My Girls (bees)

[Headfry]

Well, its a worry this beekeeping!

Many dead bees outside hive 1, at a guess well over a hundred
hive 2 is not so bad.
When put my ear to the hive and knock they they sound very quiet, have to say I am greatly worried for them- a very tough winter so far.
The sun came out yesterday, sadly only a couple of flying bees to be seen- I know it was cold but the sun did make it warmer and I did think there might be a few more flying. I am somewhere between and

I think there is little I can do - they have bee food (Apifonda) on the top of the frames, I might change it for some fresh as they have hardly touched it.
Roll on the flowering of the hellebores and crocus - pollen time! that will help.

How are our other bee keepers getting on in these tough times.

[northepaul]

Good luck Headfry, I dont keep bees myself but have always been fastinated by them. I hope all is well!

[Two_Sheds]

Have you got any dandelions? They flower very early and are very important food for bees

[Two_Sheds]

Poor girls
I don't claim to know anything at all about bees, but I found this on tinterweb. Sorry if I'm teaching you to suck eggs here.

"If winter feeds have too high a water content the bees might not be able to dehydrate it enough to prevent fermentation before winter sets in. Another way to feed in the winter months it to use baker's fondant (the soft icing on cakes) as this won't ferment and the bees can eat it straight away" Wintering Bees - Beekeeping in Winter - Mesh Floors - Feeding Bees

[Headfry]

Thanks for the kind message northepaul.

Two Sheds, thank you it's kind of you to hunt out info for me and is much appreciated

In the warmer spring/early autumn weeks I feed a sugar syrup solution as evaporating excess water is not such a problem then. This solution is really quick and easy for the bees to store and use. Later in autumn I switched to the Apifonda this is just like the bakers fondant that you mention, but sold by the bee keeping suppliers. There is a little more work involved for the bees, they have to use some water to 'melt' down the fondant but as you say, it does not ferment easily - they are on this fondant now.
I know they will use their own stores and have seen evidence of this as I have slide out boards under the hive floor (so to speak) I can clearly see crumbled/nibbled up wax cappings -where they have broken the seals of the honeycomb to get to their food stores. I hope this is a good sign.
I have told them to hang on in there- the weather will get better. If only I could bundle them up and bring them indoors!

[Two_Sheds]

it's kind of you to hunt out info for me

I'm always eager to learn new things. Bee-keeping is fascinating, and more complicated than you'd have thought (than I'd have thought)

[Headfry]

You are so right......
year one is kinda easy,
year two runs along ok,
year three and you realise that there is soooo much to learn! and things never seem to happen as the books say it will! at least not in my girls case- thinking I might leave the books in the hive and tell them to READ!!!! please, pretty please!

[SueA]

Hope your bees are O.K. Headfry, I know nothing about beekeeping other than it looks fascinating & was wondering do they just 'hibernate' during the very cold weather & do you have to insulate the hives or anything when we have really cold/snowy winters like this one?

[Headfry]

Hi SueA Thanks for your kind words.

No, not really bees don't hibernate, they form a tight ball around the queen, they are able to generate heat this way and will survive as low as -20'ish I am told!!!!!
You can insulate but the hive must be able to 'breathe' - moisture in the hive is bad this time of year! I worry that if I make the hive 'artificially' warm the bees may think it warm enough to leave the hive. If they 'break' the cluster it can be disastrous for them when its very cold. This cluster moves as one though the hive eating the stores.
They don't fly very much, maybe on a good still, sunny day they may come out and perform their ablutions.

We ready them for winter, feed them well- starting in Autumn, mouse guards on (mice will get in) and protect from woodpeckers (they peck through the wooden hive eat the bees and the honey), insure the hives wont blow over! and that really is as much as we can do, the rest is down to them and a hive load of luck.

I know this may sound silly but it's kinda sad writing about them when I am not sure if they will make it this year. I do love my girls -

[Pumpkin Becki]

Oh Headfry, I worry about your bees too - all the time - does that sound silly? I'll be doing something and I'll think 'I wonder how Headfry and her bees are'. I really hope they make it through to the milder weather, we have Hellebores and snowdrops about to bloom here already, so I'll keep everything crossed for you all.

[Headfry]

Awww PB that is so very kind of you.
I am waiting and wishing for my hellebores to start flowering, they will surely help.
I will go over to check again this weekend - sigh - I will report back.

[SueA]

I didn't know that about them forming a 'cluster', clever little things, they might have struggled round here though as it got to -15 on a couple of nights! Hope they're all O.K. when you get the chance to inspect them.

[ukmaggie45]

Reading about you finding dead bees has made me feel quite sad. I do hope that the weather warms up soon and your bees survive. We make life too difficult for these wonderful insects, they work so hard pollinating - we'd be lost without them. Can't help feeling the amount of pesticides put on crops doesn't help bees.

Here's health to your bees.

[Headfry]

Hi ukmaggie45 and welcome to the vine!
I put my ear against both hives on Saturday, and I could hear quite loud buzzing !!! such a happy headfry
Just need some pollen bearing flowers and warm still days!

[Pumpkin Becki]

Yay! That sounds more positive Headfry.