# Over wintering hives



## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

How everybody hives looking so far?

Out here in Cali, I don't think I've seen stronger hives over all in a long time for this time of year. It's been a really warm winter so far & a lot of rain, the bees are really going through the syrup & sub like mad, right now it looks like a lot of bees that wintered here in Cali will be in great shape for the up coming almond pollination. Hope it looks good where your at. Merry Christmas to all.


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## MNbees (May 27, 2013)

Now this is a good thread. Does the warm and wet winter mean early almond bloom?
I wonder how the bees that didnt look so hot in the fall are doing now.


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## swarm_trapper (Jun 19, 2003)

yes looking excellent over here also, havn't heard of any losses around here yet.


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

MNbees said:


> Does the warm and wet winter mean early almond bloom?
> I wonder how the bees that didnt look so hot in the fall are doing now.


The almonds really need some chilling hours now (sleep), warm weather doesn't necessary mean an early bloom. The warm weather has help the weak hives so far. Some of the out-of-staters should be concerned about weight on the hives.


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

Saw a yard in Bakersfield Monday, they were really flying.


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## scituatema (Aug 30, 2014)

Zero lost by now. All looks well.
Massachusetts


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Our Texas bees are looking great.


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

My bees look the best they have in the fall since I got back into beekeeping. Hope to make it through the winter with a lot less loss than last winter. Time will tell.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

MOst of my hives are 1,000 miles away, so I can't tell you how they look. A friend hefted and cpl and pulled some covers and said they looked good to him. I'll be seeing them in about a week. Then I will have some idea.

But you probably meant folks closer to home.


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## MNbees (May 27, 2013)

jim lyon said:


> Our Texas bees are looking great.


Good to here! I just got back yesterday from working our bees and they also look great. Even some of the weaker ones made a come back.
We put one pollen patty on a month for the last 3 months and it helped. Although there was ample pollen stores through November.


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## HarryVanderpool (Apr 11, 2005)

Everything is going great!
Not a single loss so far! 

You were talking about our local middle school basket ball team; right?

k:


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

Just a hobbyist, but my 33 have the biggest clusters ever. I wasn't very optimistic in October. Weird that others are seeing the same even far apart.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Who the heck knows? 

No, really. They're buried in snow, it's freezing cold, and there's no use looking. April is months away. I'll tell you then.


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## Honey-4-All (Dec 19, 2008)

MNbees said:


> Now this is a good thread. * Does the warm and wet winter mean early almond bloom*?
> I wonder how the bees that didnt look so hot in the fall are doing now.


Not predicting it yet.... The big difference from last year to now is that we have rain ( 12 inches in the last month at my place)

The other thing is that the chill hours so far are so sparse at this point that they are non existent. 

I spent yesterday pressure washing a skid steer that is up for a motor replacement!. Two to three hours on the driveway wading barefoot through the water in an afternoon enveloped with temps just shy of 65 degrees. Not a ussual late December occurrence in these parts. 

Clocks a ticking!


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Just found out that we are in the solstice now. Have you
been noticing that the day light hour is getting longer now?
At 5:30pm can still see the lights. Yippee! Spring is just
around the corner as more days passed. We still have the March weather to deal with. 
Is it going to bee a mild winter until Spring time or another crazy one by Feb.?
The temp. is dipping again. Bees are flying still and flowers are blooming. They are gradually in their expansion mode along
with the mites in there. Need to put in the syrup jar tomorrow. Time to grow some Spring seeds for them too.
Have this feeling that we are in a good bee year with the rain. So far so good!


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## azbees (Jul 23, 2011)

beepro said:


> Just found out that we are in the solstice now. Have you
> been noticing that the day light hour is getting longer now?
> At 5:30pm can still see the lights. Yippee!
> 
> ...


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

21 of 22 still alive and thriving here in NY.


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

Me thinks there's going to bee a lot of nice bees this early spring.


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## mroark (Oct 2, 2012)

Mine are all dead. All 150 (240 actually 90 were another beeks bees) but its not weather related they got sprayed by the guy who rented them to pollinate watermelons. I'll never do that job again!


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

Sorry to hear that Mroak, may I ask what month were they in pollination & what month did they die?


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## mroark (Oct 2, 2012)

I took out the first load of 120 July 7th and the next load about July 20th. After we'd dropped of the 2nd load we noticed a carpeting of dead bees and week hives in the first 2 yards. There was also a tractor in the field spraying at 10am. I should have loaded up everything and taken it home then but I thought they might recover with some feed and pollen sub. We pulled out at the beginning of October with about 60% deadouts. More feed and sub to the live bees when we got home but it was too late. At last inspection (last week) Almost all are dead and those that weren't had less than a frame of bees left. Everyone told me Mellon growers would kill my bees. I should have listened. 

I plan on expanding this year to 300 hives. I am now working out the most cost effective route to my numbers, brood or getting established hives from someone like Swarm_trapper and splitting off those in the spring.


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## babybee (Mar 23, 2012)

Buy brood and queen cells!!


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

Mroak, there are many hives for sale after the almonds, again sorry to hear of the loss.


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## mroark (Oct 2, 2012)

That was my initial plan babybee but I need some more equipment as well I'm just working out the math, taking into consideration what I have now equipment wise, what I still need to hit my numbers, and the bees I now need.


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## babybee (Mar 23, 2012)

Yeah either way would work. Message me if you decide to take the brood and cell route.


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## mroark (Oct 2, 2012)

Keith Jarrett said:


> Mroak, there are many hives for sale after the almonds, again sorry to hear of the loss.


Thanks Keith, the loss sucks but I was warned and the pay was really good so it hurts a little less. I am certainly looking at hives coming off Almonds as an option. I'm still super new though so I tend to be overly cautious when spending money and wasn't as cautious as I should have been with my bees this summer.


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## mroark (Oct 2, 2012)

babybee said:


> Yeah either way would work. Message me if you decide to take the brood and cell route.


Thanks babybee, I will we split bees near Crockett and it looks like you are not to far away.


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

mroark, sorry to hear that, you get any insurance money out of it, hopefully you had them covered.


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## mroark (Oct 2, 2012)

Jrg13, I didn't where would one take out insurance on bees?


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

Other's can chime in, but you can get them insured via some farm policy I believe.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

ELAP?


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## mroark (Oct 2, 2012)

I looked at ELAP but the lady at farm services didnt have a clue about it. We went round and round and finally got to where she was ready to apply for me. I am still working on all the documents she said are needed.

Proof of beginning inventory
A Report of Acreage (Colonies reported)
Loan records
Private insurance documents
Property tax records
Sales and purchase receipts
State colony registration documentation
Chattel inspections

anyone know what a Chattel Inspection is?


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

mroark said:


> anyone know what a Chattel Inspection is?


No idea, but I am guessing it's some sort of onsite inspection. After repeated reminders from my FSA office I declined to pursue an ELAP claim. I have no doubt had I jumped through enough hoops there would have been some sort of reward at the other end. Had I suffered a loss like mroark described I would no doubt have pursued it.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

mroark said:


> I looked at ELAP but the lady at farm services didnt have a clue about it. We went round and round and finally got to where she was ready to apply for me. I am still working on all the documents she said are needed.
> 
> Proof of beginning inventory
> A Report of Acreage (Colonies reported)
> ...


Chattel is property other than real estate. Chattel Inspection means somebody has to look at what you have. How that is different from Proof of Beginning Inventory I don't know.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

According to this ELAP document, "chattel inspections" are not _mandatory_.




> Documentation *may *include, but is not limited to, any _combination _of the following:
> 
>  acreage reports for NAP (colonies reported)
>  loan records
> ...


(see top of page 4 at the link)


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

mroark said:


> I looked at ELAP but the lady at farm services didnt have a clue about it.


Pm me with your phone#


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## johng (Nov 24, 2009)

I plan on expanding this year to 300 hives. I am now working out the most cost effective route to my numbers, brood or getting established hives from someone like Swarm_trapper and splitting off those in the spring.[/QUOTE]

Swarm_Trapper is a stand up guy! You won't be disappointed with his bees.


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## HarryVanderpool (Apr 11, 2005)

I hope everyone will take time to read Randy Oliver's article In the January ABJ.
He, along with every HONEST beekeeper that I know, had a very hard time with varroa this fall.
Some beekeepers fared a little better, others worse and many MUCH WORSE.
Randy kind of beat himself up in the article, but the fact is that the mites were very persistant and unrelenting this fall on the west coast, regardless of treatment used.
We are hearing stories from Oregon, Washington and California of 30 - 60% losses in some outfits.
Bees WILL BE SHORT in almonds this year as a result.

Using us as an example, we used Apivar as our fall treatment this year.
We had it on, By the label by August 3rd.
We found that one really has to go back in and move the strips back into brood periodically because a large percentage of hives will cease brood production in the vicinity of the strip.
This is another reason to follow the label and use one strip for every 5 frames of bees. 
Anyway, the mite numbers fell VERY SLOWLY and signs of virus were seen here and there.

So at this time we are at a 12.6% loss from the peak number of hives in 2014.
When I post my loss% it is calculated on the total amount of hives at the peak of the summer (one more than you) minus hives lost prior to almonds.

So back to Keith's question about how our hives look in comparison to his 100% perfect 20 framers:
Well, our hives look really nice.
However, the dead-outs stored away in containers are as dead as anyone else's.


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

HarryVanderpool said:


> (one more than you)
> So back to Keith's question about how our hives look in comparison to his 100% perfect 20 framers


lol...


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

HarryVanderpool said:


> This is another reason to follow the label and use one strip for every 5 frames of bees.
> Anyway, the mite numbers fell VERY SLOWLY


Ya, that is the reason we switched to wintering in singles. Treatments done with 2 strips in the single with periodically re arranging. Bees and mites can't get away from the treatment


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

Ian said:


> Ya, that is the reason we switched to wintering in singles. Treatments done with 2 strips in the single with periodically re arranging. Bees and mites can't get away from the treatment


That's when it's time to do your home work an come up with something that works so you don't have to stand on your head to kill a mite.
Ok, time to get back underneath the bus.


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

I'm not commercial but I find it interesting what you said Harry. I found some mites persistent after 3-4 rounds of OA, so I hit with Apivar and that finally cleaned them up. I was a bit surprised to still see a lot of phoretics and persistent DWV after 4 rounds of OA and the bees still having trouble rearing brood because of the mites. I don't know if mite pressure was worse of the virulence was higher though, just seemed that PMS seemed noticeable without a lot of mites being seen in some hives.


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## HarryVanderpool (Apr 11, 2005)

Well, JRG, We all saw it.
Randy, Keith, myself, and all the beekeepers I know noticed it this fall.

I have a friend that has always said that some years are just bad varroa years and others are not so bad.
Of course, being a scientific beekeeper to the best of my ability; I just cant wrap my head around his statement.
BUT, whether I like it or not his statement seems to prove out every several years.
Maybe we'll have an easier job this fall.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

HarryVanderpool said:


> I have a friend that has always said that some years are just bad varroa years and others are not so bad.


I wonder if it has more to do with the compounding pest pressures on the hive, mite and virus and nosema levels all fluctuate. Then throw in the weather factor. If some of those pest waves meet up, more damage is going to be noticed


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

HarryVanderpool said:


> I hope everyone will take time to read Randy Oliver's article In the January ABJ.
> He, along with every HONEST beekeeper that I know, had a very hard time with varroa this fall.
> Some beekeepers fared a little better, others worse and many MUCH WORSE.


Opposite here, and I was told by the inspector, in Maine too. No mites to speak of, no DWV and no crawlers. At least in y operation and in his. I guess there really are varroa years.


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## HarryVanderpool (Apr 11, 2005)

Michael Palmer said:


> I guess there really are varroa years.


Or, they all spent the summer on the west coast! LOL!!


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

Ok, I had an ole boy tell me that their are clean mites & dirty mites....... (I know don't laugh too hard) he claims some carry viruses and some don't.


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## scituatema (Aug 30, 2014)

No crawlers, no DWV. So far they look healthy


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Keith Jarrett said:


> Ok, I had an ole boy tell me that their are clean mites & dirty mites....... (I know don't laugh too hard) he claims some carry viruses and some don't.


Just like there are clean needles and dirty needles. Is how I have heard it described.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Michael Palmer said:


> Opposite here, and I was told by the inspector, in Maine too. No mites to speak of, no DWV and no crawlers. At least in y operation and in his. I guess there really are varroa years.


Here too, beekeepers here have been managing hives virtually mite free for two years now. Seems to have cleaned up the viral loads aswell. 
BUT the rest of that story is our bees have gone through two very long winters and terribly long springs... and we think with all the losses, the mites pretty much disappeared... as just about did our bees.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Perhaps we are seeing the carryover effect of last years almost non-existent winter in California and the resulting extended brood laying period? Also many of these same hives made good crops in the Dakotas and may not have gotten timely late summer mite treatmemt. Mine wintered in a kind of nasty Texas winter last year and look better than they did last winter at this time.


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## acbz (Sep 8, 2009)

Let's talk about treatments. I also had a tough time with mites this year, although didn't see much PMS or DWV. Got them pretty clean at the moment. What works for me: thymol, oxalic when broodless or at checkbacks, amitraz when it's warranted (trying to get away from using it). Formic, still haven't figured out the best method but I'm not giving up on it. Have never used coumaphos or mavrik in my hives. Also, started making my own apiguard gel (same ingredients) this fall thanks to a couple other local keepers who hooked me up with the recipe. PM me if you want it, happy to share. What is working, or not working, for others?


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

I need the api-guard recipe. Can you send it to me?
Thanks much!

So far I have only seen the crawling bees with deformed wings. I suspect it is the mites doing. But
need a better effective treatment for them.


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## Honey-4-All (Dec 19, 2008)

beepro said:


> I need the api-guard recipe. Can you send it to me?
> Thanks much!
> 
> So far I have only seen the crawling bees with deformed wings. I suspect it is the mites doing. But
> need a better effective treatment for them.


Say what????? 

I do recall many a "*I have never try but I don't treat either. I got the mite resistant bees to start with*." posts that you were shouting about in November?

See: http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...am-losing-a-lot-of-bees&p=1189323#post1189323 post 15


What happened to all those miraculous VSH hygienic queens you were shouting about??? Were they a figment of you imagination?


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## swarm_trapper (Jun 19, 2003)

yes i think their are bad varroa years last year was bad this year not bad at all. Had an "easy" if i dare say time of it. lol watch this week ill look at them and they will all be dead, love beekeeping!


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## RAK (May 2, 2010)

September the bees got a month of Traz to trip on but boy do they look good. I even used smaller does this time works like charm.

Spring time they will get a shot of formic via meatpads and then clean up rest of mites with some traz. Formic is nice for cleaning up mites and bad queens...


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## B&E (Dec 27, 2011)

RAK said:


> Spring time they will get a shot of formic via meatpads and then clean up rest of mites with some traz. Formic is nice for cleaning up mites and bad queens...


We put a meatpad on each time we are in the hive spring and fall.


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## Brian Suchan (Apr 6, 2005)

B&E said:


> We put a meatpad on each time we are in the hive spring and fall.


Does this accomplish much? How does it compare to oa drench?


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## B&E (Dec 27, 2011)

Big time! Put a sticky board in and you'll see. Obviously for the proper treatment it is 4 days apart 6 times. But we use it as a knock down and then OA in the fall...this year we skipped the fall OA but actually did it 2 weeks ago. We have not used anything but OA and formic for 4 years...but we split everything


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## Brian Suchan (Apr 6, 2005)

What are meatpads?? The tampon or absorbant pad from under a steak?


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## B&E (Dec 27, 2011)

Brian Suchan said:


> What are meatpads?? The tampon or absorbant pad from under a steak?


we use these. http://www.mppl.ca/index.php?route=product/product&path=83_92&product_id=2338


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Honey-4-All said:


> Say what?????
> 
> I do recall many a "*I have never try but I don't treat either. I got the mite resistant bees to start with*." posts that you were shouting about in November?
> 
> ...


No, Honey! I haven't forgot about my posts. As a matter of fact they are expanding like crazy now. All the queens are still surviving now. It is just that it made my heart sank after seeing the deformed wing crawling young bees when they should of bee healthy and flying around. I saw 6 of them crawling on the ground today on their orientation flights. Just as the ads said these are the varroa resistant bees. They did not say 'no mite' bees. The mite level is still very low otherwise I would have no bees left after 3 months when they are brooding up. Seeing 1 mite vs 100s is not the same thing, right. Anyways, I like to collect the many recipes available and to share in the future. Hey, good things have to be pass along, right. Just 2 days ago I saw an uncapped pupa with its head chewed off. So I figured must be the bees at work to get rid of the mites altogether. This is according to the VSH bee traits. Remember, VSH breeder queens are still available and II is still available. Even the beekeepers with the VSH bees still treat for a no mite situation. Now I like that one. Of course, I have to be prepare for a just in case situation for my bees to survive too. And having the right method of treatment is just for that. Though I have not treated any of my hives yet. Being new I have to try different experiments to see the results. And share my findings here for others to learn also. Since I don't have this apiguard recipe yet I thought to ask for it. The story is still to be unfold within the next few months. So stay tuned, o.k. Honey.

p.S. Funny that on all my posts I have never sounded too loud or shouted. It is just straight forward answers if I have any. So don't take it personally, o.k.


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## Honey-4-All (Dec 19, 2008)

Beepro..

If you have dwv crawlers the hive has major issues. One that is indicative of a potential if not looming collapse. To your credit the fact that we are past the solstice combined with your location gives hope that anything holding steady at this point might blow past the mites for this winter. Asking them to do so for another year is pretty tough request. Very few hives ( even VSH led ones) make it though more than one winter without treatment.


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

Michael Palmer said:


> Opposite here, and I was told by the inspector, in Maine too. No mites to speak of, no DWV and no crawlers. At least in y operation and in his. I guess there really are varroa years.


Probably why my bees look so good this fall... best since I got back into bees.


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## babybee (Mar 23, 2012)

The real downside to vsh traits is that if you have high mite loads they will pick out the brood that they sense with mites thus not allowing rapid build up. Treatment would be required. I ran that type for years and thought I knew it all. Lost loads of money. If the beekeeper were to help them keep the mite numbers low then I bet they would be a fine bee to make money on. But I had to switch to a type that would stay huge over winter.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

So what bees to overwinter with a huge population? Is it the Italians?
I have those here too.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

babybee said:


> The real downside to vsh traits is that if you have high mite loads they will pick out the brood that they sense with mites thus not allowing rapid build up. Treatment would be required. I ran that type for years and thought I knew it all. Lost loads of money. If the beekeeper were to help them keep the mite numbers low then I bet they would be a fine bee to make money on. But I had to switch to a type that would stay huge over winter.


I too, think that the VSH traits *will* work against you if the mite loads get above what that coping mechanism can handle. I had one nuc that was doing exactly that scenario you describe. I helped knock the mites back and they took off in numbers, overwintered well and did very well through the next summer and winter. Their small clusters are light feeders over winter. My other colonies are similar in habit and work well for my isolated situation and treatment philosophy: I am probably 2000 miles or more north of you though!


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## matt1954 (Sep 8, 2010)

Keith, everyone, thanks for the heads up. My bees will get a treatment as soon as we get back from Cali. Finished treating in November.


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## clyderoad (Jun 10, 2012)

babybee said:


> The real downside to vsh traits is that if you have high mite loads they will pick out the brood that they sense with mites thus not allowing rapid build up. Treatment would be required. I ran that type for years and thought I knew it all. Lost loads of money. If the beekeeper were to help them keep the mite numbers low then I bet they would be a fine bee to make money on. But I had to switch to a type that would stay huge over winter.


very interesting babybee. I got a queen late last summer from a commercial migratory beekeeper and the colony displays the same behaviors. 
Late last summer and into fall I thought I'd use her larvae for my queen cells next spring as I was thinking she was something special- a VSH queen just drops in my lap, my lucky day. 
Couldn't believe how "clean" these bees were compared to all the others, local italian/carni's raised in my yards. Pulling pupa out like crazy in the fall. Gave me the heads up to a possible high mite load.
I think I will have to keep an eye on them this spring for build up.
Their smaller winter numbers actually work in my favor but slow spring build up due to a reasonable mite load that my other bees continue brooding with would be big problem.
Never thought the behavior could turn out to be 'to much of a good thing'. But it sure makes sense now.

Thanks for posting that info.


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

matt1954 said:


> Keith, everyone, thanks for the heads up. My bees will get a treatment as soon as we get back from Cali. Finished treating in November.


Well said Matt, if your bees are wintering out here in Cali, just keep an eye on your weight, they've been chomping. Happy new year to all.


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## irwin harlton (Jan 7, 2005)

what you got for bees this year Mr Blue Boxes?...... the proof would be in some pictures, Enjoy looking at the powerhouses, makes me drool


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

Shameless! I got to peak at some of his stacked singles, what duds.....


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

irwin harlton said:


> what you got for bees this year Mr Blue Boxes?...... the proof would be in some pictures, Enjoy looking at the powerhouses, makes me drool


http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s35/CNHoney/IMAG1624_zps63eccf94.jpg
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s35/CNHoney/IMAG1629_zps85449346.jpg
These pics were taken the first of this week 45 degrees out, 5-6 of brood on avg. Not bad for the last week in Dec.

Irwin, Honey4All is trying to talk a fella into putting sub on his bees that he is getting some lease bees from for almond pollination, the bees are in Texas, so the fella calls me up and asked how much brood will I see 1 or 2 frames if I feed pollen sub....... 
I said, no, you should see a little more than that, sent sent him these pics.

JRG13, duds.....lol


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## irwin harlton (Jan 7, 2005)

Thanks Keith, those are aw-some bees, a credit to your beekeeping and your Nutra B, now here's a video of mine taken last March...if you guys down there needed some more bees to pollinate almonds, we Canucks could probably supply a few

http://s43.photobucket.com/user/buzz1356/media/MVI_0504_1.mp4.html?o=0


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

Nice video Irwin.  good luck this winter.


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## RAK (May 2, 2010)

Wow, look at all those duds!


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## scituatema (Aug 30, 2014)

irwin harlton said:


> Thanks Keith, those are aw-some bees, a credit to your beekeeping and your Nutra B, now here's a video of mine taken last March...if you guys down there needed some more bees to pollinate almonds, we Canucks could probably supply a few
> 
> http://s43.photobucket.com/user/buzz1356/media/MVI_0504_1.mp4.html?o=0


Are those bees in canada now? Is it this year ?


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## irwin harlton (Jan 7, 2005)

CANADA 2014, don't worry they all don't look like that


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## Allen Martens (Jan 13, 2007)

Looks good so far. Only 4 more months of winter if the last 2 years are the new spring.

This is Canada 2015 at 5C.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Mr Harlton, would you talk about your wrap and how you do it please.


irwin harlton said:


> Thanks Keith, those are aw-some bees, a credit to your beekeeping and your Nutra B, now here's a video of mine taken last March...if you guys down there needed some more bees to pollinate almonds, we Canucks could probably supply a few
> 
> http://s43.photobucket.com/user/buzz1356/media/MVI_0504_1.mp4.html?o=0


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## irwin harlton (Jan 7, 2005)

The wrap is from Inland Plastic's out of Saskatoon Sask.http://www.inlandplastics.com/Products/BeeHiveCovers/tabid/87/Default.aspx
We put 4" of Styrofoam on top,putting our R value on top somewhere around 50,side R value I believe is 8
Sheltered locations, wind is a killer, lots of feed,5-6 gallons, a good pollen flow in the fall, young queens,cross your fingers, kill all your mites before August and lots of luck


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Thank you Mr. Harlton, Your method sure makes mine look like a puny quarter measure. I appreciate the information.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Current count, 456 colonies alive out of 472.


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## RAK (May 2, 2010)

I got to check out some other beeks yards that just arrive in CA and lots of duds. Seems like they didn't treat in time due to late honey.


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

That one will get you every time.


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## MNbees (May 27, 2013)

RAK said:


> I got to check out some other beeks yards that just arrive in CA and lots of duds. Seems like they didn't treat in time due to late honey.


Where did they arrive from? potato cellars?
Finding duds now seems a little late


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## RAK (May 2, 2010)

Its a common practice for beekeepers here in WA to winter bees outside and then ship Jan.


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## MNbees (May 27, 2013)

RAK said:


> Its a common practice for beekeepers here in WA to winter bees outside and then ship Jan.


Why would you ship duds then ?


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## RAK (May 2, 2010)

They will try balance the 3-4 frame duds with the 12 framers and buy bees to fill the rest.


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

Sent my guy out to collect samples for nosema analysis for the last 3 short days. He collected 15-20 bees per hive times 5 hives to make up 1 sample. He opened all 4 hives per pallet but only collected bees from 1 hive. He collected 1 sample for every 100 hives. We have 45 samples so he would have looked at about 900 hives. 11 dead, 2 duds, a few weak ones, that will make it. Me thinks wooohoooo. Looking good so far.

Jean-Marc


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## swarm_trapper (Jun 19, 2003)

sounds like bees might be getting short had three brokers call this week looking for bees each wanted 3+ loads


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

Mid 70s predicted for next weekend in the Sac valley. Wow, how will that affect the coming bloom?


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

At 70s it is still rather cold for me. To the bees it is their
ideal temp. to get things going for the Spring time. Already, Honey mentioned that his 
son saw the pinkish almond blooms in his area. I saw one boxwood tree having full blooms here. 
And the bees are collecting the yellow pollen from a big pine tree look alike. So things are blooming 
earlier than usual here this year. If the weather holds then we will have a good year. 
But the drought is not over yet. So that might have an effect on the flow this year too if no more rains coming. 
But again too much rains is not good for the almonds to set fruits.


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