Warm Winter

[Kris^]

It's been a very mild winter here so far, and I'm wondering what effect that might have on the colony.  I understand that the bees tend to eat more in the milder weather; they haven't been flying a lot in the past few weeks, but they do come out when the sun shines.  They bring out their dead when it's warm, but not very many.  I also hear a lot of buzzing inside when I place my ear against the side, so they are still plentiful in there.  I'm concerned about whether they'll have sufficient food to make through a future cold snap I know will be coming.  Given similar circumstances, when would anyone else do a quick inspection to check food levels?  I had one and a half deep supers full of stores when I placed a 30 pound sugar board on top of the hive and wrapped it up on December 12th.

-- Kris

[Finman]

Is that your place ?
http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=KNJWILLI1&day=10&year=2005&month=1&graphspan=3month

I understand that the bees tend to eat more in the milder weather;

That is not true. If bees have winterrest, they eat that they can keep +20C temperature in ball.

If they have brood, they rise their temperature and they start to consume more and more.

Bees are from souht. They do well in warmer weather, not in north.

they haven't been flying a lot in the past few weeks, but they do come out when the sun shines.  

If they have not food outdoors, they do not fly for fun. When I feed bees witk pollen at spring, they stay inside. The carry water for larvas.

I'm concerned about whether they'll have sufficient food to make through a future cold snap I know will be coming.

If you have about 10C temperature, you can look if they have capped honey in frames. If not, pour 50% sugar liguid to combs. You can take the lowest box with frames and you pour there 5 kg sugar with water.

-- Kris

Very strange that you are so worried about winter there in south    

[leominsterbeeman]

Kris -  

Any way you can get a peek inside?  Just a peek to see what is left of the sugar board.      Is this board above or below the inner cover?

As long as you aren't lifting off the inner cover to see what you have, you are not really getting into the hive.  

And as long as you don't have the inner cover off too long (few minutes) and  not pulling frames. you can take a look inside on a winter's day (25 F - no wind).  

I am planning on making this sugar candy recipe this week and feeding to the bees.   I'l be placing this on the top of frames, and using a shim to adjust the height and then putting on the inner cover.

http://www.honeybeeclub.org/recipes/Sugar_candy.html

[Kris^]

My sugar board IS the inner cover, separated from the brood chamber by a homemade Imirie shim.  But yeah, I can take a quick peek and see what's left of it.  Maybe Wednesday, when the forecast is for 57 degrees.  Or Thursday, when it'll be 65 degrees.  What a crazy winter!  And then, for the weekend, we hit the deep freeze.  Go figure.

-- Kris

[Robo]

My sugar board IS the inner cover, separated from the brood chamber by a homemade Imirie shim.  But yeah, I can take a quick peek and see what's left of it.  Maybe Wednesday, when the forecast is for 57 degrees.  Or Thursday, when it'll be 65 degrees.  What a crazy winter!  And then, for the weekend, we hit the deep freeze.  Go figure.

-- Kris

Do you have an upper entrance?  I usually take a flashlight and look in thru the upper entrance to see how much of the sugar is left.  

This year I am experimenting with a few topless? sugar boards.  I basically built the box and screened it, but did not attack a top cover board.  I set the box on a piece of wax paper cover plywood when I filled them.  Now I can open the cover and pull up the insulation and see if they have eaten thru the sugar.

[Finman]

If you feed dry sugar to bees, they come thirsty. It is not good, if bees cannot get water outside.

I cannot understand, why simple things must be done so difficult way

[Kris^]

Got a look inside today (finally!) and all seems well.  There was over half the sugar left in the board, so I estimate another month's worth at least.  When does everyone begin their spring tasks, i.e., feeding, swapping supers, medicating, etc?

-- Kris

[Beth Kirkley]

I'll be starting my spring work on a warm day in Febuary. My hive swarmed on March 17th last year, so I'm not going to take chances this year of the hive getting too big. I'll split them before they feel crowded if I get a chance. It's really been nice out lately. The trees are even begining to bud. But we're suppose to have a major freeze this weekend, so we'll see how that changes things around here.

Beth

[Anonymous]

7:05 pm here and it is colddddddddddddd.
13F feels like 4F due to a 6mph WNW wind. Wasn't home Wednesday to see if the girls were flying then when it hit 61F, but I bet they were. Thursday it got to 59F early in the morning by 1:00 the temp was dropping. I know the girls weren't flying then as I stood out there in the rain for a long time to see if they would even poke their heads out.
   It could be worse, the daughter just sent an e mail from mid. MINN. and said the temp there was -16F at 9:00am and finally got up to -3 at 3:30pm.
  Al

[Lesli]

When I feed bees witk pollen at spring, they stay inside. The carry water for larvas.

I just reread this, and remembered something from yesterday's warm weather. The hive had beaded drops of rain on it, and the bees were out, collecting it. I'm not feeding pollen (or anything else, at the moment). but I guess they wanted some water. Hmm.

[Finman]

When I feed bees witk pollen at spring, they stay inside. The carry water for larvas.

I just reread this, and remembered something from yesterday's warm weather. The hive had beaded drops of rain on it, and the bees were out, collecting it. I'm not feeding pollen (or anything else, at the moment). but I guess they wanted some water. Hmm.

IF YOU FEED CADY SUGAR, THEY NEED WATER.

When I give 66% sugar solution to bees at autumn, they became really thirsty. If it is 50%, there is no bees at drinking site.

[Lesli]

IF YOU FEED CADY SUGAR, THEY NEED WATER.

I'm not feeding at the moment, but I did make some candy boards yesterday, as a backup.