[katmike]

I am in central IL and just returned from my hives. I just removed the cover and saw a lot of bees on the top frames of the upper deep. Could this mean that their winter stores are nearly depleted? I some to recall that the bees will move up during the winter as they consume their stores, so I didn't consider this a good sign. I lifted the back of the double deeps and it was around the 40-45 lb range.

My next concern is that we are forcasted to have very cold weather move in soon.

Should I do anything more???

 

[Dave W]

[ January 23, 2007, 03:50 PM: Message edited by: Dave W ]

 

[Dave W]

>lot of bees on the top frames of the upper deep . . .
If the bees went into winter in the bottom deep and now are on top of frames in top deep, I'd say they are looking for food.

>I lifted the back . . . it was around the 40-45 lb range . . .
If your "weight-guess" is correct, it may also indicate a "hungry hive".

1-story empty hive weighs approx 34 lbs, each 10-frame super of empty combs weighs approx 21 lbs.

Most Bkeps feed w/ a candy board in cold weather. When bees can fly, they can "get to" and use liquid feed. A jar feeder inside an empty super, hive body or box works well also.

 

[George Fergusson]

Bees clustering up in the top deep this time of year isn't uncommon- it's where I'd expect to see them actually. 40-45 pounds for a 2 deep hive however sounds light to me. It couldn't hurt to get some feed on them. I don't have a lot of experience feeding bees in the winter though.

 

[Dave W]

Bees w/ a "food chamber" on top of two deeps are never found "in the top", unless they are hungry.

It would not be uncommon for a 2-deep hive that didnt have enough food to start with, to be clustered in the top, this time of year.

 

[katmike]

Should I bite the bullet and go inside and move some frames closer to the cluster? The warmest temps in the next few days will be around 35.

Or should I just put liquid feed on top and hope for the best?

 

[Mike Gillmore]

I don't think that right now is a good time to start moving around frames. In this weather probably the easiest and most effective emergency feeding would be Mountaincamps dry sugar method. Do a search on "winter feeding" and see what you can find. There would be little colony disruption and the sugar will be right above the cluster.

 

[MountainCamp]

Take an empty box and place on the hive.
Place a sheet of newspaper or a couple of paper towels on the top bars. Pour granular sugar on the paper.
The inner cover and out cover go on top of the empty box.

For some pictures of sugar on paper and the bees: www.mountaincampfarm.com/wst_page5.php