Beekeeping plan for 2014-2015

I've been  lamenting the loss of my bees and looking back to see what I did wrong.  And I am also putting a plan together for next season.

Cleaning out dead bees

I went into the hive yesterday to dismantle it and clean it out.  I was so sad to see the number of dead bees.  I really think the moisture got to them. I never want to see this again so I will make every effort to not make the same mistake again.  I will use this time to clean out the hive, fix any foundation issues and get them ready for spring.  And I will begin to work on my plans for next season. But it's pretty sad to look out and not see my hive in place.

What I did wrong
The bees were ok until late December. So what happened?
- I didn't change out the mouse guard at the entrance of the hive.  I should have put back the wood entrance with only one small hole in use during the winter months. The mouse guard has holes across the entire entrance so it let in too much cold air.  The entrance reducer has a few sizes of openings and for winter, you'd use the smallest one.

Mouse Guard

Entrance reducer

- I have no other ventilation hole up at the top of the hive.  Many people recommending a 1-inch hole near the top so bees can go in and out as well as provide ventilation
- Was the top cover tipped back so that any moisture accumulation wouldn't drip on the bees?  I think this is what killed my bees!!
- Did I leave them enough food for the winter?  I don't think I did but I was feeding them with fondant so I didn't starve them.

New bees coming for 2014

First let me say that this is not a way to get cheap honey!  It becomes expensive when you lose your bees.

I have bought a 3 pound package of bees that I will put into one hive..that cost $100
I also bought a nuc which is 5 frames of bees, honey and brood for $150

I'll get both in late April or early May and I'll be back in business.  Both will have queens so I will be in a good position to just start over.  But needing to buy bees again this year was not part of my plan.

Wintering over bee hive plan for 2014-2015

After watching various video's and reading about this subject, I will try a different approach next winter.

• Leave more honey behind for the bees
• Continue to feed them
• Add a layer of insulation between the outside of the hive and the roofing paper. I have some thin roofing insulation that has bumps in it for airflow so I will staple that to the hive before I surround it with roofing paper.
• To the top of the hive, I will add a super that is empty.  Then I will pack it with cedar bedding that's been packed into a pillow.  That pillow will soak up any moisture in the hive.  After 3 weeks or so, replace the wet pillow with a dry one...just bring in the wet pillow to dry and reuse it next time.
• Then the top cover goes on
• Under the super, between the deep hive and the super, add a piece of screen so that the bees stay below.
• Make sure the entrance reducer is set to its smallest opening

A sad day indeed

My bees have all died.  As regular readers know, I checked the bees and added fondant on 12/19/13 and I saw and heard bees inside the hive.  At that time, I did clean a lot of bees that had died from the bottom of the hive, but that's expected.

Today I wanted to see how they were doing with the fondant and to give them more, if needed.  But no sign of any live bee and no humming at all from inside.

I think that, with the major cold weather we've had this season, it's just too much for them.  I need to figure out how to even better protect them next year.  I know that my bee instructor fixed up an insulated covering using trash bags and stuffing them with some insulating material and I may try that instead of the roofing paper next year.  It seems it would protect them better.

This spring I have two different bee packages ordered to replace these...and my intent is to add a new hive this year to expand my operation.  I'm sad that I must start all over but this, I understand, is common here with our cold winters.

I have ordered one Italian package of bees and the other one is Russian bees.  I would think that the Russian bees might do better in the cold but I'll need to research that and that may determine what I order in future years.

The bees have been fed

Today it was warm enough...sort of...to get into the hive just to add some fondant.  I'm glad I did because it was all gone!

While I was there, I cleaned out the bottom of the hive of dead bees and I think there were about two cups of dead bees.  I was pretty worried about that but when I opened the hive I saw many bees and the humming was loud.  Yeah!  There are still bees in there surviving.  I just hope the rest of the winter...the one that hasn't officially started you understand...is less cold than the last month!

I do hope that we have a January thaw so that I can replenish the fondant then so I don't starve these girls and can go into the spring with a somewhat reduced but healthy hive.

Should I or shouldn't I open the hive to check on bees in frigid weather

It's been so cold the I'm worried about  my bees freezing...or starving.  This morning I also worried about smothering because we got about 14 inches of snow last night and from my living room window, it looked like the front entrance was covered with snow.  So I rushed out and began shoveling.

Once I got near the hive, I saw that the snow hadn't reached the entrance because the plywood "roof" overhangs enough to provide a little shelter from the rain...and snow too I guess.  And I saw a few dead bees at the entrance which told me I still have bees in there.  Seeing some dead outside is normal I've learned.  Seems like they could easily freeze just leaving the hive to go to the bathroom.

I have resisted opening the hive even to take a look because I'm afraid that I'll kill them by making them freeze.  I do want to replenish their fondant though because I don't want them to starve if there's not enough store of honey in the bottom deep hive.  Later this week, we are supposed to have a balmy 40 degree day and that's the day I'll open the hive and add fondant.  Who knows when I'll get another opportunity? It's been a cold late fall...right...it's not even winter yet!

What I'll do with the fondant is scoop some out and put it on a paper plate with a small hole at the bottom.  The fondant has the consistency of taffy so it'll stay in place.  Then the plate will be placed on top of the top hive, under the cover and the insulation added under it.  I'll do this very fast to minimize the cold air going into the hive. 

I sort of hate to remove the snow at the top of the "roof" because it provides extra insulation.  In fact, I like having the snow around it for the same reason.  But something tells me there will be plenty of snow to replace what I brush off from the top.

11/24/13 - BRRRRRR

I have to say this is the coldest weather I've felt in months!  It seems very early to be only in the low twenties in November although it's probably happened before.  I most likely buried it in my mind as I hate the cold.

Thankfully I had already wrapped and winterized my hive and hope it helps them make it through the winter.  I had added a piece of tin roofing to the top to keep the weather out but when I got home a while ago, I saw that it had blown off...even with rocks on top to hold it in place.

So I removed the tin roof and replaced it with some sheathing material, like plywood, only more porous. At least it's heavier and I hope it will stay in place.  I think that helped the bees last winter.

I also removed the fence today.  Last year, I waited until mid-December to remove it but with it being so cold this year, I was sure they'd freeze and I'd not be able to remove the posts.  So, here's hoping that the bears have settled in for their winter's nap and leave my hive alone.

Since Thanksgiving is just a few days away, let me take this time to wish all my readers a wonderful holiday!  Take a moment to thank something or someone in your life.  That's what the season is all about.

My best wishes to you all!

A honey comparison between 2012 and 2013

I wanted to show you the difference a year makes!  On the left is last year's honey.  It's much lighter than this year's honey on the right.

Last year, I fed the bees all summer using sugar water.

This year, I only began feeding them in August.

Otherwise I'm not sure what the difference in color means but they are both delicious.

The fall beehive and other autumn tasks and thoughts - Nov. 3, 2013

Here it is, at the beginning of November and I've just insulated the hive, or almost, for the winter.  The only thing left to do is to wrap it with roofing paper to insulate it from drafts.  I have 6 bales of hay, two on each of three sides, leaving some space between the hay and the hive.  For ventilation.  However, I have not taken down the fence yet. I probably should because I need new batteries..  I think there's little to no power there now. 

Earlier this year, I ordered enough D-size batteries to last me through October.  Because of the warm fall season, if next year is the same, I'll need to order enough for a couple more months so that I'm not running out. Ordering in bulk was a very convenient, not to mention less expensive way to power my fence.

This year was an extremely low honey year.  Remember that.  2013!! Not a good year for honey.  A friend of mine in Maine, who has been a beekeeper for 10 years, told me she had no honey!  She had to go buy some for her own use. (You get used to using honey for so much when you have it handy).  She also told me that she heard this statistic about this year's honey production...that it was down this year 50%.  More of it having to do with the weather which affected the pollen, vegetative growth, etc. versus colony collapse disorder.

It's always sad in the fall. All my high hopes from the spring are gone and I contemplate what went right and what went wrong as well as handling the fall cleanup.  Here is my list of fall chores:

• empty pond of leaves, pine needles and other debris as well as the floating plants (doing this now with the help of Peyton, my granddaughter.
• remove pond pump (I wait until pond begins to ice over)
• mow leaves into pile and mow them (then add this to vegetable garden...great nutrients for the soil)
• bottle honey that was extracted and put into 5-gallon bucket (there's not much there but I will jar it today)
• dig up herbs that are in the ground and divide them if needed (I have rosemary and sage I'll give as gifts)
• dig up and bring in other herbs for winter use - basil and parsley are already on the windowsill as well as sage and rosemary for me.
• stack wood on the deck for those days when trips to the woodshed aren't safe or I'm just plain lazy or get the flu
• bring in cushions and umbrella from patio and store them in the basement (still on my to-do list)
• change tires to winter snows (this year, with a new car, I had to buy studded snow tires). Regular tires stored in shed.
• straighten up greenhouse and get it ready for spring planting. 

There's always something good to be found in the fall too.  Here are the things I look forward to:

• begin to cook more again...I have little time to cook in the spring and summer or I'd just rather be outside
• Spend bad days inside reading, without feeling guilty for taking time out for myself
• Less pressure to be doing something every moment
• the warmth of a wood fire every day
• no more mowing the lawn every week!
• decorating for fall and then Christmas
• Thanksgiving (I love this holiday all about good food and good company)