Opinions re "freakish "extended warm spell

[goodbobby]

Do any of you old experienced hands have any views on the possible downside of this very long warm spell that seems to be going on and on????

My 3 colonies here in Surrey are still out and about in a temperature of 10.2 degrees C but there seems to be little forage and they don't seem to be tightly clustered. All 3 have fondant but I can see that I may have to replenish this for a while yet and a prolonged cold snap (for OA application) seems a distant . I know that these temperatures are probably unprecedented and my concern is that some Beeks may unwittingly let over active colonies starve because of these unusual circumstances!!!!!!

 

[Poly Hive]

It's not that unusual, so the usual advice applies.

Keep an eye on the stores and personally I am doing my OA in the next two weeks.

PH

 

[drstitson]

Good to see you're on your feet this year!!!!!

 

[boca]

I may have to replenish this for a while yet and a prolonged cold snap (for OA application) seems a distant .

I see very often on this forum and never undertand that a "prolonged cold snap" is needed for OA treatment.

Not the cold but the broodless state is needed for effective treatment. The broodless period is in relation with the temperature but not as closely as it seems to be assumed.
Ceasing of egg laying and restarting late winter is a more complex phenomena not yet completely understood. Daylight lengthening could also be a key factor.
Here, the brood rearing might be stopped at 10 C and restarted at -10 in late winter.

 

[oliver90owner]

No problem whatsoever. As PH (effectively) says, watch and observe. You can easily see/feel the weather so it is not a surprise.

With beekeeping you try to keep ahead of the bees; sometimes you can only get a little ahead - at this time of the year it should simply be 'amount of feed' available. There should not be issues with isolation starvation, for instance, at the present time.

Someone, somewhere else, will get these sort of conditions 'as normal' and they would not describe them as a problem, so why should they be a problem to us, who don't get it quite so much on a regular basis, so don't have to put up with these conditions all the time?

I think some out there try to make out that beekeeping is difficult. C'mon, it is not that hard!

Temperatures quoted to the nearest zero point one of a degree are totally irrelevant, especially in isolation. Wind, sunshine, forage, strength of colony, type of hive can all make a large difference to zero point one of a degree Celsius.

Perhaps some out there might list possible downsides as I don't really see any. You take what comes as far as weather is concerned. Can't change it.

RAB

 

[BBG]

unwittingly let over active colonies starve because of these unusual circumstances!!!!!!

We just weighed ours with the baggage scales and all is well.

For a few pounds and used with a fulcrum on a portable upright bit of stick, it's easy to know how heavy each hive is.

Barring the white hand hefter gang - of course!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Barring the white hand hefter gang - of course!

In my second winter I am weighing and hefting. In years to come I hope to heft only

 

[Poly Hive]

For sure the daylight length is a key factor. A good cold spell ensures cessation of brood rearing which is for the best. and easy for the beekeeper to feel safe with.

However how much brood is likely at this time of year in the unlikely instance there is any? A palm of your hand patch or frames of?

My betting is that if there is any it will be minuscule and in the over all situation, worth the sacrifice. If they die from the OA and so do the bulk of the varroa is it not for the overall good?

Some seem to enjoy the worrying.

PH

 

[goodbobby]

Thanks for your helpful input guys....I had led myself to mistakenly "assume" that the cold spell usually occurring around the turn of the year was the trigger for the most likely time for colonies to be broodless! Given your replies I can now see that the seasonal / light factor is more likely to be the catalyst

 

[drstitson]

"We just weighed ours with the baggage scales and all is well"

what ... your OA???? and there is mons ab worrying about being the odd gram out!

 

[goodbobby]

Thanks for your helpful input guys....I had led myself to mistakenly "assume" that the cold spell usually occurring around the turn of the year was the trigger for the most likely time for colonies to be broodless! Given your replies I can now see that the seasonal / light factor is more likely to be the catalyst

 

[Norton]

Well it's not warm in northern Greece, temperatures have dropped to MINUS 13, 2 meters of snow and thousands of vehicles trapped. Yes the climate can be extreme as well in this part of the world.

 

[busybee53]

Norton I feel for you in the snow.

I was just going to say regarding hefting AND weighing. This is my 2nd winter and I am just hefting. I have not got equipment to weigh and I can check by hefting because I am not all that strong.

If I have to struggle to heft the hive it is heavy enough. If it is not such a struggle the hive is lighter and I must go back later to check. If the hive is easy to heft I better do something about it.

When I open up for the oxalic acid treatment I will have fondant with me just in case it is needed. Then I can give it to the bees without too much disturbance.

 

[Andy Duff]

For sure the daylight length is a key factor. A good cold spell ensures cessation of brood rearing which is for the best. and easy for the beekeeper to feel safe with.

However how much brood is likely at this time of year in the unlikely instance there is any? A palm of your hand patch or frames of?

My betting is that if there is any it will be minuscule and in the over all situation, worth the sacrifice. If they die from the OA and so do the bulk of the varroa is it not for the overall good?

Some seem to enjoy the worrying.

PH

Better to have weather good enough for cleaning flights and clearing out the dead than months of sub zero like last year. Our bees have been quite active for the last couple of days, bringing back pale yellow pollen and they are working their way through the fondant. My opinion better weather for the bees than last year.

 

[Vergilius]

Last winter beeks were worrying about the cold weather, this winter they are worrying about warm weather.... Seems to me to be a bit too much worrying!!!

You will find that people have differing opinions on the matter - some stand by "the honeybees love the warm weather" argument, others cite the potential for starvation that a weak cluster could cause... Either way, it amounts to the same thing: just heft every half month to check.

BTW it seems that people are thinking only about the last two winters; which were very cold in Nov/Dec/Jan and then very mild afterwards - even in my relatively short lifetime I can assure you that this current spell of weather is far from unprecedented ...

So, worry if you like - but I won't be joining you... rather be enjoying Christmas than that thankyou!!!

 

[Erichalfbee]

- even in my relatively short lifetime I can assure you that this current spell of weather is far from unprecedented ...

Newsworthy though, it seems. Weather people seem to be going on and on about it even though warmish wet winters are fairly common.
When I was a child the winter weather news items fascinated me with shots sheep being dug out of six foot snow drifts and airlifts of hay.
Bees seem to have survived nevertheless either way.

 

[Poly Hive]

There was a piece I read somewhere that said the 60's were unusual in the number of wintry winters. That of course gave a lot of us a somewhat false base line to compare with.

PH

 

[goodbobby]

Fyi

Last winter beeks were worrying about the cold weather, this winter they are worrying about warm weather.... Seems to me to be a bit too much worrying!!!

You will find that people have differing opinions on the matter - some stand by "the honeybees love the warm weather" argument, others cite the potential for starvation that a weak cluster could cause... Either way, it amounts to the same thing: just heft every half month to check.

BTW it seems that people are thinking only about the last two winters; which were very cold in Nov/Dec/Jan and then very mild afterwards - even in my relatively short lifetime I can assure you that this current spell of weather is far from unprecedented ...

So, worry if you like - but I won't be joining you... rather be enjoying Christmas than that thankyou!!!

[B]
Ben FYI....From the Times today:"Christmas Day(2011) was the warmest in the UK for 91 years!". Thanks for your informed assurances.

 

[drstitson]

"Better to have weather good enough for cleaning flights and clearing out the dead than months of sub zero like last year."

NO. The FERA and BBKA winter losses surveys demonstrate clearly that the last two intensely cold UK winters were GOOD for bees.

 

[Hivemaker.]

NO. The FERA and BBKA winter losses surveys demonstrate clearly that the last two intensely cold UK winters were GOOD for bees.

And no doubt the vast majority of the bees are in wooden hives,so keeping them cooler is better.