[log in to unmask]  (Kirk Jones) reported:
 
>Our losses may be 30% or higher. Most reports in Michigan are 50% to 90%
>loss. The package bee producers are totally booked for the most part. We
>will be replacing over a 1000 hives.
 
   You could bring them south for the winter.  This is the worst winter here
that I can remember; losses have been greater than we'd like.  But now we are
starting to find swarm cells in hives.
 
    We made a bunch of splits today. We were using some of our poorest bees;
the last to come back in from the fields, (and be treated with Apistan),
mostly 2 year-old queens in single story hives (almost guaranteed to swarm in
a week or two). Despite a couple drone layers, and one queenless one, we
still averaged two and a half nucs per hive.  I gave them each two frames of
brood, a frame of bees/pollen, a frame of honey, a frame of foundation, and
some syrup.
 
    We'll have perhaps 10 - 15% not take, but I predict the rest will have
6-8 frames of brood by May 10.
 
   I suspect that non-migratory, commercial beekeeping may be increasingly
rare.  Many of the current group of migratories here, have come of necessity,
because they cannot stand the winter losses in the north, even if it is every
other winter, or every third winter, that they get hit badly.
 
   Some immediately dismiss the idea of migrating, because it involves too
much time away from home.  Then it would seem that another alternative I've
often proposed, but never been able to get anyone to try, is to send down
brood comb in nuc boxes.  I would put them (in deep boxes) on strong hives in
February, feed the heck out of them, and you get the brood that is laid in
them. Brood would be ready for nucs by about the first or second week of
April, depending on weather. Queens or cells are also available in this area,
if arranged for in advance.
 
   It would involve a few days here, at the most beautiful time of the year,
to make up nucs, then they could be shipped or picked up about May 1-10.
 
   The doubles I made up this way are averaging 3-4 frames in the top story,
and many of them had to draw foundation first.  By April 8-10, I expect them
to have at least 7 frames average, and many will have brood on all ten
frames.
 
   The severe freeze here three weeks ago killed a lot of buds, and set the
bees back some.  For two weeks we fed syrup to robby, mean bees.  Today, for
the first time, we had a real flow on.  It was almost a roar in the bee yard
late this morning.  I love it!
 
[log in to unmask]   Dave Green,  PO Box 1200,  Hemingway,  SC   29554