LATE DECMEBER APIARY REPORT

During the December ECWBA club meeting we reviewed the mite treatment programs of three local beekeepers using Randy Oliver’s varroa model.  Now at the end of December, here are current survival statistics for those three beekeepers.  Gerard’s and club hives: 100%; Jon’s hives: 95.5%; Fred’s hives: 97.3%.  All three beekeepers had practiced rather aggressive treatment programs following high losses in the previous winter.  Each beekeeper used different miticides; Gerard used Formic acid and Apiguard, Jon used Oxalic acid vapor only, and Fred used a mix of formic and oxalic acid.  How are your hives doing?  Of course, crunch time usually occurs in mid to late January when temperatures hit their lowest for the winter.  For now, there is nothing to do but wait for spring.  We will continue getting updates on their statistics and report them here. 

We are now over the first winter obstacle. Daylight is growing in length now that we have passed the winter equinox.  For some bee types the lengthening of the day is the que for the queen to begin laying again; albeit very slowly.   This also marks the halfway point of our six month long winter period. 

During December we experienced several days of low 40’s F.  The bees were using these warm days to take voiding flights.  They also use these warmer days to reposition the cluster closer to the remaining honey.   

During winter a hive will consume one to two pounds of honey per week.  I have provided emergency sugar to top of my hives as a matter of standard practice.   There has been great variation between hives in consumption of this emergency sugar.   Some hives haven’t touched the sugar yet, while others have consumed the entire 2 and ½ pound disc in only two weeks.  Therefore, all hives get checked every two weeks and replenished as needed.  The reason for the large variation isn’t clear to me, but there seems to be a slight correlation between cluster size and sugar consumption.   I will be using the checks as an opportunity to add pollen or pollen substitute patties next to the sugar discs.  This protein will help with feeding the new brood.   

My experiment with overwintering double deep nucs continues.  Twelve of twelve nucs still have that reassuring hum emanating from within the hives.  I sure hope this experiment is successful after seeing some of the prices being quoted for three (3) pound packages to be delivered next spring.  Prices are ranging from $130 to $180.  Yikes!  High prices like this will certainly discourage many hobbyist beekeepers.  But it might also finally convince new beekeepers that a good mite control program is in both their and the bees best interests.