What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Podilia]

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Wrong is your saying: More insulation, more condensation.

Condensation happens in coldest surface. IT has nothing to do with "more insulation".

It doesn't matter because the temperature inside and outside is equal. Bees don't heat their hive. Just out of a wintering cluster the temperature is the same as outdoor.
Condensation also happens if wet air is not deletad from the hive properly.

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Finnish Style... Not at least what you write.
All holes open and even a open hole on the top. I have never meet that.

I just translated it from that book. It was written in 70th. This book is well known among our beekeepers. In spring all entrances must be reduced.

Do you think that 20 kg winter food is enough in that system for 9 months ?

There are some figures (for our climate):
Sept. - 4,6
Oct. - 2,98
Nov. - 0,6
Dec. - 0,8
Jan. - 0,8
Feb. - 1,37
Mar. - 1,06
Apr. - 5,08

 

[Podilia]

Langstroth lived in USA 150 years ago. They are not able to over winter their hives when now.

Finnish Style... Not at least what you write.

All holes open and even an open hole on the top. I have never meet that. Do you think that 20 kg winter food is enough in that system for 9 months ?

Where you have seen that " all holes open " style?
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But no problem what you think. We do what we do.
We have several styles. Bees stand many styles.
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That's all right. I think those authors would have been happy to speak with Finnish beekeeper. Maybe they visited an apiary in you country. It was 40 years ago at least.

Maybe he gets the BBKA magazine

Unfortunately I don't know what is BBKA.

Nevertheless, guys, I don't open all entrances completly, just in a bottom and in an upper box plus ventilation through roofs. Hives are dry. I remember winters when water dropped from my hives because of bad ventilation and a lot of pillows inside. Colonies had problems then.

 

[Finman]

Food condumption
Sept. - 4,6
Oct. - 2,98
Nov. - 0,6
Dec. - 0,8
Jan. - 0,8
Feb. - 1,37
Mar. - 1,06
Apr. - 5,08

Oh dear! That is really low consuption! Never met that low.
In Finland bees are 90% Italians. They consume about 2 kg/winter months.

It has no meaning if food is enough. The winter food cost is 12 €/hive and it is equal to value of 2 kg honey.

 

[Finman]

That's all right. I think those authors would have been happy to speak with Finnish beekeeper. Maybe they visited an apiary in you country. It was 40 years ago at least.
.

Hmmm. Nowadays our beekeeping has nothing to do with 70th beekeeping.

Those hives have been burned and now we have Langstroth hives. Horizontal hives are zero now.

I started 1963 and I have seen the change. Varroa killed all German Black bees and Carniolan took its place. I do not like Carniolans. I had them 10 years. Awfull swarming.
.

 

[Podilia]

Oh dear! That is really low consuption! Never met that low.
In Finland bees are 90% Italians. They consume about 2 kg/winter months.

It has no meaning if food is enough. The winter food cost is 12 €/hive and it is equal to value of 2 kg honey.

Taranov G. Food and Feeding Bees. 1986. (Таранов Г. Корма и кормление пчел) The classical book of Soviet beekeeping. In that research they had two groups of colonies with different data. I took the higher figures. I want to say they provided very efficient research at that time because ruling Party controlled they work. I'm not sure, they worked with the carpathian bees. This race is used to overwinter in small clusters of 5-6 dadant frames. If 1 frame=3-3,5 kg than it's enough for the period from September till the first fruit trees in May. Russian bees and our stepper bees eat the same amount of honey.
18-20kg of food is enough but colonies must be without brood as long as possible. In my opinion, this warm winter they have started too early. Many beekeepers say so.

1kg sugar=$0,5-0,7
1kg honey=$1,5-1,7

 

[For want of a better word]

Oh dear! That is really low consuption! Never met that low.
In Finland bees are 90% Italians. They consume about 2 kg/winter months.

It has no meaning if food is enough. The winter food cost is 12 €/hive and it is equal to value of 2 kg honey****.

What is the other 10%... Apis mellifera carnica???

**** is that per bee or per box of bees ???No wonder they consume so much!

 

[Finman]

What is the other 10%... Apis mellifera carnica???

**** is that per bee or per box of bees ???No wonder they consume so much!

Use your brains......

The rest 10% are almost Carnicas. Buckfast is rare.

.

 

[For want of a better word]

Use your brains......

The rest 10% are almost Carnicas. Buckfast is rare.

.

So... the Finnish bees are mongrels?

Must be similar to the Tamar Valley New Zealand Italians then.

 

[ShinySideUp]

Today in the apiary I did nothing...but outside the apiary I watched as hundreds of bees came out flying around in the warm air.

 

[Finman]

So... the Finnish bees are mongrels?

Of course they are. We do not have 100% mating control like you have out there.
.

You know, inside bee races there are tens of different breeds. I renew my apiary after some years to avoid inbreeding harms.

Pure is not good word in my beekeeping. Mostly it means poor productivity.
.

 

[Goran]

Our bees are up in the cloud.. There is more snow than in a valley.
Winter decided to whip with its tail. Snow, minus temps, cold northern wind..
We are blessed with the bees we have..

 

[Amari]

Cut the wood (scrap wood in the garage gleaned over many years - drives SWMBO mad) to make two under-floor entrance jobbies. JBM's design specifies sturdy timbers - would support triple jumbo Dadants with supers on top.

 

[drex]

Well done! You have always belittled your DIY skills to me. Being tight I make up everything I can. My mate has good access to timber that has been used once in making up film sets, which then goes in the skip once filming is complete. Thinking about making a few more nucs at present.

 

[beeno]

Checked on fondant levels before the impending cold snap - none needed. Filled up the cups in the manhole covers with a little hot water from the kettle as they are busy collecting water
and temp is only 6-7C.

 

[Curly green fingers]

Checked on fondant levels before the impending cold snap - none needed. Filled up the cups in the manhole covers with a little hot water from the kettle as they are busy collecting water
and temp is only 6-7C.

Listened to hive no need to tap the side as I could here them sat next to the hive .
There eating the fondant as inspection tray has blobs of fondant on they've consumed 1 kg in 3/4 weeks after weighing the hive today
I've all so taken some photo's of the hazel that's just started to open . the Erica's are flowering on mass on the common.

Sent from my Swift 2 using Tapatalk

 

[Goran]

Finally we have some winter which justify its name.. Whole day was at snow, checking electric wire ( for damn deers), removing broken branches and excess of snow. I feel regenerated, day working at snow somehow has such impact, silence on the snow is divine..
Bees are in the hives on these day minus temps, it is finally normal to them, sometimes I feel they wish such weather to rest a bit..
At the end of day was wet up to buttocks, but worth it..
About weather it is said that came from Siberia and will last a bit, but I don't what is about - these are winters how were before, seems people become softy..

 

[enrico]

You do my heart good Goran

 

[madasafish]

Great pictures as always Goran.. Thanks.

All hives now have fondant and pollen patties as I expect cold weather may last longer than the next week.. and high winds suggest fiddling with hives is not going to be recommended..

Happy to be proved wrong (again).

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

took advantage of the cold to clean all my queen excluders

 

[thorn]

I positioned my Abelo adjustable multi hive stand in readiness for putting the hives onto it. To move them a couple of feet away from the bushes onto the sloping ground will make my inspections so much easier.