# Baby it's cold outside!!



## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

I sure hope I raised enough heater bees in the fall to make it to spring
as long as you have an opening at the top shouldn't be a problem closing the holes. when you put the med on last weekend, did you see any sign of condensation, if not you ventilation should be fine.


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## westernbeekeeper (May 2, 2012)

A month ago, we had -20 below zero with 60-80 mph winds. It gets to you after a while.


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## danno (Dec 17, 2007)

I leave my top enterances open all winter. we are have the same temps as you but with lake effect snows piling up as usual. My colonies are on pallets and only 5 or 6 inch off the ground with snow the blocking the bottoms. I have 2 yards of 20 that I will not be able to get to with this much snow so they need the upper enterances cleansing


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## Stonewall (Aug 27, 2013)

It got down to 24 last night and will likely be colder tonight. I likely will not get much sympathy given the above reports.

I do have several hives with small clusters that may have difficulty even with our relatively modest cold temps.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Stonewall said:


> It got down to 24 last night and will likely be colder tonight. I likely will not get much sympathy given the below reports.


Nope, none at all..........


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Sounds like you did alright Frank. I had an opportunity to thunk the hives at lunch. A good buzz came from all of them.


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## frankthomas (Aug 2, 2012)

Danno.. so with the bees clustering right at the level of the top entrance you don't see a problem? I was afraid there might be too much heat loss being so close to the cluster.


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## frankthomas (Aug 2, 2012)

Nope WildBranch, no sign of condensation at the top bars but the wood shavings over both hives are a little damp. I have the moisture quilt right above the top box. The bottom of the quilt box is aluminum window screen with wood shavings resting on the screen. Side vents on the quilt box. Tele cover right over that. If the wood shavings feel too damp I'll stir them up a bit.


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

they set a record in Burlington VT with a high of -3° yesterday. Mike Palmer must be shivering. Makes my low of -4° seem balmy.


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## frankthomas (Aug 2, 2012)

Mr.Beeman said:


> Sounds like you did alright Frank. I had an opportunity to thunk the hives at lunch. A good buzz came from all of them.


THanks Mr B. Good news on the buzz. I don't hear that buzz when I thump on the side but they are certainly alive. I'll have to try thumpin' again tomorrow.


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## woodsy (Mar 3, 2013)

We are heading for near 20 below tonight, highs are around zero two days running.


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## tefer2 (Sep 13, 2009)

We run our top entrances open all winter even with a box of straw over them. Ventilation is important during winter.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

camero7 said:


> they set a record in Burlington VT with a high of -3° yesterday. Mike Palmer must be shivering. Makes my low of -4° seem balmy.


Yesterday the high was -10˚. The low last night was -22˚. Today's high was again -10˚, and at 5:00pm it's -20˚ already and supposed to be near -30˚ in some places tonight. 

The last time Burlington had a daytime high below zero was 2005. The record for hours below zero is something like 117 hours, in January 1968, when I was a freshman at UVM. We'll get close to that this time, but I don't think we'll break it.


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

frank, everything sounds good but I would add thicker foamboard to the top, it helps more than you can believe. I normally put 2" foamboard on, but this year I did 4" just because I had lots of leftover pieces laying around.


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## gmcharlie (May 9, 2009)

westernbeekeeper said:


> A month ago, we had -20 below zero with 60-80 mph winds. It gets to you after a while.



Now thats going to be the understatment of the year....


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## Robinhood & 1Maineguide (Dec 9, 2013)

-26 here this morning. We got up to about 0 yesterday. Stay warm people.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Robinhood & 1Maineguide said:


> -26 here this morning.


So, what time is the Polar Bear Plunge????


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

At -26 degrees F you would be hard pressed to find any _fluid _water to plunge into! :lookout:


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## danno (Dec 17, 2007)

frankthomas said:


> Danno.. so with the bees clustering right at the level of the top entrance you don't see a problem? I was afraid there might be too much heat loss being so close to the cluster.


No they don't cluster near the entrance. The heat lose is out weighed by the moisture that it removes


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## S.M.N.Bee (Aug 9, 2011)

snl

You missed it this year. Here in Minnesota they usually hold the Polar Bear Plunge on the first of the year.

Rader

They use chain saws to cut holes in a frozen lake to make a hole big enough.

personally - I think you have to be nuts to attempt this!!!!!!!


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## Andrew Dewey (Aug 23, 2005)

-17F here this morning - looks like I changed zones from 5 to 4. I hope the tulip trees I planted last fall are well insulated by snow. Now where are all those seed catalogs?


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

> They use chain saws to cut holes in a frozen lake to make a hole big enough.

These folks take their plunges _seriously_.  After cutting loose a block of ice, they use a _skidsteer _to remove the ice block from the hole to expose the water ... 

http://www.polarpoutplunge.com/


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## marshmasterpat (Jun 26, 2013)

Darn and my wife was saying Monday morning would be cold with the temperatures are 24 to 28.


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## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

I've been razzing people here about getting two whole days of real winter -- I spent three winters in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and believe me, southern Indiana does NOT have winter.  Just a couple fall snowstorms and nasty ice. 

Supposed to hang around freezing until sometime tomorrow, time the temp is supposed to drop depends on which forecast you look at, along with the snow amounts, but north of us and west, it's gonna snow like crazy, blow out of the northwest, and get below zero overnight.

My bees should be fine, it's warm enough now for them to move around (44F at 2 pm) and while it will be rather cold for two days, it's supposed to be in the 40's again on Thursday, so I don't think they will starve just yet. 

next year I intend to try some condensers, though. I like the idea better than just an inner and outer cover. Not to worried about condensation, unless you have a sheet of metal or plastic with free access below to the cluster, when it's really cold the condensation will form ice on the inside of the box and outer parts of the cover if you have some insulation above the cluster (even a 3/8" piece of plywood works). The only time I've noticed condensation problems is when I was using plastic telescoping covers -- water everywhere. Once we ditched those, the inner cover is always dry. Haven't opened hives in the winter to check, just lift them to make sure they are heavy.

Peter


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## frankthomas (Aug 2, 2012)

I checked the moisture quilts today. On one the wood shavings were dry and a little warm as I dug down to the screen bottom. I could even feel a little warmth. On the other the wood shavings were a little damp and the top surface of the shavings were frosty and the inside of the tele cover was very frosty. But I dug down through the 3" of shavings and they were warm below the surface. So I stirred them up a bit to help them dry out. Just lightly damp. I guess those girls are just heavy breathers.


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## Daphnecybele (Jun 4, 2013)

Thermometer outdoor temp read -17.5 last night, near midnight. Walked out this morning and heard buzzing through the top entrance... Happy they are still alive (it's my only hive, and first year)


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

Its a fine line between survival and not surviving in temps that cold, all depends on cluster size and proximity of their food. Large clusters can normally handle it, small clusters can all die in one night even if they're right on food, simply because they don't have the numbers to generate enough heat at the core of the cluster. The weak stand alone hives will be weeded out in the next few days, even wrapping them won't help much with those kind of temps, been there done that.


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## Juhani Lunden (Oct 3, 2013)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> > They use chain saws to cut holes in a frozen lake to make a hole big enough.
> 
> These folks take their plunges _seriously_.  After cutting loose a block of ice, they use a _skidsteer _to remove the ice block from the hole to expose the water ...
> 
> http://www.polarpoutplunge.com/


Here is a Finnish club page for winter swimmers:
http://www.turunavantouimarit.fi/languages/in-english/

Don´t worry about your bees! I would not disturb them in below freezing point temperatures. Best left alone.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Not too bad for temperature last night here. -10 F. If only the wind would die down...


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## westernbeekeeper (May 2, 2012)

Was -13 when I went to bed, this morning it's 6 F outside.


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

Starting the car this morning!


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## Juhani Lunden (Oct 3, 2013)

Barry said:


> Starting the car this morning!


Toyotas are excellent cars, but they have one flaw: the digital temperature meter is not showing anything under -30:s


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## Mbeck (Apr 27, 2011)

59F here but the high humidity makes it feel much colder.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>59F here but the high humidity makes it feel much colder. 

You might have to put on a sweater...


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## TWall (May 19, 2010)

Mbeck said:


> 59F here but the high humidity makes it feel much colder.


When I was in graduate school at UF I had someone tell me that it actually got colder in Florida that Chicago because the humidity made it colder. She didn't know I was from Chicago. I just stared at her, how do you reply to that?

I do have to say, I have spent some very cold mornings in a treestand, predawn, in north Florida. Nothing like being 30 feet up a pine tree, underdressed because it will warm up, waiting for the sun to come up!

I'll take a brief cool spell like this, it takes care of lots of problems like weak hives, hive beetles, wax moths, etc.

Tom


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## Adrian Quiney WI (Sep 14, 2007)

-24F this AM. Here's what it looked like when it got a little warmer this morning. Please excuse the portrait mode, this is my first youtube video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxjDa6mB_co


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## mgolden (Oct 26, 2011)

Curious as to how wide are your side bottom entrances?

I use two 3/8 by 1/2 wide and seems to be more than adequate to keep moisture/condensation well under control. Maybe could be less?????


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## Mbeck (Apr 27, 2011)

TWall said:


> I do have to say, I have spent some very cold mornings in a treestand, predawn, in north Florida. Nothing like being 30 feet up a pine tree, underdressed because it will warm up, waiting for the sun to come up!
> 
> 
> Tom


My father came down from WNY (aka the snow belt) to hunt and was surprised how cold 40 degrees feels! Of course it's nothing compared to real cold.

I hate sitting in a tree freezing for the first two hours of the morning and getting eaten alive by Mosquitos the rest of the day!


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## SilverBack (Dec 10, 2011)

When it gets cold in Minnesota, we go surfing on Lake Superior: http://gearjunkie.com/lake-superior-surfing-minnesota


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## Adrian Quiney WI (Sep 14, 2007)

My bottom entrances are just 2 blocks of wood with a gap of about 3/8 between them. I have made some traditional entrances, but nuc sized for next year.


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## mgolden (Oct 26, 2011)

Think I noted two side entrances on your regular deep brood?? Were these 3/8 wide as well? 

And 3/4 high and I will calculate and compare inlet size. Thanks


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

"Bee breath", I like it!


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## Adrian Quiney WI (Sep 14, 2007)

MGolden, the top entrances on the deep 10 framers are to the design of Honey Run Apiaries all season inner covers. On the bottom entrances, one is a regular entrance reducer on the smallest opening, and the other is some chunks of 3/4 wood - just because I couldn't find another standard entrance reducer at the time. I am learning to make the bottom boards a hair thicker than 3/4, because otherwise when painted they don't fit in. Although, from a beesource tip, I am going to just wax dip them from now on.
Barry thanks, we have another 24 hrs of this to go.


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

looks like a good probability of moderation over the next couple of weeks:

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/814day/814temp.new.gif

first tree pollens usually come in here late jan to early feb.


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

-5 right now wind chills around -26


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## Mike Gillmore (Feb 25, 2006)

Right there with ya Beeman. 
Currently -6 with wind chills as high as -30 tonight. Just found out how much of a wimp I really am this afternoon.


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## woodsy (Mar 3, 2013)

I found out today that my 1st year Ga. Italian packages didn't make it through the recent cold spell to minus 20 degrees.
Both hives dead upon checking them today @ 45* F. Can i have the honey now?, plenty left over.


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## DPBsbees (Apr 14, 2011)

woodsy said:


> I found out today that my 1st year Ga. Italian packages didn't make it through the recent cold spell to minus 20 degrees.
> Both hives dead upon checking them today @ 45* F. Can i have the honey now?, plenty left over.


Yes, If you didn't treat with anything not allowed to be used with supers on.


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## Colleen O. (Jun 5, 2012)

woodsy said:


> I found out today that my 1st year Ga. Italian packages didn't make it through the recent cold spell to minus 20 degrees.
> Both hives dead upon checking them today @ 45* F. Can i have the honey now?, plenty left over.


Sorry to hear that! Last year my first year bees didn't make it either. This year I am not sure how the one I left out will do with this cold but all were alive on Saturday. The others I moved into the garage where the temperature is usually around 40 but today when I checked it was 30 in there when it was 1°F outside. 

If you fed syrup you may find you have syrup "honey". Are you ordering replacements? The comb will really give them a head start and if you save some of the "honey" you can give them that to start instead of feeding syrup.


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

That sucks woodsy. I will need to check on mine wed to see how they weathered the cold spell.


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

A tropical 12F here right now. You may want to move your hives north for a while.


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## linn (Nov 19, 2010)

You have to make sure the bottom entrance is clear enough to allow air flow into the hive. At least this is what I read on beesource; I think it is true. I checked on two hives today, both August swarms. Yes, these August swarms should have been recombined with the parent hives but I don't like to kill queens. In keeping with the above logic, I removed the mouse guards and swept away the dead bees on the bottom boards with a hive tool. I replaced the mouse guards. I raised the outer covers, just a little more, to expose the inner cover notches; I replaced one damp homosote board. I dug around the hives with a shovel so that there will be better air flow. It has been very very cold but someone said it is the moisture that kills the bees more then the cold. Today it was warmer-almost 50 degrees but misty with some rain. A cold snap is coming again.


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## Juhani Lunden (Oct 3, 2013)

SilverBack said:


> When it gets cold in Minnesota, we go surfing on Lake Superior: http://gearjunkie.com/lake-superior-surfing-minnesota


Even a Finn admits: That must be cold!


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## Ranger Cody (Jan 21, 2012)

-2 here currently with a -22 wind chill.


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