# January check on hives



## LarryBud (Jul 19, 2020)

Just to the south of you I'm in the same boat. Trying to figure out if it will get warm enough on Thursday before the rain comes to pop some covers and get some winter patties in on the top. We got about 10" here in P-town, little less to the west but temps are not looking good for openings anything up. The queens should be starting build some early brood by now and I'm worried about chilling them. Wednesdays high look like 45F, Thursday is 47 with 70% rain and Friday is 45 with 100% rain. At least it'll knock down the snow some but wading through cold slush isn't fun either. Last week it was forecasted for cloudy and mid 50'sF for this week- what a different a week makes. I used winter patties last year and they didn't touch them, came out of winter with excess stores too. Maybe I'm just paranoid with too much time on my hands.


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## G3farms (Jun 13, 2009)

Around here we did not have much winter at all, very warm.


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## Zippy69 (Sep 5, 2021)

LarryBud said:


> Just to the south of you I'm in the same boat. Trying to figure out if it will get warm enough on Thursday before the rain comes to pop some covers and get some winter patties in on the top. We got about 10" here in P-town, little less to the west but temps are not looking good for openings anything up. The queens should be starting build some early brood by now and I'm worried about chilling them. Wednesdays high look like 45F, Thursday is 47 with 70% rain and Friday is 45 with 100% rain. At least it'll knock down the snow some but wading through cold slush isn't fun either. Last week it was forecasted for cloudy and mid 50'sF for this week- what a different a week makes. I used winter patties last year and they didn't touch them, came out of winter with excess stores too. Maybe I'm just paranoid with too much time on my hands.


 I hear you about the paranoia. I’m gonna sit tight for the next 1-2 weeks and then look for a better day to open and/or feed patties if needed. I’m more curious to see what March is like. Don’t want a warm start off only to get sucker punched with a night of low teens. We had that about 3-4 years ago. It was a warm start off and hit a high of almost 71 at mid noon and went down to 13 that night! Stayed frozen for several days and really knocked the bees back. We will see.


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## Tom McCaffery (Mar 31, 2021)

Interesting way to check and the least intrusive other than using a thermal heat gun. I will have to give that a try as my upcoming forecast is similar to yours.


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## LarryBud (Jul 19, 2020)

Tom McCaffery said:


> Interesting way to check and the least intrusive other than using a thermal heat gun. I will have to give that a try as my upcoming forecast is similar to yours.


I appreciate the suggestion, but I'm fully insulated with quilt boxes on top-Like to see what the stores are. I think the bees are functioning as they are pushing out an occasional dead bee on the boards but would need to remove the insulation, then pull the covers and quilt boxes to see the frames and then feed if necessary.


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## cwoodar0 (Jun 13, 2021)

Here in nc we have been in a few decent days of daytime temperatures in the high 40s, so I did an OAV on Sunday!


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Zippy69 said:


> no clue as to how alive.


Well, open and look.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I did my check as I do every year in early January t0 make sure no one is starving or didn't shut down and needs some sugar bricks to get to spring. I would not recommend it unless your setup doesn't break any propolis seals that lets the wind pour in the rest of the winter. My insulated wraps make the winter openings non traumatic for the bees. I did not get good news this year, but I did find out a nuc order was in my future.


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## AR1 (Feb 5, 2017)

Tom McCaffery said:


> Interesting way to check and the least intrusive other than using a thermal heat gun. I will have to give that a try as my upcoming forecast is similar to yours.


A cheap stethoscope works fine to hear the hum.


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## LarryBud (Jul 19, 2020)

I'm gonna be watching that ****ed ground hog and have the .227 ready.


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## LarryBud (Jul 19, 2020)

LarryBud said:


> I'm gonna be watching that ****ed ground hog and have the .227 ready.


BANG! Soup or ribs (Much better than drone milk)


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## drummerboy (Dec 11, 2015)

Minus 26F this morning with calls for bright sunshine. At least the winds have dissipated.

Lake Ice should be thick enough to drive a truck(s) on. Fish taste best when caught through ice imho.


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## drummerboy (Dec 11, 2015)

5 of 6 colonies were still alive a couple weeks ago.......

This time of year reminds me of when we were expecting the births of our kids, the anxiety can be intrusive, so we must remember to breathe...deeply.


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## LarryBud (Jul 19, 2020)

Beekeeping teaches patience or rather successful beekeeping teaches patience.


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