Early new package and it's still cold

[jester7891]

I lost one hive over the winter and a new 3 pound package has been ordered. In the past, when I needed a new hive, I usually received the bees in early May. The new distributor tells me that the package will be ready on April 7. I live on the New Jersey Pennsylvania border and as you may be aware, there is a chance of snow here over the next few days. My concern is that the temperature will not high enough for a new hive to survive. What suggestions do you have.

Secondly, I was able to secure a number of medium supers, 6-1/4 inch. I plan on using them instead of my older shallow supers 5-3/8 inch. I tried trading these before but nobody wanted to trade. If there is anyone in Northwestern New Jersey or Easton Pennsylvania who wants them for free (with the frames, pretty good condition), you can let me know. Thanks.

[Kathyp]

they should be ok.  i have hived them in really bad weather and as long as they get fed, they'll make it the couple of weeks until weather warms.  they do even better if you can give them drawn comb to get started.

BTW, if you think it's going to be really cold, you can load drawn comb with syrup and put it around the cluster.  i have a 1 gallon garden sprayer just for that.  leave a couple of frames in the middle empty and fill a couple on either side of those with syrup.

[AllenF]

Keep the feed right on top of them.   And keep an eye on it to make sure they don't burn through it and run out.  You are lucky to get a package so early.

[luvin honey]

Good luck, Jester! I'm getting my packages April 2, and we still have a bit of snow in places, weather only up to 49 Sat, and rain and cool temps after that. My plan is to keep the hives closed up tight (no propped lids) and feed sugar-water. I just need to dig up my olds notes on the proper ratio, unless someone here is willing to remind me?

[meade kampe]

I just picked up 2 three pound packages yesterday, and brought them home in a snowstorm- ugh!  The girls got to spend the night in my laundry room, and I hived them today.  They are all happy and humming!  You'll be ok!

[Vance G]

1 to 1=1qt sugar and 1qt water  good as any.   Make sure it doesn't drip on them in cool weather.

[luvin honey]

Thanks, Vance. I have the quart-jar feeders tucked inside the back half of topbars, so they are safe from dripping :)

[T Beek]

I'd delay any syrup feeding until NIGHT temps are consistantly in the mid to high 40's or above.  That is unless you're going to warm it up for them every day.  Dry sugar will be more readily consumed during cold Spring weather and as we in Wisconsin are just weeks away, depending on location (always ;)) from the dandelion flow, a pattie or some pollen sub will afford your bees a good head start.  I recomend dry sugar and/or some pollen sub rather than liquid, unless you have some frames of honey available which would be the best.

thomas

PS; sure do miss Marty Feldman, thanks :)

[Kathyp]

syrup at this time is fine.  just don't put it right over where they might cluster at night or over where you have attached your queen cage. any way you choose will be ok.  just remember that the expansion and contraction caused by changing temps might make your container drip.  do a luvin honey has. and make sure you feeding device is not over your bees.  (does not apply to hive top and frame feeders :-) )

[T Beek]

It's always helpful to keep in mind that whatever method of feeding is used it should always be conducted based on YOUR OWN LOCAL weather conditions, not someone elses.  For example; there's no way I'd give my bees syrup right now with temps still going below freezing nightly, but each to their own, that's just me.  Its not a debate (or is it? :-D)

All beekeeping is local and local bees rule :)

thomas

[luvin honey]

What would you give them, Tbeek?

[buzzbee]

We installed a package late MArch in 2006. Temps were in the thirties and fourties daytime,twenties at night. had a feeder inside an empty super . Placed the feeder in a corner and filled most of empty space with crumpled newspaper. Bees took the syrup they needed,drew comb on foundation and the queen was laying in a weeks time.
 This is a video from Maarec that shows the basic idea.

Beekeeping - Bee Package Installation

[AllenF]

Now that newspaper trick is a good idea to stop them from building on the inner cover.   Thanks for that info.

[T Beek]

luvin honey; please see my #7 reply (seems like some, who may even know better, are trying to convince others to use syrup despite overnight freezing temps, well that's fine, its just NOT what I'd do).

buzzbee:  cool vid, liked his direct release of queen.  He did'nt say, but one can assume the newspaper was removed soon after queen was released as well????  I don't know if I can believe the temps were in really the 30's and 40's during filming though, not so sure about that (w/out a t-meter anyway :-D) Just the same, its still not something I would do (feeding syrup while overnight temps are still going below freezing).

thomas

[buzzbee]

T beek,
This was the method they used at the bee class my son was at.
The temps went for a downward spiral and it snowed shortly after package installation.
 This was not the actual day I was referring to.This was a video of Maarecs and Penn States.
If placing bees on foundation they need a nectar source(syrup) to draw comb.
The newspaper and feeder were in place for a couple weeks until temps moderated and there was dandelions and such in bloom.
All the packages the kids installed that day did great over the summer.

 The direct release was after he checked on them after a couple days.It was not on installation day.

[Brian D. Bray]

In cooler daytime temperatures it is best to feed only as much syrup as the bees will take in the day.  This is true both spring and fall.  It is better to feed a quart of warm syrup that the bees will consume completely than a gallon or more that leaves more than half of the syrup and that is cold.

You can feed bees syrup well into November if it is done that way, down to a pint of warm syrup on warmer days when the bees will move around.  But it needs to be reheated or new batch each day. 

[luvin honey]

I peeked in the windows at my bees yesterday and freaked. It appeared they had absconded--both of them! When I popped open the bar next to the queen, though, I found that they were just in super tight cluster. So tight, in fact, that they hadn't gotten to any of the syrup at all. I worry for them, as that is 2 days for certain that they have not eaten...

So, I took the hive way down in size and moved the feeders closer to them. Not sure if that will help, but I didn't know what else to do. Warm up, Wisconsin! I'm excited to have the bees here so early for the first time, but with hail, snow and rain so far...