Heat for packages

[Bush_84]

So I have been doing reading about heating hives.  I know several here have at least tinkered with using heat in winter or spring.  So my question is could I use heat for newly installed packages?  I figure maybe it's something to consider until the first batch of brood emerges.  I will feed syrup and protein patties, but maybe the package would be able to tend to a larger swath pf brood with a little help.  Thoughts?  Stupid idea?

[Michael Bush]

I think giving them limited space so they can heat it is better.  Warm syrup helps, more than a warm hive.  They can't take cold syrup.  I often have to warm the syrup up once a day to insure they can take it if the weather turns too cold or nothing is blooming.

[Bush_84]

I think giving them limited space so they can heat it is better.  Warm syrup helps, more than a warm hive.  They can't take cold syrup.  I often have to warm the syrup up once a day to insure they can take it if the weather turns too cold or nothing is blooming.

What's the best way of doing that?  Adding hot syrup? 

[Michael Bush]

It's time consuming, but with a package it's pretty much essential until there is something blooming for them to bring in.  If you take the cold syrup, and pour it back into a pan (from whatever feeder it is in) and heat it on the stove until you can just keep your finger in it without getting burned (if you get too hot, let it cool a few minutes) and then put it back in the feeder.  Once a day is sufficient to keep them full of food.

Dry sugar is less work, but not as effective.  But at least they can eat it when it's cold.

[Finski]

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I have heated hives 10 springs. With pollen patty it gives splended results. in big hives build up is 3-fold.

What Michael says, it does not help. Warm syrup, - no help.


I heat hives 2 months. I use terrarium heaters which are 7-15W.


What you need first:
- insulated box
- space reduced to the size of cluster
- a proper ventilation. To 5 frame  1 cm x 3 cm


The best build up you get if you join 2 packages. Nothing wins that system.

BUT!!! I have noticed that small colonies become often sick with accelerated build up.
Chalk brood hits easily and brood must be destroyed.



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[BlueBee]

[Finski]

Cola breaks your teeth, baby

[BlueBee]

My bees don’t have teeth.

Finski, when are you going to start warming up your bees?

I've had electric heat on a couple of hives since Feb 15th.  As Finski says, no need to heat syrup if you're using electric.  I can't imagine spending the time to reheat syrup for the bees every morning.  Electric keeps the bees out of cluster and able to get to warm syrup even on nights down in the teens (or negative Cs).

[Vance G]

Consider a zip loc bag on top bars above the cluster and a well wrapped box to keep in heat and a small two bee entrance at bottom.  Start out with syrup warm and it will stay that way.  Or warm enough.  Good grief~!  You must still be butt deep on a tall swede in snow~!  After you feed them cover them with snow, wonderful insulation. 

[Finski]

My bees don’t have teeth.

Finski, when are you going to start warming up your bees?

I installed them a week ago. Our nights are -15 C and days -5C. Snow has not methet not a bit

 As Finski says, no need to heat syrup if you're using electric.

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I have never said that. Bees keep the food warm

 I can't imagine spending the time to reheat syrup for the bees every morning.  

Me either. I have been in capital city now 4 months and bees are 150 km far away inside snow.

Electric keeps the bees out of cluster and able to get to warm syrup even on nights down in the teens (or negative Cs).

My winter food is in frames. I added to 3 hives a box of capped honey a week ago. They were near to starve out.
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Bluubee, you winter feeding system is out everything. No one keeps hives like you.
We have only one life. Why to spend it with you discussing with honey balls?

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[BlueBee]

I thought variety was the spice of life?

Who’s talking about honeyballs in this thread?  Not me.  Are you talking to yourself again?

OK, I do things a little differently than the average bear.  Is that a crime?  I’m just trying to make my life a little easier by doing things like over wintering the mating nucs and adding a little electric heat to keep a weak hive or two from croaking.  What is so horrible about that? 

LOL, I do have to admit I probably have too many watts in one of my hives.   The darn bees are SUPER active in there!  I may reduce the wattage down to 24 watts in a couple of days.  Right now we’re under another blast of cold from Canada. 

[Finski]

OK, I do things a little differently than the average bear.  Is that a crime? 

Of course not!

Constitution says that we cannot punish twice for same crime.

Why we cannot  punish for stupidity ?  - Because he had allready got one punishment.

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[Jim 134]

It's time consuming, but with a package it's pretty much essential until there is something blooming for them to bring in.  If you take the cold syrup, and pour it back into a pan (from whatever feeder it is in) and heat it on the stove until you can just keep your finger in it without getting burned (if you get too hot, let it cool a few minutes) and then put it back in the feeder.  Once a day is sufficient to keep them full of food.

Dry sugar is less work, but not as effective.  But at least they can eat it when it's cold.

   

 

              BEE HAPPY Jim 134

[dfizer]

Bluubee, you winter feeding system is out everything. No one keeps hives like you.
We have only one life. Why to spend it with you discussing with honey balls?

Please help me understand as I am confused.... What's wrong with feeding honeyballs?  My bees seem to love them and it was 10F / -12C this morning when I first went out.  Personally, I think heating a hive is insane.  Bees have no heaters in the wild and have done just fine for centuries.  I would surmise that the warmer the hives is more active the bees are and the the more food they would consume, increasing the chance that they could run out and starve therefore to allow them to stay in the cluster may be the best practice for some.

David

[BlueBee]

FYI…here’s what happens to a bowl of hot water left overnight in an insulated nuc in Michigan. 







“The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success.” Feirstein.

[Finski]

Bluubee, you winter feeding system is out everything. No one keeps hives like you.
We have only one life. Why to spend it with you discussing with honey balls?

Please help me understand as I am confused.... What's wrong with feeding honeyballs?

My bees seem to love them and it was 10F / -12C this morning when I first went out.  

Personally, I think heating a hive is insane.  Bees have no heaters in the wild and have done just fine for centuries.  I would surmise that the warmer the hives is more active the bees are and the the more food they would consume, increasing the chance that they could run out and starve therefore to allow them to stay in the cluster may be the best practice for some.

David

You cannot be serious.  

I cannot explain because I start to cry.

Do you understand what means winter rest in bee cluster and what means energy saving in the bee cluster?

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[Bush_84]

Bluubee, you winter feeding system is out everything. No one keeps hives like you.
We have only one life. Why to spend it with you discussing with honey balls?

Please help me understand as I am confused.... What's wrong with feeding honeyballs?  My bees seem to love them and it was 10F / -12C this morning when I first went out.  Personally, I think heating a hive is insane.  Bees have no heaters in the wild and have done just fine for centuries.  I would surmise that the warmer the hives is more active the bees are and the the more food they would consume, increasing the chance that they could run out and starve therefore to allow them to stay in the cluster may be the best practice for some.

David

Keep in mind I am talking about heating newly hived packages in spring.  I am not talking about heating hives in the winter.

[Finski]

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I have 10 years experience about spring heating + patty feeding.
It is very good and that is why I continue it.

Heating helps hives during cold nights. Cluster is able to make wider brood ball.

The secret is in the mathematics of ball volume compared to radius.
The build up may be douple with heating. In big hives 3 fold is possible.


Even human homes did not have here electrict 100 years ago. It does not mean that I could not heat hives, uncap honey with electrict knife or use electrict extracting.  If someone  live like  cave man, he may do it.

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