Steven A. Davis wrote:

> Hey Folks,
> I thought I would ask if anyone on the Bee-L has had extensive experience
> with bees being snowed in for long periods.

Keeping bees in Nothern Vermont, I've seen colonies buried under snow for long
periods. One winter 5 or 6 years ago comes to mind. It was the middle of March,
and warm weather was predicted the following week. Would be the first flight
weather since the previous November. The hives were buried so deeply that I had
to search for them with a long handled shovel by poking around where I knew
they must be located. Some colonies in some yards I couldn't find, but most I
did. I dug trenches for the upper entrances, so when it did get warm they could
fly.

> What concerns me this year is that they may not have open entrances, or have
> the chance for cleansing flights

Digging 30 yards of bees out of the snow is no easy task. It didn't take long
to realize that most of my concerns were unfounded. I too was worried about
entrances being plugged, and bees suffocating. This is what I found. The heat
of the colony had melted a chamber around each colony. Rising from this chamber
was a small shaft of open space-sort of like a chimney. The bees certainly had
all the air that they needed. The following week, it did warm up, and they had
a good cleansing flight. Have you ever been in the yards when the bees have had
their first good cleansing flight of the year? Stinky me! Winter losses were
normal for that
winter.
Mike

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