# Experienced eyes needed



## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

I can't tell anything from the outside except that there are bees. What are you looking for?


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

Looks like normal activity to me. Unfortunately, it is what's on the inside that matters. Curious as to why the hive is longways to the runners instead of crossways.


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## Jadeguppy (Jul 19, 2017)

Ok. I didn't know if wing issues etc will show in the pic.

Jpw, I moved it in the spring for a split to have the entrances face each other and just haven't moved it back.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

How are the mites doing in there now?

They are trying to do an orientation flight in a nice sunny day since the last of the cap broods had emerged already.
From experience if those climb to the wall bees cannot fly or flying a bit but dropped to the
ground and start crawling, then you have a very severe case of PMS (the mite issue) going on now. Many crawlers on
the ground also an indication of the mites or other bee issues. Other than the mites, the normal looking bees are not as healthy because they cannot fly normally like other bees. So the virus along with the mites infection are affecting your bees. If not the mites issue then other issue is there.

What mite monitoring method have you use through out this season for this and other hives?


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## Jadeguppy (Jul 19, 2017)

Beepro, thank you. That is the kind of info I need. Is there a way to test the bees on the wall? We still have a flow, is it too late to do a round of oa? I don't see bees on the ground. I'll take the area better so it will be more noticeable. It is mostly white sand back there.


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## Dan the bee guy (Jun 18, 2015)

Ok so you have bees have you done a sugar roll to check your mite levels. If not go to YouTube and find a few lessons on how to do it. From the pics of the outside of the hive it looks like new bees crawling out to do their orientation flights. Other than that you need to get in the hive to see what's going on.


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

A bigger front door?


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

> Curious as to why the hive is longways to the runners instead of crossways. 

It looks top heavy, there is also more surface area on the sides making it easier for the wind to blow it over from one side. A hive that leans a little to the front helps rain run off and out of the entrance. 

If you just have a few hives I would place them directly on the blocks.


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## MikeJ (Jan 1, 2009)

Is it just me, all pictures on beesource lately are rather small - especially if your trying to ask people to see details.

Do you need an entrance reducer in Florida yet?


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

MikeJ said:


> Do you need an entrance reducer in Florida yet?


Yet? Over fifteen years in GA....about 200 hives....and I've never used one. 
If I were in ME....I could see it.


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## MikeJ (Jan 1, 2009)

beemandan said:


> Yet? Over fifteen years in GA....about 200 hives....and I've never used one.
> If I were in ME....I could see it.


It can get cold in Florida.... I remember when we lived there (I was a kid) one time it actually got down to 32F  for a few hours.


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## Jadeguppy (Jul 19, 2017)

Flower planter, I will probably make the next stand closer to the ground. The last hurricane gave us 48 mph winds plus gusts and she did fine. I plan to take some supers off after the flow ends.


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## Jadeguppy (Jul 19, 2017)

Lol. I've been wondering if I should leave the screen bottom open. I think I did last year. Although there is a reducer on the entrance, it barely blocks anything. They can walk behind most of it.

I've been watching some YouTube and haven't noticed any of the problems with wings, brood, etc.

This afternoon there were very few bees on the front of the hive and none that I found on the ground.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

O.k. then as long as they can still fly they will do fine this winter. I recognized that those are
the big fat winter bees. Depending on the weather you could have another around of broods.
The on fall to the ground will not stay close by for long. If you have ants then they will disappear
over night. If not they will crawl 30' away and died there. 

Next time on a nice sunny day when they do this try to observe the deformed wing bees. Also do a
mite check to see if there are any. If you don't take care of the mites now then next Spring time build
up will crashed this hive. Then you still have to deal with the mite issue delaying any hive expansion and
potential early Spring honey harvest.


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## Jadeguppy (Jul 19, 2017)

Beepro, that sounds like good news. I didn't realize winter bees would be out during a flow. I'm looking at Monday to treat with oa. Temp dropped today and the next couple, just below 80°, but then will be back up.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

The big fat winter bees have 2 stages. One in late Oct and one in late Nov. when the weather is
colder that they will not fly. When Dec is warmer than usual these will take their first orientation flight from the
Nov emergence. The 2 stages will keep the hive healthy going into winter. Without the Oct bees then
there will be no Nov bees so the hive is in big trouble this winter. 

I'm trying my best now to make the Nov bees with this round of broods. Feeding and make sure the mites are all in check on all hives. OA treatment will affect the honey. So honey supers must be off or extracted before the treatment.


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## MikeJ (Jan 1, 2009)

Bees do a pretty good job of controlling air flow when they are allowed.
You might want to keep that bottom board closed. The bees are created to move air efficiently - when they can control where it flows from.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

MikeJ said:


> It can get cold in Florida.... I remember when we lived there (I was a kid) one time it actually got down to 32F  for a few hours.


Cold, in Florida? Say it isn't so. JG lives in the panhandle, temps there can go below freezing. Heck, it even snowed in Ft. Lauderdale once. We got let out during mid term exams just to see it. It was 1977 if I recall...


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## Jadeguppy (Jul 19, 2017)

Jwp, too funny! I think it was five years ago when we actually had snow and black ice. Schools were closed. No one knows how to drive on ice. Rain, yep, but not ice. The "snow" actually last most of the morning. I'm told by others that it wasn't actually snow, but I wouldn't know the difference.
Around here we hope for a two week freeze to kill mosquitoes, but often don't get it.


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## MikeJ (Jan 1, 2009)

JWPalmer said:


> Cold, in Florida? Say it isn't so. JG lives in the panhandle, temps there can go below freezing. Heck, it even snowed in Ft. Lauderdale once. We got let out during mid term exams just to see it. It was 1977 if I recall...


Yep - was in Pensacola.
Actually - that was the time! lol 1977. My dad left the hose running on a cement patio so my sisters could "skate" on it.


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## Jadeguppy (Jul 19, 2017)

I'm between Pensacola and Destin. Native Floridian. Weather has kept me from diving for weeks, but my coworker has been loving surfing. The only other type of place I can imagine living is somewhere with a view like squarepeg has.


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## MikeJ (Jan 1, 2009)

Jadeguppy said:


> I'm between Pensacola and Destin. Native Floridian. Weather has kept me from diving for weeks, but my coworker has been loving surfing. The only other type of place I can imagine living is somewhere with a view like squarepeg has.


I'm from SC. I was only 6 when we left FL, but I remember a lot of it.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

It was the orange groves in Davie that first got me interested in bees. As in "what are those funny little boxes all stacked up by the fence line"? Then I tasted orange blossom honey! 50 years later, I have my own bees. If you that took a long time, ask my wife about my home improvement projects.


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