# Newbie beekeeper question about checking winter hives



## DownHome (Jan 20, 2006)

Okay so far they have made it okay. Today it is supposed to be mid 50's 25-30mph winds and probably cloudy. If they are out is it okay to open them up and see how they are doing. Should I mix up some syrup to stick in there for them? If it is okay to open, what should I be looking for to make sure they will be okay for the next couple of months? 

Thanks in advance.

downhome


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## 6e (Sep 10, 2005)

I don't know the answers to all your questions, but I can tell you some experiences we had. We lost most of ours when it got bitterly cold and from what I've read, when it gets really cold, bees only move up and down and not horizontally and so if they run out of honey above them and it's super cold, they'll just starve to death or some will move over to find food and then the ball will lose it's heat and freeze to death. Wish I could remember where I read that, but one hive we lost was at the very top of the frames and all their honey was gone. There were a few bees in the frames beside them frozen, I would suppose looking for food. Now whether all that is right or not, I don't know, just our observation and what I've read. It was a PDF file. I do have it saved. I can send it to you if you wish to read it.
We did have to feed ours all winter as they had almost no stores to get them through the winter. They didn't make near enough to support themselves. They probably would have done fine had they had more stores. 
I think if they're out flying, you can open them. That's my understanding. But what you're looking for? I haven't a clue. LOL I don't mess with the bees.


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## beerancher (Dec 30, 2008)

dont feed them syrup in the winter it will cause condensation problems and they will not be able to get the moisture content down. I wouldnt open a hive this time of year and pull frames. if you should happen to break the cluster it would be a death sentence for the bees. All I do in the winter is heft the hive to make sure they are heavy and knock on the side to see if I can hear buzzing. If you have a lite hive you might put a newspaper down on top of the top bars and pour 5lbs of sugar on for the bees to collect. the condensation in the hive will wet the newspaper and sugar enough for them to use it right away. I have some sugar that split open the other day on the drive and the bees have been hitting that hard today.


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## DownHome (Jan 20, 2006)

Well I went ahead and did it. I figured it wouldn't be warm for long and I better do it while I could. 

When I first opened them up there were maybe 50 bees on the top bars, but within 20 seconds there were hundreds. They were none to happy about being opened, but not aggressive just flying around checking it out. I looked down in and the frames that I could see did have capped honey. I lifted the hive and it was not heavy at all <----(this seems a little concerning to me) There seemed to be about half as many bees as there were at there peak this summer. I'm guessing the bottom is pretty much empty and there were at least 4 frames of honey on top. I didn't pull frames out or apart. I'm sure they probably would have been better without my intervention, but I was concerned that they might be running out of food. 

Figuring they have 4-6 frames of honey left, should that get them into the Spring? It seems like it would.

downhome


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## beerancher (Dec 30, 2008)

if they are light they may not make it. most hives crash in february when brood rearing begins. When this happens they will blow through the stores in a hurry I would put sugar on top to help them out it cant hurt.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

If you have enough warm days to make this up and place on the bees it will help a bunch.

*Winter feeding.Candy Board
Use: Winter feeding*.
Recipe:
*The formula for the fondant candy supplied by Dr. Roger Hoopingarner*
15 lbs. sugar
3 lbs. white corn syrup
4 cups water
Â½ tsp. cream of tartar
(smaller quantities can be made using the ratios above)
Dissolve the sugar in water and stir while heating the mixture to 240 degrees F. Let the syrup cool to about 180 degrees F., then beat until thickened and pour into the board ( like an inner cover with higher sides and no hole) to harden. Once the candy is hardened boards can be put onto the colonies candy side down over the top frames. Some beekeepers pour the candy into wax paper lined molds and then put these blocks on the frames while the inner cover is placed, with the deep side down, over them. Make the blocks no thicker than the depth of the inner cover rim. 


 Al


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## 6e (Sep 10, 2005)

alleyyooper said:


> If you have enough warm days to make this up and place on the bees it will help a bunch.
> 
> *Winter feeding.Candy Board
> Use: Winter feeding*.
> ...


Awesome formula!! I'm writing that one down and saving it.


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## beerancher (Dec 30, 2008)

good recipe alley you dont see fondant recipes on bee sights often thanks for the input:happy:


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## stranger (Feb 24, 2008)

It was 45 here and i seen nothing flying, so i popped the cover to ck on their food supply, the hive was dead, just ordered a package.


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## Cascade Failure (Jan 30, 2007)

Sorry to hear that stranger.


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## Spiralina (Oct 17, 2009)

All's I could sugget is that this time of year they should not be opened. A little knock on the box with ear to box to hear the buzz. If you must open, do so early afternoon when the sun is out. If a lone bee or two flies out, their chances of getting back to the box is best.

Kept bees six years. 

All's I have left is one stack of bee boxes filled with a swarm from last year. And won't mess with them at all.


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

We've lost 2 of our 4 colonies. The two were swarms we'd picked up in July 09. From the looks of things We sure wish we'd had some drawn comb for them...we did pilfer two deep frames w/honey from our other hives to get them started but I guess considering the summer we had here in Oregon that wasn't enough. There are about 5 frames of honey in each top hive box, but nothing in the bottom boxes. And from what we also saw yesteray perhaps the Queens weren't the greatest.
We now have a lot of moldy nasty to get out of the boxes and gotta figure out how to clean up the frames and foundation for this years Swarms we hope to catch.

Is the mold/mildew on the wax a hazard to bees?


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## Michael Bush (Oct 26, 2008)

>Is the mold/mildew on the wax a hazard to bees? 

No, but it's a sign you don't have enough ventilation.


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

Yah...I think the ventilation issue is because of all the little bee bodies covering the screened bottom board.

Thanks for your reply Michael.


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## beerancher (Dec 30, 2008)

marinemomtatt said:


> Yah...I think the ventilation issue is because of all the little bee bodies covering the screened bottom board.
> 
> Thanks for your reply Michael.


more than likely its a top ventilation issue. which causes condensation to form on the top cover of the hive


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## Spiralina (Oct 17, 2009)

Michael Bush said:


> >Is the mold/mildew on the wax a hazard to bees?
> 
> No, but it's a sign you don't have enough ventilation.


Micheal, Would you remember me if I told you that I moderated at another board for beekeepers and my nickname was Daisy? I just want to let you know that I do appreciate your offer to come to Kansas and help us with a sweat ceremony. I'm sorry it couldn't be. 

But you heard about that guy that built a sweat and people died? I heard that it's not legal to build sweat lodges any where accept on a reservation and a definate no no if one charges money for this experience.

Anyway, I know this is off topic but I just wanted to say Hi and it's a delight to see you here. 

Kind Regards, Deborah


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## FarmerGreen (Dec 11, 2007)

Had a warm day a couple days ago so I tapped on the sides of the hives. Didn't hear anything so I popped off the lid and cover. There were just a few bee bodies here and there. That hive got a late start last year and I was worried they may not make it. Then I went over to the other one and tapped on it. Didn't hear anything. They were all still in a ball near the top of the brood box. All dead though. This is my first year keeping bees, but I thought this hive would make it. Time to order 2 new packages.


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## 6e (Sep 10, 2005)

FarmerGreen said:


> Had a warm day a couple days ago so I tapped on the sides of the hives. Didn't hear anything so I popped off the lid and cover. There were just a few bee bodies here and there. That hive got a late start last year and I was worried they may not make it. Then I went over to the other one and tapped on it. Didn't hear anything. They were all still in a ball near the top of the brood box. All dead though. This is my first year keeping bees, but I thought this hive would make it. Time to order 2 new packages.


We had the same problem on those with food and those without. Not a good summer here where we are and they just didn't build up any honey like they should have. 

We're ordering 10 new ones this year and a friend of ours is getting 7. Hopefully at least some of them make it. So far it's shaping up to be an extremely wet year. I think the ground dried out for a whole 2 days before it started raining again.


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

It hasn't gotten much about the mid 30's around here so I haven't ventured out to check on my hives. However, I want to ask y'all something...
A friend of mine was told by an old beekeeper who is mentoring them that another way to make a bee 'candy' is to take some lard (pastry lard to be exact) and mix in as much powdered sugar as it will hold, then put more powdered sugar on the counter and kneed as much as you can into it. It will end up being a very thick dough that you can then put on the top of the hive frames. Anyone else use this method? Does it work? Good or bad thoughts or comments welcome. I'd like to be ready with some supplimental food for them if they've made it through the winter. 
I'd also like your comments on the sugar water put in a mason jar with a poked lid that you put upside down on a feeder landing. This goes outside the hives so you don't have to open them. I would think critters would knock it over.
Thanks in advance!! -Catherine


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## Spiralina (Oct 17, 2009)

I'm sure Micheal has some good suggestions. One wither I covered the top frames with a sheet of newspaper to help hold in the heat, with little openings here and there and poured sugar on the paper. They made it that winter ok. I have a carport and boxes under it are filled with a swarm that took up in it last year. I don't know how they're doing because I haven't visited it yet but they are sheltered by the carport and with much laid around the boxes like wood and such. 

It you have an open car port or an old shed or building they can get in and out accessing their boxes that would cut down on wind and protect from the weather. Keeping three or four hives this way, year round, should do alot of good. Some folks wrap insulation around these shelter boxes as well. Be it newspaper or heat shield.


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