2019 Bees - you guys still there?

[Anna j]

Hello all! I'm relatively new to this site, wish I'd have found it a year or more ago! We're in middle TN, moved here Nov 2017 with a hive we had for a year from AL. Lost it winter of 2017 from the extreme cold and bought two new hives spring 2018. After having two distinctive brand new hive personalities, one swarmed in late October! I just read about some "do it yourself swarm trap" that would have been extremely useful but, as it turned out we lost one and caught one. Now we wait with baited breath for temps warm enough to open our hives and see if we still have two active hives or just one while they rob the other! I fed the new swarmed hive into winter but they seemed to have plenty of honey from the old group that left, so I quit. So soon now, we'll see what we have. Anyone else out there recovering from last year and hoping this winter went better? New beekeepers want to know! I want to see if these free loading bees will give us some honey! This will be our 3rd year...and one honey bear later...

 

[babsbag]

I am picking up two hives this week. I have been keeping bees for 10 years and have yet to have a hive make it through the winter. Bees are hard but I need them for pollination so here we go again.

 

[Anna j]

Wow , um, I thought California was warm? We insulated our hives this year with 1” styrofoam all the way around and we’re only in middle TN. I am curious, do you know what they’re dying from? I know they’re insects and all but, when I had to clean my dead hive out it was pretty sad. And not to mention... A LOT of work!

 

[babsbag]

It is very sad to clean out a dead hive. I don't know why they die. I treat for mites, I give them winter feed, and I make sure the hives are protected from rain. This year I even insulated the hive and stuffed a string of the old fashioned Christmas lights under the hive for extra heat. I wasn't happy about the size of the winter cluster so I was trying to help them out. There were bees in the hive in December but none in Jan.

 

[soarwitheagles]

It is very sad to clean out a dead hive. I don't know why they die. I treat for mites, I give them winter feed, and I make sure the hives are protected from rain. This year I even insulated the hive and stuffed a string of the old fashioned Christmas lights under the hive for extra heat. I wasn't happy about the size of the winter cluster so I was trying to help them out. There were bees in the hive in December but none in Jan.

Hi Babs!

Are you sure there was no significant varroa mite infestation?

Next, do you guys have much of a challenge with yellow jackets there?

Soar