winter feeding

[BearNBee]

55 today first hive check: 1 Russian (first year) 1 Italian (2nd year). I went to completely natural beekeeping this year. I did not feed this fall because there was enough honey left. Todays check on the Russian hive showed honey still in frames although I could not pull out frames do to their diligent propolis use, they even "glued" the inner cover to the outer! I'm sure that was just to mess with me! I tried to dig out a frame but I didn't want them exposed to long. Couple of handfuls of bees found but they look like they ate themselves into a corner. I noticed a few dead bees "butt out" 20 or 3 frames from cluster. Again, I couldn't remove any of the frames for a closer look. I figure I have 3 options: Do nothing, nature better at this then I am, feed with dry sugar over cluster, expose to weather as I dig out frames to move the full ones closest to the cluster. Weather is suppose to be in the 50's for the next couple of days but rainy then back to the 30s. With the weather in this area I don't know when I will get another chance to take a peek.

[Bean]

I keep RussianXSurvivor Stock in the NW corner of Washington in the Mountians (that's a reference to cold - it was snowing today). I do feed mine from extraction time to the first super. They don't really seem to need it, I'm just obsessive and worry about a prolonged cold period.

I wouldn't move the frames if it's going back to the 30's. They put the propolis where they want it, in part to combat the cold. If you choose to feed, I might suggest crystalized honey or bee candy rather than granulated sugar - the granulated sugar seems to mess with one of their glands (according to one study I read, of course I can't remember which gland) - bee candy recipies are all over the web.

You don't say, but you did make sure they had enough bee bread in the fall, yes? I also feed pollen substitute in the fall and spring (up to the first super). Some people just feed pollen. Some don't do anything.

If you do not feed, then split the survivors you have really strong bees. If none survive that's doesn't help at all. So it's rather a "where do you want to go with your bees?" and "how much risk will you take" moment.



55 today first hive check: 1 Russian (first year) 1 Italian (2nd year). I went to completely natural beekeeping this year. I did not feed this fall because there was enough honey left. Todays check on the Russian hive showed honey still in frames although I could not pull out frames do to their diligent propolis use, they even "glued" the inner cover to the outer! I'm sure that was just to mess with me! I tried to dig out a frame but I didn't want them exposed to long. Couple of handfuls of bees found but they look like they ate themselves into a corner. I noticed a few dead bees "butt out" 20 or 3 frames from cluster. Again, I couldn't remove any of the frames for a closer look. I figure I have 3 options: Do nothing, nature better at this then I am, feed with dry sugar over cluster, expose to weather as I dig out frames to move the full ones closest to the cluster. Weather is suppose to be in the 50's for the next couple of days but rainy then back to the 30s. With the weather in this area I don't know when I will get another chance to take a peek.

[BearNBee]

My Russians have the hive so "glued" up that I don't think I could move any frames right now, without leaving the hive open to long. I knew this was a trait of theirs I just underestimated the difficulty of breaking it loose!
They seem to have enough honey but like I said they have eaten themselves into a corner, when I checked at the begining of the month. We have had a few days of above 55 and today it will be 70. Tomorrow back to 30-40s (zone 5). I am practicing all natural beekeeping and would like to avoid artificial feeding but I don't want to lose the hive if I have underestimated their winter store. I am a relatively new beekeeper and this is a first year hive. I don't what to keep opening up the hive either. Also, I worry about feeding one hive, of a small pop. hive, with a big Italian colony beside it. Previous winters I would just feed all the hives whether they needed it or not!
My goal is to have surivor stock so I am leaning towards doing nothing. I have already let a colony expire that needed constant care, but that is a hard decision to make.

[Kieck]

If it's 55F or warmer, the cluster won't be stuck in a corner. At 55F, bees tend to be out and flying, not in a cluster. When the cluster reforms, it should be where they need it. And you can't guarantee that the cluster would form or move on the feed, either.

If your goal is "natural," I think you should avoid feeding. It is a hard decision to let colonies expire (or deliberately "expire" them), but it gets easier as you gain experience and/or have more colonies.

[Bean]

I think Kieck's right - if you want to go with all natural, just take a deep breath and chant "If they die I didn't want them anyway". The Russians may surprise you. They build up very slowly. I have had hives that showed every sign of being empty in February, but by March they were quite strong, just living in an odd place in the hive - probably the warmest spot.