Fall is an interesting time for the girls. Between the vanishing nectar flow, cold nights, and the ejection of the drones (males) from the hive, honeybees have a lot on their plate. As a good keeper, it's our duty to be mindful of these issues and do what we can to ease the transition from summer workers to winter hibernators.
There are several important steps that a keeper should/must take before freezing temperatures become the norm at night.
1) Mouse Guards: Mice won’t kill your hive like mites and disease will, but they are a pain to deal with. They’ll not only wreak havoc on your frames, but can cause the girls more stress than needed. A mouse will build a tiny nest in the corner of a hive and survive for months thanks to the ample comb and residual heat from the bee-cluster. The simple installation of a mouse guard can therefore prevent a whole lot of trouble. Many beekeeping companies sell metal guards, but if you’re a cheap-skate (like me), something as simple as 8-guage wire trimmed to fit over the entrance will do the trick. Just make sure to leave enough space at the ends for the girls. Granted, it may take the foragers a little while to figure out the new way inside, but bees are smart.
2) Food: By this point, most pollinating flowers are dying. Northern states may already see snow in the mountains while southern states may have a few more weeks before frigid temperatures keep the girls indoors permanently. But until day temps drop well into the 50’s, expect your girls to forage and forage hard. Yesterday, the GF and I made a trip to check on the hive and lo and behold, there were still bees arriving at the entrance with pollen. Late-blooming plants will help, but the fact remains that unless your hive is already packed with its winter store of honey (approx 30-60 lbs depending), you really should feed them. And since we want fat bees for the winter months, a good 2:1 ratio sugar syrup is key. The important thing to keep in mind when feeding, however, is to avoid leaving any liquid in the hive when temps drop to freezing. Not only will the freezing and unfreezing crack your feeder (thereby drenching the girls in liquid if you use a hive-top feeder), but a frozen block of liquid acts like a giant refrigerator on top of the brood. That can negate the heat from the cluster and chill/kill brood. When temps get close to freezing, switch from liquid to candy/patties.
3) Ventilation: Just like in your own home, ventilation keeps air clean and bees healthy. Some keepers worry that allowing cold air to cycle through a hive will have the same effect of chilling brood as frozen liquid. The bees are smart and talented enough to allow as much or as little draft as needed provided there is one. I like to shift the top super forward enough to allow a small crack between the woodenware. Additionally, I keep the screened bottom board on and the mite-counting board off. The bees will position themselves accordingly and seal-up the cracks with propolis as they see fit. More important, they will appreciate the circulation of fresh air.
Once the hive is prepped for the winter, it’s best to let the girls go about their business. The occasional warm day will allow them to escape the hive for “cleansing flights” (aka bathroom breaks), but for the most part, the bees will remain in their cluster until spring. The winter can be hard for keepers as well since our instinct is to check on the girls, but it’s best to postpone inspections until a day when it’s close to 60. But that doesn’t mean you should remain idle. Winter is a great time for preparation and the best time to get yourself ready for the coming nectar flow. A couple important preparation steps are:
1) Wooden Ware: Order your gear. I say again, order your gear! Spring is the worst time to think about ordering parts for your hive, so get your orders in now. For those who do not order pre-assembled parts, winter is the perfect time to build a couple supers or staple foundation into frames. Many keepers wait until February to place orders and find themselves on a wait-list. That’s fine if you have a garage of spare parts, but not so good if you’ve already used up your last frame. The moment things get cramped, honeybees will swarm. Make sure you have enough wooden ware to keep ahead of them. I prefer at least one full hive extra since you can make splits or, worst case, serve as a foster keeper until your procrastinating friend/student/mentor’s gear arrives.
2) Read: Winter is also the perfect time to brush up on the latest news/trends and periodicals like Bee Culture and the American Bee Journal (among others) are excellent sources. Our understanding of these amazing creatures continues to expand and keeping your finger on the latest pulse is a good way to ensure that you are up to date. Then again, for as much as we know about honeybees, they are still a mystery to us. What better way to kill a few cold, wintery nights than brushing up on the history and latest discovery about out little friends?
3) Meet: If you’re not already a member of a local bee club, join one. If you are a member, attend a few meetings. Like reading, club meetings are not only a great way to brush up on the latest news, but also a place to pick the brains of people who have a lot of hands-on experience with the hobby.
4) Listen: If you enjoy the backyard science of beekeeping, then you’ll find yourself tempted to check on your charges. While opening the hive can be dangerous to the girls at colder temps, you can certainly listen to them. Go ahead and trod on out to the hive, press your ear to the side of the brood chamber, and listen to what’s going on. A health hive will have a soft, quiet hum to it. That’s the sound of the bees vibrating for warmth.
Anyway, those are just a few tips. The next few months will be challenging for the bees, but if you can get them, and yourself, ready for winter, you’ll find that next spring they’ll be healthier, stronger, and happier.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
New Bees and Transfering Bees
Sadly, the girls didn't make it through the winter. It was quite a shock, too, because they seemed healthy going into late Fall, had plenty of honey stores, and the varroa count was low. They even made it past the darkest, coldest months including some heavy snow storms in the Northern Virginia region. The GF and I checked on them in late Feb and they were perfectly clustered, but two weeks later they were all dead. I estimate there was approx 40 lbs of stored honey, but the cluster never moved into the stores (including frames in the same super as the cluster) and either died on the comb or with their heads in the cells.
Apparently there were many keepers in the area who suffered similar issues which makes me wonder just what is going on with the ladies. Did they freeze to death? Were they weakened because of the varroa battle in July and August? Or were they just too lazy to move over/up to get to the food?
Figure out why our bees seem to be dying in the winter despite the presence of plenty of honey and few mites and you can make a lot of money. . .
The GF and I cleaned out the hive, found the queen, and froze the frames with honey on them. The last events was an attempt to prevent wax moths, but we must have gotten to the frames a little too late because there was some webbing and tunnelling already in the comb. We cleaned those out as well as we could and froze them.
Thankfully I was able to purchase a new nuc of Carnies from Pat and, around mid-May, picked up not only mine, but two nucs for the student (Stud) I'm mentoring. Using some spare gear in the basement (and some extra stuff borrowed from Pat and Jim - thanks guys!) the GF and I fashioned two temporary hives. Studs' nucs were healthy with one billowing out the moment the GF and I opened the box and, as a testament to how great my partner in crime is, she didn't flinch as we gingerly removed frames and slide them into the new supers.
My nuc was less than stellar with a surprising number of dead in the bottom of the box (see pic below). I contacted Pat who said that the dead were well above normal and to let her know if they got worse, but the GF and I decided to give the weakened nuc a break and put them on drawn comb and two full supers of honey. Thankfully they took to it like gangbusters and, with the combination of keeping the screened entrance reducer on, they seem to have recovered pretty well. My guess is that they overheated because the dead had been that way long enough for ants to get in and feed on them, so they were not killed in the transfer from Pat's to the beeyard.
Two weeks later my Stud returned from his business trip and we coordinated the transfer from my yard to his. We walked through his property to determine the best location for the girls and then headed to my yard. It was late, after sunset at least, which was key to ensure that everyone was home inside the hive.
The first step to making the transfer was to seal the hive shut. In order to accomplish this, I cut a section of wire mesh with an elbow bend and used heavy-gauge staples to affix it over the entrance. This ensured the girls would stay indoors but allowed for air flow. Next, we used ratchet straps (which can be purchased from Home Depot or Lowes for about $15 for a pack of 4) to clamp the supers together. Of note, before ratcheting the hives, we slid the top cover "back" to seal the gap of the inner cover which prevent bees from escaping. Once sealed and clamped, we each lifted a hive and placed into the bed of the Stud's truck. One thing to keep in mind is that the hives were only 2 supers tall, so they were light enough to lift on our own. Moving a hive when there are more supers full of honey would require at least two people to lift since they are well over 100 lbs. Something to keep in mind.
With the girls loaded, we headed to the Stud's home and placed the hives on cinder blocks. The Stud let the girls cool down (emotionally, that it. It was hot and humid, so there was no cooling that night) and then removed the entrance screens so the bees would be free to inspect their new digs the next morning. A week later he checked in on them and they seemed to be doing really well. Building comb, raising brood, and generally happy in their new home.
As for my girls, they are also doing well. I added another super (up to four now) and, since we are in the last major month of honey-flow in Norther Virginia, placed a queen excluder between supers 3 and 4. Additionally, I removed the screened reducer since there were numerous foragers coming and going as well as a decent number of guard bees on duty. The drawn comb with honey appears to have gone a long way to helping the weakened nuc recover and I plan to conduct a brass-task inspection within the next week or so. Additionally, the GF and I will begin the powdered sugar mite treatment early (likely the beginning of July) in order to minimize the impact of mites. This breed of Carnies are supposedly mite-resistant (i.e. self-cleaning and will removed "infected" brood), but we're not taking any chances.
Wrap Up:
Lessons Learned from moving the hives:
1) Move hives at night. This ensures everyone is home. It also decreases the coming and going of foragers.
2) Entrance screens are easy to make from wire mesh. They are also easy to attach (will ad photos later).
3) Ratchet straps are easy to attach in order to clamp the hive supers together. This allows you to move the hive without fear of separating the supers.
4) "New" hives (i.e. bees still drawing comb) are light enough to move by yourself. Larger hives with more drawn comb and honey will need at least two people.
5) After moving the hives, give the girls an hour or two before removing the entrance screen. In all honesty, you can probably remove the screens immediately, but a little cool-down period ensures that you don't have any disturbed ladies coming to greet you.
6) General Tip: Order gear early! Wooden ware for hives, and even a lot of keeper gear, will wind up on back-order by March. The ideal time to order is in the fall/winter since items are in stock. Things can get complicated if you order bees but have to scramble to "create" hives for your bees because the wood hasn't shipped. Planning ahead saves you, and your girls, a lot of panic.
The first step to making the transfer was to seal the hive shut. In order to accomplish this, I cut a section of wire mesh with an elbow bend and used heavy-gauge staples to affix it over the entrance. This ensured the girls would stay indoors but allowed for air flow. Next, we used ratchet straps (which can be purchased from Home Depot or Lowes for about $15 for a pack of 4) to clamp the supers together. Of note, before ratcheting the hives, we slid the top cover "back" to seal the gap of the inner cover which prevent bees from escaping. Once sealed and clamped, we each lifted a hive and placed into the bed of the Stud's truck. One thing to keep in mind is that the hives were only 2 supers tall, so they were light enough to lift on our own. Moving a hive when there are more supers full of honey would require at least two people to lift since they are well over 100 lbs. Something to keep in mind.
With the girls loaded, we headed to the Stud's home and placed the hives on cinder blocks. The Stud let the girls cool down (emotionally, that it. It was hot and humid, so there was no cooling that night) and then removed the entrance screens so the bees would be free to inspect their new digs the next morning. A week later he checked in on them and they seemed to be doing really well. Building comb, raising brood, and generally happy in their new home.
As for my girls, they are also doing well. I added another super (up to four now) and, since we are in the last major month of honey-flow in Norther Virginia, placed a queen excluder between supers 3 and 4. Additionally, I removed the screened reducer since there were numerous foragers coming and going as well as a decent number of guard bees on duty. The drawn comb with honey appears to have gone a long way to helping the weakened nuc recover and I plan to conduct a brass-task inspection within the next week or so. Additionally, the GF and I will begin the powdered sugar mite treatment early (likely the beginning of July) in order to minimize the impact of mites. This breed of Carnies are supposedly mite-resistant (i.e. self-cleaning and will removed "infected" brood), but we're not taking any chances.
Wrap Up:
Lessons Learned from moving the hives:
1) Move hives at night. This ensures everyone is home. It also decreases the coming and going of foragers.
2) Entrance screens are easy to make from wire mesh. They are also easy to attach (will ad photos later).
3) Ratchet straps are easy to attach in order to clamp the hive supers together. This allows you to move the hive without fear of separating the supers.
4) "New" hives (i.e. bees still drawing comb) are light enough to move by yourself. Larger hives with more drawn comb and honey will need at least two people.
5) After moving the hives, give the girls an hour or two before removing the entrance screen. In all honesty, you can probably remove the screens immediately, but a little cool-down period ensures that you don't have any disturbed ladies coming to greet you.
6) General Tip: Order gear early! Wooden ware for hives, and even a lot of keeper gear, will wind up on back-order by March. The ideal time to order is in the fall/winter since items are in stock. Things can get complicated if you order bees but have to scramble to "create" hives for your bees because the wood hasn't shipped. Planning ahead saves you, and your girls, a lot of panic.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
