🐝💗Our Backyard Beekeeping Journey!💗🐝

[drstratton]

No.

When I get package bees from California they come certified mite free by the state of California.

The only time I ever got a mite infested package of bees, it was from Pennsylvania and they did not survive the summer.

Mites would have a problem trying to overwinter here outside of a live hive with our normal - 30°F temps.

That's awesome.
I knew your temps were a lot colder than ours. How long is your honey season? I'm sure it's shorter than ours.

 

[R2elk]

I knew your temps were a lot colder than ours. How long is your honey season? I'm sure it's shorter than ours.

Fruit trees start blooming in April.

First frost is usually the first weekend in September.

Most blooms if not all are done in October with foraging pretty much done by then.

 

[drstratton]

Fruit trees start blooming in April.

First frost is usually the first weekend in September.

Most blooms if not all are done in October with foraging pretty much done by then.

Pretty close to us except for the first frost. Middle of October here.

 

[Sally PB]

our normal - 30°F temps.

How do you winterize your hives for those temps? That. Is. COLD!!

 

[R2elk]

How do you winterize your hives for those temps? That. Is. COLD!!

Until recently, I never did. I did try insulating the year before last with 1 1/2" styrofoam on one hive, a double wall black plastic cover on one hive and the third hive which is made from 2 by lumber got a 1 1/2" insulating cap as dit the other two hives. All 3 hives came through the winter in great shape that year.

My first hive was Carniolans (very poor honey producers) that lasted for 7 years with no outside help.

The last year they came through the winter in great shape, were workiing the Nanking cherry blossoms really hard when the county mosquito sprayer came through during the daytime and fogged everything. The next day all the bees were dead.

I am sure it wasn't a coincidence that they all died after the sprayer came through. I had never seen them spray during the daytime before and not since then either.

 

[Sally PB]

That just pisses me off!

 

[Sally PB]

My first hive was Carniolans (very poor honey producers) that lasted for 7 years with no outside help.

Which ones are your best producers?

 

[R2elk]

That just pisses me off!

Don't angry face the messenger.

 

[Sally PB]

Sorry, the angry wasn't for you. What makes me angry is the county assuming that spraying a pesticide is a good idea.

 

[R2elk]

Which ones are your best producers?

Italians by far out produce anything else.

I had a line of Italians from Noble Apiaries that were fantastic and over wintered well without any outside help.

Unfortunately for me, they stopped shipping package bees.