>Hello all...
>
>I was just at our local Niagara Region Beekeepers Association meeting, and
>besides the usual arguing <hehehe> over to treat of not to treat for
>varroa <"those awefull chemicals.....;)> , the subject of Winter losses
>came up and the general concensus was that things were going fairly well
>so far.  So I was wondering how my fellow beekeepers, at least in the
>northern hemisphere, are doing.  Oh, and I haven't got much from the
>Bee-Line in the last few days, and this was the only thing I could think
>of to ask in order to test the system...;)
>Cheers....
>                     @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
>                    @         Ian Watson          @
>                   @  [log in to unmask]  @
>                  @                                 @
>                 @  THREE BEES:                      @
>                @     Bach singer           ,///      @
>               @      Bee keeper         >8'III}-      @
>                @     Bell ringer          ',\\\      @
>                 @                                   @
>                  @ 5 hives, 2 years in Beekeeping  @
>                   @    St. Catharines, Canada     @
>                    @   "I BEE, therefore I am"   @
>                     @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
 
Hi Ian:
 
The winter here at Prince George, B.C. (That is in the centre of the
province) has had a lot of snow this year. So far all the beekeepers that I
talked to the bees are good shape. Will be going to the next meeting in two
weeks to see how many have lost colonies.
 
I winter inside, have been for the last 20 years approx. (can't remember
exactly). Normally winter about 75-100 but down to 31 checked for losses
found one dead and one weak which won't make it.
 
Took time out to build an RV park on my property so the bees have been
looking after themselves almost for the past 5 year. This year I start to
increase again to the above numbers and maybe more. Will be operating all
two queen colonies this year (which I did before starting RV park) to get
max. honey and increase at the same time.
 
The reason I winter inside is that the weather is so unpredictable, we get
rain here every January that I can remember except last year. Then it would
get to -25 - -35C again. There would be so much moisture buildup that I
finally said there has to be a better way. For me it has been indoor
wintering! All the rest winter outside with mixed results. On the average
with good queens going in winter losses are very few from year to year.
 
Ivan