I have been reading up on doing bees over the winter. I must have messed up and that is why my bees froze. One place even suggested nailing black tar paper to the hive and I think that is what I shall do next January - even December if it is as cold as this one. Tomorrow I shall fix a cloth around my surviving hive and hope I am not too late. It is supposed to be about 25F (-3.8C) tomorrow so maybe this will save some bees.
I have also been re-reading about starting a nuc from an existing hive. That will cut honey production but I want more bees than what I have. I hope to buy a queen and also buy another starter hive from Carl. The one I got from him is doing quite well at the ranch.
IF I could afford it I would take the course again. I shall try to read more and will try to be better prepared.
I hope to get very lucky and capture a swarm in the spring. I am ready for that. If I could work in the garage I could build a bee vac. I think I know how except I would like to have the plywood material from the cabin. Maybe I can not ruin the parts I have.
We'll see.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Wear black for mourning
Wellsir, bad news. I went out to check my bees day before yesterday and found the west hive had all frozen. There was one live bee but she wasn't doing very well. Yesterday even she was gone. The hive is/was full of bee bodies that were not (apparently) harmed in any physical way. There were frames full of honey so they did not starve.
I DO NOT understand it as the two hives are about 40 feet apart, at most 40 feet and the temperature would seem to be the same for both. This was supposed to be my strong hive but it got wiped out. There was a message on the message board today of someone bragging they had not lost any hive - yet. So, I sorta-kinda-almost feel a little better as it may not be that unusual.
I have a "cover" thingie I use in the car to put down over the back carpet when transporting lots of "stuff." I seriously considered wrapping it around the hive to block out some of the cold. Then I thought, and someone else actually said it out loud, that bees have survived for millions of years so they knew what to do. I am guessing my bees were too stupid to know what to do so they all froze.
I was planning on buying another starter hive this spring so now, IF I can afford it, I shall buy two.
I DO NOT understand it as the two hives are about 40 feet apart, at most 40 feet and the temperature would seem to be the same for both. This was supposed to be my strong hive but it got wiped out. There was a message on the message board today of someone bragging they had not lost any hive - yet. So, I sorta-kinda-almost feel a little better as it may not be that unusual.
I have a "cover" thingie I use in the car to put down over the back carpet when transporting lots of "stuff." I seriously considered wrapping it around the hive to block out some of the cold. Then I thought, and someone else actually said it out loud, that bees have survived for millions of years so they knew what to do. I am guessing my bees were too stupid to know what to do so they all froze.
I was planning on buying another starter hive this spring so now, IF I can afford it, I shall buy two.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
More bees & more books
I have finished a cupla books but the one I just read was the better. TRAFALGAR, the story of Nelson's sea victory over the French and English. You would have to read it but I am not as convinced as i was previously that Nelson had any more to do with the battle than the weather or Napoleon's total incompetence.
In any event, it was a good read.
As it is very cold here I was advised, and did, close off most of the opening to the bee hives. I was told that the guard bees would die and by closing, it would cut down on the number of guards the bees kept. Shorter space, less need. So maybe I'll have enough in the spring to start a couple of strong hives.
I am hoping to obtain at least one more hive but would prefer two more hives. I know i could do one more here and I know I can do two more at the cabin. Two more there would be good as they would have lots of forage room over there.
There are flowering bushes, berries, alfalfa and who knows what else where they can buzz to their hearts delight.
I did bee candy in the west hive and still have sugar water in the pink hive. I will change from 2:1 to 1:1 about the end of January.
Bee club meet tomorrow night and Greg is the presenter. Should be worth going to.
In any event, it was a good read.
As it is very cold here I was advised, and did, close off most of the opening to the bee hives. I was told that the guard bees would die and by closing, it would cut down on the number of guards the bees kept. Shorter space, less need. So maybe I'll have enough in the spring to start a couple of strong hives.
I am hoping to obtain at least one more hive but would prefer two more hives. I know i could do one more here and I know I can do two more at the cabin. Two more there would be good as they would have lots of forage room over there.
There are flowering bushes, berries, alfalfa and who knows what else where they can buzz to their hearts delight.
I did bee candy in the west hive and still have sugar water in the pink hive. I will change from 2:1 to 1:1 about the end of January.
Bee club meet tomorrow night and Greg is the presenter. Should be worth going to.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Christmas
Today I read that walnut sawdust may keep mites out of the hives. It will be interesting to pursue this topic as a natural solution such as that would be very welcome. I wonder who would have some walnut trees that wlould let me saw of a couple of branches....?
Also in this mornings post was an item about a hive starving to death. I think I check my hives often enough that that won't happen. I will have to check the west hive more closely.
Oddly enough, it is only December 25 but it is already time to start thinking of next spring. I hd hoped to have my building assembled so I could store all my wooden wear there but it hasn't happened so far. I think i shall take off a month from everything and see if there enough nice days where I can do some ratcheting and screwing and assembling.
If I can get my wooden wear all organized I will have a better idea where I stand so I can look for swarms to capture. I want 2 or 3 more hives, as long as Jill can help, and see what the ranch can produce. With all the black berry bushes over there it should be able to produce a nice amount of honey from the old hive and get a new hive off to a great start. I have even seriously considered contacting Kincade again to see about the clover.
I could leave a hive down there until the nectar stops flowing and then take it to the ranch. It "may" be pretty full then if he does plant the red clover and already has white clover.
We'll see.
First I need more colonies.
Also in this mornings post was an item about a hive starving to death. I think I check my hives often enough that that won't happen. I will have to check the west hive more closely.
Oddly enough, it is only December 25 but it is already time to start thinking of next spring. I hd hoped to have my building assembled so I could store all my wooden wear there but it hasn't happened so far. I think i shall take off a month from everything and see if there enough nice days where I can do some ratcheting and screwing and assembling.
If I can get my wooden wear all organized I will have a better idea where I stand so I can look for swarms to capture. I want 2 or 3 more hives, as long as Jill can help, and see what the ranch can produce. With all the black berry bushes over there it should be able to produce a nice amount of honey from the old hive and get a new hive off to a great start. I have even seriously considered contacting Kincade again to see about the clover.
I could leave a hive down there until the nectar stops flowing and then take it to the ranch. It "may" be pretty full then if he does plant the red clover and already has white clover.
We'll see.
First I need more colonies.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Bees and books
I thought I was finished with getting books for everybody for Christmas but after checking, I ain't. Now I have to go back and start a search for some ore books and the dept is in such disarray that it will be difficult. S A has received so many books lately that I haven't had time to organize all of them. We are over loaded at this time and, now we have more fiction that isn't romance.
Give that three big cheers.
So, high ho, it's off to books I go.
First I need to make a list of what I have...............
Later,
Give that three big cheers.
So, high ho, it's off to books I go.
First I need to make a list of what I have...............
Later,
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
More stuff
It has been more than a month since the last entry. I have not been idle I just haven't used what few opportunities I had to blog. It has been colder than a Republican's heart at the sight of a homeless person caused by Repubs economic policies. I have been worried about the bees as i didn't think I had a complete understanding of all I should do.
Last night at the NEOBA meeting I got to talk to two experts and got the advice I needed.
Today I put an entrance reducer on both hives because of the guard bees. They will die as they stand guard in the cold. By reducing the opening it reduces the area they have to guard thus- fewer guard bees and fewer dying.
Makes sense to me so I did it.
I talked to Carl who told me to take off the supers I still had on the hives. I also did that today and only got stung once by the mean hive. Those little girls are always mean. I lifted the back of the hive to see the weight so I could guess as to how much honey they had for them. I could not lift it from where I was standing so I have to assume they have plenty.
The other hive is in the shade too long so I really should move them except I don't know about moving them in the winter. I'll ask Greg 1st chance I get.
I put sugar/bee candy in the west hive and they were all over it before I could reassemble the hive. I did not try to lift their hive as one sting a day is enough.
Next spring I am either going to split a hive or buy another
or both.
Tomorrow--- all the excitement about books.
Oh, the bee meeting was so boring and I had learned a lot so i left early. Carl and I went out to his truck to get the candy and fructose and were almost trampled by people leaving.
Last night at the NEOBA meeting I got to talk to two experts and got the advice I needed.
Today I put an entrance reducer on both hives because of the guard bees. They will die as they stand guard in the cold. By reducing the opening it reduces the area they have to guard thus- fewer guard bees and fewer dying.
Makes sense to me so I did it.
I talked to Carl who told me to take off the supers I still had on the hives. I also did that today and only got stung once by the mean hive. Those little girls are always mean. I lifted the back of the hive to see the weight so I could guess as to how much honey they had for them. I could not lift it from where I was standing so I have to assume they have plenty.
The other hive is in the shade too long so I really should move them except I don't know about moving them in the winter. I'll ask Greg 1st chance I get.
I put sugar/bee candy in the west hive and they were all over it before I could reassemble the hive. I did not try to lift their hive as one sting a day is enough.
Next spring I am either going to split a hive or buy another
or both.
Tomorrow--- all the excitement about books.
Oh, the bee meeting was so boring and I had learned a lot so i left early. Carl and I went out to his truck to get the candy and fructose and were almost trampled by people leaving.
Monday, November 15, 2010
More food, feeding & school
I did three bee programs at two elementary schools. The poorest school's students paid closer attention than the Yuppie class school kids. Wonder what can be made from that... Anyway, I took a jar of live bees as I had no demonstration hive. It was a big hit as every kid could hold it, if he/she wanted, and get a very close look at bees.
The odd thing was that I had several when I went to the far away school and I left them in the jar in the garage overnight. The next day i remembered them and they were not happy with me. I took them out and placed them on a stand close to their hive. The angry buzzing they made as I took off the lid let me know that I shouldn't tarry and spend much time explaining.
So i did a few bees when I went to the very close elementary school. I caught the bees just before i left and took them back immediately after returning home. All but one bee had died. I don't even have a theory as to why unless some third grader put a hex on them.
I enjoyed showing and talking to the kids and may do it some more.
Today I had enough sugar to mix up 2.5 gallons of sugar-water feed. It should be cooled off by now so I better had go feed before they all die.
The odd thing was that I had several when I went to the far away school and I left them in the jar in the garage overnight. The next day i remembered them and they were not happy with me. I took them out and placed them on a stand close to their hive. The angry buzzing they made as I took off the lid let me know that I shouldn't tarry and spend much time explaining.
So i did a few bees when I went to the very close elementary school. I caught the bees just before i left and took them back immediately after returning home. All but one bee had died. I don't even have a theory as to why unless some third grader put a hex on them.
I enjoyed showing and talking to the kids and may do it some more.
Today I had enough sugar to mix up 2.5 gallons of sugar-water feed. It should be cooled off by now so I better had go feed before they all die.
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