weekend, I just heard on the local news that the wind chill will be down to minus 40 F
For any of you babies down south you can not believe what minus 40 F feels like. The worst I went through when I was younger was minus 75 F wind chill you could not even walk across the street.

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Attention beeks in the north read this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #28 on: January 19, 2011, 09:15:57 pm »
You don't need to wake them up or open the hive.  Just lift the back of it and see how heavy it is...
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Offline backyard warrior

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Re: Attention beeks in the north read this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #29 on: January 19, 2011, 09:35:25 pm »
I think tomorrow i will wrap the hives with insulation bats for the weekend till the intense cold snap is over

Offline BlueBee

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Re: Attention beeks in the north read this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #30 on: January 19, 2011, 11:35:08 pm »
Doctor B, I hear ya!  I can recall a super cold winter week back in the 80s when I was in school in Ann Arbor when we had a spell of -70F wind chill.  I guess that we before we had global warming....

We’re still fairly balmy here with single digit lows.  I'm sure the bees probably don’t need it, but I’ve got my hives super insulated with 2” foam on ALL sides  :-D

Offline Yuleluder

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Re: Attention beeks in the north read this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #31 on: January 20, 2011, 02:02:43 am »
I think tomorrow i will wrap the hives with insulation bats for the weekend till the intense cold snap is over

I think you need more hives  :-D

Offline T Beek

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Re: Attention beeks in the north read this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #32 on: January 20, 2011, 08:01:55 am »
You don't need to wake them up or open the hive.  Just lift the back of it and see how heavy it is...

And............if its light..............and we shouldn't open because its too cold.............??????? 

This is my current dilema.........What do you suggest under this circumstance Michael?

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Offline Finski

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Re: Attention beeks in the north read this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #33 on: January 20, 2011, 10:59:29 am »
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You may take the inner cover off and look, do you see capped food in the upper part of frames, and does the hive has capped food in boath sides of the box. -10C is not too cold to look.

I checked my hives today because winter feeding was too late. Something lazy job in autumn.

If i cannot see capped food. I take capped frames from my frame sorage or the whole box of capped honey and put it over the cluster.
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Offline T Beek

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Re: Attention beeks in the north read this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #34 on: January 20, 2011, 11:24:36 am »
Finski, I don't know about that, we've got minus 2 degrees (F) right now.  I think thats too cold.  I've been waiting for a day above or at least close to freezing (32F) before checking inside.  And that won't happen (unless we're lucky) for another month or more.

Someone should invent a way to feed bees without opening up their house :)

thomas
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Offline HomeBru

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Re: Attention beeks in the north read this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #35 on: January 20, 2011, 11:43:38 am »
Ok just checking because you said that you did on your other post before this one about losing your hives

OOPS! Just re-read my first post, I meant REDUCER, not excluder, my mistake...

Offline T Beek

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Re: Attention beeks in the north read this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #36 on: January 20, 2011, 12:36:56 pm »
I checked out my bees the other day and they looked and sounded OK. I screwed some of the 2 inch insulation board on 3 sides. I hope they are as sung as a bug in a rug this weekend, I just heard on the local news that the wind chill will be down to minus 40 F
For any of you babies down south you can not believe what minus 40 F feels like. The worst I went through when I was younger was minus 75 F wind chill you could not even walk across the street.
Yeah cold temps PLUS wind stink.  Hard for anything not living below ground to stay warm.  By averages though, this has been a mild winter for us, so far.  During a normal winter in N/W Wisconsin there is usually one (or two) two week periods of minus 20-25 (-31C) nights and days "staying" well below zero, that's not including wind chill).  Today its still a couple degrees below zero, but we'll get above it in a bit, and its still too cold to check on bees "inside."  With February fast aproaching we may get through winter with some firewood and propane to spare for next season :)  But I'm not so sure about my bees.  We've had very strange weather lately, especially the last season.

thomas
« Last Edit: January 20, 2011, 02:42:36 pm by T Beek »
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Offline Finski

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Re: Attention beeks in the north read this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #37 on: January 20, 2011, 01:42:06 pm »
Finski, I don

Someone should invent a way to feed bees without opening up their house :)

thomas

bees need not feeding in winter when you feed hives full in autumn.


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Offline Yuleluder

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Re: Attention beeks in the north read this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #38 on: January 20, 2011, 01:52:20 pm »

bees need not feeding in winter when you feed hives full in autumn.


Well said!  Put the time in during August and September and all should be well into the spring.

Offline T Beek

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Re: Attention beeks in the north read this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #39 on: January 20, 2011, 02:38:15 pm »
Personally, I don't take any honey in August or after, leave it all for the bees, I take mine in the Spring when the dandelions come on.

Our/my bees issues began with a very warm November with NOTHING for bees but their own stores, so I fed like crazy and have lost two hives already and may have another after we get hit with some serious weather tonite.

Don't mean to offend anyone but some of the above advise is meaningless to the circumstances my bees are currently facing.

thomas
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