Locking up bees for wintee!!

[B_north]

You have out there simple methods, how to get bees over winter. Your climate is frienly to bees. Like this winter, your weathers have been mostly +10C . Bees can do cleansings flights every months. No need to take experience from countries which have -30C temperatures.

For sure, I am not here to offer advice, I am here to gain simple bee manipulations that may not be our norm.

I am not arrogant enough to think I would have anything to offer in the way of beekeeping on this forum both because I am new and my conditions are different. But a forum is for discussion which also should include different methods that may not be the norm within a country. Challenge what you are told, is a good motto from Roger Patterson.

edited a mistake in the motto

 

[Finman]

B-North, where you live? Latitude

To Roger Patterson every broblem was drone sperm problem.

 

[user 819]

Finnies beekeeping climate isn't to dissimilar to Canada as it is also snowbound and very cold for most of the year.

 

[user 20297]

B-North, where you live? Latitude

To Toger Patterson every broblem was drone sperm problem.

I've a feeling that @Finman has a very good understanding of British humour now.

 

[user 20297]

B-North, where you live? Latitude

To Toger Patterson every broblem was drone sperm problem.

That is the root of all problems...even Putin was part sperm once.

 

[Finman]

to Canada as it is also snowbound and very cold for most of the year.

We can drive every day with car on streets and roads. We use winter tyres in cars.

 

[Swarm]

It's nothing to do with taking advice, rather simply being interested in hearing how bees are kept in other countries.

For sure, I am not here to offer advice, I am here to gain simple bee manipulations that may not be our norm.

I am not arrogant enough to think I would have anything to offer in the way of beekeeping on this forum both because I am new and my conditions are different. But a forum is for discussion which also should include different methods that may not be the norm within a country. Challenge what you are told, is a good motto from Roger Patterson.

edited a mistake in the motto

Welcome to the forum B_north.
Please don't let negative comments from some quarters stop you from posting your beekeeping experiences, the more diversity the better, IMO.
Conditions vary from country to country or one valley to another, different hive types, all interesting.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hear hear …. we’ve been discussing that on another thread.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

To Toger Patterson every broblem was drone sperm problem

Freudian slip?

 

[bobba]

You misunderstood me. Lots of us ARE interested even if there is no practical application. Do you not like to acquire knowledge for its own sake?

Well said, I watch Ian primarily for entertainment. And just happened to learn some things that I can use in my climate.

I like watching Thai bee keeping (and ant keeping!) videos too.

 

[Finman]

Freudian slip?

Not in my age any more.

 

[Finman]

Well said, I watch Ian primarily for entertainment. And just happened to learn some things that I can use in my climate.

I like watching Thai bee keeping (and ant keeping!) videos too.

I have learned most from US beekeeping and from Australian. You all can learn where ever you want.

What I have followed discussion about learning, UK beekeepers want to learn only from their national researchers' wisdom. But the knowledge, from the UK is very narrow. Catch and reliese keeping.

Guys, it is unnecessary to propagate to me or to yourself how anxious you are to learn beekeeping. During 20 years in this forum I have not noticed that.

It has been said many times to me, that nothing to learn from Finland, because your climate is different. Like NZ beekeepers said to me, nothing to learn from overseas.

 

[B_north]

B-North, where you live? Latitude

I am just north of the 53rd. but living in central Canada does not give us the more milder climates that those nearer the coast have. Kinda boxed in, so to speak. I think I will need to look up beekeeping in Finland to broaden my mind. I have relatives in Germany, their climate is warmer but some of the practices are certainly different from how we have been taught.

 

[Finman]

Southern coast of Finland is on 60 latitude.
Our bees live with sugar from September to May. Willows start blooming in south at the beginning of May.dandelions bloom at the beginning of June.

Typical overwintering in south Finland.
Polystyrene langstroth hives in one or two boxes. Hives covered with woodpecker mesh. Snow cover is from December to April.

The hive on left seems to have 2 boxes medium size boxes.

 

[bobba]

It has been said many times to me, that nothing to learn from Finland, because your climate is different.

Never by me.

I remember when you helped me work out why my bees were all over my lawn. Their water trays were dry. Thanks again.

 

[B_north]

Southern coast of Finland is on 60 latitude.
Our bees live with sugar from September to May. Willows start blooming in south at the beginning of May.dandelions bloom at the beginning of June.

That is a little later spring than we get. The tree leaves on poplar come out around the end of May but dandelions and willows are out a bit earlier than that, apple trees are in the beginning of June. We need to start feeding sugar water the first of Sept. but last fall the drought eliminated a lot of the fall forage so feeding needed to begin slowly a little earlier.

What is the colony loss like in Finland, do you find that the long winters with no cleansing flights adds to the loss? Any problems with granulation in honey stores like what happens with our canola honey, making it unsatisfactory for winter feeding? That is the main reason we need to feed sugar syrup, the granulated canola honey seems to create an increase in the need for cleansing flights, which results in bees dead in the snow, as 'when you gotta go, you gotta go'.

 

[Finman]

Many beekeepers have an experience, that overwintering with honey kills hives. Sugar is better. I have same experiences. Guys here say, that honey dew fills the abdomen and bees must let out poo inside hive.

Lack of good pollen in autumn makes bees weak for winter. But it is rare.

Varroa is biggest killer. It kills hives in autumn, so called disapperaring.

 

[Nannysbees]

For sure, I am not here to offer advice, I am here to gain simple bee manipulations that may not be our norm.

I am not arrogant enough to think I would have anything to offer in the way of beekeeping on this forum both because I am new and my conditions are different. But a forum is for discussion which also should include different methods that may not be the norm within a country. Challenge what you are told, is a good motto from Roger Patterson.

edited a mistake in the motto

I think it's fascinating to find out about any beekeeper and their experiences, newbees and those that can head off problems before they arrive. Everyone has something to offer