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Author Topic: What's up Doc. take a look...  (Read 13514 times)

Offline rdy-b

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Re: What's up Doc. take a look...
« Reply #20 on: January 01, 2011, 09:50:31 pm »
  take a break and look around -you need more time -have some fun
  I have seen thousands and thousands of botom board trash-it tells a story of what been going on
 in the hive -no ridel open your mind -think like a bee is the first thing -your in a hard climate -your doing fine
 happy new year -RDY-B

Offline G3farms

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Re: What's up Doc. take a look...
« Reply #21 on: January 01, 2011, 10:09:30 pm »
 :lau: :lau: rdy-b you crack me up with that video
those hot bees will have you steppin and a fetchin like your heads on fire and your keister is a catchin!!!

Bees will be bees and do as they please!

Offline rdy-b

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Re: What's up Doc. take a look...
« Reply #22 on: January 01, 2011, 10:36:46 pm »
  HAPPY new year G3- ;) RDY-B

Offline Robo

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Re: What's up Doc. take a look...
« Reply #23 on: January 01, 2011, 10:38:35 pm »
I would like to know how you know this and also an explanation of the term "wobler".

Look at the piles of debris,  it is clear that the 3 middle frames is where most of the bees are and the outer to frames (top of photos) have partial frames of bees.   If it where 10 frames of bees, the debris pile lines be consistent between all 10 frames.  
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Offline Acebird

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Re: What's up Doc. take a look...
« Reply #24 on: January 02, 2011, 11:48:17 am »
Quote
If it where 10 frames of bees, the debris pile lines be consistent between all 10 frames. 


Wouldn't you expect more debris in the middle because of the cluster.  It has been explained to me that the cluster is like a soccer ball that expands and contracts to control the cluster temperature.  If it is really cold it is small and tightly packed.  That means no bees are out at the edges.  That also explains why they starve when there is still honey available.  That's what I have been told anyway.
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Offline rdy-b

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Re: What's up Doc. take a look...
« Reply #25 on: January 02, 2011, 03:40:08 pm »
  not always sometimes the bees are on the side -would be the suny side- :lol: RDY-B

Offline Acebird

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Re: What's up Doc. take a look...
« Reply #26 on: January 02, 2011, 03:52:07 pm »
Actually that is where the debris is - toward the sunny side.  So if they run out of stores don't they move to where there is some.

Maybe I should mount the hive on a lazy suzan and spin it 180 half way through the winter? ;)
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Offline rdy-b

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Re: What's up Doc. take a look...
« Reply #27 on: January 02, 2011, 05:35:45 pm »
Actually that is where the debris is - toward the sunny side.  So if they run out of stores don't they move to where there is some.

Maybe I should mount the hive on a lazy suzan and spin it 180 half way through the winter? ;)
heres another approach -he is having great success with this wintering technique-RDY-B
http://www.beesbatsandbeyond.com/Assisted_Heating.html

Offline Acebird

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Re: What's up Doc. take a look...
« Reply #28 on: January 02, 2011, 07:18:32 pm »
You really think that is the answer?  I am still hanging on to the theory that cold temperatures don’t make or break the hive surviving.  Some people insulate the top cover up here.  Almost everybody wraps the hive on three sides (leaves the front uncovered).  I can see where heat tape will mess up their instincts.  There are too many people having success without the Styrofoam and heaters to warrant pampering the hive to this degree.
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Offline rdy-b

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Re: What's up Doc. take a look...
« Reply #29 on: January 02, 2011, 07:47:31 pm »
  If i where you i would run a Homasote board-I bet alot of keepers are doing that where you live-RDY-B
« Last Edit: January 02, 2011, 08:06:22 pm by rdy-b »

Offline Robo

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Re: What's up Doc. take a look...
« Reply #30 on: January 02, 2011, 07:48:27 pm »
You would be amazed at how much a few watts of heat help out,  especially on colonies that are low in numbers.

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,11721.0.html

Also search on Finsky's posts,  he has some remarkable results with softball sized clusters.
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline hardwood

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Re: What's up Doc. take a look...
« Reply #31 on: January 02, 2011, 08:14:46 pm »
That's when you have to play hard ball with a soft ball :-D

Scott
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Offline AllenF

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Re: What's up Doc. take a look...
« Reply #32 on: January 02, 2011, 09:04:15 pm »
Soft ball don't hurt as bad as a hard ball.

Offline Acebird

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Re: What's up Doc. take a look...
« Reply #33 on: January 03, 2011, 09:50:55 am »
 If i where you i would run a Homasote board-I bet alot of keepers are doing that where you live-RDY-B

There are a few that tried it and could decide if it was any more beneficial than the roofing wrap.  Insulation can only hold the heat in that the bees produce.  Like Robo’s night light heater the roofing wrap adds heat to the hive in addition to what the bees make.

Robo, multiple entrances??  Somebody’s going to yell at you.  :-D
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Offline Robo

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Re: What's up Doc. take a look...
« Reply #34 on: January 03, 2011, 11:03:07 am »
Robo, multiple entrances??  Somebody’s going to yell at you.  :-D


Actually no.   Those photos where from 2007 and if you read the details,  I closed the bottom entrance completely.  But for the last 2 years,  I have switched to 2" thick insulation board on top of the polystyrene hives with no upper opening,  and no longer use/need the lights. A small lower entrance and two 1" screened vent holes in the back of the bottom board, and even small colonies keep warm enough.

I agree with Mike and believe the majority of moisture issues is do to feeding syrup.  I've never had any issues with hives that haven't been fed.  I also believe that a lot of dead hives that are attributed to moisture are incorrectly diagnosed.   When a hive dies off,  moisture sets in quickly and misleads the beekeeper.   Case in point.  I went through about 20 poly nucs on Saturday,  all with the same configuration of a small 3/4" bottom entrance and a 1/4" vent/drain hole in the bottom.  I found one dead with a very tiny cluster.  The bottom was very wet and the bees and frames area around them where wet.  The other 19ish where bone dry.  At first glance,  one would say moisture.
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline Acebird

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Re: What's up Doc. take a look...
« Reply #35 on: January 03, 2011, 11:23:54 am »
Quote
Those photos where from 2007 and if you read the details, I closed the bottom entrance completely. But for the last 2 years, I have switched to 2" thick insulation board on top of the polystyrene hives with no upper opening, and no longer use/need the lights. a small lower entrance and two 1" screened vent holes in the back of the bottom board, and even small colonies keep warm enough.

Ah, come on now.  What are you doing, getting ready to write an outdated book?  Don’t show me your fangled dangled hive heater and then say your not using it anymore.  I haven’t got time for that.  I’m not a spring chicken, ya know. :-D :-D

Quote
I agree with Mike and believe the majority of moisture issues is do to feeding syrup.

There are too many Mikes to know which one you are referring to.  Is this the real Mike?
« Last Edit: January 03, 2011, 11:58:38 am by Acebird »
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Offline Robo

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Re: What's up Doc. take a look...
« Reply #36 on: January 03, 2011, 11:49:01 am »
Ah, come on now.  What are you doing, getting ready to write an outdated book?  Don’t show me your fangled dangled hive heater and then say your not using it anymore.  I haven’t got time for that.  I’m not a spring chicken, ya know.

I never said I wasn't still using them,  in fact I have an owl box swarm I picked up in the fall that I have heat on.  What I said is that I have refined my method further to not need the heater.   By providing a well insulated hive and not allowing heat to escape through ventilation, supplemental heat is not needed.

I won't waste my time wasting yours anymore,  I'm not getting any younger either.   Best of luck............
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline Acebird

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Re: What's up Doc. take a look...
« Reply #37 on: January 03, 2011, 11:57:53 am »
I apologize Robo, I forgot the smiley.

I was only pulling your leg.  Please forgive.
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Offline Acebird

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Re: What's up Doc. take a look...
« Reply #38 on: January 03, 2011, 12:08:24 pm »
Quote
By providing a well insulated hive and not allowing heat to escape through ventilation,

All the water in the honey that the bees eat to survive has to go somewhere.  If it does not escape the hive by ventilation it must come out as condensate.  It would be good to know where that is going.  A rough calculation is about 7.5 pounds of water for every gallon of honey they eat.  I would think you would see some wet spots.
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Offline rdy-b

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Re: What's up Doc. take a look...
« Reply #39 on: January 03, 2011, 03:59:29 pm »
 If i where you i would run a Homasote board-I bet alot of keepers are doing that where you live-RDY-B

There are a few that tried it and could decide if it was any more beneficial than the roofing wrap.  Insulation can only hold the heat in that the bees produce.  Like Robo’s night light heater the roofing wrap adds heat to the hive in addition to what the bees make.

Robo, multiple entrances??  Somebody’s going to yell at you.  :-D
the Homasote is not for insulation-it is placed between the iner and outer cover to ABOSRB MOISTURE-and is very efective -you should find out if you can -there are others that swear by them-and most dont understand what they are
 Homasote is the type of material-very absorbent --RDY-B

 

anything