To clear the Snow off entrace or not

[MuswellMetro]

Just as i am sitting comfortable having my Crumpets and Apricot jam then I received a phone call

"I am going passed your apiary with my Dog this morning, do you want me to clear the snow off your landing Boards"....... No please DON'T....."oh! why not"......polarized light

So do you clear the snow away or like me let it melt back naturally

 

[drstitson]

melt back naturally if no boards across entrances.

 

[Poggle]

I thought that when it snowed one was meant to place a board over the entance to shield the entance from the bright light thus stopping the bees from thinking the sunwas shining and coming barreling out into the cold??? Or, did I read my book wrong?

 

[drstitson]

quite right poggle - see the video finman posted (although opening the hive is going against the book).

although i doubt my out apiary bees will be seeing any light for a week or two.

 

[Poggle]

quite right poggle - see the video finman posted (although opening the hive is going against the book).

although i doubt my out apiary bees will be seeing any light for a week or two.

Thank you kind Sir, and all power to the dogs digging and finding prowess

John

 

[Poly Hive]

If anything shovel snow over the entrances.

PH

 

[YorkshireBees]

If anything shovel snow over the entrances.

PH

When we had lots of snow last year that is exactly what I did, to make sure the sunny days in between didn't confuse them!

This time I haven't visited the hives yet but the little snow we had will probably be gone by the end of the day!

 

[thurrock bees]

is it me or do we have this sort of posts every year, i leave my hive to it, i.e. i dont do anything to the hives concerning the snow except check that they are upright. i only lose 5% to 10% lose per year.

 

[Rosti]

is it me or do we have this sort of posts every year, i leave my hive to it, i.e. i dont do anything to the hives concerning the snow except check that they are upright. i only lose 5% to 10% lose per year.

True, but throwing a bit of snow over the entrance to ensure reflected light levels don't confuse is unlikely to cause any harm and may do some good. Mine? well we had 5/6 ins over night, so mine are blocked up anyway!

 

[Cazza]

is it me or do we have this sort of posts every year, i leave my hive to it, i.e. i dont do anything to the hives concerning the snow except check that they are upright. i only lose 5% to 10% lose per year.

Certainly remember it last year and probably the year before.
I would leave the snow 0vet the entrance but I have put boards up already. I doubt it makes much difference but I can't see it does any harm and gives me a reason to play in the snow.
As usual, yer pays yer money and yer takes ter choice.
Cazza
A whole 5 inches of lovely fluffy novelty here. Now, where's my toboggan??

 

[Queens59]

No snow!! Not NOWHERE!!!! No fair - I want to move - NOW!!!

 

[oliver90owner]

Well... as always ... it depends.

If the sun is not going to shine directly into the entrance, will it make any difference?

It likely needs a combination of direct and reflected light to entice them out (ie double the real intensity).

Mine are all on stands, not at nearly ground level, so may be more susceptible than some (OMF to add to the light levels).

If you consider your colonies at risk of losing a few hundred bees today, and perhaps a few hundred tomorrow, by all means take precautions.

It's not particularly sunny here at the moment, so I am not particularly worried at this point. Sun is low in the sky and my hives will be in shadow soon (or at least no reflections), so not particularly bothered today.

I will think about it tomorrow. Thinking, before blindly jumping, is the far better way of achieving maximum efficiency - ie same result with less energy expenditure.

No point in risking a broken leg, or worse maybe, when the threat is minimal.

RAB

 

[Cazza]

No point in risking a broken leg, or worse maybe, when the threat is minimal.

RAB

Methinks that is a little over the top unless conditions are very icy or one is infirm.
A healthy 47 year old is unlikely to come to any harm skipping happily through 5 inches of fluffy snow for 200 metres. (Speaking as the healthy 47 year old who did skip happily - you may also trudge if you wish.)
Cazza

 

[oliver90owner]

Yes, Cazza. For you in your particular circumstance.

But taking the car to the apiary may be downright stupid/dangerous/unecessary, dependent on the conditions. That is what I mean by suggesting people think about it first. Weigh up the pros and cons. Make a rational decision.

Just like opening the hives in this weather to see if they need fondant, when a quick heft might indicate it not being necessary. Just like opening hives unecessarily, in these weather conditions for other silly 'reasons' (like to see if that weak colony is still alive)!

RAB

 

[Ed Woods]

Just checked my hives - although boards over the entrances the snow is covered in dozens of frozen bes

Have covered the entrances with snow.

 

[rockdoc]

Yes, the debate on snow removal does seem to appear every year. The only hive I was prepared to venture out to today is in the back garden, (attached) and what I'm doing is all I would do at present. By the way, this is a lot of snow by Thanet standards, especially this close to the sea!

 

[drstitson]

time for a caption competition methinks!!!!

here we go:

"that's the last time i make emergency repairs using superglue"

 

[tonybloke]

'eavesdropping'

 

[Ely]

I have to ask, what stops bees coming out on the freezing cold sunny days we've had without snow? Why not put a board up all winter? Are the dead bees we notice on the snow actually only noticed BECAUSE of the snow highlighting them? Are they actually there on other sunny cold days that we don't notice? Maybe natural casualties?

 

[drstitson]

assumption is that on non snowy days the bees aren't tempted out by light levels.

the key with snow is the increased polarised light reflected into the hive which draws the bees out inappropriately.

just checked my hives - 5-10 dead and dying outside the nat poly - now has a correx sheet with a thick layer of snow across the entrance.

BUT good to see they are still alive after they tipped over a week or two back - deserve a chance seeing they bothered to find one of my bait hives in october.