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Author Topic: Winter Solstice and Starve Outs  (Read 4374 times)

Offline G3farms

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Re: Winter Solstice and Starve Outs
« Reply #40 on: January 15, 2023, 08:58:40 am »
Probably the mainreason why i want them to brood up early is....I'm getting all these messages in winter for nuc's.
I think I have allowed the pressure to start making splits too early some years.
No more!

I agree on the pressures of nuc sales. I like to get them out as soon as possible, hopefully in early May for my area. April if I buy queens from further south.
those hot bees will have you steppin and a fetchin like your heads on fire and your keister is a catchin!!!

Bees will be bees and do as they please!

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Winter Solstice and Starve Outs
« Reply #41 on: January 16, 2023, 12:16:09 am »
You who provide Nucs for sale are doing a great service in my opinion. All things bees, tie in with the importance of the Winter Solstice as does the different effects of Winter Weather and temperatures which follow according to different locations and regions. Do you Nuc providers have 'many' problems in relation to starve outs? How do 'you' Nuc providers avoid starve outs? (What is your favorite method?) No doubt location will play a part in what works best for you in your answers...

Phillip






« Last Edit: January 16, 2023, 01:23:25 am by Ben Framed »
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Winter Solstice and Starve Outs
« Reply #42 on: January 16, 2023, 01:08:48 am »
The15thMember
"In reading through really old ABJ's lately, I've noticed this too.  People were very keen on NOT having the bees build up early, which is kind of the opposite of how we think about it nowadays.  I mean, we obviously don't want them to brood up too early, but we often want them to brood up as early as possible.  I've haven't seen any references about stealing pollen personally, but several people talking about cellaring, and making sure that if you can't cellar that your hives are in the shade in the winter so the bees won't fly on a warm day when the sun hits the hives."



Location has a lot to do with 'how' we can 'help' our bees with early brood.  I do not know if the old time beekeepers used any type pollen substitute at the writing of the book as many who wish for early brood do today? It is my opinion that pollen is 'just' as important as honey (or a good honey substitute) when it comes to the subject of brood.

As for pollen and wanting early brood:
Without having extra available frames of pollen on hand, I found the best way that worked 'for me', in my location when desiring early brood, is by open feeding pollen substitute to help insure they have enough pollen on hand as well.  I learned this my very first year from David at Barnyard Bees over in Georgia when multiplying bees was my goal when I was first starting.

Location plays a key part in open feeding pollen sub, as I found that my bees will fly at 43 f on sunny days and above. There are several days throughout the winter months when this temperature is reached (most years) in my area.

One drawback in early brood is the possibility of swarming just before the main flow. For multiplying bees, early brood is good. For the timing of the flow, when making honey is the main goal, this is something to consider.

Phillip


« Last Edit: January 16, 2023, 01:27:35 pm by Ben Framed »
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline max2

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Re: Winter Solstice and Starve Outs
« Reply #43 on: January 16, 2023, 02:43:22 am »
" How do 'you' Nuc providers avoid starve outs? "

I find it quite difficult to predict when my season starts.

I need to have a bunch of Drones  to make sure the queens can mate.
As far as " avoiding starve outs" - I can only make early splits if either the clover or the E teriticornis ( Blue Gum) are flowering. For me, these are the key plants.

If either of them is flowering well i will have a narrow but sufficient band of honey along the top of the frame and all will be well - no feeding required.

Later in the season the band of honey will expnad and the brood area will shrink and in some years ( like 2022/23) there is too mcu honey and not enough space for the queen to spread the brood.
In such cases I add one frame of honey to the 3 frames of brood I usually place in a 5 frame nuc.The reward is generally a faster build up of the nuc.

Very rarely would i have to feed bees here.
I make sure I leave them enough honey for them to make through ( what we call) winter - very occasionally an early morning frost with days in the low  to mid 20C's.

I may try some dry sugar on top of frames to soak up some moisture.


Online Michael Bush

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Re: Winter Solstice and Starve Outs
« Reply #44 on: January 17, 2023, 07:47:53 am »
>Did they go in and dig pollen out of the cells? or just trap it out before winter solstice?  If the latter, how did they calculate so they had strong winter bees and then no new bees til ... when? after last frost? that seems extreme but I wonder what you've read.

As far as I can tell, they just pulled every frame that had any pollen on it.  They didn't elaborate.
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