Keeping bees alive this spring.

 Hello Interior Alaska Beekeepers!

This is one of four difficult springs I've experienced over the past 20 years.

Problem: Cold temperatures and an abundance of snow. Yes, we are surrounded by tall snow banks.

Here are some ways I have used to keep my bees alive and warm.

• Prior to hiving honeybees, I bring all equipment inside my house two days prior to colony arrival.
• Hive bees in one brood box at a higher elevation - I live on the top of Goldmine Trail. This elevation has 5-20* warmer temperatures compared with lower elevations such as downtown Fairbanks.
• Sugar water ratio is a tad bit above 1:1 and a couple teaspoons of Honey B Healthy or Bee Pro add essential oils to the sugar water. I make sure any sugar water is room temperature! It's very important to keep filling the sugar water feeder in the initial couple weeks. Do not let sugar water run out in the first couple weeks!
• I always use an internal, one-gallon feeder.

    

I reduce entrances to the smallest possible size using an entrance reducer.

• Once all but two frames are full of  brood or sugar water stores, stop filling the sugar feeder to make sure the queen has space to lay eggs. 
• I will post to let folks know when I'm adding a second brood box to the bottom of the hive.
• Extra insulation is a must - I have 1" rigid foam underneath each hive, two layers of insulation around the perimeter of each hive as well as an insulated lid and insulated follower boards inside each hive on the west and east sides of the hive box. Rigid foam can be bungy corded around the perimeter of the brood box.

• Hives are faced mostly south and a little to the east so the early morning sun hits the bottom board to encourage early morning foraging when temperatures are 45-50* or higher.
• Pollen patties are a must to encourage the queen to lay plenty of eggs. This image is from Mann Lake. I only use 1/16 of this large patty at a time. If the colony consumes all of it, I will add another 1/16. Usually I only utilize two or three 1/16 patties in spring. I freeze all pollen patties prior to use since they may contain wax moth larvae and freezing them kills this larvae. I make sure any pollen patty I give to my honeybees is room temperature.

• I have sprinkled either wood ash or dirt on top of snow to make sure bees are not confusing the sky and the ground. If they fly into the snow, the succumb to immediate death.

When hiving new packages, I leave the cap on the queen cage for several days to give additional time for the colony to accept their new queen. Provided temperatures are at least 40-50* on day three or four, I open the hive(s) to remove the little pink cap on the queen cage and top off the sugar water. 

When topping off sugar water, I use a piece of foam to cover the majority of the frames while pouring to keep the cluster warm. Then I put the internal and external lids back on as quickly as possible. The first hive check can be performed in the next two weeks at 50* or warmer, since the colony is focused on establishing their new home.