Last Dumb Newbee Questions (for the Winter)...

[winginit]

At least I hope it's the last dumb newbee question for the winter...what're the odds?

One of my 2010 package hives has one deep full of honey, and a medium super above with one frame of maybe capped honey (it wasn't capped last time I looked) and another frame partially drawn and uncapped (I would guess). I was going to pull that medium, but I would like to leave it there and put some dry (clumped) sugar in place of a couple of frames. Or is it not worth making the bees work that much harder to keep the hive warm? fyi, this is a top entrance hive.

I don't know how big the cluster is yet...will I be able to see that today? I'll wait until it gets to 65 degrees to go in.

My other hive is two mediums, not quite fully capped. If some of the frames have uncapped honey, should I pull one and put in dry sugar or just leave it be?

Also, the bottom board warped on one of the hives and was providing a bottom entrance (it's a top entrance hive). Suggestions for an easy fix? I removed some of the shims that probably caused the problem, but not sure if it's warped back into place. Guess I'll take a spare bottom board with me. I suspect that there are all kinds of things that I could stuff in those gaps to provide insulation--suggestions? And to think that I was worried about drainage.   

At 65 degrees, how much can I pull the hives apart? I don't plan on doing a lot, really just working around the edges, but I might need to pull the supers apart.

[Tommyt]

Also, the bottom board warped on one of the hives and was providing a bottom entrance (it's a top entrance hive). Suggestions for an easy fix? I removed some of the shims that probably caused the problem, but not sure if it's warped back into place. Guess I'll take a spare bottom board with me. I suspect that there are all kinds of things that I could stuff in those gaps to provide insulation--suggestions? And to think that I was worried about drainage.   

Paint sticks,super glue and wood glue
Wood Glue for time super glue to hold till wood G dries

I am way to new to answer anymore of your post 


Tom

[Hemlock]

I don't know how big the cluster is yet...will I be able to see that today? I'll wait until it gets to 65 degrees to go in.

How good were the colonies populations before now?  Were there bees covering every frame or did they fill just one box?  A good population then will be a good cluster now unless you've seen a sudden die-off

Also, the bottom board warped on one of the hives and was providing a bottom entrance (it's a top entrance hive). Suggestions for an easy fix? I removed some of the shims that probably caused the problem, but not sure if it's warped back into place. Guess I'll take a spare bottom board with me. I suspect that there are all kinds of things that I could stuff in those gaps to provide insulation--suggestions? And to think that I was worried about drainage.

Replace it if you have a spare.  OR staple gun, primed & painted, luan over the gaps.  The bees might start chewing on any non durable material you stuff in the gaps.

Just my 2 cents worth...

[winginit]

How good were the colonies populations before now?  Were there bees covering every frame or did they fill just one box?  a good population then will be a good cluster now unless you've seen a sudden die-off

The deep was pretty full.

The two-medium hive had bees filling just one super.

Don't think there's been a die off, but the lid was askew on one hives while I was out of town. BF had to put it back on (in the dark, he was very nervous and I was happy that he actually worked my bees  ). The rock was knocked off the side of the hive. Raccoon most likely or maybe a kid. I don't expect to find a problem, but you never know...

[Hemlock]

Around here we run 3 Mediums, or double Deeps, or 1 Deep & 1 Medium.  I don't know about a single Deep or, let alone, a single Medium (Though the Deeps stores do sound good).

You can try using cargo straps or hive staples to keep the critters from disturbing your boxes.


Hopefully someone who knows about small colonies will comment.

 

[winginit]

Upon approaching the hive, I heard a roar. Looked at a couple of frames and then stopped and went back inside formy camera. One one frame only, I found 2-4 bees on each side with deformed wing virus. I also found a few dried out larvae on that frame, and in one of my pictures of the deformed bee, there's another bee with a varroa mite on its back. Wait, now that I look, I can find 3 varroa mites in that one picture. All year long I haven't had a picture of a bee with a mite on its back. Sigh.

I honestly can't believe that this hive has a bad varroa problem. I tested several times in September, found < 1 per square inch over a 72 hour period, but did a light sugar dusting anyway. The testing was so easy that I did it often, went kind of overboard. This is the "conservative hive," with mostly foundation frames.

I didn't see the queen and my camera crapped out, so I don't know if there are eggs, but there are certainly larvae. No queen cells. Honey is really dark and sunken, maybe that's normal?

[winginit]

This time with the picture! Small arrows point to varroa mites, including one balanced on the comb. Ugh! Large arrow points to one bee with deformed wings. There were others but the light didn't catch their wings right.

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/4505/picture1hm.jpg

So do I treat? With what?