# Did my January - how many are still alive?



## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

With the warmer weather on Saturday, I thought I should go out into the barn (where I keep my hives of bees inside) to see how many (if any) have survived thus far.

Out of 7 hives (of which 2 were strong established hives), one is left.
Oddly enough, the one still alive, was the last swarm I had caught - and is in 1 large deep hive.

I was afraid with just the 1 deep - they would surely be dead - from starving. They were right up at the lid though, so with the warmer weather, I grabbed one of the hives from the dead outs that had honey, and put it over top of them - that they can simply move up if they need more food.

My opinion of a beekeeper is - the strongest survive. I do not treat my hives with anything. If they live, they live. If they die, they die. Hopefully I am left with at least one hive in the Spring still alive that I can continue on - and make splits.

If not, I go out and catch swarms.


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## Oxankle (Jun 20, 2003)

Michael; where do you live that you can catch swarms? I am in N central Arkansas and I have seen just one bee in my garden this year. Getting ready to buy a nuc and start over this spring. I'll use wax coated plastic foundation in ten-frame hives.

I don;t mind treating my bees---I understand that there is an Irish beekeeper who has a colony of bees resistant to mites---the mites actually die in the comb, but that is a long way down the pike for most of us. I'll treat for hive beetles and mites.


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

Oxankle said:


> Michael; where do you live that you can catch swarms? I am in N central Arkansas and I have seen just one bee in my garden this year. Getting ready to buy a nuc and start over this spring.


I live in Northwest Pennsylvania.
I have caught swarms by putting out bait hives. I also have my name and phone number around letting people know I will come and remove swarms.

2019 was a bad year for swarms. I think I only captured 3. But some years I've gotten 10 or more.

In the past 15 years or so I have had bees, I have bought a total of 2 packages. (That was year 1 and year 2.)

Some years a few of my hives make it through the winter. I split those throughout the Spring and Summer. 

But if I lose all of them, then I just wait on the swarm calls to start coming in. The majority of swarms I catch are coming from feral hives - which are still out there.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Not many feral colonies here in Michigan. I have my name all over the place county extention office, animal control, in to close by counties, USDA for this district, several bee clubs along with regional and state bee clubs. Been 3 years since I got a swarm call.
That year I only had the one call.

Loose all your hives here and you buy Nucs or packages to get a restart.


 Al


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## lunalupis (Mar 14, 2013)

The apiary I work with (one day a week) is down 32%. That's actually just at the top of the average loss per year, and he's very excited by the outlook of the live hives! they are very healthy and he just started the spring feeding!


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## siberian (Aug 23, 2011)

Not as worried about winter in this area as much as spring


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## Meinecke (Jun 30, 2017)

Hello...quick question...did they starve to death or did they die with food left?
I believe from my observation with my brother in law (beekeeper) that harvesting in late summer is not a good idea...
He constantly loses hives that starved to death...ergo...to much harvested
I go only in and harvest after the winter (when they actually already started collecting already again) and grab what they have left over...the rest is theirs to keep...


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

The hives that died had lots of honey - I didn't take any off of them. I would have to assume it's the mite problem, but since I simply refuse to treat them - I take the losses.

This weekend I took a listen, and they are still alive. But as Siberian said - until they get through early Spring, you aren't out of the woods.


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