I was sad to discover that our first ever swarm of bees didn’t make it through that brutal cold a month back. My wife and I did just done bottling the honey they had left. Literally bittersweet experience. [img:center][/img]

It hurts to loose them. I’ve lost 3 to the cold so far. 1 wasn’t a shock the others were.

We’re still learning and don’t always know what to expect. Have great mentors that’ll keep us learning

afraid my losses will be huge this winter

I went into winter with 7, checked them last week, still have 7. Pleasantly surprised!!!

Do any of you wrap down there where winter is barely freezing? We wrap up here where we have 5 months of brutal cold, and survival is generally good, as long as you did your part in the fall.

Didn’t wrap this year definitely will next year. Sub zero wind was rough

The colder and more consistent the cold the better for my bees. When they get a few 60 degree days and find a little nectar from red maple or henbit they’ll start raising brood for spring. When they are in their winter cluster bees here in nc consume 2-2.5lbs of stores per week . When they begin raising brood they up it to 7.5-8.5lbs per week. As long as they’re prepped for winter the colder the better.

If the bees are healthy and have honey stores and stay dry they can handle cold. In the north they need a top entrance not only for deep snow but for ventilation to remove moisture from the cluster.

I have one dead for sure so far. Its usually from other issues other than just the cold, however.

Always go into winter with extra nucs for the dead outs. I refuse to buy bees anymore.

I had one cluster migrate into the feed tank and drown trying get away
From the cold. Queen and all were in there

Mine are still alive,

I know very, very little about bees but plan on getting a couple of hives this spring. You guys making your hives? I need to get a couple built so I'll be ready to go come spring.

My two packages are still alive not sure about the two nucs

Do you guys, especially the ones up north, vent the top of your hives in the winter? I am of the impression that cold don't kill bees, but moisture in the hive does. Haven't lost any since I started venting, but I am in the south also.

My brother has 4 hives still going. His bee survival rate really improved once he started treating for I assume Mites. I just know that he feed them some kinda chem in late fall. He was losing entire colonys before treatment plan. Hated using treatments but loses were a big financial drain every year. They didn't starve, still honey in the boxes. Bob

Ventilation is key. It's the condensation that kills them...not the cold. Just have to have a top and bottom entrance so it can vent properly.

I giggle when the southern guys talk about the cold killing their bees. But there are differences in bees that have acclimated to the colder climates and the ones we normally buy out of calif. Lots of those Calif bees don't survive well up here.

Cold doesn't kill bees. The two of the biggest are humidity/ventilation and starvation. But the most deadly item for bees in the winter? Not dealing with the mites back in the summer. Bees going into winter with high mite levels are doomed.

^^^^^^
This...

I put a moisture board in mine, there made out of wood fibers.
And they work great.