I started an overwintering challenge for Horizontal Hives on the Top Bar Hive forum and since we added a column for Convntional Langstroth hives and Warre hives I wanted to let you know you are welcome to join us. The challenge goes from November 1st to April 1st (April Fools Day which is why that is part of the titile). I started a spreadsheet for people to fill out to join, see Hive Overwintering Fools - Challenge 2013/2014 I'll try to change the spreadsheet name to go along with opening it up.
The challenge win is just bragging rights and being happy with your successfully overwintered hives. If you have columns you want added let me know. We have until November 1st to lock it down. Hope you join the fun!
Thanks! Sure! The warmer zones have a winter advantage but this is open to all who want to join. We might have to list category winners and not just overall survival. Most nucs, zones, hive type, etc...
I'm still tweaking the spreadsheet so let me know if I can make it better. I'm a bit worried it is getting too long.
Up to 24 with a little over a week to go until the official start. We have a nice mix so far but no Warre keepers yet. Guess I need to post the invite on their forum.
@ wengeasley Yes, just add your info to a row on the spreadsheet.
@ tank I saw a few people put that in their winter prep column but we can add it if you think it needs its own. All but one of mine is solid and the screened one is closed off.
I want to play! Good luck to all! I just hope I can get another yearly lost to better or match my last. Happy Wintering,,,Thanks to Collen? for switching my information to the second spreadsheet, or was that automatic?:scratch:
I need to change my numbers. I came home from vacation to find one colony was gone and one queenless which I will combine with another colony. I have another nuk I'm going to combine with a newer colony--which I would have had done by the 1st if I had not gone on vacation.
On Sunday I will correct my numbers. I still need to check country hives for accurate count.
It seems that after strong flows I lose a few queens and they are usually older queens. The hive I just lost looks like it went queenless. No dead bees or any sign of problem. No brood. Already robbed out but no sign of moths or beetles.
That is okay by me (hopefully no one else minds either!). I was figuring we could have a week grace period for any late joiners to get their numbers on the list anyway. Just put down what you know the situation to be today (or when you get the count done) when you update your numbers on Sunday. I certainly understand not being able to get in right away.
Tank, I added the column you requested on Solid or Screened bottom boards. Not sure if people will go back and fill it out now but hopefully they will!
fieldsofnaturalhoney, the spreadsheet was the same on both forum threads even though the link name might be different on the original. I renamed it when I opened it up to everyone.
fin and Dave B, you have put numbers in the 4-1-2014 column - did you mistake that for 2013?
jfb58, I added an observation hive column for you so that your numbers add up correctly.
Thanks all for joining! If you want, check in and update us with how things are going over winter. I'm excited to see how we all do!
Looks like we ended up with 43 on our challenge (possibly 44, the one that is just the name could be a placeholder). We have a nice mix!
I decided to go ahead and make some candy and slipped it in four of my five nucs on Monday. Not sure all of them needed it but if they don't I will just remove it in the spring. I haven't put insulation under my covers or over my windows yet but plan to soon.
Maybe it is missing the lively repartee that odfrank and Charlie B brought to last year's challenge? I was hoping they would join and bring it to this one. I tried to be fun with the title thinking Charlie B would jump at calling odfrank an overwintering fool but I am afraid it may have put more people off than it brought in.
Thank you for setting this up! I just added my info. I am curious to see how we all fare over the winter. That the info is in a spreadsheet will make is easy to sift and sort the results.
If some out there haven't yet added data, please consider doing so. The more data we have, the more we might learn.
Welcome to all the new additions! I'm happy you decided to join in! Be sure to record your numbers based on the November 1st start date. I'll be going in and adding the loss category columns soon. I left most of them out to make initial number recording easier.
I was able to verify that 100% of my hives are still going as of last Saturday. From what I have been able to gather we are now past eh first of the worst in winter losses. From information I have read diseases tend get them in December. starvation in February. according to that we coast through January. We will see.
Sounds promising! Maybe I need to figure out how to get the loss month onto the spreadsheet. Last year one starved out during a late February cold snap, the other one dwindled out in early March (that was why I made the challenge go thru April 1st). I think the one that dwindled lost their queen. They had tried to supersede her in October but I culled the cell because it was too late in the season. Guess they knew something I didn't.
We had a warm-up last week and I was encouraged to see all my nucs had bees out flying. There were some dead hauled out but not piles.
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