MID DECEMBER

Last week we experienced our first real test of bee survival when temperatures reached almost 0F for two nights in a row.  I have to report that I lost one nuc at my latest check and my overall survival of hives and nucs has declined to 98%.   But after last year’s -36F testing of the bees, I am now a believer that bees without varroa/virus infections can handle the cold.  After all they had survived for millions of years without our help.  So why am I still worried that my bees may not make it through the winter.  It’s probably a typical beekeeper reaction.  


Just prior to that cold snap I added a second round of 2 1/2 pound emergency sugar discs to all hives. (I skipped the winter nucs due to their smaller population).  While adding the discs I noted that the bees in 90% of the hives were already in the upper brood box and also consuming the first disc.  Consumption of the disc ranged from totally gone to slight nibbling.   This year I added the emergency sugar in mid-November.  In previous years I had added it in mid-December.  Are the bees eating the sugar simply because its there or are they truly short of honey?  I guess this is why I’m worrying now.  This isn’t the weather where I could disassemble the hive and research their honey storage situation.  So I will keep providing the hives with sugar every other week until spring.   Although the penny pincher in me doesn’t like the idea, it does make good economic sense to give the hive $20 of sugar instead of paying $120 for a replacement package. 


These observations got me thinking.  I don’t think I can legitimately blame the bees for not filling the brood chambers with honey.  So my first thought was that it was last summer’s weather which reduced honey production.  But I can’t use this reason, because I had my best honey production ever.   My second thought was: In my zest to get things ready for the honey flow, am I supering my hives too early?; ie. prior to the bees refilling the two brood boxes with honey.  Bees tend to work in a vertical direction if permitted.  So my early supering would divert the incoming nectar upwards instead of into the side frames of the deeps.    Referring to my beekeeping notes I see I put the honey supers on the hives earlier this year than previous years.  Also, before adding them I did not verify the deeps had been replenished.  A more experienced beekeeper told me I shouldn’t be adding the honey supers until I am seeing the bees adding fresh white wax along the top edge of the honey frames in the brood chamber boxes.   So my plan for next year is to super only when the hives need the extra storage space.   Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks.  


On the past few cold days I have been spending my spare time assembling and wiring frames.  I will build up a small stockpile of ready-to-go frames so I can immediately replace any damaged equipment.
  

My other winter project will be to assemble a honey jar warming cabinet to de-crystallize the honey.  It looks like an old WWII metal footlocker will do the trick.  It is big enough to hold a large quantity of 1 and 2 pound jars.  A temperature controller can be purchased for about $28 on Amazon.  This will be used to switch on and off a heater.  In my design the heater is a simple incandescent light bulb.  In the enclosed box, the light bulb should be able to elevate the box temperature sufficiently to de-crystallize the honey.  I will show the warming box build process in detail in a future blog article. 

PS-the December ECWBA meeting is next Saturday at 9:30AM at the Caestecker Public Library in Green Lake.    See you there.