Expiry date for winter bees

[oliver90owner]

Or that there is no set 'expiry date'?

 

[dpearce4]

Or that there is no set 'expiry date'?

Just a Best before end date hahaha

 

[Finman]

Or do you now agree that "approx 6 months" was correct?

According that British bees have all expired, approximately.

My bees expired in February.

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[Finman]

Hi all,
Has anyone out there got a proper grasp on when my winter bees will expire. Thus I am confident that I had a good complement of winter bees born in October (remember Finman telling us what you have in your brood frames now are your winter bees). .

Most of my winterbees have born in August. How much of them are alive now, impossible to say. They are much alive at the beginning of May but
at the end of May all are dead.

 

[Finman]

Or that there is no set 'expiry date'?

WE are just setting it.

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[beeno]

Beeno Having read the article and all the opinions, can you now answer the question you posed in first post?

Or do you now agree that "approx 6 months" was correct?

Hi Easy Beesy,
I am hoping that the 6-8 months is correct otherwise survival is going to be a close call. I did not have brood at Christmas me thinks. I hope to confirm the 'theory' for my bees, but ... there is always one for beekeeping. I am like Finman says trying to see if there is a 'set date' for my bees as they went into winter with a good complement of winter bees but light in stores including pollen compared to our apiary bees. Six to eight months is a more comforting thought for all of us, I am sure! However, today I am just hoping to see all four flying. Thanks to all. Here is hoping.

 

[Finman]

Hi Easy Beesy,
I am hoping that the 6-8 months is correct .

It is in Britain very good value.

in my winter very important date is, how many bees in cluster is able to feed larvae after winter when willows start to bloom. That seems to be minimum factor in build up of spring.

. In patty feeding and in electrict heating I get masses of feeder bees compared to natural course.


In natural system bees eate their own larvae as protein food when it is short of pollen. When I feed patty, I can see that brood capping surface is very even.

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