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Trace: • 2025_2026_winter • 2023_2024_winter
2023_2024_winter

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2023/2024 Winter

2023/2024 Winter preparation

Insulating hives

2 pieces of rope and a clear foil

Reflectix as a gasket not insulation.

Inner cover with closed ventilation hole. It presses edges against Reflectix gasket and seals the clear foil below.

First R-10 2in XPS

Second R-10 taken from unused 6 FR hives.

Top cover with weights. Medium box with stores. Yellow deep long Lang has a divider for two brood nests. The green stand below is a SBB (Screened Bottom Board). It has two holes for OAV.

Oxialic Acid 2023

1/2 tsp made of 2x 1/4 tsp = ~3g

Date\Hive #1 gooseberry #2 gate #3 peach #4 gooseberry #5 fir #6 gate #7 peach #8 fir #9 yew #10 yew Notes
~~ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 ~~
2023-Nov-22 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 44F
2023-Oct-26 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 66F
2023-Oct-23 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 63F
2023-Oct-17 RM SSP RM SSP RM SSP RM SSP RM SSP RM SSP RM SSP RM SSP RM SSP RM SSP 55F, removed OAE after 57 days
2023-Aug-21 1 SSP 1 SSP 1 SSP 1 SSP 1 SSP 1 SSP 1 SSP 1/2 SSP 1/2 SSP 1 SSP 78F, #8 got +1/2 SSP on Aug 28
2023-Aug-10 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/4 tsp 1/4 tsp 1/4 tsp 1/4 tsp 78F, nucs got 1/4
2023-Aug-02 1/2 tsp 1/4 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/4 tsp 1/4 tsp 1/4 tsp 1 /4 tsp 80F, nucs and #6 got 1/4
2023-Jul-25 1/2 tsp 1/4 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/4 tsp 1/4 tsp 89F, nucs got 1/4 tsp
2023-Jul-18 1/2 tsp 1/4 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/4 tsp 1/4 tsp 78F, nucs got 1/4 tsp
2023-Jul-13 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 71F
2023-Jul-07 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 77F outside
2023-Jun-22 1/2 tsp 81F outside, #6 has a queen
2023-Jun-15 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 74F outside
2023-May-25 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 57F outside
2023-May-10 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 69F outside

Feeding

  • SL - still left from previous feeding
  • y - new portion
  • 20lb of sugar - means total 20lb.
  • 1:1 - 1 volume sugar to 1 volume water
  • 2:1 - 2 volumes sugar to 1 volume water
  • CF - communal feeding
Date Gooseberry Gate Fir Peach Yew Comments
Hive 1 S Hive 4 N Hive 2 W Hive 6 E Hive 5 W Hive 8 E Hive 3 W Hive 7 E Hive 9 R Hive 10 L
2023-Nov-15 CF CF CF CF CF CF CF CF CF CF 2:1, 60 lb of sugar, in last week with temperatures above 50F
2023-Oct-26 y y y y y y y y y SL 2:1 at 4:10 pm, 20lb of sugar, 66F, last 3 days with above 50F. This could be last feeding
2023-Oct-25 y y y y y y 2:1 at 3:05pm, 10lb of sugar, 64F
2023-Oct-22 y y y y y y y y y SL 2:1 at 4:35pm, 20lb of sugar, 57F
2023-Oct-19 y y y y y y y y SL y 2:1 at 3:35pm, 20lb of sugar, 57F
2023-Oct-17 y y y SL y y y y SL SL 2:1 at 5:00pm, 20lb of sugar
2023-Oct-15 y y y y y y y y y y 2:1 at 5:00pm, 20lb of sugar
2023-Oct-11 y y y y SL SL y y y SL 2:1 at 3:45pm, 20lb of sugar, 65F
2023-Oct-09 y y y y y y y y y y 2:1 at 3:35pm, 20lb of sugar
2023-Oct-05 y y y y y y y y y y 2:1 at 1:15pm, 20lb of sugar
2023-Oct-04 y y y y y y y y y y 2:1 at 5:15pm, 20lb of sugar
2023-Oct-02 y y y y y y y y y y 3:2 at 5:15pm, 20lb of sugar
2023-Sep-29 y y y y y y y y y SL 1:1 at 4:21pm, 20lb of sugar
2023-Sep-26 y y y y y y y y y y 1:1 at 4:40pm, 20lb of sugar
2023-Sep-24 y y y y y y y y y SL 1:1 at 6:10pm, 20lb of sugar
2023-Sep-22 y y y y y y y y y y 1:1 at 6:30pm, 20lb of sugar
2023-Sep-20 y y y y y y y y y y 1:1 at 6:45pm, 20lb of sugar
2023-Sep-18 y y y y y y y y y y 1:1 at 10:30am, 20lb of sugar
2023-Sep-15 y y y y y y y y y y 1:1 in the evening, 20lb of sugar
2023-Sep-13 y y y y 1:1 in the afternoon, 10lb of sugar
2023-Sep-11 y y y y y y y y y y 1:1 in the evening, 20lb of sugar
2023-Sep-08 y y y y y y y y y y 1:1 in the morning, 20lb of sugar
2023-Sep-05 y y y y y y y y y y 1:1, 20lb of sugar
2023-Sep-03 y y y y y y y y 1:1, added feeder to #3 after removing suppers
2023-Sep-01 y y y y y y y y 1:1
2023-Aug-31 y y 1:1, moved supper #4 → #3 and added feeder
2023-Aug-30 y y y y y y y y 1:1, bees emptied feeders from yesterday's sirup
2023-Aug-29 y y y y y y y 1:1

Inspections

  • C - collateral super
  • W - winter stores
  • E - evidence
  • S - seen
  • B - bottom
  • QE - queen excluder
  • CP - capped
  • N - nectar

2024-Feb-26

  • all hives flying, even nucs
  • bees bringing lots of yellow pollen

2024-Feb-18

  • 45F and 1, 2, 6 hives are flying in sun.

2024-Feb-08

  • 56F and all 10 frame hives are flying, 8 of them. Two nucs seem to be dead but flying on Feb-20

2024-Feb-01

  • 7,9,10 do not fly
  • all others have cleansing flights at 52F, #8 started after 2pm

2024--Jan-31

  • #3, #6 - got sugar bricks

2024--Jan-29

  • #3, #6 - need food, bees at the top
  • #9,10 seem to be dead
  • other alive

2023-Dec-8

  • It was 46F yesterday and all hives were making, I guess, cleansing flights because today at 51F the bees stay inside.

2023-Oct-27

  • All hives very active at 66F
  • All hives bring pollen
  • Hives take sirup a little bit slower
  • Mite drop makes less then 1% mite level.

2023-Oct-17

  • removed OAE after 57 days
  • 10FR hives have a lot of bees.
  • 6FR are not as populated as 10 FR
  • Medium boxes are heavy but bees still take 2:1 sugar.
  • Bees are flying at 55F. Still bringing some pollen.

2023-Sep -13

Location Orientation Hive Type Group Boxes Frames Queen Drones Temper Weather Comments
(A/B/S Brood Super Pollen Brood Eggs Bees Stores QC
Gooseberry N Hive 4 10FR Wood A 3M 2M 4N E moved 1 capped M FR to #8
S Hive 1 BeeMax A 2CP, 8N E
Gate E Hive 6 1/2 Long Lang A 4DP 2M E needs lot of 1:1 to draw mediums, will have 10 FR nurse bees soon
W Hive 2 1/2 Long Lang B 1 0 7+ E looks very good
Fir tree E Hive 8 10FR Paradise B 1 from #4 not inspected
W Hive 5 BeeMax B not inspected
Peach E Hive 7 1/2 Long Lang B 1 from #3 3+ got 3 drawn M FR from #3
W Hive 3 1/2 Long Lang A 3+ S
Yew (cis) S Hive 9 6FR B not inspected
S Hive 10 6FR Paradise A not inspected

2023-Aug-28

Location Orientation Hive Type Group Boxes Frames Queen Feeding Temper Weather Comments
(A/B/Split) Brood Super Pollen Brood Eggs Bees Stores QC
Gooseberry N Hive 4 10FR wooden A 1DP, 1M 1M 4+ 2.5 prepared feeder
S Hive 1 BeeMax A 1DP, 1M 10 0.5 added feeder
Gate E Hive 6 1/2 Long Lang B 1DP, 1M 5 0.5? week hive, added feeder
W Hive 2 1/2 Long Lang A 1DP, 1M 6 6+ added feeder
Fir tree E Hive 8 10FR Paradise B 1DP, 1M 7 1 added feeder
W Hive 5 BeeMax A 1DP, 1M 7 4+ added feeder
Peach E Hive 7 1/2 Long Lang B 1DP, 1M 4 1 added feeder
W Hive 3 1/2 Long Lang A 1DP, 1M 1D 7 2+ prepared feeder
Yew (cis) S Hive 9 6FR A 1DP 1M 4 1+ added feeder
S Hive 10 6FR Paradise A 1DP 1DP 3+ 1+ S added feeder
2023_2024_winter.txt · Last modified: by jacek