Winter Beekeeping Checklist (part 2)

[@trichard5106]

Thanks !!

[@beckieeldred5816]

My bees small very good 10-25-20

[@micksbeesstephens5327]

Hey Jason, for the readers wishing to build a feeder shim for any size hive I have the easiest method. I use these for candy boards or mountain camp. Buy an 8 ft section of 1 in by 2 inch firring strip , be sure it's not pressure treated. Cut four sides to match your hive body and glue, screw or nail together, then drill a vent hole. Been making these about 6 years and also use them as summer vents above the inner cover. Thanks for your videos, Mickey.

[@JCsBees]

I use the same furring strips. Thanks for sharing!

[@mikesbeehivesllc3632]

Mike's Beehives LLC in Roxbury CT sells them on eBay for $5.00. Available for 10 frame , 8 and nucs.

[@familyhearingandbalancecen9777]

Another great video and information Jason! Thank you.

[@gmarigold9965]

I'm located in eastern ontario canada - and YOU ARE MY TEACHER !!! GOD BLESS YOU !!!

[@BlanchardsBees]

Yeah it's getting cold quick

[@bobbybighoof]

awesome thanks great info Jason as always

[@Bajsballe84]

Vinegar is probably a lot cheaper for mold control of your winter feed

[@JCsBees]

I tried vinegar a few times and still got mold. Maybe I didn't add enough but either way the Pro Health offers more benefits for the bees. Thanks for suggestion.

[@seedsandarrowsfrontier9224]

Greatly appreciate all your knowledge Jason!! Im in Northern Kentucky so I see similar weather to you. God bless!!

[@outdoors30rudenko63]

Southern Iowa , 34° at night & 37 In the morning we got our first half inch of snow ❄️

[@JCsBees]

I seen pictures on Facebook of the snow. Crazy! Keep it out that way I'm not ready. lol

[@joeallen7037]

Jason instead of buying or making shims, do what I do. I take old brood or super boxes that have been replaced because the corners have become damaged over the years and run them through a tablesaw. To me this is a good way to make use of old equipment you're going to discard.

[@JCsBees]

That's a great idea, Joe. Thanks for sharing!

[@eddevault4604]

Good Morning Jason....Good Video content....I too...make my own “shims” as you call them....for Mountain-Camp feeding sugar through the winter....I might add that I drill a 1” hole and cover with screen for the humidity ventilation in those “shims”.....always look forward to your videos on Sunday mornings....

[@JCsBees]

Good morning Ed, Have you ever seen the shims online for sale? Glad you enjoy the Sunday morning videos.

[@eddevault4604]

No...don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone selling those....might be an interesting venture for you to start....I cut up the. 1 1/2 inch lumber from Lowe’s ...drill the 1” holes and use a Bostitch brad nailer...to assemble....use a electric stapler for the screen/hardware cloth to cover the inside of the 1” holes...perfect for the process....

[@JCsBees]

Yeah, I bought a bunch of furring strips from Lowe's and used them to make my spacers. Makes it nice when they are already the right width and all you need to do is to cut to length. I also used air nailer but I also glue with Titebond 3.

[@stufarnham]

Hi, Jason, I finished my final inspections this weekend. One colony was clearly not going to make it. No stores, no brood, not many bees. I dispatched that queen and did a newspaper merge with a stronger hive. Everyone has been reduced down to one or two mediums, except for one that had three boxes. Last inspection the middle box on that one was essentially empty, with stores above and brood below.I intended to pull the middle box, but when I opened it the brood nest had moved up into the middle box and they were backfilling the bottom. I have left them as is for now. I’m feeding everyone 2:1 syrup and open feeding pollen sub. It is supposed to get seriously cold (for October in Eastern Washington) at the end of the week, with lows in the lower 20s and highs in the lower 40s. Unless we get a quick recovery that will be the end of syrup and open feeding pollen sub. I plan a final OA treatment next month, and will convert supers over to quilt boxes for the winter. Other than that I need to add 1/2 inch hardware cloth to a few more 3” shims in case I need candy boards for the winter. Now it is time to plan for next year, determine whether I need any more equipment for next year’s goals, and make what I can. I use slatted racks on my hives, and there are a few that don’t have them, so building more is high on the list. Last year I was caught flat footed by unexpected increase, so I will have to plan better this time around. I’m also talking to various landowners about outyards for next year. Stu

[@mitchellcampbell3521]

Betterbee. Sells the feeder shims.

[@JCsBees]

Awesome thanks!

[@gotskinn]

You scared me I was using too much PRO HEALTH. I had to go check...its 1tsp per quart. 4 per gallon. I LOVE the way my bees smell. I'm gonna miss them over winter.

[@JCsBees]

Sorry I induced panic. lol I understand missing your bees overwinter. I remember them days but now winter is too busy for me to have time to miss them. Hay feeding season is about to kickoff for my cattle.

[@rehmangusandapiary9024]

Jason you spoke of the dribble method for applying OA during this time frame. I question if the climate in your area and further north would be too cold by wetting bees down with the liquid glycerin. I believe I would avoid putting liquids inside the hives when cold, and maybe that was your intent. Great video!

[@JCsBees]

I understand your concerns but Randy Oliver has tested this like crazy and it's completely safe. I know several people who do this treatment at or around 40°F. Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@johnmoss6631]

Do you use quilt boxes Jason? What is your opinion of them and at what temperature would you recommend placing them on the hive? Thank you for the videos, keep them coming.

[@JCsBees]

Hey John, I do not use quilting boxes but I have. I stopped using them because they killed a couple of my colonies. What happened is the wood shaving got to the point they could not hold any more moisture and they started dripping back on the cluster. After that happen I start doing some research and discovered the mountain camp method and have used it ever since.

[@johnmoss6631]

@@JCsBees, thank you for that Jason. Do you think a moisture board placed on top of the quilt box would help with the excess moisture?

[@lc7014]

Have you ever put the sugar on top of the inner cover And do you think there's a problem with that will they not be able to get to it?

[@JCsBees]

Yes, I have and it did feed the bees but it did NOT collect moisture like it does below the inner cover. For this reason I do not recommend it.

[@oneshoo]

Jason did you ever use the Ceracell hive top feeders? Once you are done with syrup, you take the plastic shims out of them and you can use them for Mountain Camp sugar feeding.

[@JCsBees]

I do use Ceracell feeders and it does seem like I used the feeder once for mountain camp. It worked but I like the shim better. More open area for moisture to rise and collect in sugar.

[@bonanzaman100]

Can you feed the bees too much where they have no room to cluster properly? Thanks and nice videos

[@Bajsballe84]

You want them to cluster where the brood used to be as empty comb retains heat 6 times better than comb full of feed. This will often occur naturally as bees keep feed above the brood and as the last brood hatches the comb will be empty. In short, yes you can over feed so that the bees will sit on the food rather than keep it above them and then they will need to eat more to keep warm which can result in them not making it until the cleansing flight and shiting all over the place (don't know the english word for it)

[@kwil5379]

Mann Lake's version of Honey-B-Healthy

[@JCsBees]

@K Wil Are you saying Pro Health is Mann Lakes version of HBH? If so, sorry but I disagree. They sell both products on the same page in their catalog and the ingredients are slightly different.

[@carolinasunfarms8562]

I have bees in a two deep box. They are kinda light on bottom and have moved up to top box. I am from NC near Charlotte. I have been feeding and treating with Oxlytic acid. My question is should I compact them down to one box or Continue to feed and see if they fill the box. It doesn’t get really cold her till December

[@JCsBees]

If you have time before cold weather moves in then I would continue to feed. Best of luck!

[@wadebarnes6720]

Got a question late late in the year I had one of my have swarm small swarm should I go through and see if I can find a virgin and get rid of them and put the queen back I have no males

[@wadebarnes6720]

Do you have an answer Ohio bee man ain't been at it for about 5 months

[@JCsBees]

I confused. If they swarmed how would you put the queen back. Did you catch the swarm? Where are you located? Does it get cold there?

[@wadebarnes6720]

@@JCsBees I got the swarm yes it gets cold here be a couple weeks starting to get down in the 50s at night and 70s to 80s in the days really good Queen ain't quite a year old just a couple months and made three hives off her not counting hers

[@jamierasnake2842]

I have a hive that has a lot of drone brood in it and thinking it's queenless what do you think?

[@JCsBees]

Surely sounds possible. I'd check before it's too late if it's not already. Best of luck!

[@brianleach7158]

Jc were you at in ohio? I'm in Jackson ohio what time do you get in the bee's for the first time at the first time of the year? This is my second year this year

[@JCsBees]

@Brain Leach I am on the Knox/Licking county line. I have been opening my hives recently just to make sure they have plenty of dry sugar. But I usually don't start breaking boxes apart until last March to early April. Hope your bees are doing well!

[@brianleach7158]

@@JCsBees I was going to go check on them and see it's raining here now but next good day I will all my hives are new so see how I did for being green

[@brianleach7158]

@@JCsBees I have huney in feeder read to go and some Pollen Patty's to is it to early for them

[@brianleach7158]

@@JCsBees have you seen the bee's picking brown Paul and Ann yet have you started feeding sugar water yet?

[@brianleach7158]

@@JCsBees and we are two and a half hours from each other if you get done my way hit me up and I should be up your way again soon to

[@edwinhsingmaster9135]

There are better advertising decisions in your future, hope it's not too last to feed independence.

[@JCsBees]

What do you mean " better advertising decisions in your future"?