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Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers

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  • From: mike johnson <mm AT reddrum.com>
  • To: ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [ocba] Bees in cold
  • Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 19:18:21 -0500

I'm a first year beekeeper and learning all I can.  I know bees survive in the winter naturally, but I wonder if there is anything special I should do to try to give them a leg up surviving in the cold.

I started with a 5 frame nuc about June in an 8 frame hive.  The hive is located in a rural area surrounded by 100s of acres of farmland and my yard is filled with flowers and plants in landscaping.  I feel like these bees have had it made locating pollen this year.  It was incredible to watch them come in loaded down and crash in all the time.  I fed them for a few weeks in the beginning, but stopped when I saw so many coming in loaded down.

They currently have about a medium and a half filled with honey and a little honey on some frames in the large brood box.  I didn't take any honey off this year and I'm primarily interested in the bees and not the honey.  I just love their little society and started for that reason.

I put the bottom board in when it got cold and the entrance reducer on the wider opening and when it gets real cold, 30's, i flip it over to the small opening.

Is there anything else I should do to help their survival over the winter?  I've seen small heating units, 60w pads, and wondered if one below the hive would be beneficial?

Thanks for any advice in advance.

mike




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