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Alright so my hive is now totally devoid of bees, and rapidly being colonized by earwigs. No doubt worse is in store. How should I store a whole hive over the winter? It's got frames with honey exposed and other frames with capped honey, and of course the empty brood frames. I have a few choices I guess - I could keep them all in the garage, where they'll be less exposed to pests but might attract pests to come inside, which would be bad. I could store them on the (covered) patio, where if pests come in it won't be in my house, but they'll be out of the weather at least. Or, I could try to clean them somehow. Harvesting the honey at this point might be difficult since it's brood-box stuff; mixed with (now empty) brood cells, and potentially still containing some sugar syrup solution we were feeding them in the spring. Just decap and wash away all that stuff?
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Nov 30, 2010 23:27
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quadpus posted:Bizarre Haha, I was the 'fellow beekeeper' who sent the samples in to the food testing lab. Cool, isn't it? Here's part one of my writeup: http://www.boroughbees.com/2010/11/mystery-of-red-honey.html I'd love it if y'all would share it around. I'd like to have more readers than just my mother.
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Dec 1, 2010 00:34
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Leperflesh, yeah that's what I'd do. Uncapped honey isn't good anyways. Decap, wash, and store it somewhere. I'm kinda nervous about my bees now. I've no idea how they're doing.
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Dec 1, 2010 06:23
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I'm cautiously optimistic. We've been feeding them for winter (2:1 syrup mix) and they've been socking it away in both hives. We reduced the entrance on the langstroth and totally sealed one side of the top bar to prevent a cross breeze, so hopefully they're ready for the winter months. It shouldn't be too hard on them with any luck, given that I live in Texas. Still, we had our first hard freeze last night so I'm worried about how they're doing. Sorry about the absconding Leper. Didn't yours do the same earlier this year too?
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Dec 1, 2010 16:13
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ShotgunWillie posted:Haha, I was the 'fellow beekeeper' who sent the samples in to the food testing lab. Wow, that is messed up. It is both hilarious and depressing that the bees went for the same junk food that humans do, and that it messed up their honey. Also - that red honey looks like a horror movie, haha
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Dec 1, 2010 16:24
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Raskolnikov2089 posted:Sorry about the absconding Leper. Didn't yours do the same earlier this year too? Nope. Might have been Ishmael? Someone else lost their bees this year but I don't remember whom. We'll re-hive some new bees in the spring and it will be OK! It is a learning thing. We are learning.
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Dec 2, 2010 03:37
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Leperflesh posted:Nope. Might have been Ishamael? Someone else lost their bees this year but I don't remember whom. Yeah, it was me. It sucked, and it still sucks.
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Dec 2, 2010 15:16
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Am I the only one with bees still alive? They keep flying out on warm days. What about you guys?
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Dec 25, 2010 00:47
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Super, super busy on warm days, which it still gets periodically up into the 80s here in Texas. I've been feeding them their 2:1 winter mix every couple of weeks and they're emptying it out quite fast.
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Dec 25, 2010 01:45
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My girls in Ontario are still doing well. I haven't seeing them flying but I see a couple of dead ones out front each day. They're buzzing pretty loud when it's warm out and seem pretty healthy. I wrapped them up tight in tar paper and have the wind blocked from 3 directions, hopefully they make it to spring.
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Dec 25, 2010 21:01
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This thread has made me so excited to get some bees! I am a little north of Sydney, Australia. I've lived here for about 6 years, and we have a fairly good bee community here from what I've been able to tell just from local produce fairs etc. I've often bought the local honey off these guys but I've never ever considered having my own bees before. I have gotten in contact with one of the local beekeepers,and I'm just waiting for a reply. I want to learn a bit more first, and I think I have decided to make a TBH. Thanks guys!
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Dec 29, 2010 03:12
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Bee keeping is a go! I found a community garden that wants me to keep my bees there and start up a colony for them (at their expense). I plan on assembling all of the wooden ware for my two hives this weekend, and then order the garden's hive at the bee guild meeting the following week when they do a group hive order. All thats left as far as I can tell is buying bees! I have one question on assembly. In the backyard beekeeper, the author says not to put the wax foundation in until 2 or 3 days before use because of sagging issues. I have not seen or heard of anyone else mentioning this problem. Should I listen to him, or can I just put the wax in as I build and wire the frames?
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Jan 13, 2011 22:42
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nesbit37 posted:Bee keeping is a go! I found a community garden that wants me to keep my bees there and start up a colony for them (at their expense). I plan on assembling all of the wooden ware for my two hives this weekend, and then order the garden's hive at the bee guild meeting the following week when they do a group hive order. All thats left as far as I can tell is buying bees! Awesome! Glad to see we've got another lunatic to join our group. I think for folks who can't or don't want to keep bees at their house, finding a community garden/nature preserve/farm where their hives are welcome is a perfect idea. And the fact that they'repaying for it in your case is even better. quote:I have one question on assembly. In the backyard beekeeper, the author says not to put the wax foundation in until 2 or 3 days before use because of sagging issues. I have not seen or heard of anyone else mentioning this problem. Should I listen to him, or can I just put the wax in as I build and wire the frames? I haven't used wax foundation frames before but I throught they had wires running through them to help support the weight. Also, I'm not sure how much sag you would see in the frames if you're storing them vertically. I'd be more concerned if you put them all together and then left them laying around flat.
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Jan 14, 2011 13:30
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TouchyMcFeely posted:I haven't used wax foundation frames before but I throught they had wires running through them to help support the weight. Also, I'm not sure how much sag you would see in the frames if you're storing them vertically. I'd be more concerned if you put them all together and then left them laying around flat. This is what I thought to, between the wires and storing them vertically in the hive I didn't understand how they would sag. Since I have 0 experience, however, I figured I should ask around rather than just trust my instinct.
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Jan 14, 2011 14:34
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I've seen them stored either way. I don't think it's an issue at all. I suppose if there's a chance it could get really hot inside the hive - hotter than the bees would allow it to get while living in it - that could cause sagging. Otherwise I think it's a pretty unlikely scenario, especially if they'll just be in there for a few days. I'd be more concerned about leaving wax in an empty hive for a long period being a great way to attract wax moths and their larvae, which will definitely destroy the wax. Pests are the main reason not to leave an empty hive sitting for a long period.
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Jan 14, 2011 20:18
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Talked to my local beekeeper this week, and he will have nucs for sale in the spring, and I am pre-ordered. I am also gonna get rid of my stupid TBH (if anyone wants to come get it it is free), and do a Lang hive instead. Bees, I am returning to you!! Ishamael fucked around with this message at 23:17 on Jan 14, 2011 |
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Jan 14, 2011 23:15
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Ishamael posted:Talked to my local beekeeper this week, and he will have nucs for sale in the spring, and I am pre-ordered. I am also gonna get rid of my stupid TBH (if anyone wants to come get it it is free), and do a Lang hive instead. Where are you? I'm going to be running quite a few hives in Brooklyn next year and wouldn't mind playing around with a top bar hive.
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Jan 14, 2011 23:34
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ShotgunWillie posted:Where are you? I'm going to be running quite a few hives in Brooklyn next year and wouldn't mind playing around with a top bar hive. I am in Raleigh NC. If you (or anyone else) is in the area, they can have my old hive, which functioned just fine...until the bees left and broke my heart. You broke my heart, Fredo. You broke my heart.
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Jan 15, 2011 02:14
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Welp, I was feeling pretty optimistic about them making it through the winter until this morning. Saw this out front of the hive and I can't hear them buzzing anymore. Hopefully they're just at the back of the hive or something but it's been a cold couple of weeks (below -20C almost every night).
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Jan 21, 2011 00:37
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Wow. Did you cover the hive in black tar paper? I can't tell from the picture. If I were you I'd try to shovel the snow away from the hive so it isn't surrounding it. But it might be too late. My bees are already up and about..Aah, Californian spring.
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Jan 21, 2011 00:51
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Maximusi posted:Wow. Did you cover the hive in black tar paper? I can't tell from the picture. If I were you I'd try to shovel the snow away from the hive so it isn't surrounding it. But it might be too late. I think the snow would insulate the hive - snow makes a pretty decent insulator.
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Jan 21, 2011 01:52
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Yeah, it's pretty common to wrap them in tar paper around here, absorbs the sunlight a bit. I actually shoveled the snow into 3 sides of the the hive to insulate it a bit against the wind, the snow can't be colder than the air and there's a little air pocket between the hive and the snow.
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Jan 21, 2011 01:53
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It's hard to tell from the pic but that only looks like maybe a hundred bees. Perhaps they've been accumulating inside, and today it was finally warm enough for the bees to do some house cleaning? Bees can handle it being really cold at night, as long as it warms up enough, often enough, that they can open up the ball and do some work. Critically, they need to get honey from the storage areas and bring it inward, and if it stays too cold for too long they can't do that. Also of course they have to not freeze to death. The ones on the outside of the ball get rotated inwards regularly, but at -20 I'm sure there's lots of casualties anyway. So I'd expect to see some dead bees every time it warms up, just, not a catastrophic number.
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Jan 21, 2011 02:44
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Yeah, compared to how many were there going in to winter, it's not a huge percentage. I'm thinking it might be the snow insulation I put there yesterday made them think it was warmer out than it actually was. It's sad watching them come out, buzz around a bit with lots of energy then freeze to death in about 5 seconds.
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Jan 21, 2011 03:42
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Make sure you haven't altered the ventilation of the hive either. They have to regulate both temperature and humidity, and if you make it too snug, it'll get both hot and really wet inside and that will force them out to try and fan, which of course won't work if it's still super freezing cold out.
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Jan 21, 2011 06:08
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How do yall handle treating for mites in the winter? Any opinions on Apiguard? We're trying to keep things as organic as possible, but this seems pretty harmless.
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Jan 21, 2011 06:24
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Raskolnikov2089 posted:How do yall handle treating for mites in the winter? Apiguard has a temperature requirement and will only work if it's warm enough to evaporate the thymol. Same deal with formic acid pads. Since it's the winter and there isn't much or any brood, try oxalic acid treatments. They're simple, cheap and quite effective.
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Jan 21, 2011 06:39
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Raskolnikov2089 posted:How do yall handle treating for mites in the winter? Powdered sugar, should work quite well. The bees will clean themselves more and the mites will drop, hopefully to a screened bottom board.
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Jan 22, 2011 23:47
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I'm loathe to open the hive when they've got it so nicely sealed with propolis against the winter cold. The boyfriend suggested putting powdered sugar in the smoker, and shooting it up through the hive entrance. Anyone think of a downside to that? I really need to get a screened bottom board for the langstroth. Do you have to remove the deep to check it, or does it slide out like the entrance reducer. **Edit - Just went up to the hives. It's a sunny 55 today in Texas, and the girls are all over the feeders we just refilled. Raskolnikov2089 fucked around with this message at 23:58 on Jan 22, 2011 |
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Jan 22, 2011 23:55
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Hi, I just read this whole thread (and shotgun willie's blog too) and you guys and your bees all rock. I'm seriously thinking about starting a hive this year. The thing is, I live in Manhattan. I have a private rooftop that's not shared by any other residents where I can place the hive, but it's not the most bee-friendly place, I'm assuming. Lot of questions, if you have answers: 1. Will the bees be able to find enough nectar to survive and make honey? I've heard of NYC rooftop hives, but I assume most of them are in brooklyn / queens / long island. There is little plant life until central park, which is maybe a third of a mile away (and even then is mostly cultured lawns). The bees will also have to climb up to the sixth floor to get back to their hive, which takes energy. The winters, they are cold too. After reading that crazy story about the red honey, I have this crazy vision of all my bees heading across the street and ransacking the over sweetened fruit juice at Papaya Dog. Seriously, there are a lot of human sugar sources. 2. What about water? Is there some way to water the bees without providing places for mosquitoes to spawn? Would I need to water them at all, or would dew / collected rainwater / etc provide enough? 3. Does anyone know if there's a business that mails package bees to you? Does Betterbees? If I have to, I can go pick up bees from a farm upstate, but I'll need to rent a car. 4. Finally, will it bother the bees if someone say.. plays a movie on a rooftop across a fence from them? Would the bees bother the moviegoers? BBQers? I'm trying to figure out how much having bees on the roof will hamper other use of the space.. Also, my lease agreement totally doesn't prohibit raising bees. They don't mention it at all, strangely..
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Jan 23, 2011 07:04
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Well the old man had a bad run in with his bees the other day. He was moving a box of bees from our farm to a friends place around 20kms away, and it came apart on the way to the new site... So they werent happy, and he recons he didnt do his veil up properly on his bee suit. Guess what the little buggers did... Got about a dozen stings in quick sucession, thought bugger it, bailed out of the site and started to drive home (covered in angry bees!) Made it bout halfway home, vision started to go dark, so he pulled over, got out, went to ring us at home and passed out face first into the gravel on the side of the road. When he came too, he rang us, we found him, Rang an ambo and got him carted off to hospital. No bad reaction from the bees, but apparently he's allergic to road base, as his face is all bruised and cut up! We sprayed out the car on the way back from the hospital and found 39 dead bees in it the next morning!
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Jan 25, 2011 12:17
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Yikes! We've left our empty hive sitting in the back yard and it's been fine there - a few ants, but nothing of concern. This weekend we went out to prune the mulberry and there were bees! Holy poo poo like tons of bees coming and going! On inspection, they're not living in the hive, just raiding it for the leftover honey and stuff inside. We should have put everything away ages ago but we were demoralized and lazy about it. So we got some huge ziplock bags and we're going to seal the frames that still have honey so they won't attract ants when we bring them indoors. Then when we get our new bees (we're thinking of getting a nuc instead of a package), we'll give them the old frames of honey to give them a nice head-start.
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Jan 25, 2011 23:41
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Sup beekeeps? I've been lurking this thread for a while but now I've just been given permission by my uncle to put a hive in his new orchard (well, it's a field with lots of rows of fruit saplings right now, and it's not just permission, he's actively encouraging it). I hope to build a hive as soon as I have the time and materials but I'm short on time at the moment while I move abode. With this in mind, I have a question: What's the last date that I should reasonably attempt to put in a hive. I live on the island of Guernsey, which geographically is essentially northern France. It's extremely mild here, it rarely gets to freezing point in the winters.
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Feb 15, 2011 18:30
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I'd ballpark sometime around mid-late June? You have a beekeeper association there, they would be the best to ask. http://www.angelfire.com/nb/gbka/
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Feb 15, 2011 18:35
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Ikantski posted:I'd ballpark sometime around mid-late June? You have a beekeeper association there, they would be the best to ask. http://www.angelfire.com/nb/gbka/ Unfortunately they're a cliquey bunch of curmudgeons  . I forget exactly how it was put to my uncle (after he wasted a few hours talking to one of the committee about the hobby) something like "oh, you want to join? Oh my no we have enough hives right now". It's the way of a lot of local hobby clubs.So I'll start my own bee keeping gang, and we'll start vicious a turf war. Nobody pollinates round here without my say-so, see?
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Feb 15, 2011 22:27
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Weird. Who are you planning on getting bees from?
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Feb 16, 2011 02:12
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June sounds way too late. I'd do it by the end of April at the latest.
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Feb 16, 2011 02:34
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Speaking of April, the 3 packages for my 3 hives are coming April 2nd. I can hardly wait! Still have to assemble 1 hive and paint all of them, and put the wax foundation in. It was a lot more work (really time) putting things together than I anticipated but I enjoyed it overall.
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Feb 16, 2011 02:42
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Wow three hives. That must've cost a fortune. What kinda bees are you getting?
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Feb 16, 2011 03:42
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Italians that are used to Michigan winters. I only paid for two of the hives, the third I will be assembling and managing for the community garden that I am keeping them at and also paid for the hive/bees.
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Feb 16, 2011 04:02
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