Fall Management

[HarryVanderpool]

Let's start talking about fall and winter.
How many of you are feeding your bees right now?
I am slamming at least 2 gallons of heavy syrup to each of my hives medicated with fumigillin. If they are light in stores they will get more.
I sure am looking forward to the fall and winter days assembling new equipment for future years.
All winter long my shop has that fine smell of fresh pine.
Is it just me, or does it give you a rush of hope for the years to come?
There is a lot to do between now and spring.

[drew]

oh yes the fall treatment has begun for myself

It sounds like I start a bit later then most of the other beekeepers in this part of the woods.

I have started to treat for foulbrood, given the bees a shot of menthol today , tomorrow we start feeding the sugar water with some fumagilin. I don't leave much if any honey on them for winter. I have chosen to strip them clean of most honey and feed them heavy for the winter. At least 5 gallons per hive. This has worked well for me so far. They have always come out strong in the spring. Oh yes, the strips will also go in this weekend I don't like using them but I also don't like dead bees.

I think next spring after being able to read up on the formic acid stuff I will give that a try. To me it sounds better then using the strips. All around better kill ratio no tolerance. Just need to be more careful because you are dealing with an ACID.

hehehe nucs in the spring (i hope)

[Thom]

Boy, life is sure going to change for 7300 of those hives when you turn them over to me.

[drew]

Hey Norm do you know a beekeeper named Howard Schwab from North Dakota? Also polinates in CA for the winter.

Now I know why everyone puts strips in early, my thought was wait till most of your brood is out for winter then knock off the mites. Oh well live and learn,

maybe i should say [glow=red,2,300]TEXT[/glow]anyone have nucs for sale next spring?

[drew]

ouch you guys play nice ,

ok I do believe photo period is PART of egg laying also amount of pollen and necter play in. LOOK Hawaii has a honey flow all year long (almost) so the photo period is not the whole picture.

Yes I have noticed that there is alot of pollen coming in, from where, who knows good for the bees, and most of the hives have alot of pollen in them already. I don't run pollen traps for that reason. (Also it tastes like crap) .

Also all queens are still laying 3-4 frames of brood in the top box (have not looked in bottom box for a few months) SOOO cross my fingers I am good to go for winter again.

I did not know why everyone put there strips in so early until norm said why, and there was a story in one of the bee mags about damage done to winter bees. My thought was wait until brood count is down, treat and knock off the mites for your winter bees. Maybe that is not what is really going on at all. The queens may spit out another round of bees for winter when they get hit with the feed. WHO KNOWS so far it has worked for two winters running. Have always had real strong hives real early. TO strong in fact. I can't keep them from swarming is my big down fall

[drew]

All the books and you old beekeepers say to leave the honey for winter. Blahhhhh to you all.

My winter tactic came from an old old old beekeeper who did very well for himself and family even at a national level.

Take the honey give them sugar water, it is cleaner for them to burn.

I have no proof at all. But it has worked good so far. Who knows maybe some day I will change my mind. Until then here comes the sugar water by the gallon. ;D

I do think I have just been lucky by putting the strips in so late in the year. I do agree with that. Next year strips in at Aug.. Cause NORMY says to, and some mag also said the same thing about damage to your winter bees.

As for what kind of bee to use, I have tried both. Carnies, Italians. Both of them work well, BUT I do believe the Italians put out more honey. As far as being nasty, not so if you get quality queens. You get what you pay for.

[HarryVanderpool]

Drew, I have been fortunate to have some late season flows over the last few years that give you the best of both worlds.
I have benn able to pull my supers in late July and they have pushed her down with honey that didn't taste all that great anyway.
Then, I'm with you. I Feed all of my hives with 2 gallons of syrup medicated with fumigillin. Lighter hives take more, sans the meds.
Now Rbees runs 3 deeps as does the president of the company that I work for.
Although the economics of this is rather bleak, there are some weird spring weather patterns that make you gratefull for any and all feed that is on board.
Sometimes nothing beats frames of sealed feed.
Web Master Thom takes every single drop and then depopulates his hives. He starts fresh every year.
This works for his annual goals.
Do what works best for you. You are the boss in your operation.

[HarryVanderpool]

O.K. Boys.
For now on, it's positive, helpful, and encouraging.
Thats what Beekeeping is all about in my book.
How's that sound?
Harry

[rbees]

;D

[Thom]

Is that a smirk, Rbees?

[rbees]

HarryVanderpool said:

Now Rbees runs 3 deeps as does the president of the company that I work for.
Although the economics of this is rather bleak, there are some weird spring weather patterns that make you gratefull for any and all feed that is on board.

The main reasons I run three deep is swarm prevention ( I raise my own queens so I can't start with fresh queens in April) and just that...I never have to feed syrup.

[rbees]

Thom said:

Is that a smirk, Rbees?

Not at all! really.

[Thom]

I run some hives at three deeps as well, but my reason is because I joined hives with failing queens in mid summer. I had three queens that looked like they were stronger than all get out in April, but they wore themselves out by June, so I divided up three two deep hives between six hives.

Lessons learned...replace that queen in the spring even if she looks like she can handle another year. Drones don't gather any nectar.