# beekeeping in southeast alaska



## 22DPac (Jun 24, 2012)

Welcome to the forum! I am not familiar with beekeeping in your area, but I am sure that there are many qualified to answer your questions!


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Welcome!


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## warmbees (Mar 4, 2014)

Welcome. I'm from Utah, but Chris_Nelson123 is from interior Alaska and he posted on my welcome thread about what they often do in Alaska. It seems that many beekeepers there order package bees, grow them and use them for the summer and then kill them off and take all the honey, because is pretty much impossible to winter them in the harsh climate there. Sounds to be very difficult. We hope to change that, perhaps with a new heater design. However I can't speak to your local area beyond this. Consider contacting Chris_Nelson123, if he does not respond here himself. Welcome, Warmbees.


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## chris_nelson123 (Feb 26, 2014)

Welcome, I'm located up here in North Pole/ Fairbanks and our climate is much different than yours. This will be my first year as well and will be learning how to keep bee's in Alaska. I ordered my package bees from steve bees who is run by steve victor. He is located in big lake alaska. You may consider contacting him.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

There seem to be quite a few people keeping bees in Anchorage and some of them overwinter there. Try searching for "norlander" on yahoo groups. Seems like Keith Malone has a group for Alaskan beekeepers.


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## lorcoalaska (Mar 9, 2014)

We live in a temperate rain forest....lots of bloom, lots of rain, long days. Southcentral AK is drier, but colder and longer winters. Ordered the old world carniolan bees from jack anderson...it will at least bee a science experiment. I hate to kill tnem in late sept.....maybe they can live in my husbands shop attached to our house. Take them to the field house or gym for cleansing flights.????... hahaha


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## agillis2 (Apr 2, 2014)

Hey I think we talked today on the phone? Anyway, I'm definitely in this for the long haul and don't want to euthanize mine in the winter, either. Looking forward to talking with you more about this adventure.


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## lorcoalaska (Mar 9, 2014)

We should get our bees this week, i think.


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## Bill91143 (Jun 7, 2013)

I just had a crazy thought. What would happen if a person in Alaska had 3 or 4 observation hives? Could you get them through the winter that way, then transfer them into regular hives for the summer? My observation hive did great this winter, but I live in Kentucky so it can't be compared to Alaska.:scratch:


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## BGhoney (Sep 26, 2007)

Welcome, It would have to be a very fat observation hive, the cluster needs mass for the cold. I have seen bee dens built off the side of houses in very cold areas, the warm house wall helps the hive.


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