Feeding Indoor Hives

[Ian]

hey thats a cool idea, thanks for that!
backwards beekeeper? that last post was progressive !

[Nick Noyes]

How heavy are the singles in the video when you put them in the building?
I wouldn't spend a lot of time in the building even with the red lights. They still like to fly and crawl at 40 F and they don't usually make it back to the hive.

[Ian]

Ya Nick, I only have the lights on when sweeping he floor or checking my fans. Even the red lights disturb them enough to get the odd straggler wandering out. Nothing like white lights though.

For the most part the singles went in between 75-90 lbs.

[Mtn. Bee]

Your Welcome! Dreamed it up after lots of trial and error or should I say mostly error! ha ha
Now I am kicking around the idea of a slide in screen in that top entrance by cutting a groove in the top cleat kinda like a sliding window in your house. This is for moving my bees as I like to screen and net the load unless it is a short move then it is screen and load and go. Currently I just staple stout alum expanded mesh over the entrances using a slap stapler but by the time I get one stapled the bees on the rest of the pallet are boiling out b/c they feel the stapler hitting the other boxes and they know the routine even at night. So I figure if I can just walk around and slide the screened windows (entrances) shut it will save a lot of time and I will not leave hardly any bees behind when moving them! Mtn Bee

[Ian]

Id love pictures of that, but cant take a picture of your thoughts, right?!

I think it incredibly interesting hearing other beekeepers "ways" or "doodads" they have come up with to make this work easier.

Dont even get me started on the project I initiated this winter to help pull honey!

[Nick Noyes]

We have dumped granulated sugar (dryvert would be better) in them in the shed. I think we did more harm (disruption) than good.

[Mtn. Bee]

Ian I will send you some pics once I have the prototype built and you can let me know what you think. Always great to hear input from other beeks and get there 2 cents for something that might have been staring me in the face but was overlooked or in other words "Beek Tunnel Vision".

[Ian]

what made you make the decision to dump dry sugar on the hives while inside? and how exactly did you do that? Must of moved them and opened them up? Ya, I would think that would add alot of stress on them

[Mtn. Bee]

I think it incredibly interesting hearing other beekeepers "ways" or "doodads" they have come up with to make this work easier.

I think this would make an very interesting thread (ie. Ways and Doodads of other beekeepers, let's hear them)!!!

[Ian]

Ian I will send you some pics once I have the prototype built and you can let me know what you think. Always great to hear input from other beeks and get there 2 cents for something that might have been staring me in the face but was overlooked or in other words "Beek Tunnel Vision".

I will warn you, I can be blunt at times,.. but I would like that

[Allen Martens]

Nick, interesting your experience is 40 F as to when difficulties arise in the wintering shed. I very comfortable with temperature up to about 50 F and not too concerned if temperatures reach mid 50's F in spring for a couple of hours. If I want to work in the wintering shed, I normally drop the temperature down to 35 F or so.

Ian, I will try to post some pictures next week showing the wire supports the beekeepers that fed with the tubs used. The holes were very small. I think they made them with a small nail.

[Adrian Quiney WI]

Ian, I'm curious as to survival rates. What are your survival rates now compared to your pre-shed days?

[Ian]

ran a 7% loss last year

[WWW]

Ian,
With the long 4-5 months and your bees not being able to go out on cleansing flights I was wondering if there is a defecation mess inside the hives come spring and if so are you doing anything to clean up the insides of the hives in March or do the bees take care of the cleanup?

With my winters here in Southeast Ohio the bees rarely go a month between cleansing flights, and they usually fly every 2-3 weeks so my original question is one of curiosity as to what the bees can endure in extreme conditions and what it is you all do to help them if needed......Thanks

[Ian]

no, there is no mess. On a few hives, that have issues with nosema or disentry the frount of the hives will be messed up, but usually the insides of the hives are fine. Any hive that messes up the frount usually doesnt make it.

[WWW]

Thanks for the insight Ian, that is pretty amazing that bees stay holed up that long without cleansing flights. You have quite a setup going, I wish you the best for this coming spring.

[Ian]

pretty amazing that bees stay holed up that long without cleansing flights

Amazes me too

[Ian]

I think this would make an very interesting thread (ie. Ways and Doodads of other beekeepers, let's hear them)!!!

Hey Mtn. Bee, when are you going to start that thread !

[BMAC]

that is pretty amazing that bees stay holed up that long without cleansing flights.

dont want to be under those bees long after they get out of the shed.

[BMAC]

Ian back on the idea of top entrance:

What about using a small fan to blow in the granulated sugar into the NUCs? I was thinking about that and I know mannlake or someone sells a sugar blower. I would think that would pack enough granulated sugar into each NUC to give them emergency feed. That of course is whether or not you have upper entrances.

Maybe It could work the same with lower entrances.

Food for thought