Author Topic: How's spring going? (Read 4689 times)

cao · « **on:** February 25, 2021, 04:06:44 pm »

Well snow has melted a couple of days ago and the bees have flying weather for the first time in nearly a month. Lots of bee poop around and bees looking for whatever they can find. My bird feeder has been taken over by my bees. They are also hitting the pollen substitute pretty hard. The maples haven't started to bloom yet. Maybe a week away. So the bees are scrounging for whatever they can find. I did a walk through both my yards and it looks like only a couple hives in each yard are possibly dead. Not bad after battling the SHB's last summer and fall. The winter isn't over yet but so far so good. I always like seeing the bees flying after a prolonged cold spell.

So how's everyone else's bees doing?

The15thMember · « **Reply #1 on:** February 25, 2021, 05:04:51 pm »

I went into the winter with 6 hives, and lost one a month or so ago, but the other 5 seem to be doing fine. All the hives have been flying in the warm weather for the past few days, although it's about to get cold and rainy again. They are all bringing in what I assume is maple pollen, and most of their bottom board inserts are showing signs of brood rearing. I should be inspecting in a couple of weeks.

jtcmedic · « **Reply #2 on:** February 25, 2021, 05:25:02 pm »

Was able to over winter 14 hive ( Florida not bad on winter

)
Have made 10 splits so far and getting ready to split again. These last batch of local queens have been great .
Good luck all

Brian MCquilkin · « **Reply #3 on:** February 25, 2021, 07:47:34 pm »

The temps are slowly rising here in Wisconsin. 40F High low will be 16 F. Today saw some cleansing flights, time to put a hat on in the bee yards.

gww · « **Reply #4 on:** February 25, 2021, 09:27:31 pm »

So far I have lost 3 out of ten but might lose more or have lost more cause robbing can fool us. I was expecting it and last year was my roughest year so far but still had ten at the end which is what I stated with. Starvation on two of them. Maples will pop any day now and it is above 40 degrees. Still trucking and still not buying bees and not treating.
Cheers

tycrnp · « **Reply #5 on:** February 25, 2021, 10:12:54 pm »

Lost 1 hive. It was a swarm we got VERY late in the fall. Not sure what happened. It was a good sized colony. The bees were in the comb with their butts in the air, so I'm guessing starvation.

Leoj900 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 25, 2021, 11:19:37 pm »

I went into winter with one hive and in January so many of them died and piled up in front of the hive that worried there would be none left. But then when the weather warmed up, the bees came bursting out in clouds. I am planning on doing my first spring inspection on Saturday and am looking forward to checking them out. It is fun going from worrying that there are none left to finding out that they are crowding out the hive.

cao · « **Reply #7 on:** February 26, 2021, 12:17:32 am »

Quote from: Leoj900 on February 25, 2021, 11:19:37 pm

I went into winter with one hive and in January so many of them died and piled up in front of the hive that worried there would be none left.

One of mine that I am worried about had the entrance blocked with dead bees. I took a stick and cleaned out the opening.

Quote from: gww on February 25, 2021, 09:27:31 pm

Still trucking and still not buying bees and not treating.

ditto.
last year started with almost 80 hives. was near 100 mid summer, then SHBs hit. Ended the year just under 80. still haven't treated or really even looked for mites.

Quote from: Brian MCquilkin on February 25, 2021, 07:47:34 pm

time to put a hat on in the bee yards.

yes sir and I have had to clean my truck's windshield and its about 100 yds from my hives.

guitarstitch · « **Reply #8 on:** February 26, 2021, 11:31:25 am »

Went into winter with one hive after carpenter ants decimated my apiary last fall.

Came out of winter with a decent colony.... started feed and pollen sub in early Feb. Just did a split on Monday. Parent colony is building up fast again in a 5 frame NUC. May be able to split them again in April.

Two packages due to arrive on Mar 17. Should be an exciting year.

Hops Brewster · « **Reply #9 on:** February 26, 2021, 12:09:46 pm »

Lost all mine due to my inability to tend to them last fall. Won't be buying packages, but if I catch a swarm or 2, I will tend to them.
silver maple should be blooming in a week or 2, a few crocus have bloomed this week.

Bob Wilson · « **Reply #10 on:** February 27, 2021, 08:22:04 am »

I took 3 hives into winter, and 3 hives came out. One has been defensive and weak, probably varroa, but is building up and calming down now.
Cao, I have been following your long lang advice, and have been carefully opening the broodnest with empty frames. Tomorrow will my 4th weekly inspection this spring. No QCs yet.

FatherMichael · « **Reply #11 on:** February 27, 2021, 09:10:27 am »

My three hives made it through the winter and I'd like to expand to 5 but not yet sure how to do it.

Brian MCquilkin · « **Reply #12 on:** February 27, 2021, 11:53:06 am »

Quote from: FatherMichael on February 27, 2021, 09:10:27 am

My three hives made it through the winter and I'd like to expand to 5 but not yet sure how to do it.

Congratulations getting the 3 though winter. I would wait till they build up strong and during or just before the honey flow split them.
Make 2 nucs form each colony with the original queen. Let the original colonies raise new queens, this also will help with swam control.
Original colonies will get a brood brake that helps with varroa.
Because the bees don't have much to do till the new queen is laying, they should bring in lots of honey.

FatherMichael · « **Reply #13 on:** February 28, 2021, 07:19:53 pm »

Thanks, Brian,

Original colonies make the new queen -- thanks.

My mistake last spring was to let the colony swarm for the brood break but they did not make a new queen; I lost the healthy bunch and struggled for months with those left behind.

Beeboy01 · « **Reply #14 on:** February 28, 2021, 07:42:33 pm »

It's been a strange spring so far, pulled just over a gallon of Red Maple honey off my three hives mid February then it cooled off for two weeks. The Red Maple honey tastes like bubble gum, never had it before. Right now the temperature is running in the mid 80's and I just found swarm cells in two hives so set up two nucs with the queen cells trying to slow the girls down. I was thinking about buying a nuc or two this year but so far my hives are doing well.
Been reports from other area beekeepers that swarm season has already started, man it's early this year.

FatherMichael · « **Reply #15 on:** March 05, 2021, 01:09:24 pm »

Since it was 80* yesterday Mary helped me put my six-frame rescued colony into an insulated hive in the same position as the thin wall hive that has been their home.

I put the same blanket and trash bag over the hive to help them recognize their new home. The entrance is almost exactly in the same place as the old one.

It is now a two story hive in 6 frame Bee Box nucs with the transferred colony on top. The bottom brood box now contains 4 fresh frames for them to pull and two honey stores that I kept back over the winter in case they were needed. They had a frame of honey left from the winter.

They now have 12 total frames for a brood chamber in an insulted hive oriented more vertically than ten framers are. I use feed sack for an inner cover. On top of that is a medium 6 frame super with some dry leaves for additional insulation.

I was amazed that with all the disruption they quickly settled down and field bees carrying pollen flew right home, going in as if nothing happened.

Beeboy01 · « **Reply #16 on:** March 05, 2021, 02:09:16 pm »

Once again my bees have made me look like a fool. Wandered by the yard yesterday and spotted a nice swarm in a near by tree. As I stood there the girls gathered themselves in the air and flew due south. All I could do was wave goodbye. :(
Did a full inspection on the yard today, moved some frames with swarm cells into a nuc and mixed up the brood boxes with undrawn foundation. At least it's still early in the year so they have time to build back up for the Saw Palmetto flow.

Nock · « **Reply #17 on:** March 05, 2021, 04:35:11 pm »

I lost 6.

Brian MCquilkin · « **Reply #18 on:** March 05, 2021, 04:45:46 pm »

I will be doing my first inspections next week temps will be 61 on Tuesday. Been dealing with dead outs. Losses are about 20% I expected more than that . Surprising that the 5 over 5 nucs did better than the double deeps.

FatherMichael · « **Reply #19 on:** March 05, 2021, 05:18:09 pm »

Quote from: Brian MCquilkin on March 05, 2021, 04:45:46 pm

I will be doing my first inspections next week temps will be 61 on Tuesday. Been dealing with dead outs. Losses are about 20% I expected more than that . Surprising that the 5 over 5 nucs did better than the double deeps.

Was that two nucs on top of each other and if so with what in between?