# Winter Losses 2009 -- Capturing Survival Rate by Zipcode



## cdowdy (Mar 12, 2008)

I had 11 hives going into winter 5 of them didn't make it. Cdowdy at 38549 zip.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Lost:
1 out of 2 - 95030
2 out of 2 - 94010
1 out of 2 - 94019
3 out of 6 - 94402 two were late summer losses excellent established colonies
17 out of 34 - 94401, also started in late summer, half of the remaining 17 are non -viable clusters


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## tecumseh (Apr 26, 2005)

.75% (that 3/4 of 1%) at 77845. 

not perfection but not so bad for god's most imperfect beekeeper.


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## Alf57 (Feb 24, 2009)

Overwintered 38 colonies
Lost 6, a few( 7 colonies ) that are weak and I have been feeding --- 15063 

Al


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## Black Creek (May 19, 2006)

9 going into winter. all 9 still going but light 23111


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## NDnewbeek (Jul 4, 2008)

Lost:
2 of 3 - zip code 58622


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## Brenda (Nov 23, 2006)

Lost 1 of 1 - 62056 IL


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## Fishdude123 (Jul 28, 2008)

No loses 1 of 1 98223


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

CentralPAguy said:


> I attended my local beekeeper's meeting for the first time and they announced that 35 to 60% of the hives in PA didn't make it thru the winter.


That's quite a statement. How do they know? Who collected the data and when? It's still March, the month that more hives die than any other. So, when do you stop the count? May 1st? My point being that there is still time for hives to be counted as winter killed.

But to answer your question. The bee tree and the bees in the wall of the house made it through the winter, so far. Zip Code 13613.

The rest of my bees are in SC. 15% died. I don't know the zip for Conway, SC. Do migratory losses count where they're counted? Or where they came from? Just curious.


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## franktrujillo (Jan 22, 2009)

no losses 1 of 1 81624 elev 6000'


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## gingerbee (Jul 22, 2006)

I had 3 hives going in, 0 hives died, Zip Code 27284


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## spencer (Dec 7, 2004)

lost 1 of 7 zip code 48439


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## BillS (Feb 2, 2005)

4 out of 4 made it. 11901

Bill Schaefer

Keeping bees for 42 years and starting to get the hang of it.


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## GRIMBEE (Apr 3, 2007)

2 hives going into winter, no losses so far. 06825


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## Marc (May 20, 2005)

1 (nuc) out of 8 (2 nucs and 6 full size hives), that's 12.5%, zip code 46032


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## rw3212 (Apr 8, 2008)

*losses*

lost 5 of 7 30011


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## Luke (Sep 8, 2003)

I had 5 hives and 1 nuc going into winter. I lost 1 hive.

2 hives plus nuc 04043 (lost one hive here)

2 hives 03820

1 hive 03855


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## denny (Aug 2, 2006)

16 hives, 10 nucs going into winter,......no losses 

zip...05362


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## K. Szegi (Mar 17, 2008)

8 hives and 1 nuc going in .... no losses over the winter..... 34482


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## bleta12 (Feb 28, 2007)

Lost 5% of my overwintered matting nucs.
Lost 20% of my overwintered 5 frame nucs.
Lost 7% of my big hives.

06010 CT

I hope this numbers will not change and there is only one direction they can change, unless you believe in bee resurrection.

Gilman


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## wadehump (Sep 30, 2007)

lost 4 of 6 ,45640


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## eri (Jun 16, 2008)

1 of 1 lost, 27516
first-year package


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## LAC (Sep 19, 2008)

No loses 2 of 2 06478 CT


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## KenD (Feb 25, 2009)

3 hives - no losses. Zip: 29645


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## thesurveyor (Aug 20, 2002)

lost 4 of 13 ... 28655


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## SPRUCE BEE (Mar 14, 2009)

All 5 made it & are building up fast! 98638


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## Jas0n Bresson (Feb 3, 2008)

lost 1 of 5 06069
lost 2 of 3 06790


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## nc checkers (Apr 4, 2006)

lost 3 out of 30

27217


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## Daisy Kindle (Mar 19, 2009)

1 of 2 lost

zip code 54170


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## Wyatt Barnes (Jun 15, 2008)

*Winter losses*

I had 24 going into winter and lost one due to mice. The queen was dead but many bees were still alive. 23 out of 24 survived the winter. 80301


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## Andrew C (Mar 16, 2008)

This was my first year beekeeping and I lost 1 of 4 Mankato Minnesota 56001. The ones that survived are looking good!


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## justin (Jun 16, 2007)

went in with 4, lost 0. 59820


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## CentralPAguy (Feb 8, 2009)

sqkcrk asks a good question on who collected the data as it is still March. It was my first meeting and the statement was said to the group, so I really don't know what was reported was indeed fact. I did have some conversations with other beekeepers at the meeting and they reported losses.

As you can see by the posts, there is a wide range of losses.

Let's keep this post active until at least May 1, 2009 in order to let the northern most beekeepers report on their bees.


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## Sambee (Apr 29, 2008)

Just checked mine 2/2 survived 48917

one was looking weak last week, checking it again tommorow


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## woodmann98 (Jun 23, 2008)

6 of 6 survived 95232


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## Mike the Rookie (Apr 11, 2008)

Lost 1 of 1. 21229


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## hilltop hives (Mar 9, 2007)

*Winter Loss 2009*

16 out of 20 zip 37377


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## aszalan (Sep 16, 2007)

10 survived out of 14, 72701


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## jarrod (Jul 18, 2007)

4 of 4 made it 72751

1 of those hives was extremely weak going into winter because I only started it two months before, and yet it made.


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## Eyeshooter (Mar 8, 2008)

started with 2, 0 died, 03467


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## phil c (Jan 21, 2007)

4 for 4 made it thru the winter 52213


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## pom51 (Jul 28, 2008)

I had 5 going onto winter all made it thorough the winter just install two packages that are booming. zip 29349


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## jrtrapper (May 2, 2008)

*Still buzzing*

3 hives all still going,not out of the woods on winter yet! 04062


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## Beorn (Apr 15, 2007)

*Pretty sure I screwed it up*

I lost 2 of 3 this winter but moved them in the middle of December 150 miles


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## honeyshack (Jan 6, 2008)

Can a Canadian get in on this?
Went into winter with 147 hives
first count, 90 live strong,
25 live weak and 
32 dead.
It is still pretty cold here so there could be more deaths yet.

so far, 22% dead

R0C 0Y0 is the postal code


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## ss91 (Jul 12, 2006)

lost 8 of 50 98848


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## dpopebee (Mar 5, 2009)

*Decent Percentage*

Down to this point in the postings, the loss is 90 out of 389 for 23.1%. That's not counting several posts that reported percentage loss and not the actual number of colonies lost. This somewhat supports the comments that smaller non-migratory beekeepers suffered less loss. It would be interesting to see how many of the reported lost colonies here were from CCD.


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## RonSarge (Feb 24, 2009)

2 going in --- 2 look good zip = 04042 (Hollis, Maine)


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## Jesse (May 15, 2006)

11 of 11 alive - 9 were nucs bought last year the other two are going into their 3rd growing season - as other have already stated, still a few weeks of "winter" 54246


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## CentralPAguy (Feb 8, 2009)

Dpopebee,

I am sorry to see the percentage of your losses. Were you able to identify what might have caused your losses or do you believe that it was CCD?

It is interesting in that it is showing a pattern that beekeepers with less hives (likely non-migratory) did suffer less loss.

For those individuals who posted percentages, are you able to identify number of hives going in and coming out. Would you consider yourself a migratory beekeeper if you have large quantities of hives?


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## CentralPAguy (Feb 8, 2009)

Honeyshack,

Canadians are welcome to post their survival rate -- Are you a migratory beek as your loss ratio seems high compared to the those beeks with less hives? Have you been able to identify what might have caused your losses?


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## knadai (Jun 24, 2007)

2 colonies entered winter, both died, 49120


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## Show-me (Aug 3, 2007)

10 for 10 so far, we are in a major cold snap. 63438


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## annette (Mar 27, 2007)

lost 1 out of 2 95667


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## bigbore (Feb 25, 2008)

4 going in
1 comming out

25421


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## dpopebee (Mar 5, 2009)

*Confusion*



CentralPAguy said:


> Dpopebee,
> 
> I am sorry to see the percentage of your losses. Were you able to identify what might have caused your losses or do you believe that it was CCD?
> 
> ...


The posting that I made were not my losses. This was a summary of all the postings preceding my posting.


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## pzbeez (Mar 18, 2007)

Lost 2 of 5, one late (free) swarm and one weak hive i should have requeened earlier. The swarm was only one 5 frame deep and survived until 2 weeks before spring and died due to ALOT of moisture. 
Muskoka, Ontario. L0K1B0


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## hondo (Mar 14, 2009)

1 of 2. zip 06370


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## BeeR549 (Sep 2, 2008)

20 going into winter. 20 still very alive and kicking. building up good. 73072


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## Ted n Ms (Apr 25, 2008)

over wintered 4 still gotem zip 39773


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## paulnewbee1 (Jan 27, 2007)

had 4 going into winter lost 1 due to a laying worker found it in late Aug. to late to 
re- queen. 3 are still going are strong 
Our Bee Keeper Assoc. had 8 lost 5 
I did not wrap had a screened bottom open all winter our temps were as low as 17 below. 
I am feeding now temps in the 30's had a few days in the high 50's 
in two hives I gave them 2lbs of pure sugar on the inner cover they are still eating that as of last week.


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## dcross (Jan 20, 2003)

Lost 13 of 16, zip 53042


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## hikerboy (Apr 26, 2007)

lost 1 of 1 

80211


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## beeslinger (Jan 17, 2009)

4 going in, 4 survived. 70461


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## stoweski (Apr 1, 2008)

Eyeshooter said:


> started with 2, 0 died, 03467


But they sure had an eventful summer... as did their keeper! 

2 of 3 died. Both were 1st year packages. One remaining is a swarm from late summer.
12009

Keith


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## spunky (Nov 14, 2006)

*hives*

Had 2 going in ,1 coming out 47833

It has 2 mediums full of bees


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## DChap (Oct 19, 2005)

had 23 going into winter lost 2, expected to loose at least 5 but fortunatly this time bees rarely do whats expected. zip code 84637

Blessed Bee 
Doug


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## Dubhe (Jul 19, 2007)

Lost 1 of 5 (starvation) 11790


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## summer1052 (Oct 21, 2007)

77964

7 in. 7 out.

Summer


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## chillardbee (May 26, 2005)

7 hives out of 106 and 8 nucs out of 20 

PC V2R 3A2 Canada


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## dug_6238 (May 9, 2007)

Lost 1 out of 11
15938

The colony lost looks like mite load.

Others are all strong except one that separated into 2 clusters. Larger cluster died (maybe mites), smaller one along with queen survived - feeding this one now to help build up and will boost with a frame or two if needed. There was also a mouse in this hive, but eating only, not staying. 

It would be nice if you would link this data to a map, much like the bloom data is being linked. Good time to remind everyone to be throwing your bloom data over there too. Both that and this thread were good ideas.


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## MermaidGoat (Mar 31, 2009)

I had one hive going into winter - it survived! zip: 05733
My mother had 1 hive going into winter - it was a loss (varroa) zip: 05733


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## snarky (Oct 6, 2006)

3 out of 3 made it 30152


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## cream43 (Jan 2, 2008)

1 hive made it thru ok. 29464


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## Shumpitron (May 23, 2007)

Philadelphia Bees suffered no losses: 3 of 3 hives survived 19147


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## dave56301 (Aug 4, 2008)

0 for 2. 56201


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## alexcc1 (Nov 12, 2006)

*71105*

3 of 3 survived the winter and are building fast. One needed to be fed or it surely would have starved. 71105


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## schmism (Feb 7, 2009)

lost 1 of 1 62014


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## notaclue (Jun 30, 2005)

100% survival

4 of 4 lived!

72012 Beebe


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## newbee816 (Jul 6, 2008)

No loss - 1 of 1 01469


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## bnatural (Aug 10, 2008)

It is now April and pollen is coming in, so guess I can post on winter losses.

Lost 0 of 6 hives. Zip: 03743

Also, lost 4 of 6 nucs, but it was the first time I ever tried nucs, let alone overwintering them, and I did not feed soon enough. For me, 2 survivors out of 6 is a success for the first time. And, I learned a lot.

Fed all 6 main hives and the 2 nucs dry sugar and pollen patties, starting mid-Feb. All but one hive took all the sugar and most or all of the patties.

Watch, now we'll get a blizzard and a week of below zero temps.

Bill


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## leamon (Mar 30, 2006)

*No losses. Zip 46131.*

4 of 4 alive as of 4/2. I do not treat. I am what most would probably term a 'bee have er' not a 'bee keeper'. I put dry sugar on early winter. Only 1 hive seemed to use any but it absorbed moisture. 1 was an '05 swarm, 1 an '07 swarm and 2 are '08 swarms. 
leamon


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## Quint Randle (Apr 29, 2006)

8 of 8 in 84097


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## kopeck (May 26, 2007)

No losses (3 of 3 alive) in 04949.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

*From Zip 05478*

I had to wait to answer this thread. You all are out there early...earlier for sure than I. Took about 3 weeks to get everything unwrapped and the deadouts diagnosed and picked up.

I finished unwrapping on Friday. I wrote this to the Vermont inspector tonight, when he asked how the bees in my area wintered.

In Vermont, with about 275, I lost 8 dead. Some more are weak of course. Too weak and I consider as dead. Haven't looked at brood yet, just population. Overall, I would say the bees are better than average. Many strong colonies, with the cluster top to bottom in 2 3/4 stories. Haven't had to feed much...maybe 2 barrels for 700...on both sides of the lake. Only found 1 starved in Vermont. Rest of deadouts seem to be a mix of queen problems or V mites.

New York bees are pretty good too, but more losses. Lost about 20 of 450. 5 or 6 yards around Chazy had mite problems. 2 or 3 dead out of 20-24 colonies in each of those yards. Some weak. Many only medium in strength. Rest of 21 yards are nice bees. Similar to Vermont. But, I saw a bit of starvation in my northern NY yards. 6 or 8 starved total, in the 4 usually heaviest yards. Go figure.

Mating Nucs look great. Of 160 or so, about 150 double mating nucs with 8 mini frames each are overflowing with bees. Just moving them to holding yards today and tomorrow. Probably look inside them this weekend. Might add supers over excluder. Too strong, really. I'd hate to lose those wintered queens. It's gonna be some work.

The 4 frame nucs are nice, but not quite as strong as the mating nucs...but still nice....some 285 made it, of a little over 300 into winter. I can already see I'm going to run out of equipment when I transfer nucs. Not enough dead production colonies this winter, to suck up the extra nucs. I'm going to try to get to 750 production colonies this year, and requeen all the weak and less than medium colonies with the extra over wintered nucs. 

Looking forward to work in the cell building and mating yards. I have a bunch of excellent vshxvsh and vshxcarni nucs that I'll be flooding my breeding valley with...from St. Albans Bay to the State prison near Mraz's yard. In total, there are 4 apiaries close enough for drones, with my mating yards roughly in the middle. Come catch queens some time. Heck, there's even entertainment...when the Boys start hootin' it up in the prison yard.

Hoping the flow will co-operate this year. The bees are there.
Mike


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Got my bees settled,

looking at a 30% loss

hoping for a good spring

it has been a long hard winter here

losses have been mentioned to be on the higher side here this winter

one observation I have been making after going through my hives,
younger queens seem to be out performing the older hives
either they were able to maintain a larger fall brood nest, or they were able to out compeete the varroa mite
I am seeing alot of heavey dead outs, so either the mite weakened the hive, slowed the queen laying and the bees filled the broodnest with honey, or the older queens could nt maintain thier brood nest in the fall with our late season honey flow and honey bound the nest leaving no room to lay,

all in all, the live hives look good, and hoping for a good spring, and with a good spring, all losses will be made up plus some


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## fatscher (Apr 18, 2008)

Going into winter:

8 hives, 4 nucs

Coming out of winter:

8 hives, 3 nucs (lost a Cordovan Italian nuc)

Zipcode 20155


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

zip 13078
went into winter with 54 came out with 47. most were in a new yard that apparently has a wind problem, will wrap next year. lost two large clusters that got stuck between deeps and starved. feeding heavy at this time.

partner lost 35% about half do to starvation rest mostly late swarms and queen lost. neither of use are seeing any mites.

friend lost 250 out of 350 but that's his management style does every year, he orders just picked up 200 packages.

mike


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## winevines (Apr 7, 2007)

Going into winter 4 hives
2 nucs

Coming out
4 hives
2 nucs

zipcode is 20155


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## sierrabees (Jul 7, 2006)

Don't know the zip codes except for my home yard. Four locations in Northern CA.

Yolo county foothills about four hundred feet elevation. Surrounded by comercial breeding operation with several hundred hives in every direction.
Lost five out of six

Nevada county 95949 Elevation about 4000 feet, no known beeks withing five miles.
Lost four out of twelve

Sierra county 95936 Elevation 3200, one beek with a single hive about three miles away.
Lost two out of four

Sierra county Elevation 5300
One swarm from last year, still doing well

Note: I had 80% overall loss in '06. Got rid of all my old comb, stopped moving hives between locations, stopped absolutely all chemical treatment. Have progressed from 70% loss in '07 to 60% loss in '08, to 50% loss this year. Breed my own queens from survivors and swarms. I think it's moving in the right direction, but have no way to say if it is because of the change in managment or if it was going to happen anyway.


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## jdpro5010 (Mar 22, 2007)

lost 2 out of 11 44431


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## Maine_Beekeeper (Mar 19, 2006)

1 of 5 in 04005
1 of 2 in 04092
0 of 6 in 04062
0 of 5 in 04105
12 of 30 in 04102

Weaker hives were in the "home yard" of 04102. I'm happy to say the bees that made it through winter all look amazingly great. Only two colonies that went into winter "on a wing and a prayer" made it - the others all died.


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## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

I had 2 out of 653, my guy shaking the bees in the fall missed two. :doh:Requeened them and gave them a box of feed. I don't know all the zips, so NW Ohio.


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## Hobie (Jun 1, 2006)

Lost 2 of 2 (100%) at 16423 (PA). Starvation.


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## Alex Cantacuzene (May 29, 2003)

*Capturing Survival Rate by Zipcode*

Went into winter with 4 hives, 3 hives survived. The one loss was weak but think it was genetics. All were fed 2/2 syrup into late November. The weak one did not take any. The Mountain Camp method worked. They used some of the sugar and it absorbed moisture. Used the Arheit inner covers upside down with styrofoam. This kept the hives much drier. Area code 40514


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## Ardilla (Jul 17, 2006)

Lost 1 of 2 (went queenless) 87562


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## Rebel Rose (Apr 5, 2009)

The only losses suffered over winter was from someone knocking over the hives during freezing temps and drifting snow. Even then I had some hives that survived! I cannot give an accurate count for losses, as I do not know how many hives would have made it if they had not been destroyed....a few had been burned.

I have commercial pollenation hives around my beeyard every summer. 62627

Brenda


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## hilreal (Aug 16, 2005)

46815

10 going into winter
7 alive on 4/15
1 very weak
1 very strong
1 phenominally strong with 4 mediums packed full of bees, brood and every crevice filled with drone comb when checked yesterday. Split it.
4 good strength.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Made over 200 more out of less than 400. 29526 zip code


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## Nancy Putnam (May 20, 2007)

3 hives went through winter fine.......32309


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## clarkfarm (Apr 13, 2009)

1 hive and it came through very strong. 22980


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

151 of 300 survived. Not bad for Post CCD.


Roland


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

151 of 300 survived. Not bad for Post CCD.
53051

Roland


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## lupester (Mar 12, 2008)

2 out of 2 survived - 76262


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## AR Beekeeper (Sep 25, 2008)

46 of 48 survived, 72560


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## Monie (Feb 13, 2008)

My only hive survived. Zip - 46902

I started with one hive last year. By the end of fall it was very strong. I even debated on whether I should split. I decided not to. When I cracked it open this spring, there were a lot of dead bees that the housekeepers hadn't had a chance to take outside. Looks like nosema got them. Would it have been better to split, or would the nosema have gotten them anyway?


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