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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Karen Kimball <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 17 Oct 2009 05:22:43 -0400
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>The best plan is to consult the owner, consider finding and joining a bee club locally >and definitely consulting your state apiarist to confirm what you learn here before >making big changes.  That is his job, and he will be delighted to advise you, I am sure. 

The owner has never wrapped his hives but his bees have never started out the winter with the problems we are having/seeing this year, allot of mites in some hives and light hives (we are feeding). So I am trying to think of any way to help the most distressed hives. I have been getting the good hives tucked in for winter and want to do something extra for the stressed hives to try and pull them through till spring. Most would probably shake the weak ones but I want to give it a try. I couldn't have picked a better year to really jump into beekeeping with both feet since here it has been the worse summer in the history of weather recorded keeping and the bees I am working with are in the worse shape ever because of uncontrollable circumstances. If every thing had been picture prefect I would be learning allot less and not always thinking of that extra little thing that may make a difference. 

I do belong to a bee club and our state apiarist is speaking on getting ready for the winter at the November meeting and I plan to be there. I have emailed him with questions but I have not heard from him, since he covers the whole state and is very busy, so I will give him a call that is probably the best way to reach him.

Every one in the club does something different when it comes to wintering over and every winter is different when in Maine. Day time temps have been colder than normal this past week. We have more hives than most of the other club members. Our hives are in different bee yards with different micro climates. So every bee yard is a bit different as far as protection, wind and temperature. An example of micro climate, I live four miles from the shop and have been watching the temperature there and at my house it is always 6 to 8 degrees warmer at my house I live closer to the ocean.

I appreciate the collective knowledge here and though we all live in different places we all have the same goal as to keep our bees alive through the winter.

Karen

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