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I guess I just need a shoulder to cry on. I lost one hive going into winter and see I've lost another. A third hive doesn't look very strong-- so I'm down to one strong hive. I like to keep 5!!
One question- I've stacked the hive boxes and supers, with some capped honey, using the (forgot the name) crystals. In spring do I need to do anything with that honey before giving it to a hive?
Thanks!
Tanya
Remove the moth crystals at once. If that stuff gets into the honey in any large amount, likely the bees will refuse to stay in the hive, and it will kill them just like it does moths if there is enough in there. You can use moth crystals for empty comb, but never on comb with contents.
Freezing conditions will kill off any wax moth or small hive beetle larvae -- just screen them to keep out moths and bees (or put a top cover upside down under the stack and another on top) and wait till spring.
Peter
You dont need moth crystals in PA this time of the year.
Thank you both for the information. Not sure why I wouldn't need moth crystals to store the supers. Maybe the wax moths aren't active now but in the spring??
Thanks!
Tanya
What did the lost hives look like? Thousands of bees dead? Only a few bees left and dead? Queen in the hive dead?
If you ever do use the crystals, you'll need to air them out for a week to 10 days before use.
Only a small cluster of dead bees and a few in other places. No queen.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Beeman
Tanya
Is it necessary to use the crystals in winter? I'm a bit confused since I thought that was the way to store them over winter.Quote:
Originally Posted by tefer2
Tanya
I just use a top cover (upsidedown) stack the hive boxes and supers and then install another top cover. Like a top cover sandwich. lol
Top cover sandwich- nice!
Tanya
I store all my comb so that air and light can get into them. Mine are in my garage but I see people storing them outside like this as well. Just stagger them when stacked.
When do I use the crystals then??
Tanya
Most folks use the crystals after they extract in the late summer early fall (empty comb). It is used to keep the wax moths out of them while in storage. When it's freezing outside there are no wax moths to invade your comb. So you don't need it when it is freezing outside. You can store them in the garage if sealed up tight.
Just remember wax moths don't like light or breezy conditions.
We are hearing heavy losses this year and certainly the drought cycle has a big impact. Our drought started here literally on May 15 and ran through the end of July followed by a heavy flow in August. We spent a great deal of time filling internal feeders and monitoring yards this summer to the point of having to neglect honey house and work at the home front. Even with that we saw comb production was curtailed, harvest was difficult because of less honey in the brood chambers at the end of the season and an upset in the balance of brood castes for the winter clusters. Perhaps a little of that Latrobe Brewery product would help ease the pain and then get right to planning for 2013 which is going to be a great year.
I did see what you explained... I think the bees were just consuming as they went and no stores. The only ones that had anything were the ones that already had stored honey from last year.
As for the Latrobe Brewery product-- it's a thought!!
Thanks!
Tanya