# Sad bees - hornets - smaller hive



## tumbelweed (Mar 2, 2015)

Yesterday I went out to check on the bees. I’ve been having problems with the white face hornets going after the bees. My small hive looks pretty weak and smaller than before. I don’t think they have more than more than 3 or 4 combs of brood if that and hardly any honey build up. I need to go back and check again but it’s been raining and chilly so I didn’t want to really open them up. I did reduce the entrance on both hives to one hole which I also took a cork and cut it in half which helps reduce the main entrance even more. Should I combine the weaker hive with the stronger hive or let them be and feed them? On the stronger hive should I give them more of an entrance than what they have? All entrance are blocked off except the main hole I have blocked with half cork, same as the smaller hive. 
Really hate to loose the smaller hive I was hoping they could survive on their own through the winter.

Any suggestions? 

Thanks
Doris::s


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

Usually hornets are just a minor problem. I kill them when I see them hunting bees. 

When did you start your small hive? Swarm? Dwindled?

Access your hive, do you have a queen, brood, stores...

How is your brood pattern? mites? 

If it's a small hive/swarm that did not have time to get to size you might try to winter it in a garage;

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?295359-Over-Wintering-in-the-Garage-Update


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## Hogback Honey (Oct 29, 2013)

Don't give up on them yet. They may still pull through. I've a 'small' colony also, has been toughing it out with chalk brood, then the YJ's showed up in droves one day. I believe the YJ's were after pollen though, it was interesting watching the YJ's go after the bees bringing in pollen. I stood there that afternoon for about 1/2 an hour squishing YJ's at my hives. Put out YJ traps close by, and that helped a lot. Yesterday went out to check on my hives.........in front of the 'small, weaker' hive was about 4 or 5 dead YJ's AND a dead bald faced hornet.........so they must be doing pretty good. I too have not inspected them due to the amount of YJ's around last week, chilly the past couple of days and windy, but today supposed to be 81 and calm.


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## tumbelweed (Mar 2, 2015)

I don’t have a garage, I have a small green house the $20.00 kind, some of the plastic has torn away from the zipper. I was thinking of modifying it. Setting a nuc inside and maybe lining the inside with cardboard then cutting a hole in the cardboard so they would have an exit this would give it the darkness and added insulation it would also prevent the bees from trying to fly outside through the clear plastic. On concern is would they try to live outside the nuc inside the cardboard walls? I would tie it off to a tree out of the wind where it would get some sunlight. I would also want to be able to remove the top so I would have access to the hive. Just an idea I’m thinking about. Who know maybe the bees will have a new condo


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## spieker (Jun 26, 2009)

I do not know the answer to your question. However, if they do, I would attach a hose to the entrance of the nuc and have it go outside of the green house, similar to how observation hives are set up in a house. I am interested in seeing what other people say. Good luck.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

I would not use a green house, might get too hot on those sunny cold days, they cant navigate windows, it offer little to no protection from the extreme cold.

They use to cellar bees in the old days, to keep them alive over cold winters.
A cold basement at 40-50 degrees or a cold non sunny window sill. If it's warmer than 50 make a tube the runs outside (just don't create a wind funnel where outside air rushing in through the hive). 

Insulate your hive and get an under aquarium heating pad and a thermostat "thermocube" on at 35 deg off at 45. Before I figured out the garage is a better place I did this with a small nuc and it worked fine. I put the thermocube on top of the heating pad under the closed SBB. These are not made for outdoors so they must stay dry.

http://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovato...TF8&qid=1444136789&sr=8-1&keywords=thermocube

http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Repti...=1444136840&sr=8-3&keywords=under+tank+heater


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## tumbelweed (Mar 2, 2015)

I'm going to check on them this weekend and see exactly what I have then go from there. More than likely I'll be moving them to a nuc and find a cozy place for the winter for them. good point about the green house being to hot. I thought it might be even with the cardboard lining hmmm I'll figure something out 

thanks


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## tumbelweed (Mar 2, 2015)

Well I’m going to move my small hive into a nuc then into the garage (portable garage) not sure how much warmer it will be but at least it will have a little more protection from the elements . One concern is this garage is open all day until the snow comes then the door is closed. If the sun is shining I usually open it back up. Is that going to be a problem for the bees, I’m guessing they won’t be moving much. Also is there a sequence to putting the bees in the nuc as far as brood honey ect the entrance to this nuc is in the middle so would I put the brood in front of the entrance and honey on each side? They don’t have much honey which leads me to another question what would be the best way to feed them and what should I feed them?


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## Tigger19687 (Dec 27, 2014)

I have a portable garage too. It gets Moisture in there when it is closed up.
I have my truck in mine (takes up the whole thing and then some) but I leave the door end open as I need to have top clearance.
It will all depend on which end the snow blows in from.
My opening is facing East and I only had one day that the snow blew in further then normal.

You also need to make sure that you will be brushing off the snow from the top !!! Those thing will collapse under even small weight.

I lucked out with our Last Winter as all the storms were either on the weekend or Monday and we called off work so I was there to go out every hour or so and "bump" it off the top. I use a shop push broom from the inside.

I would love to put metal roofing sheets on the top/sides of mine so I wouldn't have to do that again. But I would still have to strengthen the poles. It worked for me for the past Winter and I hope to buy a house before Winter this year with a Garage .. wishful thinking.


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## tumbelweed (Mar 2, 2015)

That's what happened to ours last year, it collapsed we have two we just replaced the bad one. Ours have two doors I also have a jeep in it. Everything seems to blow in from the west side, So I thought I would put the bees opposite end away from the other door which will be close most of the time. I have the snow blower in the east end the bees will be sitting on the top shelve (I bought some shelving from lowes) I think they will be ok just don’t want to shut them in if they want out. The east door get good morning sun so I think it will be ok.We bought this house 4yrs ago we went from a two car garage to no garage needless to say it has been challenging. We would also like to have a garage but doesn't look to promising. At least we some kind of shelter.


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