Wintering Mating Nucs

[BlueBee]

Hives that don't have any brood will not waste there energy on excess heat and will bee cooler.

Good point Edward.  I think that may also explain some of the top cover condensation problems I’m seeing.  The bees simply are not generating as much heat this time of year (broodless), so the top of the hives cool down below the dew point and water vapor starts to condense up there.  I put my hand over the combs of a few nucs yesterday and they were noticeably cooler than in Nov.  I don’t believe they’re brooding right now.

Drew, the Jumbos and Mating nucs all have top entrances.  The fact that the mating nucs are still alive with only around 500 bees suggests the heat loss through the single small top entrance (9mmx15mm in the mating nucs) in a foam hive isn’t excessive.  If it were, they would all be dead by now.

[Maryland Beekeeper]

but you have other similar hives with bottom entrances yes ? your thoughts on comparisons would be interesting to me

[WarPonyFarms]

Ok, I have to ask how it's going? I've never attemped to winter my mini's without supers so I've been keeping a close watch on your results.

[Georgia Boy]

Ok BlueBee,

Your last post was Jan 6th, it is now Mar 19th.

Whats up!!!!!

This is like reading a book and you get to the back only to see the last pages have been torn out...

WTH..

We need to know the ending.

Please up date.

Thanks

David

[BlueBee]

The baby mating nucs didn’t make it through the 3rd wave of 0F temps.  They croaked in mid February. 

I was a little surprised because they were looking good before that 3rd wave of 0s (-18C).  They had a good proportion of bees relative to the size of the boxes;  4 half sized medium frames.  They didn’t run out of stores and they didn’t have mites, they simply froze.  More insulation or just a little supplemental heat on those 0F nights, and I’m certain they would have survived.

I had to bump the insulation up to about 2” of foam to get them to survive this long.  For my operation and climate it just doesn’t make sense to insulate beyond that.  It just gets too costly and bulky.  I think a better strategy for wintering the mating nucs is to either add a little supplemental electric heat on the really cold nights and/or make the mating nucs a little larger.  That’s my plan for next winter. 

[Finski]

The baby mating nucs didn’t make it through the 3rd wave of 0F temps.  They croaked in mid February. 

I was a little surprised because they were looking good before that 3rd wave of 0s (-18C).  They had a good proportion of bees relative to the size of the boxes;  4 half sized medium frames.  They didn’t run out of stores and they didn’t have mites, they simply froze.  More insulation or just a little supplemental heat on those 0F nights, and I’m certain they would have survived.

I had to bump the insulation up to about 2” of foam to get them to survive this long.  For my operation and climate it just doesn’t make sense to insulate beyond that.  It just gets too costly and bulky.  I think a better strategy for wintering the mating nucs is to either add a little supplemental electric heat on the really cold nights and/or make the mating nucs a little larger.  That’s my plan for next winter. 

They did not stand you honey balls. Bemenber what I said.

I can tell you that it is not possible to over winter bees in mating nucs in your winter.

.

[BlueBee]

LOL, those bees LOVED my honey balls!  They ate every last one.

Finski, the last time I checked, I had 6 of 8 4 frame medium boxes of bees alive.  Many people here call a 4 frame box a “mating nuc”, so I would have to proclaim you're WRONG.   It’s OK to be wrong on occasion, we’re only human after all.    I'm even wrong sometimes.

The boxes that froze were my MINI mating nucs, they use 4 HALF medium frames and hold about 500 to 800 bees.

[Georgia Boy]

Sorry to hear about losing the bees.  Better luck next year. I like you like to test the waters myself even when everyone says you are crazy.  We just might stumble on to something that no one else has.

Keep Trying No Matter What ANYONE else says.

I applaud your efforts. 

David

[Finski]

you're WRONG.  

My 50 y experience and your 3 y experience where all small colonies were dead, of course I am wrong

My 25 y experience with polyhives, and your no experience, of course I am wrong.

My biology researcher education in Helsinki University is mere joke. I hanged there for fun 6 years.


There are people who can learn from others' experience...

There people who from his mistakes

then, there are people who repeat their mistakes.

.
may honeyballs be with you!  

[BlueBee]

Thanks GeorgiaBoy, I like your attitude.

Unfortunately if bee keepers were running this world, we would still be riding horses to work and using whale oil for lights.

[oblib]

Unfortunately if bee keepers were running this world, we would still be riding horses to work and using whale oil for lights.

Whale oil??? I aint using no new fangled stuff like whale oil. Just use the beeswax candles for light. It was good enough for my great great great gandpa and it's good enough for us.

[Ray Bayless]

BlueBee,
I'm sure sorry to hear about what happened. I was pulling for your success. You guys have some pretty brutal weather up there. I don't believe I can keep a colony that small down here due to the SHB. Good try.
Ray