Opinions pleaseq

[JackM]

Usually I would just ignore this, but this winter has been kinda bizarre.  On nice days which we have had plenty of, my bees are working hard bringing in pollen (yes already) from I assume either fruitless plum blooms, alder pollen, or from heather in full bloom. 

My hives should be close to light.  I have not done anything except look to make sure all hives are similarly active.  One is much more active and has been my biggest producer which leads me to my question.

This hive is active enough that I am considering putting on the excluder and adding a super.  Will this prevent the bees from having a proper ball on cold days?  Will this rob them of needed warmth when the queen cannot get up there?

Thanks

[rwlaw]

I have no idea what your climate is, but the folks that do will need your configuration to answer. I'm wondering why you would want to super this time of year?

[Kathyp]

don't do it.  way to early in our area.  there is nothing to put in a super yet anyway.  we will only have pollen until the dandelions bloom and then there will not be enough nectar for a super anyway. 

some of our best snow and ice have been in February.   

what you do need to watch is that they are not using up stores and then looking at starvation over the next couple of months.  that is your biggest risk with the weather we have been having.

[iddee]

"My hives should be close to light"

NEVER act on a hunch when you can know for sure. Heft the hive. If light, feed. If not, don't. If warm enough, open hive and check frames for stores compared to brood. Look for uncapped honey as an indicator as to how much nectar is coming in.  When you add a super, add drawn comb over the excluder. Add foundation without an excluder. Install excluder when drawing comb is well under way.

[hjon71]

don't do it.  way to early in our area.  there is nothing to put in a super yet anyway.  we will only have pollen until the dandelions bloom and then there will not be enough nectar for a super anyway. 

some of our best snow and ice have been in February.   

what you do need to watch is that they are not using up stores and then looking at starvation over the next couple of months.  that is your biggest risk with the weather we have been having.

I'm with Kathy on this one. Sounds like a bad idea to me. Way too early for nectar, AND empty space above the cluster WITH a queen excluder sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. My opinion- Don't do it.

[JackM]

Okey dokey, 'specially because KathyP knows more than I about our locale. 

Will check the weights and if need be put up some feeding stations if too light. 

Afraid they will build too fast and swarm early.....

[Kathyp]

Jack, that might happen,  but I would not worry about it for another month or so.  When you see the 1st drones, or if you get a chance to get in there by the end of next month, you can consider doing something.  I do think we will have an early spring, but not enough to worry about for another month.

do you have any fruit orchards near you or trees in your neighborhood?  keep an eye on the early apple and cherry trees as an indication of when you might need to get concerned.

you can't split until you have drones anyway or until there are queens to buy.

[JackM]

Ya I do Kathy, One neighbor has a cherry blooming, some fruitless plums too, also an apple tree pretty close which is kind of a late bloomer.  Nope, no drones yet, but I can tell the one hive is building already

[Kathyp]

Be sure to watch the weight of your hives Jack. With this warm weather they are probably flying and going through stores. You might even consider feeding them.

[JackM]

Ya even on rainy days they are very active.  Will get up and check them later today

They  are bringing in lots of pollen, do they need nectar too?

[BeeMaster2]

Yes, the nectar is what they feed on, the pollen and nectar is what they need for brood. If there is no brood they can survive all winter on honey alone.
Feel the weight of your hives by picking up the back of the hive with your finger tips. If you have an empty hive with drawn frames that is the same size as your hives, use that as a reference of 0 honey weight.
It is a good quick check on weather you need to feed.
Jim

[JackM]

Well, I gave them sweet water at two different feeding stations.  No attention whatsoever, they are on something.  I noticed some sugar maples getting color today, some fruit trees with a few blooms.  I know it is too early, but the trees just don't seem to know that.  Heather is blooming and they are not on that either, and they do like it when there isn't anything.  Yes the hives are light, one might be almost defunct, little activity.

[GSF]

ditto on the feeding. I just cleaned out a hive that died due to starving out. I had went through that hive about two weeks ago and made a note to feed them. I fed them a pint or two and just plain forgot about them.

I am building a new barn. Before I could build the new barn I had to tear the old one down, before I could tear the old one down I had to build a smaller one to put my stuff in. Life is a circle. They are smoothing the concrete as I sit here.