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Author Topic: Warmer weather on the way, like tomorrow 2/1/19 and last 5 days.  (Read 2836 times)

Offline van from Arkansas

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Warmer weather on the way, like tomorrow 2/1/19 and last 5 days.
« on: February 01, 2019, 09:35:00 am »
Finally temps above freezing and staying for 5 days or so.  The highs 62-70F so I can pop tops and check fondant, burlap and look for signs of moisture.  For this area, still to cold to pull frames, Maybe March.

The beeks south of my area Arkansas, are going to have fun with the bees.  Ben, Phil, anyone, give us a heads up on your weather.  Anything blooming?
« Last Edit: February 03, 2019, 03:22:44 pm by Stinger13 »
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I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Warmer weather on the way, like tomorrow and last 5 days.
« Reply #1 on: February 01, 2019, 10:30:13 am »
Quote from: Stinger13 on February 01, 2019, 09:35:00 am
Finally temps above freezing and staying for 5 days or so.  The highs 62-70F so I can pop tops and check fondant, burlap and look for signs of moisture.  For this area, still to cold to pull frames, Maybe March.

The beeks south of my area Arkansas, are going to have fun with the bees.  Ben, Phil, anyone, give us a heads up on your weather.  Anything blooming?

Yes Sir Mr Van! Looking good here also! I was ready to respond to this even before I got to the part where you ask me. 😊😁 You and I, in many ways think alike!  I got home yesterday, late in the afternoon, yet early enough to find my bees out and at it, after having 22 F the night before and early morning. So far, all seven late split hives are doing well!  Hopefully your bees, and all of our friends here, bees, are as doing well also. So far I havn't seen blooms. However, since my splits were so late and not much of a chance to gather adequate amounts pollen before the hard frost of fall, I took the good advice of several of you here, along with the same good advice of some of my film making friends, and have kept pollen substitute readly available. And Brother let me tell you , the bees were all over it yesterday, until late evening! Best to you all!
Phillip
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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 Beeboy01

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Re: Warmer weather on the way, like tomorrow and last 5 days.
« Reply #2 on: February 01, 2019, 05:37:45 pm »
You should be due for the maples to start blooming soon, they start after a late frost. They have been done for about two weeks here in Florida but we never really had a cold snap this year and are real early for blooms.
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Offline van from Arkansas

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Re: Warmer weather on the way, like tomorrow and last 5 days.
« Reply #3 on: February 01, 2019, 07:27:48 pm »
I am debating wether to provide sugar water.  I think I will hold off for the time being.

If I feed sugar water with my community pollen feeder my concern is with warm weather my queens will lay like maniacs.  Then the nurse bees are spread to thin trying to cover the brood and chill due to future cold snaps.  I believe mid April is the average date for final frost here in N. Arkansas.  Opinions welcome!!!  Would you feed syrup???

I am anxious, I go through this every year in February.....I want to start grafting queens mid Feb.  I always wait until March though.

Did not have a real cold snap, enjoy BEEBOY, enjoy
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I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Warmer weather on the way, like tomorrow and last 5 days.
« Reply #4 on: February 01, 2019, 10:35:29 pm »
Mr Van, My situation is not quite the normal in that I did late splits, I have already explained the cause and reason for these so late splits here before. Stores, both honey and pollen were mostly lost in an undesirable quantity. I had made these splits and had only three frames per five frame Nuc. I did as David at Barnyard Bees instructed me, and these quickly build up to 5 frames each just as winter arrived. Of corse I was feeding them sugar water all along the way. So far so good. But, I am relatively sure that what little time the bees had from late fall to winter wasn't adequate, for neither pollen nor sugar water buildup to last through the duration of our winter. So, I do feed sugar water each day that they will take it, along with pollen substitute, and mountian camp on top as well. This is my first winter and I am hoping to get them through until the natural blooms and pollen and nectar, of spring arrive. And may I add, the sooner the better, woo wee 😁
Blessings,
Phillip
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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: Warmer weather on the way, like tomorrow and last 5 days.
« Reply #5 on: February 02, 2019, 05:07:18 pm »
"I am anxious, I go through this every year in February.....I want to start grafting queens mid Feb.  I always wait until March though."

Mr Van, when do you usually start having good donor breeder drones?

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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 van from Arkansas

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Re: Warmer weather on the way, like tomorrow and last 5 days.
« Reply #6 on: February 02, 2019, 06:20:18 pm »
Hi Mr. Ben.  I use green frame, waxed out drone frame.  This seems to encourage the queen to lay early drone brood.  The queens are quick to fill these frames for drone production.  Usually by March I will have at least one queen that has filled both sides of the green frame.  Only Breeder quality hives receive the green frame.  However, support quality hives always lay drone brood as well, but to a lesser extent than the breeder quality hives with full frames specially made for drones.  A third lower level hives, these are culls, an undisirable support hive will have drone brood disposed of and requeened.

I have 3 levels of honey bee hives: top quality, support, and cull.

1.  Top quality:  my breeder hives: with all my desired characteristics.  Drones encouraged.

2.  Support hives:  good hives but for one reason or another, usually mites, not breeder quality.  Drones accepted.

3.  Cull, Red tape:  as in my pic, Hives that just don?t qualify:  low numbers, aggressive, high mite load, etc  Drone brood destroyed, these hives are split and requeened to become above #1 or #2.

With the above in mind, my hives should improve year after year.  Well, that is the plan anyway.

« Last Edit: February 02, 2019, 06:43:04 pm by Stinger13 »
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I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Warmer weather on the way, like tomorrow and last 5 days.
« Reply #7 on: February 02, 2019, 07:17:12 pm »
I like your plan. When do you usually insert your green frames. The reason, I have a really gentle hive that seem to be hard, very hard workers and other good qualities, that I am planning to use for the (one) green comb that I ordered from the supply company last fall. (Still in plastic wrap, not yet waxed.)  This will be my first spring as a beekeeper and I have spring fever !!  67F here today. Bees in full flight and work! Today not so much on ultra-bee, but was bringing in a lite colored lite greenish pollen. Unlike yesterday, they were all over the ultra bee. I was hoping to find the source of the pollen they were bringing in today, but was unable.
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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: Warmer weather on the way, like tomorrow and last 5 days.
« Reply #8 on: February 02, 2019, 07:26:12 pm »
I'm sitting up with my daddy at the hospital. It's relaxing to go back in the older topics reading the older post. I am in the early 2000's and have run across some interesting and good stuff. Interesting people posting here in this time also. Mostly curtious. There is one fellow from Finland that is packed with knowledge. He sent a picture of reindeer at the Christmas post. As you say Mr.Van,
Blessings!
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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 CoolBees

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Re: Warmer weather on the way, like tomorrow and last 5 days.
« Reply #9 on: February 02, 2019, 07:31:56 pm »
That sounds like a well thought out plan Stinger. I'm going to give it some thought going forward.

Alan
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Offline van from Arkansas

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Re: Warmer weather on the way, like tomorrow and last 5 days.
« Reply #10 on: February 03, 2019, 12:32:01 pm »
Mr. Ben:Today not so much on ultra-bee, but was bringing in a lite colored lite greenish pollen.

I believe that greenish pollen is a type of cedar.  If real pollen is available, the bees will ignore the ultra bee.  Why settle for burger when tenderloin, real pollen is available.

Thank you Cool, Ben for the kind words.
Blessings
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I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Offline van from Arkansas

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Re: Warmer weather on the way, like tomorrow 2/1/19 and last 5 days.
« Reply #11 on: February 03, 2019, 09:52:38 pm »
Mr. Ben, you ask when I insert drone frame.  I need a night in sixties F+ and a day upper seventies F+ before I mess with frames.  The night low temperature is the biggest factor.  Then I can add drone frames.

I believe I have one hive with a three year old Cordovan queen that has a drone frame.  Find out for sure some time this month. This hive is already busting with bees on warm days.  All hives are good.
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I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Warmer weather on the way, like tomorrow 2/1/19 and last 5 days.
« Reply #12 on: February 03, 2019, 10:42:43 pm »
Quote from: Stinger13 on February 03, 2019, 09:52:38 pm
Mr. Ben, you ask when I insert drone frame.  I need a night in sixties F+ and a day upper seventies F+ before I mess with frames.  The night low temperature is the biggest factor.  Then I can add drone frames.

I believe I have one hive with a three year old Cordovan queen that has a drone frame.  Find out for sure some time this month. This hive is already busting with bees on warm days.  All hives are good.

Thanks Mr Van, time is fastly approaching. Time for me to get the green frame out of the plastic, wax coated, and ready to go!
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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 The15thMember

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Re: Warmer weather on the way, like tomorrow 2/1/19 and last 5 days.
« Reply #13 on: February 04, 2019, 01:43:50 pm »
Hey guys, sorry to kind of butt in here, but I've just got a quick question.  I'm coming off my first winter.  In my area it's going to be highs in the 70's and lows in the 40's on Thursday, but then on Friday, it goes down to the 50's for the high, with the low Friday night in the 20's.  Could I do an inspection on Thursday since it's going to be warm that day?  Or, since it's going to get cold again after that, should I not break up the cluster yet?   
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Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Warmer weather on the way, like tomorrow 2/1/19 and last 5 days.
« Reply #14 on: February 04, 2019, 09:09:25 pm »
Why do you need to inspect the hives. Unless I see no sign of life, I leave the hives alone until spring. My first inspection will bee Valentine?s Day. That is when I will start my splits by adding double screen boards between boxes.
Jim
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Offline The15thMember

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Re: Warmer weather on the way, like tomorrow 2/1/19 and last 5 days.
« Reply #15 on: February 04, 2019, 10:17:12 pm »
Quote from: sawdstmakr on February 04, 2019, 09:09:25 pm
Why do you need to inspect the hives. Unless I see no sign of life, I leave the hives alone until spring. My first inspection will bee Valentine?s Day. That is when I will start my splits by adding double screen boards between boxes.
Jim
I really just want to inspect because I?m heading into my first spring, so I don?t know what my hive is up to at this point. I?d like to see how much food they have, and they are bringing in so much pollen (that I have no idea where they are getting!) that I?m curious if there is brood already. Essentially I see an opportunity to open the hive and learn, but I just don?t know if there is risk involved with that idea, given the weather.
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Offline van from Arkansas

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Re: Warmer weather on the way, like tomorrow 2/1/19 and last 5 days.
« Reply #16 on: February 04, 2019, 10:53:40 pm »
Member, 40F is kind of cool.  The brood nest needs to be 92F but can tolerate lower.  If you have lots of bees then the bees could easily cover a small patch of brood.  Lots of brood and few bees spells freeze kill brood with 40F nights.  Also hive ventilation is a factor, you will most certainly break any propolis seals which most likeky cannot be repaired at this time, first week of Feb.
Blessings
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I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Offline The15thMember

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Re: Warmer weather on the way, like tomorrow 2/1/19 and last 5 days.
« Reply #17 on: February 05, 2019, 01:51:04 pm »
Quote from: Stinger13 on February 04, 2019, 10:53:40 pm
Member, 40F is kind of cool.  The brood nest needs to be 92F but can tolerate lower.  If you have lots of bees then the bees could easily cover a small patch of brood.  Lots of brood and few bees spells freeze kill brood with 40F nights.  Also hive ventilation is a factor, you will most certainly break any propolis seals which most likeky cannot be repaired at this time, first week of Feb.
Blessings
Oh, good point, Mr. Van.  I wasn't thinking about the propolis seals.  In that case I'll just wait until it's really spring.  Thanks for the advice to both you and Jim. 
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Offline blackforest beekeeper

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Re: Warmer weather on the way, like tomorrow 2/1/19 and last 5 days.
« Reply #18 on: February 06, 2019, 02:13:14 am »
The more crucial point - if pulling frames and maybe remove some asf. - would in my eyes bee:
did they have a chance to have a cleansing flight already`?
cause if they didn`t, the disturbance might cause them to poop inside, which might ruin your hive.
if there was a cleansing flight and weather is somewhat fair, a quick inspection won?t hurt them even if it gets cold afterwards again. don`t re-arrange any combs, though, is my advice at this time.

better it would be, if you have doubts about feed lasting: lift the box (like tipping the entire thing or just the brood box). this will tell you something. might weigh it.
a quick peek under the lid will tell you if they live if no flying-weather is.
also: from above, without drawing comb, you might see capped feed. or use your hive tool and dig into the uppter part of a comb. if it comes out sticky, they got feed on that comb.
if they are short, move a full frame of feed next to the nest.
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Offline Troutdog

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Re: Warmer weather on the way, like tomorrow 2/1/19 and last 5 days.
« Reply #19 on: February 06, 2019, 10:18:06 am »
Up north
I just check yo see where cluster is and heft hive to check weight.
We had 60d yesterday and I went in and added some honey frames to light colonies. Probably saved them.
No brood inspection no frame lifting nothing complicated.

If there are flying bees it's probably ok to pop a lid, in MHO.

we still have 6 weeks with no pollen or nectar to speak of, so checking food is important especially with a bad fall.

The pollen feeders were full of hundreds of foragers, which is always a good thing, as we were so light in fall.
Tom

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

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Offline The15thMember

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Re: Warmer weather on the way, like tomorrow 2/1/19 and last 5 days.
« Reply #20 on: February 06, 2019, 01:22:15 pm »
Yeah, I'll probably pop the top and see what it looks like in there, but I won't pull any frames or anything like that.  I'm not overly concerned about their food honestly, they had more than the recommended amount of honey going into the winter, and I did put a couple sugar bricks in the hive a week or two ago just to be safe.  The cluster is in the top box, so I probably shouldn't screw with the brood nest (if there is one) if it's going to be cold again.  I'm curious to know if there is a brood nest; that's really the reason I'd want to inspect.  But I also don't want to investigate the brood at the expense of damaging the brood.  The girls have been flying for a few days now and are bringing in pollen and that makes me think there might be brood, but I just don't know.  I'd also love to know where they are getting this pollen, because to my eye nothing is blooming yet!   
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