In my opinion.. the cause is starvation... it looks like they have honey around , but they couldn't reach it. Dead bees, head in the cells .. 2 inch far from the bee ' grape' , is ' far away ' for the bees. If you have more than 3 days cold nights and the bees can't rech the honey... they die because they can't warm the 'grape' , because they do not have 'fuel' to do so.
Great video, and interesting situation that they died out with honey so close. However, I agree with some other posters that they died due to starvation. While in cluster the bees will only move vertically for food. You mentioned that you'd recently had a very cold spell, so the bees wouldn't break cluster to move laterally, even to the next frame. They're all piled up at the top and I'd say they just ran out of food. I think this is one critical limitation of the long Langstroth hives - there just doesn't seem to be enough vertical space for the bees to get through a hard winter on their own stores.
I don't think they had food where they could reach it during the cold spell. I bet if sugar blocks were above them on the top of the frames they would still be alive but they were also very small. Sorry for your loss, thanks for the videos.
Thanks for sharing success and losses too, so we all know what real beekeeping looks like. I live in an area where winters are not strong and bees can make it through the winter with 12 to 15 kg of honey, but if they come up to the bar, they need sugar patty, because they will not move left or right unless is warm enough. So few cold days and bad timing, they die with honey around. Weak colonies always carry risks. I have lost one a few days ago; I re-queened the colony too late in August and she did not develop a population on time. But these amazing creatures sometimes make surprises and very weak colonies survive when I do not expect. It is a gamble with weak ones. thanks for video
It's absolutely a gamble, and sometimes we still get surprised with a colony that pushes through hardship to succeed. Thank you so much for the comment, and thanks for watching!
Good video. I too am working with a long Langstroth hive. Just check it last week on one of our warm days and they seem to be doing fine. I did add some of a candy board to supplement honey stores. We have had snow and ice here in KY this week. It will be interesting to see how they fair. Got another one built and ready to split this one come spring.
You have no insulation on the lid. I have a 1inch piece of Styrofoam insulation on all of my lids. Your whole hive is made with 2× and your lid is 1× T and G. I make all of my own layens hives and frame's. I got my plans from Bee Boy Bill's and modified my lids to accept the Styrofoam insulation and so far it has worked great.
James is right. For two years my hive either didn't make it out or really struggled to get into spring. I then added a blanket I got from Harbor freight and placed it on top of my cover boards. That helped out so much! There is too much heat loss in long hives. I'm in Utah so I have cold winter's.
Even a thick blanket over those holes would have helped...all their heat went straight out of the hive. I don't add any vent holes in the box just the lid. The bees are experts at venting their own hives.
@@CentralBeekeepersSupply This spring will be my second year beekeeping, but before I started I read a lot of books and watched a lot of videos for about a year before I started. I still watch videos everyday, still learning. Looking forward to watching more of your videos. Thanks 😊
Towards the very end of the video I noticed a crack in the last board of the lid, which was above the colony. Perhaps that allowed too much heat to escape during the colder days/nights you mentioned. Seems like something that should be addressed to give future colonies a better chance.
I think I see a pretty bad crack in the board in the top that would have been right over them-see at 11:52 I agree with your diagnosis-I'm sorry you lost your bees.
I saw that too and was going to comment and see you already have. I also think the roof needs ventilation and insulation for colder months - even in Arkansas.
Our bees have been all over the pollen all winter. I noticed one of my hives has increased in population and I'm not sure if this is ok this time of year in KY.
Seems like this winter has confused a lot of the country's bee population. I wouldn't take an increase in size of the colony as anything to be alarmed by at this point. They can use all the help they can get.
The bees won't move sideways. Unless the whole cluster can walk over. They can't break cluster in winter. Heads all sticking down cells, then they get chilled. Those sugar boards help with that on smaller colonies. Edit: FYI, that can happen just the same in a standard hive. It's common to see a dead colony that got all the way to 1 side, with a frame or 2 all the way across the hive, still full.
Sorry to see this but those bees remaining starved/froze. That was a really small cluster so yeah the queen wasn't laying enough but they did cluster. The problem is that once it gets cold and they cluster they can ONLY move up. That is why there was still honey all around the custer...they just couldn't get to it. Also you could help them by covering all those vent holes and insulating the lid. An insulated hive will cluster at lower temps which should help. I'm in Texas but insulate all my hives which helps against the sun and also the cold snaps in winter. Good luck to you!
Some of my bee colonies do not even cluster because they are so well insulated, so yeah insulation matters a lot. Of course when they get too warmed up in winter It's not good too because they feed too much and might do some other dumb shit
I agree Robert. 2 inches of styrofoam in the top all year round and no top venting will help keep that hive warm and the bees do not have to cluster so tight. The only venting in my hives here in Ontario Canada is thru the small bee entrance.
@@aurimasdzezulskis3180 We have not seen any relation between more insulation and more winter consumption but we will see. We are in Texas so it might get cold for a few days but the sun comes out and the afternoon temps get above 55 and they forage.
@@rpeebles Huh. It might be true that active bees eat the same amount of food as the bees hibernate because you know when It's cold they still have to eat
I am so sorry that your colony didn't make it. I've sure had my share of losses too. I really appreciate you showing us the hive and giving your assessment of what you think happened. The more vids we see like this, the more we all learn. The dear little bees always do their best; they deserve the best of care from us. It's a learning process. Hopes & prayers for us all to have a wonderful, healthy, happy 2022 with our bees!
We're all here for the education, and to learn a little more about the honeybee. Thank you so much for your lovely comment. We always mourn the loss of bees, but we're hopeful for the next try. Have a great week!
I’m happy to see you’re going to give the long hive another go. I’m running 9 long hives now and every year I’ve had a better winter survival rate in the long hives than in my vertical hives. I’m located in northern Wisconsin where we had 52 nights below zero this year so our winters are long. I think your reasoning for the hives demise is spot on. Thanks for your videos and your time.
Thanks a ton, Carl. We're excited to give this another try. Sometimes beekeeping is a "live and learn" experience. We're about to release a Nuc transfer (into the long hive) video, so stay tuned!
It’s always bad if this happens but I think you are correct on the queen and the amount of bees and her beings drone layer. Get your nuc in there when it warms up and this season it will go strong . Thanks again for all your info and video’s.
Sorry for your loss, I have alot of double stack 8frame langs going throw winter with sugar baskets on top. Check a few today Feb 2-22 and they are in the sugar above the top box. Lot of time the bees move up and not use the stores to the sides of the cluster and can run out of food. Due to age and back problems I need to go to long hives to not have to lift heavy boxes. In watching lots of vids on the long hives it looks like it can be problems getting the cluster to move sideways in the long lang frames when they run out of honey at top of frames. Maybe frames with deep and medium height would help this problem, with more HONEY AT THE TOP OF THE FRAMES or just go to the layens hive with the deep frame would be better. I am building a few of each to see. Thanks for your vids they are a great help to all keepers of bees OldDan Providence NC
Lots of options with this beekeeping my friend. Winter a second guess most times. Always like you say, comes down to how big the colonies are as to what they can do. Great thoughts! Thanks for watching and RTBBF!
Thanks. You guys are doing great things down there. I've subscribed for quite a while now. Since swarm trapping season of last year, in fact. Our small farm and apiary are here in Michigan. We are big fans. Keep up all the good work
Sure hate to see the loss, but like you said, maybe it just wasn't meant to bee. So far I've had one colony pick up and leave and one was similar to your loss. All 9 were great until that first couple days of freezing temps. I believe this rollercoaster of temperature changes is harder on them than if it just stayed on the cold side. Normal ain't normal anymore!
Up and down temps seem to be harder on them than just plain cold weather. You got that correct! It's such a fine science dealing with bees. One that we haven't mastered yet, but we're getting closer. 😊 Thanks for the comment, Jon!
Bummer, sorry to hear! I have a hive that has a really small cluster, possibly smaller than yours. They moved one direction in the hive and could not move back due to the cold, so they have been eating the emergency stores right over them, even though there is a full deep frame of capped honey located a few frames over. Emergency feed is key and they can keep pretty warm in really cold temps. They just need calories to burn. Next year, my friend!
since this was a die off due to the queen, would you reuse those frames and other stuff for other bees or would you not risk it due to the possibility of disease
Your videos are fascinating. You're like a master class in beekeeping. I'm sorry that happened. I was noticing that when bees are alive and swarming, they're easy to pick up, very lightweight and barely have any sound when you shake them. The bees you attended to in this video seem to hit the bottom of the hive with sound. Are they Laden with moisture or what made them heavy like that?
Thanks for the comment. It's somewhat different hive-to-hive. Some of them are more lazy and they don't hold on as tightly. There really could be a whole myriad of reasons, but in this case I'm not really sure! Just being honest. haha! Thanks for watching.
Bought one of these boxes from John. My father-in-law has back trouble and we thought this would be great way to keep folks with back trouble in the hobby after conventional hives make it either painful or impractical or heighten the chance of further back injuries. I felt like this hive had a lot of advantages. First it can be set at whatever height you need to set it at to work comfortably with it, simply by changing the length of the legs. Second it eliminates the need to lift heavy supers. That should lead to better care of the bees because instead of inspection being "work" it is just a matter of opening a lid. I'm not sure they are promoted as a practical alternative for folks that have back problems or disabilities but I think maybe they should be.
ME, I THINK IT BE TWO FACTOR BROOD WAS WEAK NOT HAD ENOUGH BEES TO KEEP WARM DIED OUT. IT SHOULD BUILD MAKE A STRONGER BROOD BY ADDING SOME BEES TO GIVE IT A CHANCE. IT MIGHT HAVE MADE IT. IT WAS A GAMBLE TAKEN.
We have four longlangs that my wife insisted on. She can't lift the boxes and was tired of being a "go-fer". Now she can be the beek while I do the going and fetching, or actually, scribing. We love the longlangs.
When I saw how small the nuc was and you mentioned cold days. I just knew that they froze to death. Bees need a lot of buddies so they change shifts when they get cold so they can get warmed up again
Northern beekeeper chiming in. You are right the population was to blame especially with the unusual cold in the south. Sometimes it's hard to axe an old queen late in the season too. No replacements. But that cluster did starve too. The cluster as a whole could not move to the honey on the outer reach of the frames. They rarely will leave the brood to chill even as a last ditch effort to save the cluster. Next winter have some sugar bricks ready. Just store them in the freezer until you need. If the weatherman forecasts brutal weather then place sugar bricks directly above the cluster on the top bars. Heat rises so the cluster can too. They may not move out on the frame. But they will move up. Any sugar brick uneaten can be restore in the freezer. Effort in a 2 to 4 lb sugar brick is nuttin compared to high winter loss due to weak numbers. We all have winter losses but I do my best to minimize it.
Yeah my plan is if i catch a late swarm or have small nucs, is to just strengthen another colony and cut my losses early. I lost two small nucs which could have served a greater cause else where.
@Central Beekeepers Supply thanks. I need it. I've had 4 pkg'd hives in the past 4-5 yrs, but for whatever reason never stuck around. (So, I'm still a greenhorn.)So I jumped at the opportunity to catch this swarm last spring & they out produced honey wise all 4 hives put together in their first season, so I'm excited to see what they do this year. I'm hoping to get another swarm (if it happens at the same place as last yr that would be awesome, it was easy to get to them lol).
In this case starvation is problem. Thay have planty of food but placement of the food it was not right for them. Bees like to move up-and-down but not really side to side specially when it's cold.
Looks like starvation to me. They had food but with such a small cluster there was no food left within the cluster and probably to cold to move. If she was a drone layer though it likely would not have mattered.
Off topic: I find it hard to find the queen in a dead out. There is something special about her movement/antics that draws your eye to her. That is missing in a doomed colony. 🇦🇺
2” of rigid insulation installed in the top and close any top vents might have helped, especially this year when you have yo yo type of weather. So sorry for your loss.
I started this time last year with two long hives and caught two wild swarms. Still have the same two as of now, but have 9nly kept adding more and more frames. I was able to collect 19 pints of honey from them. My biggest problem is how to find a layens frame honey extractor. Tried ordering one this last year but it wasn't the right size. Do you have any way, or I should ask how are you going to harvest your fra es from these hives? Sorry about your lose. Troy Poff
Hey Troy, thanks for the comment. In my long hive I'm using standard langstroth frames, so I don't need a special extractor. However, since you're using layens frames, we do have a solution for you. One way to do it would be to cut comb, crush and strain. If you want an extractor to do the job for you, I'd recommend the Civan brand. Give me a shout at the store and I can talk you through it, or answer any questions you may have. Here's a link to the extractor on our website. Thanks Troy! www.centralbeekeeperssupply.com/online-store/search%3Fkeyword%3Dcivan
*Thanks for sharing. Always sucks when a hive is lost. I think it's probably combination of not great queen, small cluster and cold! Happy to see you're using Long hive. I have a bunch and I love them.*
I went back and looked on the first video you did on the hive and i did not see the board split on the first video. The split board is right over the cluster of bees and lots of heat going up and out.❤🐝
Low number of hive colny bees and large hatching ! This is because the honey in the comb is softened and their energy needs are not met, so they go out of hunger , under the influence of cold. ....Sory for yours bees . Tank you for the useful information you provide to beekeeping.....
They wanted to move up and could not for food. The population is fine just need to put fondant give them a bigger entrance for venting and remove cross venting
@@CentralBeekeepersSupply I have one queen that's lasted 3 months in the house in a nuc box. She's brooding up now. I think I missed her in my OA treatments. This one is on me. Thanks!
Not sure if it helps but I cut a small hole in the middle of my plastic foundation to make it easier for them to go left or right to the next frame easier during the winter.
Exactly right. I have Warre hives where they build all of their own comb, and there are all sorts of little holes and tunnels to access all of the comb in really cold weather. Natural comb designs are absolutely fascinating, and more efficient than the frames we give them.
Yes, nosema apis. When you look this up, it really doesn't give a plan answer between that or dysentery. Their feed or stores having too much water content. Great question, thanks for watching!
Hi, i think it was a mistake kept frames with bee bread in bee house at winter season. Frames with bee bread provoked them growing of brood. The bees began to feed the queen trying to save their family from extinction and began to grow brood. They didn't move anywhere, so they starved. It would be etter put some settled honey on the top of frames. Regards.
@@CentralBeekeepersSupply I love how we live in a world now where random strangers on the internet seem to actually give a care whether bees live or die. I just realized that reading the comments here. Extra warm fuzzies all around!
![Long Hive Checkup [advice from a professional beekeeper] | Plus - Apivar Strips Installation](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/oW1Ew2F3fWc/mqdefault.jpg)
![Long Hive Checkup [advice from a professional beekeeper] | Plus - Apivar Strips Installation](/img/tr.png)
![[TH] FS vs BME - VCT Ascension Pacific - Lower Bracket Final](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wnygqsR2Fig/mqdefault.jpg)
In my opinion.. the cause is starvation... it looks like they have honey around , but they couldn't reach it. Dead bees, head in the cells .. 2 inch far from the bee ' grape' , is ' far away ' for the bees. If you have more than 3 days cold nights and the bees can't rech the honey... they die because they can't warm the 'grape' , because they do not have 'fuel' to do so.
We appreciate the opinion and the advice! Thanks for watching.
Great video, and interesting situation that they died out with honey so close. However, I agree with some other posters that they died due to starvation. While in cluster the bees will only move vertically for food. You mentioned that you'd recently had a very cold spell, so the bees wouldn't break cluster to move laterally, even to the next frame. They're all piled up at the top and I'd say they just ran out of food. I think this is one critical limitation of the long Langstroth hives - there just doesn't seem to be enough vertical space for the bees to get through a hard winter on their own stores.
Great comment. This is a great explanation of what happened.
Good inspection vid.
Glad you liked it! Thank you!
I don't think they had food where they could reach it during the cold spell. I bet if sugar blocks were above them on the top of the frames they would still be alive but they were also very small. Sorry for your loss, thanks for the videos.
It's highly possible. Always sad to lose a colony of bees, but we'll try again this spring. Thanks for watching!
Wow, sorry to see that happened. I ended up building my own long hive and will be installing a nuc in the spring. Wish me luck.
Sounds awesome! Best of luck to you!
Thanks for sharing success and losses too, so we all know what real beekeeping looks like. I live in an area where winters are not strong and bees can make it through the winter with 12 to 15 kg of honey, but if they come up to the bar, they need sugar patty, because they will not move left or right unless is warm enough. So few cold days and bad timing, they die with honey around. Weak colonies always carry risks. I have lost one a few days ago; I re-queened the colony too late in August and she did not develop a population on time. But these amazing creatures sometimes make surprises and very weak colonies survive when I do not expect. It is a gamble with weak ones. thanks for video
It's absolutely a gamble, and sometimes we still get surprised with a colony that pushes through hardship to succeed. Thank you so much for the comment, and thanks for watching!
Good video. I too am working with a long Langstroth hive. Just check it last week on one of our warm days and they seem to be doing fine. I did add some of a candy board to supplement honey stores. We have had snow and ice here in KY this week. It will be interesting to see how they fair. Got another one built and ready to split this one come spring.
Great to hear, Danny. I hope the snow and ice hold off as much as possible. Good luck to you and your bees! Let us know how it's going.
You have no insulation on the lid. I have a 1inch piece of Styrofoam insulation on all of my lids. Your whole hive is made with 2× and your lid is 1× T and G. I make all of my own layens hives and frame's. I got my plans from Bee Boy Bill's and modified my lids to accept the Styrofoam insulation and so far it has worked great.
Great advice, James. A little extra insulation may have saved this colony. Thanks for the comment.
James is right. For two years my hive either didn't make it out or really struggled to get into spring. I then added a blanket I got from Harbor freight and placed it on top of my cover boards. That helped out so much! There is too much heat loss in long hives. I'm in Utah so I have cold winter's.
Even a thick blanket over those holes would have helped...all their heat went straight out of the hive. I don't add any vent holes in the box just the lid. The bees are experts at venting their own hives.
@@CentralBeekeepersSupply This spring will be my second year beekeeping, but before I started I read a lot of books and watched a lot of videos for about a year before I started. I still watch videos everyday, still learning. Looking forward to watching more of your videos. Thanks 😊
Towards the very end of the video I noticed a crack in the last board of the lid, which was above the colony. Perhaps that allowed too much heat to escape during the colder days/nights you mentioned. Seems like something that should be addressed to give future colonies a better chance.
I think you may be correct. Something I definitely missed in the inspections. Thanks for the comment!
I think I see a pretty bad crack in the board in the top that would have been right over them-see at 11:52 I agree with your diagnosis-I'm sorry you lost your bees.
I saw that too and was going to comment and see you already have. I also think the roof needs ventilation and insulation for colder months - even in Arkansas.
Our bees have been all over the pollen all winter. I noticed one of my hives has increased in population and I'm not sure if this is ok this time of year in KY.
Seems like this winter has confused a lot of the country's bee population. I wouldn't take an increase in size of the colony as anything to be alarmed by at this point. They can use all the help they can get.
The bees won't move sideways. Unless the whole cluster can walk over. They can't break cluster in winter.
Heads all sticking down cells, then they get chilled.
Those sugar boards help with that on smaller colonies.
Edit: FYI, that can happen just the same in a standard hive. It's common to see a dead colony that got all the way to 1 side, with a frame or 2 all the way across the hive, still full.
Great advice!
Sorry to see this but those bees remaining starved/froze. That was a really small cluster so yeah the queen wasn't laying enough but they did cluster. The problem is that once it gets cold and they cluster they can ONLY move up. That is why there was still honey all around the custer...they just couldn't get to it. Also you could help them by covering all those vent holes and insulating the lid. An insulated hive will cluster at lower temps which should help. I'm in Texas but insulate all my hives which helps against the sun and also the cold snaps in winter. Good luck to you!
Some of my bee colonies do not even cluster because they are so well insulated, so yeah insulation matters a lot. Of course when they get too warmed up in winter It's not good too because they feed too much and might do some other dumb shit
Thanks Robert! We'll definitely give it another go and utilize some advice we've seen in comments here. Thanks for the comment! Great advice!
I agree Robert. 2 inches of styrofoam in the top all year round and no top venting will help keep that hive warm and the bees do not have to cluster so tight. The only venting in my hives here in Ontario Canada is thru the small bee entrance.
@@aurimasdzezulskis3180 We have not seen any relation between more insulation and more winter consumption but we will see. We are in Texas so it might get cold for a few days but the sun comes out and the afternoon temps get above 55 and they forage.
@@rpeebles Huh. It might be true that active bees eat the same amount of food as the bees hibernate because you know when It's cold they still have to eat
hey boss did ya notice the crack in the first board on the lid. keep making the great content
I didn't until another viewer mentioned it. Great catch! Thanks James.
Are you going to reuse the comb that was in there or get rid of it?
I would use the comb there wasnt enough bees to keep it warm enough IMO
We'll definitely re-use the comb.
I am so sorry that your colony didn't make it. I've sure had my share of losses too. I really appreciate you showing us the hive and giving your assessment of what you think happened. The more vids we see like this, the more we all learn. The dear little bees always do their best; they deserve the best of care from us. It's a learning process. Hopes & prayers for us all to have a wonderful, healthy, happy 2022 with our bees!
We're all here for the education, and to learn a little more about the honeybee. Thank you so much for your lovely comment. We always mourn the loss of bees, but we're hopeful for the next try. Have a great week!
@12:09 you can plainly see a split in the first plank on the left of the lid, next to the knot in the corner, you can seal it up and insolate.
Thanks Leroy!
I’m happy to see you’re going to give the long hive another go. I’m running 9 long hives now and every year I’ve had a better winter survival rate in the long hives than in my vertical hives. I’m located in northern Wisconsin where we had 52 nights below zero this year so our winters are long. I think your reasoning for the hives demise is spot on. Thanks for your videos and your time.
Thanks a ton, Carl. We're excited to give this another try. Sometimes beekeeping is a "live and learn" experience. We're about to release a Nuc transfer (into the long hive) video, so stay tuned!
MAY HAVE TO START OVER WITH A NEW HIVE. SEE HOW IT GO
It’s always bad if this happens but I think you are correct on the queen and the amount of bees and her beings drone layer. Get your nuc in there when it warms up and this season it will go strong . Thanks again for all your info and video’s.
Fingers crossed! Definitely going to try again. The Long Hive is much better for my back!
Sorry for your loss, I have alot of double stack 8frame langs going throw winter with sugar baskets on top. Check a few today Feb 2-22 and they are in the sugar above the top box. Lot of time the bees move up and not use the stores to the sides of the cluster and can run out of food. Due to age and back problems I need to go to long hives to not have to lift heavy boxes. In watching lots of vids on the long hives it looks like it can be problems getting the cluster to move sideways in the long lang frames when they run out of honey at top of frames. Maybe frames with deep and medium height would help this problem, with more HONEY AT THE TOP OF THE FRAMES or just go to the layens hive with the deep frame would be better. I am building a few of each to see. Thanks for your vids they are a great help to all keepers of bees OldDan Providence NC
Lots of options with this beekeeping my friend. Winter a second guess most times. Always like you say, comes down to how big the colonies are as to what they can do. Great thoughts! Thanks for watching and RTBBF!
to me, it seems obvious that they were unable to go any higher for more resources
I think you're right. 🐝
Thanks. You guys are doing great things down there. I've subscribed for quite a while now. Since swarm trapping season of last year, in fact. Our small farm and apiary are here in Michigan. We are big fans. Keep up all the good work
Sure hate to see the loss, but like you said, maybe it just wasn't meant to bee. So far I've had one colony pick up and leave and one was similar to your loss. All 9 were great until that first couple days of freezing temps. I believe this rollercoaster of temperature changes is harder on them than if it just stayed on the cold side. Normal ain't normal anymore!
Up and down temps seem to be harder on them than just plain cold weather. You got that correct! It's such a fine science dealing with bees. One that we haven't mastered yet, but we're getting closer. 😊 Thanks for the comment, Jon!
Bummer, sorry to hear! I have a hive that has a really small cluster, possibly smaller than yours. They moved one direction in the hive and could not move back due to the cold, so they have been eating the emergency stores right over them, even though there is a full deep frame of capped honey located a few frames over. Emergency feed is key and they can keep pretty warm in really cold temps. They just need calories to burn. Next year, my friend!
Gotta stay on top of it with the emergency feed, that's for sure! We will definitely try again next year!
since this was a die off due to the queen, would you reuse those frames and other stuff for other bees or would you not risk it due to the possibility of disease
I will reuse the frames. I have no reason to believe that the bees died due to any form of disease, or pesticides. Great question! #RTBBF, Thanks.
Your videos are fascinating. You're like a master class in beekeeping. I'm sorry that happened. I was noticing that when bees are alive and swarming, they're easy to pick up, very lightweight and barely have any sound when you shake them. The bees you attended to in this video seem to hit the bottom of the hive with sound. Are they Laden with moisture or what made them heavy like that?
Thanks for the comment. It's somewhat different hive-to-hive. Some of them are more lazy and they don't hold on as tightly. There really could be a whole myriad of reasons, but in this case I'm not really sure! Just being honest. haha! Thanks for watching.
Bought one of these boxes from John. My father-in-law has back trouble and we thought this would be great way to keep folks with back trouble in the hobby after conventional hives make it either painful or impractical or heighten the chance of further back injuries. I felt like this hive had a lot of advantages. First it can be set at whatever height you need to set it at to work comfortably with it, simply by changing the length of the legs. Second it eliminates the need to lift heavy supers. That should lead to better care of the bees because instead of inspection being "work" it is just a matter of opening a lid. I'm not sure they are promoted as a practical alternative for folks that have back problems or disabilities but I think maybe they should be.
Good testimonial, Shane. Anyone with a bad back - definitely check out the long hive. It's proven itself as highly valuable to this beekeeper. 🐝
With a swarm you never know what you will get. Weak queen was bad luck. Great box though!
How many frames possible to fill?
30 frames at capacity. Thanks for watching
I am not expert but it seems to me that the box was way to big for the colony to keep warm and they froze to death.
Just thinking, but is that hvac unit heatin the house too. If so it will make it even colder in the sorounding area in wintertime…and hotter in summer
Nope, it's the old unit for our shop. But good eye!
always sad seeing dead bees but your commentary was really comforting
It's always sad. They work so hard and benefit so many. Thanks for watching.
ME, I THINK IT BE TWO FACTOR BROOD WAS WEAK NOT HAD ENOUGH BEES TO KEEP WARM DIED OUT. IT SHOULD BUILD MAKE A STRONGER BROOD BY ADDING SOME BEES TO GIVE IT A CHANCE. IT MIGHT HAVE MADE IT. IT WAS A GAMBLE TAKEN.
There no bees in the hive looks less then a pound
Exactly. It was a slim chance they'd ever survive.
We have four longlangs that my wife insisted on. She can't lift the boxes and was tired of being a "go-fer". Now she can be the beek while I do the going and fetching, or actually, scribing. We love the longlangs.
They are definitely a back-saver. And nobody likes being the go-fer! haha! Thanks so much for the comment.
When I saw how small the nuc was and you mentioned cold days. I just knew that they froze to death. Bees need a lot of buddies so they change shifts when they get cold so they can get warmed up again
You're absolutely correct. 🐝
Northern beekeeper chiming in. You are right the population was to blame especially with the unusual cold in the south. Sometimes it's hard to axe an old queen late in the season too. No replacements. But that cluster did starve too. The cluster as a whole could not move to the honey on the outer reach of the frames. They rarely will leave the brood to chill even as a last ditch effort to save the cluster. Next winter have some sugar bricks ready. Just store them in the freezer until you need. If the weatherman forecasts brutal weather then place sugar bricks directly above the cluster on the top bars. Heat rises so the cluster can too. They may not move out on the frame. But they will move up. Any sugar brick uneaten can be restore in the freezer.
Effort in a 2 to 4 lb sugar brick is nuttin compared to high winter loss due to weak numbers. We all have winter losses but I do my best to minimize it.
Great advice, Diane! We really appreciate you chiming in. 🐝 ❤️
Yeah my plan is if i catch a late swarm or have small nucs, is to just strengthen another colony and cut my losses early. I lost two small nucs which could have served a greater cause else where.
Thank you for taking the time to make the video
Our pleasure. Just happy to tell the story our bees. Thanks for watching, William!
Sorry for your loss. I caught my first swarm, last spring & had hope to have a long hive built last year, didn't happen, so hopefully this spring.
Thank you! Good luck this spring!
@Central Beekeepers Supply thanks. I need it. I've had 4 pkg'd hives in the past 4-5 yrs, but for whatever reason never stuck around. (So, I'm still a greenhorn.)So I jumped at the opportunity to catch this swarm last spring & they out produced honey wise all 4 hives put together in their first season, so I'm excited to see what they do this year. I'm hoping to get another swarm (if it happens at the same place as last yr that would be awesome, it was easy to get to them lol).
In this case starvation is problem. Thay have planty of food but placement of the food it was not right for them. Bees like to move up-and-down but not really side to side specially when it's cold.
I think you're correct! 🐝
Howdy....is it ok if i posted this video on my Texas Friendly Beekeepers Facebook page..very good teaching tool.... Over 5,000 members-thanks
We'd be delighted if you'd share anywhere and everywhere. Hello to the Texas Friendly Beekeepers! Thanks so much for watching and sharing!
@@CentralBeekeepersSupply thanks John!! :)
Looks like starvation to me. They had food but with such a small cluster there was no food left within the cluster and probably to cold to move. If she was a drone layer though it likely would not have mattered.
Good advice. I think you're right.
What is happening for you in February, happens for us in May. When is swarm season in Northwest Arkansas?
Swarm season is dependent on weather, but it's usually the last weekend of March - definitely by the second week of April.
@@CentralBeekeepersSupply how late does it run? Will I miss it this year if we get moved by May?
Off topic: I find it hard to find the queen in a dead out. There is something special about her movement/antics that draws your eye to her. That is missing in a doomed colony. 🇦🇺
Agreed. This one in particular just happened to be sticking out like a sore thumb. :-) It's not always that easy, as you said.
Deadout.
2” of rigid insulation installed in the top and close any top vents might have helped, especially this year when you have yo yo type of weather. So sorry for your loss.
I think you're correct. Next time I'll be sure to add a little insulation.
Oh geez-just read the comments-sorry
Haha, it's ok Barbara! We appreciate you sharing your opinion. It takes a village to raise some bees. Have a great day! 🐝
I started this time last year with two long hives and caught two wild swarms. Still have the same two as of now, but have 9nly kept adding more and more frames. I was able to collect 19 pints of honey from them. My biggest problem is how to find a layens frame honey extractor. Tried ordering one this last year but it wasn't the right size. Do you have any way, or I should ask how are you going to harvest your fra es from these hives? Sorry about your lose. Troy Poff
Hey Troy, thanks for the comment. In my long hive I'm using standard langstroth frames, so I don't need a special extractor. However, since you're using layens frames, we do have a solution for you. One way to do it would be to cut comb, crush and strain. If you want an extractor to do the job for you, I'd recommend the Civan brand. Give me a shout at the store and I can talk you through it, or answer any questions you may have. Here's a link to the extractor on our website. Thanks Troy!
www.centralbeekeeperssupply.com/online-store/search%3Fkeyword%3Dcivan
Thanks for the upload sir. Sorry you lost your ladies:-(
Thank YOU for watching! We'll try it again this spring.
@@CentralBeekeepersSupply you’ll do even better in the spring time👌🏼🐝🍯
I think you called it exactly right
Thanks, friend.
That's not good
I very much agree.
*Thanks for sharing. Always sucks when a hive is lost. I think it's probably combination of not great queen, small cluster and cold! Happy to see you're using Long hive. I have a bunch and I love them.*
It's bound to happen to every beekeeper at least once. Long hive is great! Thanks for checking in!!
@@CentralBeekeepersSupply Agreed. Sometimes it's out of our control.
I went back and looked on the first video you did on the hive and i did not see the board split on the first video. The split board is right over the cluster of bees and lots of heat going up and out.❤🐝
Also moisture could have gotten in, I saw the same crack and came to the comments to see if it had been pointed out.
@@chadderbox66 some how my first reply got deleted and I went back to the first time he put bees in and looked for the crack it wasn't in it
Sorry about that, but we didn't delete the comment. But you're right! There is a crack there that I didn't see before.
@@CentralBeekeepersSupply I am making 3 long hives this year I'm excited
Low number of hive colny bees and large hatching ! This is because the honey in the comb is softened and their energy needs are not met, so they go out of hunger , under the influence of cold. ....Sory for yours bees . Tank you for the useful information you provide to beekeeping.....
Sounds correct! We appreciate your comment. Good luck this year!
The bees starved
Next year feed with fondant on days below 15 f they can’t move but need to eat a lot
The bees can handle -40 take out any venting they could of also ran out of water
They wanted to move up and could not for food. The population is fine just need to put fondant give them a bigger entrance for venting and remove cross venting
I think you may be correct. Thanks for watching!
Idk. Maybe if the honey was not appropriate for winter food, That's why we always take out honey and put sugar syrup for winter food
Wonder if she was failing with the drones. The cold has been rough this year. Population is key. Thanks!
Very well could be. Gotta help her keep the numbers up. Thanks for the comment!
@@CentralBeekeepersSupply I have one queen that's lasted 3 months in the house in a nuc box. She's brooding up now. I think I missed her in my OA treatments. This one is on me. Thanks!
I seen the crack this time
Yep it's definitely there.
Love your videos!
Thank you Donna!
Not sure if it helps but I cut a small hole in the middle of my plastic foundation to make it easier for them to go left or right to the next frame easier during the winter.
Excellent advice! 🐝
Thats why the corners are cut on many plastic foundations. Often with wax foundation bees will make a hole somewhere .
Exactly right. I have Warre hives where they build all of their own comb, and there are all sorts of little holes and tunnels to access all of the comb in really cold weather. Natural comb designs are absolutely fascinating, and more efficient than the frames we give them.
They froze to death were are you located?
We're in Russellville, Arkansas.
I had drones much later than normal in my hives.
Seems like a weird year for all of us already.
@@CentralBeekeepersSupply Things are going to keep getting weirder I'm afraid.
Any sings of dehydration?
Yes a little. This was a combination of several factors, I'm afraid.
great info and video thanks for sharing
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.
🇹🇷🇹🇷
Merhaba Türkiye! Yorum için teşekkürler, izlediğiniz için teşekkürler.
Nosema apis?
Yes, nosema apis. When you look this up, it really doesn't give a plan answer between that or dysentery. Their feed or stores having too much water content. Great question, thanks for watching!
Where are you located?
We're located in Russellville, Arkansas. You can check out our website at centralbeekeeperssupply.com. Thanks!
Hi, i think it was a mistake kept frames with bee bread in bee house at winter season. Frames with bee bread provoked them growing of brood. The bees began to feed the queen trying to save their family from extinction and began to grow brood. They didn't move anywhere, so they starved. It would be etter put some settled honey on the top of frames. Regards.
Thanks for the info!
*insulate*
Definitely! 👍
@@CentralBeekeepersSupply I love how we live in a world now where random strangers on the internet seem to actually give a care whether bees live or die.
I just realized that reading the comments here.
Extra warm fuzzies all around!
👍 лайк авансом 👍🖐️💪 очень красиво 👍🖐️🖐️
Большое спасибо, мой друг. Хорошего дня!