Bees in top box, not normal?

[The Soap Pixie]

I was just reading the "natures nectar" blog about what our bees should being doing right now (we are also in Minnesota). Their blog says that our bees should either be in the bottom box or the middle but not in the top. Our bees are in the top box, at least I can see them in there through the top entrance hole and they are buzzing loudly. Is this a bad sign? I was certain they had enough honey to get them through this very cold and very early winter. My hubby, who is much stronger than I, attempted to tip the hive (all 3 bodies) in October, and he could barely get it to tip it was so heavy but now I guess I need to be reassured that just because they are in the top box it doesn't mean they are doomed... or maybe it does? They aren't in the top box for entrance and exit only, I can see quite a few hanging out just inside the entrance.

You can see them here:http://lh4.ggpht.com/_UFaBrNBjB0k/TP...w/IMAG0111.jpg

[soupcan]

Can become a bad deal if the cluster eats it's stores up & you get a pro longed cold snap were as the bees can not move to there stored food supply.
Yes they can starve with a 60 to 70 pound surplus still on!
Candy Board Time!!!

[iahawk]

You'll still see some bees in the top box, at least early in the winter season. Remember how many bees you saw in the hive late summer/early fall? All those bees cannot fit in just one medium super. As time goes by, and bees die off, they eventually will cluster lower in the hive. As heavy as your hive was there should be plenty of available food for the bees. Just avoid the temptation of popping the top to take a peek. Much precious heat can be lost that way, though there are some who periodically lift the lid off even with snow around the hives and claim no harm done. I don't take that risk. Just put your ear up to the hive and listen for that pleasant, reassuring hum.

[Michael Bush]

I used to worry about this. But almost all of mine spend almost all winter at the top and after checking with others, I think theirs do too.

[honeydreams]

Soup can is right. I made the mistake this year not having a candy board on. I lost one hive during the cold snap we had I lost a hive honey on the other sides of the frames were the dead cluster was. Just could not break and move sad. But it happens.

[sweetacres]

I had a hive last year where I could see bees at the top entrance all winter. Made it just fine.

[The Soap Pixie]

THANK YOU!! for the reassurance. I wondered about bee numbers. All three boxes were jammed full in October and I wondered how all of them could fit in one box, then to read that they should not be present in the top was unnerving

Should I hold off on the candy board for now? We are in the single digits to low double digits... very cold. The bees are humming, especially when I clean the snow away from the hive and accidently bump it.

[Pife]

Here in central Ohio I open when it is above about 45 degrees. I use candy and candy boards and add them quickly so as not to chill the hive even at 45. I have single and double deeps and don't have major issues (I hope this does not jinx me). Michael Bush has the same experience as me. Many of my double deeps keep bees in the upper box and I feed.

You are doing what is right by reading. Unfortunately the bees don't read the same books and don't act as they are supposed to. Good luck, Pife

[Duboisi]

You should not remove the snow unless it hinders airflow or if it is very wet.

Dry and fluffy snow is an excellent insulator.

[Omie]

Soap,
My bees are in the top box as well. When it's sunny they hang around near the upper entrance and peek out. I'm assuming they know what they're doing. They should still have plenty of honey to work on.
Don't open your hive when it below 45F! You will break their propolis seals and let bitter cold drafts in right in the middle parts of the hive where the cluster might be hanging out. Remember, they slow down when they are cold and don't eat as much. As Pife says, don't open at all under 45F, and then do whatever very quickly and close back up quickly!
Me, I'm not opening my hives at all til Spring.

[soupcan]

Ok so let's do the math.
A 20# candy board will cost you less than $20 bucks.
A 3# package of bees in the spring ( if you can get them ) is well over $75 I hear.
Queens are over $20 for spring splits.
I learned a good many years ago in this business that being pro active is a much better thing than being reactive.
Sometimes one must spend the .90 cents to insure that there will be a dollar to put in your pocket so to speak at the end of the season.

[The Soap Pixie]

Thanks for the advice and notes of experience on this! It is pretty cold here today (30) so I will just let them be for now as I wouldn't want to freeze them out and I think I'll have the hubster go out and tip the hive a bit and see if there is some weight to it still (hopefully the girls don't come out in angry swarms, they get testy when we touch the hive now).

Re snow: Shouldn't the snow be removed from around the lower entrance for ventilation? (we don't have a screened bottom board). I also thought that if too much snow gathered up against the lower entrance that when the bees were clustering and warming that moisture would develop? Is that incorrect?

[soupcan]

We many years put candy boards on in temps below 30 degrees.
Pop the lid & have the candy board in the other hand ready to install.
The little bit of chill the bees catch with the lid off this short peroid of time is little or nothing to them.

[Michael Bush]

>Ok so let's do the math.
>A 20# candy board will cost you less than $20 bucks.

And an empty box and some dry sugar will only cost you the price of the sugar...

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm#drysugar