Advice Needed!!!

[Bee Boy]

I checked on my bees today, and they are still alive. What worried me was that they were pretty close to the top of the hive. This means that they are almost out of food right? What can I do to feed them, since its still pretty cold (in the upper 30's and lower 40's)? Or could this be that they are near the top because thats were its warmest?


Bee Boy

[Robo]

Bee Boy,

I would suggest feeding them sugar syrup with the inverted jar technic.  Place the jar right of the inner cover hole so that they can access it even when clustered.

Now is the time of year that starvation can hit heavy as they try to start raising brood.

Robo.....

[thegolfpsycho]

I agree with Robo.  Get some syrup on them.  Over the vent hole in the inner cover,  they can work it pretty hard.  I wrapped mine in roofing felt too, and they seemed much more active on marginal days.

Since this is my first year with bees in the snow, I was worried about them overwintering.  I had one colony that I was very worried about, very lite.  Then we began having a kind of false spring the last 10 days.  Bees were flying like mad, so I popped them open for a look.  I think there are more bees now than there were when they stopped flying.  2 full boxes of bees and pounding in the pollen like a UPS feeder line.  The bees are alot darker than when they quit flying in the fall.  I don't know if I blinked and had a supercedure before the weather turned nasty, but I like what I'm seeing today.  If they make any honey, we're gonna have some queen rearing material.

[Robo]

The bees are alot darker than when they quit flying in the fall.  I don't know if I blinked and had a supercedure before the weather turned nasty, but I like what I'm seeing today.  If they make any honey, we're gonna have some queen rearing material.

Hey Golf,

If things work out, would you be interested in exchanging a few virgin queens? One of the Canadian queen from David Eyre that I started in a nuc in  June blistered thru October and was my strongest hive.  Haven't had the weather to dig in my hives yet, but if she continues where she left off last year,  she will be my donor.

[thegolfpsycho]

Sounds like fun Robo.  I'll be watching this colony pretty closely.

[Bee Boy]

Tis Done!!! I did it on sat. when it was in the 50's and checked on it today. Its pretty funny you can see all the bees gathered around it. Thanks everybody!!!!!



Bee Boy