I generally pay a lot of attention to Finman
The two mediums they are in are full, lower boxes mostly brood, some brood in top boxes lots of stores, capped honey and pollen around the brood and on the outer boxes..
It takes two full deep supers to get through the winter if its a rough winter.
However.. i guess I have never taken into consideration the AMOUNT of bees in those two deep supers.. So what is being said.. is that in two MEDIUM supers there will be fewer bees, and a smaller space.. so the smaller amount of bees can keep it warm and will have enough stores to survive?
My purpose was simply to pass along what I was told to get frames filled, and that it has worked for me. Not so much about getting through the coming winter or building population.. I didnt intend to open a can of worms.
Fin;
"Basic proplem is that a beginner is not able to ask right things."
I have to agree that asking the right question is sometimes not easy to do.
"When you have now bees in 2 mediums, the colonies cannot need 3 mediums in winter. If the colony has just now 6 langstroth boxes, then they would need that space. "
So you do not think it is wise to build the bees to three boxes? Or basically the same amount two deeps would normally have? I think i understand... even in a 5 frame NUC the bees build the stores they need to survive the winter, and maintain the population based on the SIZE hive they are in? IE: there wont be 50000 bees in a 5 frame Nuc that starve to death.. there will be 5000 bees with enough to survive?
"In Finland many professional winter bees in medium boxes abut all boxes here are insulated. New boxes are almost all polystyrene."
My boxes are cypress and pine.. I have insulated plastic covers and will wrap the hives.. doing so on a hive with two deeps usually pulls them through with some reserves. (depending on how nasty the winter is) which is why I wanted the three mediums.
"Forget now the feeding. That is not a solution.
If you continue, and the guys will surely encouragce you in that job, you just spoil your colonies."
"Spoil them? Making it too easy to build the wax they need? This falls into the realm of not understanding how to ask the right questions. I ask questions, and try to use the advice that makes the best sense to me.. feeding while building wax did make sense, I tried it, and it seems to have worked very well in this instance. I can pull the feeders easily enough.. I just do not quite understand how to get those frames filled as quickly with less work for the bees???
"It is enough time to get good wintering colonies. But if you continue it however, they are your bees. And remember the SECOND KEY in beekeeping is using BRAINS! Don't do everything what these 2-hive owners ask to do."
Well, theres actually several dozen hive owners involved in my wheedling information out of them.
But as stated. I ask,and try to act on the advice "I" think makes the most sense.. that doesnt mean its right.
KEY nro 3# is pollen field. You must have there fields where bees get pollen next one month. Here red clover blooms up to September. It has high nutrition values. "
I live in farm country. I have a LOT of white and red clover in my fields and hundreds of wildflowers. I watch the pollen coming in about four bees per three or four seconds at the hive entrances so dont think thats a problem right now. Corn is tasseled and the bees are SWARMING it, and the soybeans will be in bloom within a week or three. Alfalfa/clover field beside my own fields as well that blooms about 4 times a year before it gets cut and baled.
Bee heaven around here, which is why I started this
I just need to get the preconceived notions in line with the advice and learn to ask the right questions!!!
"Heed Finman!"
I do agree that there should be plenty of time.. I just wanted them to have to work less to produce the wax they need so that when they DO have to WORK, it will be in collecting pollen/nectar not building wax/comb. I only feed the hives WHEN they have new comb to build... We have early blooms of dandelions, fruit trees, Lilacs, etc etc.. so even early spring feeding isnt necessary unless they are about to starve because of a hard winter.......
I also dont want to cause them problems by feeding!!!!!!
So... in attempting to ask the right question...
What exactly am I doing that "spoils" the bees by feeding when they build comb? ("you just spoil your colonies.") I assume, that this is considered bad... OK... why? I am not trying to argue!!! I really want to understand!!
