It warmed up to a balmy 12 degrees so far today. When it hit 8 this morning I decided it was time to get back to work and try and get some more wood brought in. The only place I felt relatively confident of getting into and out of was up by my Northern Bee yard.
You can see why I was so determined to get upper entrances on all my hives. When it snows I don't have to make a trip to open up the entrances this way. The top pic is actually the back of the hives which face North so in this case I am hoping the snow gave them a bit of added protection. You can clearly see the ugly pink foam insulation I wrapped all the brood chambers in.
At this point though I am not sure my Winter Bee Preps are going to matter. I wrapped on the side of a couple of the hives with my ear up against the top entrance and heard.... Nothing. Usually I can hear the ball buzz when I disturb them with a light knock but not today.
All I can do is steel myself for what I fear maybe very bad news when it finally warms up enough to actually open the hives and check. I have sometimes not heard them buzzing before but I don't have a lot of hope at this stage. I don't know if the girls were prepared for these temps or not, certainly it has never been this cold for this long in any of these hives' lifetimes. I fed the new hives all the syrup they would take all Summer and Fall and I left a good amount of honey on the producing hives along with dry sugar on top for emergency use.
We will see I guess. Maybe I should have put up a wind break.
Here is my target for today. You can see the trunk coming in from the left then it takes a dip and buries itself in the snow and doesn't show well in the picture. She's an old Elm that died a few years ago and I left her standing to dry upright. she was in a really easy spot to get to and I have been saving her for just this type of weather. I went ahead and dropped her last week in anticipation of the snow coming in this week.
There wasn't much small stuff left but the trunk gave me about 3/4's of a load which I will go ahead and split up tomorrow. Supposedly we may get above freezing sometime tomorrow so some of the snow may melt but that will make it more difficult to get out so splitting becomes my best bet. Sunday they are predicting we go right back down to zero again which will allow me to use the frozen ground to get in another load.
Thank the Lord for four wheel drive is all I can say!!! I probably didn't need 4WD getting out with a load of wood but I sure needed it getting in while empty.
As much as I love the scenery, the quiet and the beauty of snow in the hardwoods I must say I really wish Spring would come to ease my other fears. I have not worked in my shop once this Winter. Have not gotten any new ammo pressed out nor fired a bullet once. It's been dealing with cold almost non-stop this year. I am ready for a break.
Also this snow is really slippery. We got about a half inch of ice before the snow hit and it will slip you up quick if your not careful.
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!
Good luck with the bees I hope they are still kicking.Thanks for that input earlier:)
ReplyDeleteI'm still trying to guesstimate my last frost date maybe MAY!!
SRV - No kidding Ours up here will prolly be June or something this year.
DeleteI hope the bees are okay. Re: the cold, since we usually have 6 to 7 months of winter, I don't think much about Spring until late March. But I understand why you're wanting it, after all that Alaska weather you've had.
ReplyDeleteRP - Y aI expected a bad Winter just not this bad.
DeleteYou made a lot of progress on a day most would have stayed inside! I only have 2 wheel drive so I know exactly what you are saying. A guy near here has lost a lot of hives this winter, some had lots of honey up top but it was so cold that they wouldn't go up to get it.
ReplyDeleteWarm and muddy here.
SF - Yep that's the thing if it's too cold for the ball to move around inside the hive they starve. They can take really low temps but when it's day after day and they eat everything where they are there is nothing that can be done.
DeleteI think my wood will hold out for a couple of weeks & with any luck the snow will melt by then & it will have dried out enough to get up the hill for more wood. Here's hoping the bees are ok.
ReplyDeleteMV - I keep saying I got enough for X, then when I am about halfway there I start to say well maybe not. I have numerous piles laying all over as well only the snow or mud really keeps me from getting to them.
DeleteI've seen some stack hay-bales around the hives...then again their bees died too. Sorry, Bro.
ReplyDeleteStephen - I stacked bales around my hives for the first few years I had them but last year with the drought hay was like gold so I decided to try the insulation pieces. Hay bales would have been better I think but more expensive and not reusable really. Next year I should have my square baler running so small bales maybe easier to come by and use.
DeleteI hope the bees are ok. This weather has been hard on everyone, from bees to people.
ReplyDeleteHarry - Yes it has. As much as I love Winter in many ways when it is this cold for this long it makes for a lot of work and a lot of loss.
DeletePP,
ReplyDeleteOh no, you listened and didn't hear any buzzing. I'm hoping when it gets warmer and you check on them they'll be fine.
Sandy - Well the knock on the side method isn;t always effective at hearing em buzz but it does usually work. So, well, I am preparing myself mentally for a huge loss and yet hoping for the best.
DeleteWell I am glad to see that all the blood has been moped up from the "how much wood should wood chopper chop" battle. I thought you were going to get the axe, but when the chips are down..... LOL
ReplyDeleteAll that cold is making me so glad to be in NC.
Russ - You almost got me. LOL I went back and deleted my own reply because after reviewing it well you know.
DeleteWhat I think happened here is that a few people really thought I was telling them there was no way they could heat with wood. When in fact had they actually read what I was saying I was admitting what they were saying was the best rout to go. It's the only thing that makes sense because I just cannot see how someone could have read what I wrote and take it that I was talking about wood stoves.
I just don;t get it.
Bottom line winter sucks. How many areas do you have hives again? How many hives in each area? What is the sq ft of each area. LXW?? How high are they stacked? I have an idea running in my head that's why I'm asking.
ReplyDeleteRob - I have three apiaries right now and was suppose to expand out to a fourth area this Spring for a guy with an orchard. Most of the hives are 2 9 inch brood chambers and the producers I left a 6 inch surplus super on for extra stores. I then insulated the brood chambers which also sealed the seams up from the wind.
DeleteWould it have been possible to build a sort of temperary structure around the hives..kind of like a greenhouse is for plants? only something similair to keep the bees protected from the extremities of the elements.
ReplyDeleteJuGM - I have seen small structures built that can house hives and I know they use em some places. Some Northern bee keepers actually move the hives indoors for Winter but I have never read or heard about any bee keeper doing that South of Iowa before. Most around here don;'t do anything at all just leave the boxes out but many do wrap the hives in tar paper. I tried to go the extra mile and use insulation.
DeleteIt's possible I just didn't go far enough :(
I am hoping the insulation kept you from hearing the buzz. I still haven't opened mine. They weren't used to the kind of cold we've had here. When it has warmed up enough for activity I have see a few out. One of my hives seems to not have much activity but it has some if they can hang oin a little while longer. I am so ready for spring.
ReplyDeleteMB - Well it is possible the ball was far enough down in the brood boxes I couldn't hear them or even far enough down my knocking didn't disturb them since I was tapping on the wood above the insulation sheets.
DeleteI am sure your hive are doing well. I couple of days in the 30's won't even make em blink and when they can get out I am sure there is always something in Florida for em to work. Up here it's like having them in a frozen desert for the most part.
I was wondering if it could be done..I guess it would make sense for the folks further north to do so...
ReplyDelete