Winterizing The Hive. Cariboo, BC, Canada

Too funny! Thank you for the giggle. :smile:

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Stethoscope for me too :slight_smile:

As warm as it has been (77 degrees yesterday) I topped the girls up with more food.

Dawn,

I’m getting an instrument package (temps, humidity, weight) added to my 8 frame Flow-Hive. I’m going to be included in a local data Bee Hive data research group sponsored in part by GRCC … Not as nice as yours but will due for now. Instrument package is ordered n will be installed by my mentor from the local college Beekeeping study. .

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Will you be able to log onto a site to see how your hive is doing or do you have to wait until the study is done? Since my hives are in the general area (15-20 miles) it would be interesting to see the results when the research is compiled.

Two of my four hives were still pulling in a little pollen yesterday but the other two are sticking home in the cooler Temps that were getting. I copied your quilt cover design and put them on two weeks ago. Thanks for all of your great pictures.

.

Morning K,

I know there is some access to hive data but not sure the extent at the moment. I’ve posted a copy what is downloadable to us. I I will have a lot more info after mine is installed in the next couple weeks. At the moment not sure the availability of these units either. I’m in a “beta” control group locally so not sure wether unit is sold to the general beekeeping folks yet. I know the commercial beekeeper I worked with has several … And was notified when something raticly changed last week (large limb fell on hive changing the weight)… I’ll try to post ASAP when I understand n know more bro!

Glad you were able to get some moisture Quilts ready n on. With local temps suddenly dropping to our normals: ( high: 50dgs n Low: 40 dgs F). My bees seem to be staying inside n not foraging now (not sure what they’d find anyway)… Our English Ivy flow is Done now n just a few very hardy weeds…

. Haven’t seen any bees on these last flowers as it’s been chilly, wet n very windy…

Take care bro n happy holidays soon !

Gerald.

Looks like an amazing job to me perhaps I can also ask any commenters can the candy board go above the inner cover with 3 inch hole in it? It seems that’s what you did and I didn’t want to disrupt the propolized inner cover? Mine also has top entrance in the candy board. First snow today and I wanted to give them backup stores :blush:

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Wow. I’m not sure which I admire more, your beautiful roast or your gorgeous roasting pan :heart_eyes:

It can, but when it is really cold, it helps the bees a lot if they don’t have to move too far from the cluster. In other words, they are more likely to actually eat it if it is below the inner cover, just above the frames.

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I agree that’s where I put candy or pollen patties; rolled thinly popped on a piece of greaseproof and put straight on the top bars

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Thank you for the compliment and question to the experts. Dawn and Dee’s comments are reassuring because my winters can get down into the teens and I put the candy boards directly on top of the brood box without an inner cover in-between. This is a picture of the candy boards I built after viewing this video: https://youtu.be/BL8gnpw_Bn4 Not being able to observe my hive during winter is very worrisome.

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Make yourself a polycarbonate top board.
Use 6mm polycarb and put a wooden frame round it.
There won’t be condensation if you keep that board warm by covering it with decent insulation. Or buy an infra-red camera.Or ask Dawn about her Arnia

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Hi Dee n all,

Had a very good Thanksgiving Thursday inside. It was a a SOAKER outdoors. Our temps have finally dipped below the 50 dgs F mark for our high n near 40 dgs or below now for our lows.

After out feast my brother day drove to my house (3 ms from our Turkey feast) in the rain :umbrella:. Yuck ! It was really nasty dark evening for any type of photography. We used his “FLIR phone attachment”. .

Here are the results with rain dripping off my cap n down my neck. Looks like colony has clustered for the winter. The Flow has balked/adjusted to the very center section. That looks good to me. The #2 pix is my 5 frame Nuc. (Not so much heat signature)… It was very wet so maybe not a perfect evening for infra-red as his device had to be reset full after each hive portrait. I know the colony size is much smaller in Alder Hive. The #3 ( Burch Hive ) seems to be in the lower center n giving off a great heat signature !

Well, this will be my first winter over in 55 years so see how all goes. Back in history past as a kid n youth don’t remember thinking much about the hives. Most made it okay the the die-out or two we were able to repopulate from early swarms back them. Kind of interesting that changes for good n bad.

Well, the Holiday is over for me n a customer needs heat so heading off to see if I can get their furnace going this long holiday weekend without open parts store.

Cheers,
Gerald.

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Found a picture of what I believe you are recommending.
The frame could easily be made deeper to accommodate additional insulation.
Read “there are no problems of moisture build up (with no hole) as long as you have an open mesh floor on your hive” on Polycarbonate quilt options | Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum
I really like this suggestion and seriously thinking about trying it next winter without an upper entrance, since wasp are still a problem when we leave.
Fretting I may have over insulated without tipping the hive in post #17 and #18, and won’t know until I get home in 4+ months (early April).
FLIR and Arnia are on my wish list.

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That’s the one :smile:
You can look at the bees without disturbing them.

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Lovely pictures, Gerald

Hi Everyone and Happy New Year. As this thread is old and you guys have had so much fun on other subjects as well I started a new thread on a related question rather than posting it here. If anyone has the time to read and comment it is much appreciated. Among other things it’s about an article that suggests feeding bees is not a good idea.
http://forum.honeyflow.com/t/cold-weather-feeding/9589

They’re alive!!! (Ignore the temp that is displayed)

It never got above 20 degrees today and yet when I went down to take this picture, one bee came out and flew away. Maybe a clearing flight but she didn’t come back that I saw. Also a small pile of dead bees at the entrence that I assume they cleared the hive of.

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Has anyone had good success using candy boards to help feed your bees through winter? Dispite feeding through the Fall, each hive only had one 8 frame deep full of honey. One or 2 wasn’t quite full.

One commercial guy I talked to the other day lives by them.
Joe

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Yes, I have been feeding candy block, with brood building mixed in. as well as some essential oils. I will see if I can locate the recipe tonight and sind it to you if you want it. This is a recipe that an old time beekeeper for South Carolina used that her than 50 years ago.

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Yes, that would be helpful @Martydallas. Thanks.