Are you ready for the Odfrank overwintering challenge?

[WWW]

BG, Thanks for the compliment, and the success of your treatments is great news I can see you going through next winter with no losses, keep up the good work .

Moon, each nuc is counted as a hive, I am glad that you still have your production hives.

[Charlie B]

Bill,

Please do another overwintering project next winter. It's very boring this winter without your hive temperature post! I've been trying to keep busy playing jokes on Olly but it's just not the same without your on line experiments.

[odfrank]

I've been trying to keep busy playing jokes on Olly

I DO NOT WET MY BED AND HAVEN'T FOR OVER 55 YEARS. ha ha ha, you're a funny guy. Now go apologize to Benjamin.

[WWW]

Charlie,
I will give it some thought, surly there is something we could experiment with to pass these long winter nights . Sounds like Olly could use the reprieve .

[Charlie B]

Sorry Ben!

[RayMarler]

I must be close to first place... I've still got 3 out of 13 buzzing along on sunny days. Mites were the biggest culprit. Lack of fall flows another.

[odfrank]

I must be close to first place... I've still got 3 out of 13

That is 77% loss, you are ahead of me. Another Champion! I think we here in Mid California have had higher loss rate since 2006? Was that treatment free?

[rweakley]

And here I thought the point was to keep them alive. Silly me. LOL So far I have 9 out of 10 still alive and the 10th one has some bees in it, but don't think they will make it. My biggest problem this winter has simply been the bees not having enough food due to the drought. I do see mites on my inserts under my screened bottom boards, but maybe 15 or 20, and that's not a 24hr #, that's a hey it's been a few weeks lets look at how many mites are on the board and then clean it off #. LOL We had 60 degree weather the last couple days and I got into a couple of the hives to see how things were fairing, and they look ok (could be better on stores of course), even saw some brood and saw a few bees with pollen on their baskets. Just gotta make it to march and things will be fine.
Rod

[GLOCK]

And here I thought the point was to keep them alive.
Rod

ME two hehe i'm down to 12 from 19 in AUGS i'm getting close to 50% but the ones i have now seem strong my nus seem to be eating alot and i had to add more sugar to the top of them today . It was near 60 today and in the 20s tomorro not like last year thats for sure.

[Charlie B]

I got drones already in some of my hives, Eucalyptus flow is on, good times are coming!

[RayMarler]

That is 77% loss, you are ahead of me. Another Champion! I think we here in Mid California have had higher loss rate since 2006? Was that treatment free?

Yea Olly, all they got from me was sugar water and pollen sub in the fall. I started a month late on the sub and did not continue it long enough. 1 of the remaining 3 ain't going to make it, I looked under the hood today. The other 2 have a fighting chance.

[BeeGhost]

I got drones already in some of my hives, Eucalyptus flow is on, good times are coming!

Dang, you've got drones already! Right on! The euc flow is fattening up my country hives for the move, if I can ever find the time to move them! Not in a big hurry though, I want fresh eggs in the hive incase something happens to the queens in transport. Might transfer my nucs to single deeps tomorrow after work though so I can treat them with the OAV.

[Zier64]

I lost 1 to starvation but not anything else. Soggoing good...still snowing but if i can get everyone through with food till spring.

[Charlie B]

Four more gone. 28 out of 35 left. Not a good day.

[BeeGhost]

Still not bad Charlie!

[franktrujillo]

im doing very well i have 13 of 13 left i checked them 5 days ago treatment free.they were all doing cleansing flights.one more month to go before maples bloom

[WWW]

Wow, you fellas in California have had a rough go of it this winter, I hope things turn around for you with the Eucalyptus flow.

[Charlie B]

Still not bad Charlie!

I guess I should be thankful for the hives I have left but most of the deadouts were my oldest colonies, some of which I was really attached too.

Is it time for swarm traps yet?

[odfrank]

Last week I found a queen wandering around outside in the gravel, then I found a queen wandering around in a dead out hive, and today I found a 1 1/2 story hive crammed from top to bottom with winter honey and looking queenless, no eggs no larvae, no sealed brood. Fifty plus pounds of honey produced after 8/6 from an April 12 bait hive that languished until after August. Brood combs full of new honey.

[psfred]

Well, last warm day I took a look, there were a couple dozen dead bees in front of both hives, so I guess there are still live bees in there to carry the dead ones out!

Gotta check weight soon so I can feed in necessary, but we will have at least a couple more weeks of sub-freezing nights so I won't be able to look inside for a while yet.

Hoping to get a decent honey crop this year.

Peter