Comments on: The Care and Feeding of Your Bees http://thebeespace.net/2009/02/18/the-care-and-feeding-of-your-bees/ Smart, Simple & Sustainable Beekeeping Fri, 18 May 2012 04:21:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Nick http://thebeespace.net/2009/02/18/the-care-and-feeding-of-your-bees/#comment-15650 Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:24:56 +0000 http://thebeespace.net/?p=2115#comment-15650 Hi Erez, just to be on the safe side you should talk to the person you are getting the nuc from for the dimensions. To make it easiest on the bees you could build a slatted transition board and set the nuc on top of your Warre (without the roof of course). You may also give this page a read: http://www.warre.biobees.com/hiving.htm

]]> By: Erez http://thebeespace.net/2009/02/18/the-care-and-feeding-of-your-bees/#comment-15630 Wed, 15 Feb 2012 01:49:42 +0000 http://thebeespace.net/?p=2115#comment-15630 Hey Nick,

What are the normal dimensions of a Langstroth Nucleus? I’m asking again because I’m confused. What do I need to do to one Warre to receive the Nuc that I’m getting? Or What do I need to do to the Nuc without upsetting the bees?

]]> By: mack http://thebeespace.net/2009/02/18/the-care-and-feeding-of-your-bees/#comment-14790 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:10:36 +0000 http://thebeespace.net/?p=2115#comment-14790 hi,
although my bees are at the bottom of the hive, ihave opened the super and have found that the honey i left them at the end of summer about four to five kg have been all taken either down to the hive or eaten by the bees. all the waxis is still intackt but not asingle drop of honey. what do you think has happened, do you think think they will have sufficient supply of honey.

]]> By: indigomontoya http://thebeespace.net/2009/02/18/the-care-and-feeding-of-your-bees/#comment-14788 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:36:58 +0000 http://thebeespace.net/?p=2115#comment-14788 Also, if you do move your boxes around be careful to not break up the brood into two different areas or they might not receive the attention/warmth they need. Obviously don’t try anything while you still have cold nights.

]]> By: indigomontoya http://thebeespace.net/2009/02/18/the-care-and-feeding-of-your-bees/#comment-14786 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:33:32 +0000 http://thebeespace.net/?p=2115#comment-14786 Hi!
In response to an earlier post about transitioning your bees from one hive type to another…

Bees tend to move UP in the hive during the winter as they consume their stores of honey and have a tendency to NOT move down in the hive come spring. This can cause congestion. I’ve never changed hive types but from what i understand it would be better to try to have them move up into it by rotating your winter hive box where the main cluster was at the end of the winter to the bottom of the stack. Obviously if your bees didn’t move up during winter than you can just leave it as is. My general understanding though is that the bees work their way up through a hive and not down.

]]> By: Nick http://thebeespace.net/2009/02/18/the-care-and-feeding-of-your-bees/#comment-13297 Fri, 30 Dec 2011 23:51:29 +0000 http://thebeespace.net/?p=2115#comment-13297 Hi Mack, closing your bees up like that usually creates more problems than it helps. Bees can only carry about half their weight in fecal matter before they’ll “go” inside the hive and will use warmer day’s to relieve themselves. You should try leaving the hives next year and wrap or insulate them (there’s lots of information online if you Google for it). I say put them out as soon as you can, when you hit 10°C day’s or better. Maybe someone who has more experience with this will come along and offer more help…

]]> By: mack http://thebeespace.net/2009/02/18/the-care-and-feeding-of-your-bees/#comment-13293 Fri, 30 Dec 2011 22:34:36 +0000 http://thebeespace.net/?p=2115#comment-13293 i lost my bees in winter in 2010 proberably to cold,as there was still honey in the bee box. this year i have put my bees in a container with ventilation where they are safe from frost and cold but i would like to know is when to bring them out again in late febuary or march. please advise as it is only my hobby. thanks

]]> By: Eve Vaterlaus http://thebeespace.net/2009/02/18/the-care-and-feeding-of-your-bees/#comment-4968 Sat, 09 Apr 2011 19:52:08 +0000 http://thebeespace.net/?p=2115#comment-4968 When I feed in the spring and fall, I make sugar syrup, but I first steep herbs which bees like in the water- sage, thyme, melissa, chamomile, use what you have and what they like, one or a few mixed. This is healthy for them, and makes me feel it is a bit better than sugar water. (I strain out the herbs before I add the sugar-)
I also add a dash of salt to avoid spoilage.

]]> By: Nick http://thebeespace.net/2009/02/18/the-care-and-feeding-of-your-bees/#comment-4886 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:56:18 +0000 http://thebeespace.net/?p=2115#comment-4886 Hi Maggie, that sounds like a great way to convert your hive. If we were heading into winter I would wait but since spring is here and the weather is getting warmer, this is the best time to do it. I would add the new hive bodies to the bottom, as you mentioned the natural tendency of the bee is to build down. Your bees are pro’s at maintaining the temperature inside the hive and will make any adjustments they need to to keep the brood from chilling.

Good Luck!

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