That's great to see.

Sorry about the losses, but that's not bad in comparison to what I saw last winter, around here anyway.

And overall, I think it's not been that hard a winter.  It was cold early, but I've seen way worse, at least down here.

I truly believe that local bees are the best choice for ANYONE.

CE, Dux and anybody else who would like to chime in..

What, in your opinion, would be the *ideal* winter for the good of bees in the climate where you live?

I think this discussion might be of value to all of us, and especially to new beekeepers as they consider what the ideal might be for their areas, and weigh that against what is happening in real life, thus forming an educated guess about what struggles the bees might be facing and what actions could be taken at a given time.

I'm actually asking about the weather.

What would be the ideal winter for bees in your area?  Down here, the yo-yo weather is actually harder on the bees (I think) than if it got cold and stayed cold most of the time.  

It's been nearly 70 here for almost two weeks.  Honeybees are out looking for food.  

I figure they've got egg laying on their little borg-like minds, and that's bad.  It's too early (here.)

I'm interested in what you *wish* the weather would do up there for the good of your bees.  What weather pattern through the winter would cause you the LEAST concern....what's ideal?

So by mild, you mean warm enough for them to fly, knowing you may have to give supplemental feed about this time of year?

I agree that the yo-yo weather is hard on them, which *should* make my area one of the most difficult for overwintering bees--(following my line of thinking for this discussion only.)  But I'm not seeing that be the case necessarily.  Since honeybees have survived for a long time as far north as Canada, it makes sense to me that they are adapted for long cold spells.  Since they can survive with no real "winter" at all (not true, but a Florida winter is not winter as I think of it) they should do fine being able to fly year-round.  I understand that in the desert southwest, winter is actually their most productive time, and that this varies from region to region.  I've heard Arizona beekeepers say that winter is summer and summer is winter for beekeeping.  But the ones in the mountains ( like Frank-Symptoms apparently is) get quite cold and have to treat winter as actual winter.

In my supposition, your bees *should* survive a winter that mine would not.   My bees should survive a winter that deep south bees would not.  But my bees also have to work in 105 degree heat at least a few times a year.  I hear northern beekeepers say their bees are out for cleansing flights at 40 degrees.  When I first heard that, I was surprised, because anything below 50 sees mine huddled up in the hive.

With all this discussion about local bees, I'm interested in what those local bees would "look" like as far as temperature spread adaptability, length of time they will stay in their ball, temperatures required to get them out flying, etc.  Because I bet with the different genetics, there also come differences in these areas as well.

Just thinking out loud as I sometimes do.

ETA:  As I think about it, with all the different climates, honeybees should be active SOMEWHERE almost all the time.  (assuming there are honeybees in that area at all).  So it seems to me that by getting all of our bees from the south for so many years, we've all done ourselves a real disservice, and we've diluted the genetics that ensure survivability.  

Further, I think that it took a decade or three of doing this--buying bees from the south--to fully dilute those genetics.  I know a lot of beekeepers around here who tried their hand at queen rearing, but gave up after just a few years.  Now I'm beginning to think they gave up too soon.  Perhaps their wallets forced that, but it didnt' take two or three years to dilute all those genetics and lose the adaptability. I think it may take more than a few years to get that adaptability back--breeding and holding only the survivors, taking our queens from THOSE bees, etc.  I have watched one guy successfully do this as a completely organic method of varroa control.  It's taken him a long time.  I don't think we're going to get that back quickly, but I believe it is vital that we DO get it back.

Just pondering all of this.

We'll clean our own house, ya two-footed bastages!!!

Frank, that's good. That means they are getting out when they want.  So they can't be entirely closed off.  

Did she see their exit point?  They can always close it up and open it at will, but I thought maybe there was a crack or hole somewhere you might not even be aware of.

They might, but more than likely they just post guards, and with your hive being small and the season NOT in a strong honey flow (I'm assuming it's not from what you've said) the bees know that they are vulnerable and have pulled up the gate and filled the moat.  they are not lowering the drawbridge for anything.  Not nobody, not nohow.  

Bees can come and go through the small door, but no army can get across the threshold.  

Smart bees.

I will look forward to hearing what you think of the Buckfast queens, and how your bees do with those genetics.

That's an interesting variety.

I almost tried those when people were trying to talk me into Russians.

Will also be interested in your observations about these bees in comparison with your recent experience.

That's probably more likely.  If they're opening and closing, it's not likely every night.  And because they also need airflow, I doubt they are closing it completely.