Comments on: Keeping Hardier Bees

By: Raymond Lynch

Raymond Lynch — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 17:55:29 +0000

Just a few things on the questions below. I lost a hive over the winter some years back. This was before mites beetles. It depends on weather and how much honey the bees have stored. In the northeast, I think 2 bodies is generally enough for winter stores. I try to inspect when we gets winter thaw so that if they are low on honey in say December, January, or February, I can feed them sugar water to supplement their stores. It’s not ideal but will sustain them till spring. Also now we have to treat for mites and beetles. To feed in the winter, I put an empty hive body on top of the inside cover, mix a 2-1 water/cane sugar mix, place the mix over the hole in the inside cover, place the outside cover over the empty body and let the bees feed until empty. Usually about 1 to 1/12 weeks later. Don’t forget to pierce the cover of the container you use for feeding. I use a bee escape To draw a pattern on the cover of the container and then make 4 marks to be sure it matches up to the hole in the inside cover.

By: Art Santore

Art Santore — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 15:49:37 +0000

In reply to Danny. Cedar shavings? Thus Cedar lined closet keeps moths away, is this what she is saying, so use it in a hive to keep wax moth away.?

By: Danny

Danny — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 18:38:15 +0000

I just read the comments here. This is the first I’ve seen about cedar shavings for wax moths. Like to hear more how to use them.

By: Cindy Lundey

Cindy Lundey — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 18:42:53 +0000

I’m afraid I may not have left enough honey in the fall (shouldn’t have taken any really), but, I took some. How do I feed the bees in a top bar when it is wrapped up tight for winter?

By: Roert Rowland

Roert Rowland — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 05:59:07 +0000

I ,too, am experimenting with leaving fall honey on my hives and not feeding my bees with substitutes. We live in an area with several winter blooming plants so the bees have nutrition if things go well. I would like to have bees that survive the winter with their own stores. As of this day all hives are surviving but with fewer bees than I would see with feeding them. Winter solstice is coming soon and things change as the days lengthen. Hopefully, I will have five queens that made it through the winter. And hives that will mot swarm in early spring.

By: Stephanie M

Stephanie M — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 23:53:15 +0000

In reply to Patricia D.. Thank you so much Patricia D. for your information I did exactly what you did and lost my hive. Where can I purchase the insulator you talked about in your article? Can I just leave the hive where it is and use the insulator? Or do I have to move them to a shed? This is my second year of bee keeping and I'am learning something new every day. Thanks again for your advice.

By: Tea

Tea — Mon, 16 Jan 2017 03:59:19 +0000

In reply to andy jones. Requeen with a more docile queen.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 00:35:09 +0000

You can purchase bees from other areas as long as it’s a similar climate. California in some areas is very similar to new mexico, so that would be a good fit. This is useful when the type of bee is a better producer of honey than your current local varant. A young bee keeper from New Mexico had her dad make her a traveling apiary trailer mount so she could do just that transport the hives she bought from Northern California to New Mexico. I do understand this authors argument and in some cases it’s sound. But with conditions in some places with hive collapse it’s not a good fit. The next best thing is get the bees from a similar climate. The less stress they will have when they arrive and overwinter.

By: Rich

Rich — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 14:23:06 +0000

In reply to Sam Albright. I did that this year in upstate New York, after the last 2winters, I put the third deep on in the spring add still made 70 pounds plus for me per hive that is.

By: Richard Owens

Richard Owens — Wed, 09 Dec 2015 19:55:33 +0000

In reply to linda. for Linda,for gods sake don't scrape the comb off,just brush off the dead bees and shake some cedar shavings into the boxes to keep out the wax moth, seal entrance to keep out mice, and your good to go next spring. buy a 5 frame nuc from a local beekeeper next spring, good luck and don't give up.