Nest Location

[Kris^]

This morning I put the sugar boards on my hives.  On five of the hives (the strongest ones), the nest was at the top of the hive.  Is this a problem?  The temps were in the mid-30s F; all the hives are pretty heavy, stores throughout both top and bottom boxes.

-- Kris

[Michael Bush]

Mine are all at the top of the hives.  Mine usually are.  As long as they have lots of stores and they are at one end or the other they will probably do fine.

[Cindi]

I am getting the impression that many people use two brood/food chambers for the winter.  That is what I did last winter and all was well.  I attended a "wintering" seminar with an instructor in September and he contended that reducing the bees to one box is the only way to go.  So I did.  Thought I would try it out and see how it fared compared to last year.  We live in fairly mild climate (usually), although it is rather cold this year so far.  I think that it is OK to check for food stores with the bees by opening up the colony on a day that is feeling warmer outside here (or to just lift the back I suppose).  Being a second season beekeeper I am always looking for and listening to advice.  What I was wondering is, that if people I am reading posts from are finding their bees in the top box already (I get the impression that they only recently have been hunkered down for winter), what about all the stores in the bottom box.  Surely the bees could not have eaten up all their food in the lower chamber so soon.  I understand the bees won't go down to get food.  Is that true, or will they go down to the bottom chamber once they have gone up to the top.  I am really quite confused about this 2 chamber system and how it works.  Great day. Cindi

[Kris^]

I should remember this stuff from year to year, but I don't.  Which is why I've been writing all my observations down this year.   :-D  When I look at my notes from early this year (February), in the four hives that survived, two of them were predominately in the upper deep (with brood laid there) and two of them in the lower deep.  I'm guessing they can go up or down, if they can move at all.

-- Kris
 

[Cindi]

I should remember this stuff from year to year, but I don't.  Which is why I've been writing all my observations down this year.   :-D  When I look at my notes from early this year (February), in the four hives that survived, two of them were predominately in the upper deep (with brood laid there) and two of them in the lower deep.  I'm guessing they can go up or down, if they can move at all.

-- Kris
 

Kris, that is certainly interesting.  I guess not all bee colonies are definitely not the same with their behaviour.  Wonder what is up.  Warm air rises, I would think that they would go up to the top to keep warmer, but I guess they know what is best.  I did read somewhere though that they prefer upstairs, that is why the chambers are reversed in the spring, sometimes several times.  Oh well, just because it is in a book does not make it perfectly right.  Great day. Cindi