Package Bees in 32 Degrees

It's that time of year when we start to receive our long awaited new packages of bees.  Although it may not look like the first picture above with snow all around, in my neck of the woods, it is not unheard of to have some snow when your bees arrive and for temperatures to be in the 30's!  It is certainly not the ideal, but can be expected sometimes!

During my class this winter one of our guest speakers talked about installing package bees in 32 degrees.  He did an experiment that I thought was very interesting.  When he received his bees the outside temperature was 32 degrees.  He put the bees on top of the frames, (not in the bottom of the hive) then placed a newspaper over the bees and covered with a hive body.  He also put a thermometer inside the hive and checked the temperature a few hours later.

In just a few hours when he checked the temperature the thermometer showed 60 degrees!  The bees had generated that much heat in just a short amount of time.  The more I learn about these honeybees the more I am amazed at them!  If you are interested in more information on this experiment there is a DVD available titled Package Bees in 32 Degrees.

Defying the Odds

I know those of us beekeepers who live in colder climates are tired of looking at snow!  But I just have to share this story - and after all - they say a picture is worth a thousand words!

This picture is of my husband clearing some of the snow away from the hives.  The next day we were expecting another foot of snow.  As you can see the snow is almost even with the top of this one little hive that is just one deep hive body.

Even though this would be our first year wintering  bees, we knew the chance of this little hive making it through the winter was slim to none.  This was a very late season, small swarm.  I remember we were debating what to do, and just decided to go for it.  Several people had told us that you just never know what those bees will do and can always surprise you.  We knew they had plenty of food for such a small cluster, but with such a long, bitter winter we didn't even have a chance to check them for a long time.

Every time we looked - they were still alive!  I started feeding them about 3 weeks ago with a gallon jug placed above the inner cover, and they went through a gallon of sugar syrup in 10 days.  They still have honey reserves but I am assuming they did not want to break their cluster to get to it.  We have finally had some warm enough days that they have been able to get out and fly around.

It seems like we are more excited about this little hive making it then the bigger, stronger ones.  I have always rooted for the underdogs! 

Now, I don't know if I would keep trying this just because we have been successful so far with this one, but it does put a smile on my face and warms my heart to think that they have so far made it through this tough, unforgiving winter!

A "not so fun" Topic - Pest Managment

Pest Management - something that is never fun to talk about, but cannot be avoided.  If you are new to beekeeping I just thought I would share a few simple things to think about.  Just a few very simple things   without getting into what product should I use for this, etc.

Four Pest Managment Strategies

1. Do nothing (an option, but probably not the best one if you want successful hives)
2. Reduce the number of pests
3. Reduce the susceptibility of the host
4. Combine steps 2 and 3 (probably your best choice)

When Following Your Strategy You Must

1. Accurately Identify the Pest
2. Assess that pest population
3. Assess the economic evaluation of the population
4. Timing of Control - so very important

I am still fairly new at this adventure of beekeeping and often think about how much "easier" it would have been many years ago when they did not have such a large number of pests to identify and control.  But as the saying goes, "that was then and this is now"!  So we carry on trying out best to have happy, healthy hives as we continue to learn and grow.

Premier Pollinators

Premier Pollinators - I even like the sound of that!  For those of you who live in a cold winter climate like I do, I hope this little picture will give you a tiny bit of encouragement that yes, we will see this again soon!

This past year of beekeeping has been quite an adventure for us and when I think back on how much we have learned it is kind of amazing.

I have a cousin who has kept bees for over 25 years.  He started with one small hive from his wifes uncle.  He takes his hives to the warmer climates in the winter for pollination.  My husband is spending the week with him just to see what it is all about!  I can't wait to see his pictures. 

What is sad is that the almonds are in bloom right now, but there is a shortage of honeybees to pollinate them.  Most of us know that the honeybees pollinate almonds, blueberries and many of the plants and flowers we have in our yards.  I thought it would be fun to list a few that maybe you never thought of before.

• Allspice
• Buckwheat
• Coffee
• Eggplant
• Macadamia
• Okra
• Papaya
• Persimmon
• Rose Hips
• Starfruit
• Sour Cherry

This is a very small list of what these premier pollinators do to ensure we have so many choices and types of food to choose from.  It is so important for people to know just how important they are to our food chain!

What are some of your favorites?