Hi,
I’m still in the learning stages of bee keeping. Any associations, schools, clubs etc in Modoc county in the North Eastern corner of California? Also how would I keep my bees warm in winter when we have temperatures of -20*F several weeks straight in the winter along with very gusty winds at times? And although very hot and dry in the summer, we do get lots of rain and hail and sometimes snow in the fall and and spring and snow and ice in winter.
Do people use an insulated shack to keep their hives in or perhaps some form of heat like used in reptile terrariums?
And are raccoons, skunks, or other animals of any concern in that they might tear apart a hive to get to the honey? Are there any cold winter bee keeping mentors willing to help me along?
Thanks.
Steve
The first one that Google found is actually in Klamath Falls, OR - perhaps a bit far:
There is also a club in Yreka, which says: Those interested in joining The Siskiyou County Beekeepers Association “Bee Club” should note that bee club meetings are typically held on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Agriculture Commissioner’s Conference Room, located at 525 So. Foothill Blvd. in Yreka. The bee club is on Facebook and everyone is welcome.
First, you need to make sure that the hive entrance faces away from the prevailing winds. If your coldest winds are from the North West, face the entrance towards the South East. If you can, make a wind break for the hive from something heavy, like hay bales.
Some people wrap their hives with insulating material, like the 2 inch thick foam insulation used in roof insulation. You can easily get it from Home Depot and it is very cheap. Make sure to leave an entrance open. If it snows, you will need to make sure the entrance is cleared of snow, so that the bees can still make cleansing flights.
A moisture quilt box on top of the hive is also very helpful for reducing condensation, which is a real killer of wintering bees. Here is an article on how to make one:
Raccoons in any climate are pretty destructive of hives, if they can get the roof off. I have a strap around my hive to prevent this, but a heavy brick or three would work too. If you have a Flow hive, the sloping roof does better with a strap.
Skunks stand at the hive entrance at night and scratch the landing board. This attracts guard bees which the skunk then gobbles. The only way to prevent this is to use a hive stand which is 14" tall or more. That makes the skunk stand on its hind legs, exposing its belly for the bees to sting.
Both raccoons and skunks are a problem all year round, so these precautions are not just for winter. Also, if you have bears, they can be incredibly destructive of hives in the Fall, before they hibernate.
I hope you find a local mentor, but perhaps this gives you some starting thoughts. 
Hi I am from Newark, CA. I just got my FlowHive today. Can I start my FlowHive now around thanksgiving or should I wait till March next year. I have zero experience with beekeeping. And also do beekeepers giveaway bees to others or I have to buy them?
Hi @Atif3132001. I apologize for the delay in replying. Somehow your message got marked as read, even when I hadn’t seen it, so I didn’t find it until I was clearing out some old e-mails.
The only way to start a hive at this time of year in your location is to buy a full hive from an established beekeeper who wants to downsize. The best way to find a person like that is from a local bee club.
If that is not an option, you still need to get your name on a list for a nucleus or a package of bees. I have bought packages from Mann Lake, and they are superb bees. They deliver in about April, but you should be able to order now (or soon):
You may also be able to catch a swarm, but you probably need to do that with an experienced beekeeper the first time. Again, another good reason to join a local club. Even with the COVID lockdowns, many clubs are operating via video, so you can still learn a lot. 
Please ask if you have any more questions, I will try to catch your message before my computer randomly marks it as read… 
Thank you Dawn do such a detailed email. I just have a stupid question, do you know any bee club in Newark/Fremont/Union city area?
Dr Google found this one…
Thank you so much Dawn for your help. 
Live in Pine Grove in the Sierra Foothills at 2500 ft. Have flow hive and waiting for nuc the beginning of April. Looking for people with experience in my area. Will one brood box be enough to get my bees thru the winter?
Hello and welcome to the Flow forum!
Commercial beekeepers do it, but in our desert-like California climate, most hobby beekeepers run double brood boxes to get the colony through our long nectar dearths. If you go with single brood, you are going to have to feed about 30-40lb of sugar etc, which obviously is not as healthy for the bees as honey.
I understand that but living in the foothills where it is often around freezing at night I understood that the bees might get cold with that much space and the short spring and summer. Your thoughts?
Thanks so much Dawn,
Mike
Many people in colder climates insulate their hives over winter, and use a quilt box on top of the hive to minimize condensation. Your bees will cluster in fall and winter - they won’t try to heat the whole hive. The cluster will move around to where the food is though. Rusty Burlew has some nice infrared photos showing this on her web site. This article is one of them, but she has others too:
Thanks Dawn,
Makes sense to have the two brood boxes. So would you take the flow frame super off during the winter or leave it. I know a lot of this I will pick up with experience but nice to get off on a good foot.
Hope to hook up with some local people to learn hive management in my community.
Mike
Absolutely take it off. With your climate, the bees will start putting propolis on everything from late summer onwards. The last thing you need in your Flow super is propolis - it can really wreck your chances of a harvest the following year, as it gums up the Flow mechanism.
I hope you find a local too, but I have lived in a range of climates, and we have people here who also live in diverse climates with enough similarity to yours to give you a flying start.
Dawn,
Thanks for your help. Will be in touch and will visit the forum often. Great info.
Mike
Hi Dawn,
Since we talked in March I received my nuc on April 4th and feel like I imagine a new mother would feel. Excited, confused not sure what I’m doing. Our local bee group is on hiatus due to Covid so I am reaching out for some advice. In a little over five weeks that little nuc has grown to a full hive with solid bees on all ten frames. It seems very healthy with a regular freeway going all day. I have been giving them syrup but finally I kind of freaked out because it seems overcrowded. I inspected the hive tonight and there is capped and uncapped honey and syrup and it appears less brood cells. All frames have good weight to them but the last two days there have been some beards of bees hanging on the side of the hive. It has been warm and I fear overcrowding. Tonight I added an excluder and flow super hoping the extra room would help. Is it possible that a bunch of bees moved in and that’s why such a large growth or do they gro that fast? Also noted that because I have a screen bottom the bees have added on to the bottom on a few frames and quite a bit of drone cells on the bottom of one. Wondering if they could be thinking of swarming after only 5 weeks in the hive?
Any thoughts appreciated.
Mike (Pine Grove, Ca)
A great queen can lay 2,000 to 3,000 eggs per day. One side of a Langstroth deep frame has about 3,500 cells. A Langstroth deep frame which is completely covered with bees on both sides has about 2,000 bees on it. So you can see that if you have one frame which is mostly brood, when they emerge, you will have 3 frames of bees. So it really can happen the way you have seen it. I don’t think you got volunteer bees moving in.
Aren’t you going to add a second brood box? I would do that first if you can. I would also stop feeding them for now.
They can swarm any time, especially if overcrowded. Drone cells do not mean that they are about to swarm, they are just what the hive produces when they have plenty of resources. If you have queen cells, then they really are planning to swarm.
Hi Dawn,
That info was very helpful. I ordered a another box last night although I should have had one on hand. Should be here in a week. Hope it’s not too late. It makes sense to add the box since the hive seems very strong.
I haven’t seen any queen cells.
Thanks again Dawn,
Mike
It should be fine. Just leave the Flow super on for now, and then switch the new brood box in when it arrives. When you put the second brood box on, you can take the queen excluder off. That should release some of the pressure on the brood nest and help to discourage swarming even more. Once the second brood box is on, make sure that you take the Flow super off until the second box is full.
Always a pleasure to help you.
Thanks Dawn,
You definitely eased my mind.
I checked the local beekeeping association and it looks like the group (Sierra Foothill Beekeeping Association)near me is starting to meet again. I asked if one of the members might have a spare box to sell but now I won’t worry and wait for the ordered one.
Thanks again,
Mike
Should have sent you a pic earlier. If you look to the left you can see the bee beard on the front of the hive.
