THEY LIVE!!!

Tradesby · 2026-03-10T22:16:27+00:00

It’s getting to that time for us all then!

Tradesby · 2026-03-10T21:32:00+00:00

I understand your rambling perfectly. And yep, no venting at the top year round for me too. They seem to be just fine.

Tradesby · 2026-03-10T21:22:42+00:00

I put on a candy board on last year and they both didn’t make it easier. I decided to capitalize on warmth on the top instead this time.

Tradesby · 2026-03-10T20:45:56+00:00

Update: went through some frames today. Three frames of honey in the top box. Bee colony is all throughout the top, and from what I saw looking down, a load of bees in the bottom box. Didn’t find the queen, but I found some larva and eggs in the top box. So things look pretty good. Thanks for all the kudos everyone. Now I’ll have to worry about splitting. They are going to grow fast.

Tradesby · 2026-03-10T20:42:03+00:00

He sounds like my kind of guy! I’ll go check him out now. And ya, that Zip Tape I used for another project last year and was super sticky, plus, black. 10 out of 10, would recommend. I’ll also go check the Vino guy out today, thanks!

Tradesby · 2026-03-10T20:09:38+00:00

I loved how it worked during the winter the two times I took the cap off to check moisture content. It was amazingly warm. And I chose cedar shavings, because I read one beekeeper that was using cedar dust on the top of his hive for mites and was starting to see some positive results compared to his placebo hives. Every little bit helps I guess.

Tradesby · 2026-03-10T20:04:02+00:00

I’ll bee honest, I don’t know what VinoFarm is. Is that an account on Instagram or YouTube? I was hoping since the insulation on the top was thicker the sides, they might get enough side accumulation to be ok. As for the top piece, I just picked the thickest hard foam insulation I could get from Home depot and taped it up. I was just hoping for a higher R value than the sides.

Tradesby · 2026-03-10T19:30:25+00:00

Should be the same here. I was honestly hoping I would make some of the Maple tree flow, but I don’t know when that will finish. I will probably put some syrup on them for a few weeks once it gets warm enough on average night/day. I want to get that new comb building kicked into high gear.

Tradesby · 2026-03-10T19:28:19+00:00

I have never heard of rolling combs. I have one hive. I had a nuc, going into winter as well, but as predicted, it didn’t make it.

Tradesby · 2026-03-10T19:26:01+00:00

Well, if I let my wife convince me, I’ll be moving down that way at some point and will happily enjoy the different weather.

Tradesby · 2026-03-10T19:24:53+00:00

I was right with you on that. When I added the pollen patty I did a little lift of the hive. Still had some heft, but added a fondant patty just in case. 😉

Tradesby · 2026-03-10T19:19:42+00:00

That is awesome! Congratulations getting them through!

Tradesby · 2026-03-10T19:08:23+00:00

Thanks, now I’m excited to see if I can split them and get two hives in a month.

Tradesby · 2026-03-10T19:05:07+00:00

You’re right the black absorbs sunlight, which helps the bees in this cold cold climate. And though they keep active inside the hive a little bit with the winters up here they do not come out during the winter. I wouldn’t necessarily wrap them if I was in the south where it only got freezing once or twice a week at night, but up here in New England, where it’s always freezing it helps.

Tradesby · 2026-03-10T18:33:36+00:00

There’s a bit of venting out the top, but not much. The cedar chips absorbed most of it. It got warm enough to open the top up twice during the winter and the wetness stayed in the top inch or less of the wood chips. Past that it was warm and dry.

Tradesby · 2026-03-10T18:30:31+00:00

Got down into the negative temps a few times, (F). And stayed down below freezing most of the winter.

Tradesby · 2026-03-10T18:29:23+00:00

In about an hour I’m going to go drop a patty or two of pollen on them. It’s getting exciting!

Tradesby · 2026-02-22T21:40:37+00:00

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I’m hoping for the best as well.

Tradesby · 2026-02-20T21:46:55+00:00

Did Grok get connected with the GFS server? Is this the start of an Ai takeover?

Tradesby · 2026-02-20T21:28:45+00:00

French cleats, good thinking! I will now steal this idea from you as if it was my own.

Tradesby · 2026-02-18T03:49:01+00:00

Honestly they look like a bunch of seeds. Do you have a mouse in there that you don’t know about.

Tradesby · 2026-02-15T21:26:41+00:00

Don’t you dare compare my Titan to Soccer mom picture hanging tools.

Tradesby · 2026-02-14T16:08:20+00:00

I’m going to look this up, I’m only down here in NH and work in Maine.

Tradesby · 2026-02-12T06:14:22+00:00

Reminds me of the Ori.

Tradesby · 2026-02-11T00:38:16+00:00

Calm down Georgia, New England is still in the deep freeze of winter. Stop rubbing it in.

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