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Author Topic: preparing hives for winter  (Read 19940 times)

Offline bee-nuts

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Re: preparing hives for winter
« Reply #20 on: September 22, 2009, 11:39:59 pm »
North Carolina doesn't require any special attention for the winter. If they have 60 lbs. of honey and enough pollen to feed the young until maple bloom, they will make it fine. They do seal the top, tho, many times propolizing the oval hole in the inner lid completely closed.

Yes, I have noticed many discussions on the forum is between 6 and a half dozen, just a different set of words sounding different.

Do you live in the lower or higher elevations?  I have never heard of the bee escape hole being closed up before.  Are those Italians you got?

True, many topics are discussed over and over.  But it is interesting to hear the different answers and conclusions sometimes when things are presented differently etc.  Opinions change too.  Conditions as well and there are some many different opinions from one person to the next and probably from one climate to the next.

I have a friend that moved here from North Carolina.  I have always wanted to go there and see the Smokey's.  I hear it is a fantastic place.

Here when maples bloom it is usually to cold for the bees to do much with them.  How about there?  Do you get a nice flow from them?  I have read that if it were warmer when the maples bloom, that it would likely be one of the best flows there is.  My first real source is of pollen is box elder and they get tons of pollen from them.  It is very cool to watch them work the pollen off these.  I doubt that there is a better pollen source in my area after this.  Seems like every bee has some when they land.
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Offline iddee

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Re: preparing hives for winter
« Reply #21 on: September 22, 2009, 11:46:05 pm »
I am dead center. They call it the Piedmont. We can get into the 60's any day of the year..........and 10 the next night, or 2 feet of snow that melts in 2 days.

Maples provide a great source of pollen, and can be tapped like up north and the bees will harvest the sap from the slits like nectar.
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Offline bee-nuts

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Re: preparing hives for winter
« Reply #22 on: September 23, 2009, 01:46:18 am »
Thats some crazy weather.  I hope to see the scenery there some day. 

My uncle taps about 300 trees every spring.  I did not have bees there that early.  I guess it will be interesting to see what happens.  If its  warm enough for them to fly, they should have plenty of pails to drink from.  It take around 25 gallons of sap to make a gallon of syrup if memory serve me correct.  I think he said the sap was about 3 percent sugar so that makes a lot of work to make honey from it.  I wonder what sugar content they get from the buds or flowers.

Been fun, see ya around the forum.

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Offline Robo

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Re: preparing hives for winter
« Reply #23 on: September 23, 2009, 02:29:18 pm »
"(Note, this was before I stopped using upper ventilation)"

By this do you mean without a top entrance? 
yes,  if you notice the pictures, I had small entrances at the top
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I picked up some syrup from my commercial beek friends for less than I can make it myself (corn syrup instead of making sugar syrup). 
Just be careful it has not been heated  -> http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,24613.msg190863.html#msg190863

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They showed me how they used to do there winter prep before they started doing the almonds.  Anyhow they put a layer of fiberglass insulation like used in house walls on top of inner cover then wrapped in felt, folded the felt over top then put the top cover on.  Same thing as in the links I provided earlier.  They said it worked real well and did a good job of letting the moisture out.
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That will work, it is just a little more labor intensive.

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If you will, what kind of bees do you keep, Italian? 

All my stock is derived from local survival ferals.
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Offline Paraplegic Racehorse

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Re: preparing hives for winter
« Reply #24 on: September 23, 2009, 08:19:23 pm »
It's interesting to note that Rev. Langstroth recommended an air/water permeable/absorbant insulating material in a box below the roof. If I remember correctly, an old wool blanket or wood shavings sufficed nicely for him. A similar insulating upper box is recommended by the Abbes Voirnot and Warre and also deLayens, Dzierzon and Prokopovich.

How did we move away from that insulating upper box to the modern, near worthless "inner cover"? I haven't yet got to his newest book (around 1920) but I suspect it was Quinby whose published work pretty well started it.

Also, how many have considered that the condensation may actually be a valuable wintertime water resource?
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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: preparing hives for winter
« Reply #25 on: September 23, 2009, 09:18:03 pm »
>I have learned that bees in the foam Polyester (or whatever they are) boxes use less honey in winter, build nucs up faster bla bla bla.

Actually, it sounds like you read this, not that you learned this.  :)
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Offline bee-nuts

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Re: preparing hives for winter
« Reply #26 on: September 24, 2009, 01:23:28 am »
>I have learned that bees in the foam Polyester (or whatever they are) boxes use less honey in winter, build nucs up faster bla bla bla.

Actually, it sounds like you read this, not that you learned this.  :)


Yes Michael Bush, I have read it.  I have learned/concluded many things from reading, observing, and just using some plane old common sense.

Unless I am writing a research paper for publishing, I do not do excessive proof reading, quote authors, follow APA Formats, make sure every little detail is absolutely correct, etc.

Sorry if you felt mislead, good thing I'm not attempting to major in written communications!  I do use the spell check option though, usually.

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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: preparing hives for winter
« Reply #27 on: September 26, 2009, 06:08:36 pm »
I did not mean to offend and I am sorry if I did.  I just think it's important in my own mind to realize the difference between what I have learned experientially and what I have learned from opinions in books.  The opinions in the books have often turned out to not be true, or not to be true in my situation.

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Offline jojoroxx

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Re: preparing hives for winter
« Reply #28 on: September 26, 2009, 10:20:10 pm »
WHAT a lively discussion!  :-D ...As many ways to keep bees as keepers that keep bees...

For me, I have switched over to SBB's (solid bottom boards) and will look to providing some insulation on top this year as well...the insulation wrapped in wool sounded interesting...would one need drain holes at the bottom AND a hole at the top?: ! sorry, don't want to ignite the whole debate again..... :-P!

i have read of the wood shavings / straw in burlap technique but have not tried it... has anyone else?

 Living in Northern California, rain and periodic cloudy/moist conditions are quite common for at least  6 months of the year. I would love to see my hives survive the winter and go on into spring - summer - etc. Last year they failed WITH plenty of stores, I am looking to queen failure, moisture/cold, or the dreaded CCD as causes. ....


8-) Banking on my 3 new packages installed in April ...



Offline Robo

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Re: preparing hives for winter
« Reply #29 on: September 26, 2009, 10:50:16 pm »

For me, I have switched over to SBB's (solid bottom boards) and will look to providing some insulation on top this year as well...the insulation wrapped in wool sounded interesting...would one need drain holes at the bottom AND a hole at the top?: ! sorry, don't want to ignite the whole debate again..... :-P!


If your not using an absorbing insulation like straw or news paper, and you don't have a top vent, then yes, a drain hole in the bottom is a good idea.  I put a 1" hole in each of the back corners.
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Offline ArmucheeBee

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Re: preparing hives for winter
« Reply #30 on: September 26, 2009, 10:52:55 pm »
Robo

A one inch hole sounds really big.  What about mice and other creatures gaining access?
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Offline Robo

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Re: preparing hives for winter
« Reply #31 on: September 27, 2009, 08:16:53 am »
It is screened with #8.  Small holes easily get clogged.
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Offline Two Bees

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Re: preparing hives for winter
« Reply #32 on: September 28, 2009, 10:28:34 am »
Iddee, are you going to use any pollen substitute since the goldenrod pollen has been somewhat lean this year?

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anything