Food consumption after worst winter and brooding in arctic climate

[Finski]

.
I have got so much encouragement that contiue again ....

Here is a reseach of food consumption in 4 hives by our beekeepeing researcher.
Bees are different origin

Hives were  on balance machine in normal winter air. Winter 09/10 was among the hardest during 100 years. A thick snow protected hives in these conditions.

http://www.mtt.fi/bees/jokioinen09_10.htm

Conclusions:

Consuption monthly

15.10.-16.11.........2,5 kg
16.11.-17.12.........1,7 kg
17.12.-18.1. .........2,4 kg

Consumption in 2 week period
October second half .....1,2 kg
November start ...........1,3
November end..............0,5
December start .............1,0
December end ...........1,0
January start ...........0,7 kg

Why consumtions varies when winter become colder?

In the hive on  balance the moisture freezes inside the hive and ice and snow weight does not exit.
When it arrives  warmer weather, ice starts to melt and weight runs out.


But however, in hard condition the cluster consumes about 2,5 kg food in one month.
it keeps them alive in normal wintering on latitude 60 degree.

[Finski]

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Consumption after cleansing flight with little spring brooding

In that research it seems that cleansing flight has happened about late of Marsh

………   ………   ………   difference
4.3   ……….-8   kg………   0
1.4   ………-9   kg………   1 kg
29.4   ………-13   kg………   4 kg
         
willow starts blooming   

In Marsh consumption is about 1 kg/month.  Maybe it has some brood, maybe not.
In April consumption rises 4 kg/month. It means that bees have guite much brood and temp is high in the hive.      

In May consumption may be 4 kg in a week during rainy week. It meanst that the hive has about 8 frame brood or something. They consume pollen and sugar. Wintered bees die off and new bees take their place.

Difficult to say why the weight changes.

in April too, the loss of wintered bees may be -50% if weathers are evil. Sun lure the bees out, then sun goes behind the cloud and bees drop down. If sun does not heat them up again, they will die.

At the last week of may when dandelion start to bloom, no wintered bees are alive. The hive have not needed new roob, but soon it needs every week one new box or two.

dandelion stops blooming in 10.6 and swarming period begins.

[Finski]

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Hive ready to forage surplus

I start patty feeding during first week of April. The 2 box hive is ready to forage surplus 2 months later.

One box wintered hive has been never able to forage surplus from dandelion. Its time is raspberry after 24.6.

It the nuc hive has one box  at the first week of June and the box is full of brood, it is able to forage surpluss in July.

Because hives may be in different stage to forage and the main yield begins, I join hives to get them into balance for foraging: brood, new nurser bees + foragers.

[Finski]

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Take care!

Consumption of food will be quite big in early spring. Weather may be harsh and bees make a huge work to keep their brood alive.  If part of bees die in heavy weathers, they may kill part of brood.

If you put too early new enlargement over the brood box, often bees cannot keep existing brood alive and they eate them away. That is why I make the fisrt enlargement under the brood box.

Dont encourage bees  draw foundations too early or expand their laying

Bees fight really against cold during spring. Perhaps day is nice but night temp may be 15-20 C lower.
They are flying by day but it is frost at night.

Don' devide brood area during spring so that you put food frame, foundation or empty comb in the middle of brood area.

Don't split hives into nucs in spring. Their summary build up weankens badly. KEEP YOUR NERVES!
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[FRAMEshift]

Don' devide brood area during spring so that you put food frame, foundation or empty comb in the middle of brood area.

This a difference based on climate.  In North Carolina it is necessary to "open the brood nest" in spring by adding empty frames to the brood nest.  If you don't do that, you will get swarms in March and April. 

[BlueBee]

Great advice Finski.  Thanks for all this help.  I enjoyed those graphs, even if I couldn't read all the words.

By the way, I LOVED those videos you posted in the “bee hive temp” thread.  FRAMEshift forgot to tell us about the sense of humor you have in Finland  :)