# Winter losses ?



## KPeacock (Jan 29, 2013)

33% so far


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## Jon B (Apr 24, 2013)

Between November and February I had a 9% loss.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I am at 21% loss and it is not over yet.


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## honeydrunkapiaries (Oct 16, 2013)

75% still snow on the ground... most people I talk to in Ontario are getting wiped out something fierce.


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## MaydayMalone (Jan 19, 2012)

Of 10 hives and 1 nuc, I lost 1 hive that was weak going into winter and my nuc starved. The other 9 hives are very strong.


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

I guess cooler weather is relative. After the third round we are at 11%. Bee are pretty good, weather on the other hand is pretty bad. Little to no opportunities for the bees to forage, too cool and wet.

Jean-Marc


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## WBVC (Apr 25, 2013)

So far no losses...fingers crossed it stays like that. Good luck not good skill


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## JD's Bees (Nov 25, 2011)

29% loss so far but with some that are weak it will be higher before April is done.


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## dgl1948 (Oct 5, 2005)

According to weather stats we have just had the coldest winter since 1898. We still have a lot of snow but the temps reached 11 c yesterday so it was warm enough that the bees were starting to fly. My son checked two yards with 108 hives. As near as he could tell without opening them there were 6 dead hives. These bees are wintered outside so they are still wrapped. He felt that these were the strongest hives he has seen that we have had come through a winter. Lots of bees in the air and on the hives. He put out pollen feeders and we will start bulk syrup this week as well. There are more yards to check but so far things look good. If the weather stays good we will look at doing some splits in a couple of weeks.


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## WBVC (Apr 25, 2013)

WBVC said:


> So far no losses...fingers crossed it stays like that. Good luck not good skill


Update...one hive had bees but could see no brood. Suspect the Queen died...
What would likely have caused that...new nuc install May 2013

Was able to get a NZ Queen and they seem to be doing well...fingers crossed.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

Have had bees flying out of 8 of 8 hives in my back yard. A few days ago war the first general poop flights since November. Hives are still heavy enough and little of the dry sugar on top has been eaten. Too cold yet to do any kind of an inspection. Still a while yet before anything coming in.


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## dgl1948 (Oct 5, 2005)

We got to a 3rd yard that had 50 hives. It looks like about 4 dead in that yard. Hard to believe after the winter we had they have come through this well.


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## sandesoils (Jul 11, 2008)

In western NY State, close to lake Erie we have had 3 days since January 1st 2014 where the girls could have any cleansing flights. This has been the longest, most brutally cold winter I have ever seen. In early Jan - one day - all 14 of my hives were alive. The next time they were able to fly was in March, and I thought all were working & cleaning the hives. 
This last weekend on 4/5, 4 hives are deadouts, of which 2 that I've pulled apart had very large numbers. One had dysentery - possibly nosema, on the top most super walls and empty comb. 
It looks like they starved and/or froze - head 1st in cells, yet there were still a couple of frames of honey. I do not take honey off in fall. The last 2 years I had no losses over winter. The other hives are extremely strong. - Sande


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## pascal (Oct 1, 2010)

so far 4 deads on 88 but deadly april is on. if just 10 percent i will say it's a good year


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

just finished putting my hives out, very early as we are scrambling to emergency feed, so no real assessment yet but looks like our operation is running around 15%, due to starvation...
Hives look great, hoping for warmth


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

dgl1948 said:


> We got to a 3rd yard that had 50 hives. It looks like about 4 dead in that yard. Hard to believe after the winter we had they have come through this well.


Happy to hear that dgl1948! I have been getting emails all week long with a mixed bag of results. Seems like some hives under the snow did well, yet others suffocated.... just depended on the type of bank that was formed over the yard. The snow banks in our cattle yard were so hard our cattle were walking out over the fencing!! Cant imagine a hive trying to breath under snow like that
So cold too, many reports of starvation


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## dgl1948 (Oct 5, 2005)

Ian said:


> Happy to hear that dgl1948! I have been getting emails all week long with a mixed bag of results. Seems like some hives under the snow did well, yet others suffocated.... just depended on the type of bank that was formed over the yard. The snow banks in our cattle yard were so hard our cattle were walking out over the fencing!! Cant imagine a hive trying to breath under snow like that
> So cold too, many reports of starvation


We did not have a great deal of snow, I would say about average. I think what helped us out was there was no break in the temps. When we get a few warm days the queens will start laying, bees stay with the brood, then it turns cold and they starve as they will not leave the brood. At least that's my theory and I am sticking to it.


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## clyderoad (Jun 10, 2012)

15% loss


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## sandesoils (Jul 11, 2008)

Down to 9 out of 14. But 7 are extremely strong.


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## chillardbee (May 26, 2005)

4% loss over this winter. 3 out of 72 didn't make it. last year 5%, 2 out of 40 didn't make it through. before that, the last previous 8 years I was never lower than 20% and was as high as 60% and 2011 was the big whammy loss of 97%, that one sucked and I'm still building up from that one.


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## chillardbee (May 26, 2005)

jean-marc said:


> I guess cooler weather is relative. After the third round we are at 11%. Bee are pretty good, weather on the other hand is pretty bad. Little to no opportunities for the bees to forage, too cool and wet.
> 
> Jean-Marc


That's because your on the north side of the valley. Everytime I looked over your way, there's a big black cloud hanging over your head. Seems all the clouds just pile up along the northern mountians.


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## sharpdog (Jun 6, 2012)

chillardbee said:


> 4% loss over this winter. 3 out of 72 didn't make it. last year 5%, 2 out of 40 didn't make it through. before that, the last previous 8 years I was never lower than 20% and was as high as 60% and 2011 was the big whammy loss of 97%, that one sucked and I'm still building up from that one.


What do you attribute to your improved success?

Luke


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## chillardbee (May 26, 2005)

sharpdog said:


> What do you attribute to your improved success?
> 
> Luke


If I knew that, I'd write a book and make a million dollars. The only thing I'm doing different from those years is I'm not pollinating, focusing on honey production, and started using apivar for might control. I use to use OA dribble and formic acid. I still use formic acid but more for acrine mites. I think the treatment with OA, although effective, was to late in the season (waiting for broodless period) but by that time the mites have already damaged the bees. 

What ever I'm doing right, I don't want to jinx it by trying something different.


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## sharpdog (Jun 6, 2012)

Interesting, thanks Will. And continued success to you.


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## irwin harlton (Jan 7, 2005)

Who said winter was over, it was snowing here this a.m....... makes for a short summer


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

As an outsider looking in on Will, I would say luck or jinx have little to do with the situation. To me you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned your mite situation. As far as we know Apivar is still effective in killing varroa. There are some basic things that you just cannot get away from doing. Effective varroa treatments is one of them and that includes the timing of the treatment. Commercial beekeeping is all timing. If the timing is off, the bees can swarm. The crop is reduced because boxes went on too little too late. Winter losses are high because treatments were done too late. Bees starve or have dysentery issues because winter feed is given too late. There are some basic things that need doing every year and they are to be done at the time it needs to be done otherwise the bees and beekeepers pay the price. There is no escaping this reality. Either beekeepers conform to this or bankers step in or the Mrs does or discouragement sets in. Glad to see that Will has adjusted.

Jean-Marc


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