The girls made it

well my girls made it through the cold wet winter here in the pacific north west I am so happy after two years of trying to winter bees they finally made it. Now on to spring so this year I can get a honey harvest
Johns Bees

Congrats so far, but you may want to buffer some of that enthusiasm. Later winter can throw some challenges your way. Keep a close eye on stores and be prepared to feed if necessary.

I have plenty that made it too, but they aren't looking too great. John

I'm just a little south of you in Gresham/Portland, OR and so far my 2 hives look good. This is my third year keeping bees but the first year I have been able to get them through the winter. I have heard this is the toughest time of the year though. It's still close to freezing at night and daytime temps are only in the high 40's. On the top bars I sprinkled some divert sugar mixed with some BeePro thinking it would be a back up if the honey stores disappeared. I really don't want to open the hives until temps get to the 60's. So far so good though!!

I advise caution as well. I'm in southwest MO where it's warm and we already have buds forming on plants, and I lost a hive just yesterday.

First part of March is always the toughest time for me. If I lose bees it will be in the next 2-3 weeks. When the weather begins to warm and the bees begin to hatch they can eat a lot of stores in a hurry. Good Luck!

I'm in the hills above Camas, WA, and I count my hives for winter loss on April 1. It's true that when they start raising brood that they can starve when we have constant rain in March, but also mite loss can finish them off when weakened fall bees start dying in late winter and early spring.

We had a day in the upper 50's last weekend and I looked in most of my hives. Right now I am encouraged that they all (19 of them) have a lot of bees. They have very little if any capped brood right now, but many still have 8 frames of bees. Even my nucs are still pretty full of bees.

I forgot to mention in my first post that I gave them two pollen patties and gave them some sugar slurry.
also there was about 6 frames of bees so I think they are looking very good so far.

I've lost 1 so far (out of 4), and another may be weak, but is wintering low so I can't tell what's going on. Gave them dry sugar and pollen patties yesterday. Syrup as soon as it warms up.

Congrats on your success johns_bees. I'm a bit more conservative on declaring a success with my hives here in the midwest and tend to wait until the first week in May to declare which hives have been deadouts. Wyoming seems to catch some crazy weather in March and April. Best of luck to you in 13' =D

johns bees,

So far, so good!!! Our morning temps are still in single digits, but a couple of days ago I bumped the hive a little and heard them "happily" buzzing away. So, when it warms a bit "I'll pop a top" and say Hello to the girls.
It's my first hive and first winter and it's been the coldest in about 10 years. I was really worried that they may not make it. Said with crossed fingers!! memtb

Your coldest in ten years? This has been one of the midlest winters on record IMO in the upper North East. What part of the state is Winchester in Memtb?

Last year was the warm one. I actually got hazlenuts on some bushes I planted many years ago. Actually hardly a winter. THis one is actually about norm here in central Montana. I have lost 3 out of thirty. They were real cripples going in and I have a couple more that should have been shaken out last fall still perking along. I put pollen patties on the weakest to see if it saves them and on two strong ones to see if it hurts them. Won't probably have pollen til late March.

Moon,
Winchester is about halfway between Thermopolis and Worland, beside the Bighorn river. Best described as just a "spot in the road, then they moved the road"! When I said coldest maybe I'll attemp to clarify. We've certainly had much colder temp.'s, but they rarley stay more than a few days then warms pretty nicely. Our winters seem to cycle that way. This year it went below zero in Nov., and from late Dec. to present almost all morning temps. have been hoovering either side of zero. That said, with this little front we've got coming thru, it warmed up a bit!! memtb