WHAT SHOULD I BEE DOING IN OCTOBER 2020
REALLY 2020? SNOW IN MID-OCTOBER, THE BUDDY SYSTEM AND DON’T PANIC, OH MY!
Ok 2020, what gives? Apparently nothing! everything has to be a just a little extra hard this year, wouldn’t ya say? Last year our temps dipped significantly the last week of October which is still too early but this year, the middle of the month? Really? And a snow storm to boot? Check out the photo of my drone larva fed chickens taking their first march in the snow. I had to carry four of them back to the coop as they had never seen such a site before and were not sure what to do about it. Anyway, enough complaining. That is not what winter hardy folk are supposed to do and the temps will be rebounding by the end of the week. Yes, highs in the 50’s in the forecast for the 1st week of November.
WHAT ARE THE BEES DOING IN OCTOBER
THE HIVE’S WINTER BEES FROM THE FINAL FRAMES OF BROOD ARE HATCHING, THE LAST MORSELS OF POLLEN AND NECTAR(MOSTLY SUGAR IF YOU WERE FEEDING) ARE BEING STORED AND THE FINAL DRONES ARE BEING KICKED OUT. SOME COLONIES KEEP JUST A FEW DRONES IN THE COLONY YEAR ROUND. I JUST SAW ONE THE OTHER DAY AS I WAS REMOVING MY LAST SUGAR PALES. ON WARMER DAYS, THEY ARE TAKING CLEANSING FLIGHTS BUT FOR THE MOST PART THEY ARE CLUSTERING AND SLOWING DOWN.
WHAT SHOULD THE BEEKEEPER BEE DOING
LIKE I MENTIONED ABOVE, I HAVE PULLED ALL MY FEEDING PAILS FROM THE HIVES. ANY HIVES THAT WERE STILL LIGHT, I TOOK NOTE AND WILL ADD SOME DRIED SUAGR OR WINTER PATTIES IN THE SPRING. SOME BEEKEEPERS ADD DRIED SUGAR AS AN INSURANCE BEFORE WINTER. MY FRIEND MERRY HAD 100%WINTER SURVIVAL ON HER 17 HIVES LAST YEAR. I HAVE INCLUDED PICTURES BELOW OF HER PROCESS OF USING A QUILT BOX WITH DRIED SUGAR INSIDE FOR YOU TO SEE.
I TRIED NOT TO PANIC WHEN THE WEATHER FIRST COOLED DOWN AND THE SNOW CAME. THERE WAS NO WAY FOR ME TO GET OUT AND WRAP EVERYONE IN TIME AND I KNEW IT WOULD WARM BACK UP AGAIN SO I DECIDED THAT MY PRIORITIES WOULD BE MOISTURE BOARDS, CLOSING ANY UNNECESSARY ENTRANCES( LEAVING OPEN THE SMALLEST ENTRANCE ON THE BOTTOM AND ONE SMALL ENTRANCE IN THE INNERCOVER) AND PLACING MOUSE GUARDS ON THE BOTTOM ENTRANCE(STAPLED A SMALL SQUARE OF 1/4 INCH HARDWARE IN FRONT OF HOLE. EVERY HIVE GOT A PIECE OF R5 INSULATION WITH DUCT TAPE OVER THE SPOT WHERE THE INNER COVER IS SO THE BEES DON’T CHEW IT UP. I HAVE INCLUDED A PIC ABOVE. I ALSO MOVED ALL OF MY COLONIES CLOSE TOGETHER FOR WIND PROTECTION AND HEAT EXCHANGE “THE BUDDY SYSTEM.” THIS YEAR, I PLAN TO LEAVE ONE YARD WITHOUT BLACK WRAP BUT MOVED CLOSE TOGETHER TO SEE IF I CAN SUBSTITUTE THE BUDDY SYSTEM FOR FULL WRAPPING. THERE ARE DIFFERENT THEORIES ON WRAPPING AND WHETHER IT MATTERS AND IS GOOD OR BAD. ONE THEORY IS THAT IT IS HARMFUL TO HAVE THEM HEAT UP TOO MUCH DURING THE DAY AND THEN GET CHILLED AT NIGHT. A FRIEND MONITORED TEMP IN HIS COLONIES THROUGH THE ENTIRE WINTER AND SAW VERY LITTLE TEMPERATURE CHANGE INSIDE RELATIVE TO OUTSIDE TEMP CHANGES. ONE CAVEAT: THIS WAS DONE WITH NUCS WHICH ARE SMALLER IN SIZE THAN THE AVERAGE DOUBLE DEEP. THE ARGUMENT FOR WRAPPING IS THAT DURING THE REALLY COLD MONTHS, IT ALLOWS THE CLUSTER TO MOVE ENOUGH DURING THE DAY TO REACH FOOD IT MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO REACH IF NOT WRAPPED. ANOTHER CLEAR AS MUD PRACTICE IN THE WORLD OF BEEKEEPING!
WHEN IT HEATS UP, MY LAST BEEKEEPING TASK OF THE SEASON WILL BE TO WRAP AND GIVE THE HIVES ONE LAST TREATMENT OF OXALIC ACID USING THE VAPOR OR DRIBBLE METHOD. THE IDEA BEHIND THIS TREATMENT IS THAT IT SHOULD ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR A SPRING TREATMENT. IF MITES WERE HIGH IN THE FALL AND NOT ADDRESSED IN TIME, THE DAMAGE MAY BE DONE. HERE IS AN ARTICLE THAT TALKS ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OXALC ACID AND THE DIFFERENT METHODS
MERRY REIMLER’S DRY SUGAR QUILT BOX FOR WINTER FEEDING
