What did you do in the garden today?

[jerryse]

I got my first seed catalog in the mail today! Gurney's.
Already planning for more tomatoes!
My bees in the 1 hive I have left a few weeks ago.
I have not successfully overwintered bees yet. I think I have been trying for 5 years now. This year's hive was a swarm that a friend caught for me this year.
My husband gave me a generous gift card to a local farm & home style store. I plan to use it to buy more chicks ( to replace the 9 chickens that disappeared a few months ago). I currently have 5 hens and 3 roosters.

Do you treat your bees for mites? It has been mild so far. So not cold weather.

 

[Sally PB]

My bees in the 1 hive I have left a few weeks ago.

One of our hives has died. I'm in the process of cleaning it out, to get it ready for the spring. We still have one hive.

I think they starved. We fed them 2:1 before it got too cold, but I'm thinking not enough...? This was what I thought was the stronger of the two hives, but I don't know enough to be sure of that. I haven't seen any mites, but I'm not examining every bee I pull out of there.

 

[jerryse]

I do not usually talk about what I do with my bees. I will now. I am aware that I am considered wrong. I do not feed my bees. I leave them enough honey. Honey is better for them. I treat for mites but never check for mites. I do not insulate my hives. Mites and starvation are the most common reason for dead outs. A dead hive with lots of honey may be due to too cold to move to more honey. I try to control small hive beetles. I prefer dark bees. Mountain bees. Carniolan and Caucasian. I started this time with a swarm. Requeened with purchased Queens after 2 years.

 

[Eagle343]

I do not usually talk about what I do with my bees. I will now. I am aware that I am considered wrong. I do not feed my bees. I leave them enough honey. Honey is better for them. I treat for mites but never check for mites. I do not insulate my hives. Mites and starvation are the most common reason for dead outs. A dead hive with lots of honey may be due to too cold to move to more honey. I try to control small hive beetles. I prefer dark bees. Mountain bees. Carniolan and Caucasian. I started this time with a swarm. Requeened with purchased Queens after 2 years.

So do you try and leave 40-50lbs of honey on the hive/s?

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I do not usually talk about what I do with my bees. I will now. I am aware that I am considered wrong. I do not feed my bees. I leave them enough honey. Honey is better for them. I treat for mites but never check for mites. I do not insulate my hives. Mites and starvation are the most common reason for dead outs. A dead hive with lots of honey may be due to too cold to move to more honey. I try to control small hive beetles. I prefer dark bees. Mountain bees. Carniolan and Caucasian. I started this time with a swarm. Requeened with purchased Queens after 2 years.

I do the same thing as you, but most years I do put some insulation wrap on the hives.

 

[Apis mellifera]

I have not successfully overwintered bees yet.

One of our hives has died. I'm in the process of cleaning it out, to get it ready for the spring.

It's so important to understand why your bees died, it puts you on another level. Check for white crystals in brood frame cell walls. You can wash a cup of dead bees on the bottom board for a mite count. Bees and brood die from diseases vectored by the mites. If bees are getting sick in August, they're not going to collect enough stores to overwinter or raise healthy winter bees.
https://beeinformed.org/2016/03/08/why-did-my-honey-bees-die/

I am aware that I am considered wrong.

Not at all! If bees are flying when the dandelions bloom, you're doing it right.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Good morning gardeners and Happy New Year!
Mopped floors, washing dog beds.
Opened birds at 8 been busy all morning.
Have some spinach in the garden I planted late.
I will cut it on a pizza fresh tomorrow.

 

[jerryse]

So do you try and leave 40-50lbs of honey on the hive/s?

I leave as much as they have packed in 2 deeps and a medium super. I only take early honey. It is for personal use only. This year only 2 deeps but I have a full super in reserve for each hive. In 22-23 I tried treatment free as I had hygienic queens. Lost 2 of 4 hives and treated the remaining 2. Lesson learned.

 

[Sally PB]

It's so important to understand why your bees died, it puts you on another level.

After cleaning another 5-6 frames, I'm pretty sure they starved. All of the bees have had their heads in cells, and many had their tongues out.

We took no honey, because there was none. Well, there was one side of one frame of capped honey in the super on this hive. We fed 2:1, wrapped both hives with tar paper, and put on mouse excluders. This is what we did last year, and our (one) hive came through the (very mild) winter.

 

[Apis mellifera]

I'm pretty sure they starved.

There has to be a reason why they starved. At some point they didn't have enough foragers and receivers to collect enough stores. As the season progresses weekly quick inspections will help you catch problems like mites, diseases, low stores, and queen events early.