A distressing sight

[The Poot in Somerset]

Checked the hives in pouring rain, to find this. It’s a really strong colony and I’m hoping it’s just the dead being chucked onto the landing board. I’m hoping it’s not bees that couldn’t get back in when the rain started because I closed up the entrance against wasps.

 

[tidymeup]

It's that time of year when the drones get thrown out, basically they no longer need them.

 

[Swarm]

There's quite a few on the stand and ground as well.

 

[user 819]

One reason why I don't use external landing boards any bees can soon get caught out by a sudden down pour.
With my UFE's i have a landing board but it is recessed within the floor.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

I must confess it was raining so hard I didn’t check to see if they were drones.
The forecast is for fine weather tomorrow (for a day) so I’ll check them out.

 

[beeno]

I would have said probably they are the ones that could not get back in. Live and learn.

 

[redpig]

I like to provide a overhang long enough to keep the landing board dry, stops them getting stuck on their backs and also adds a bit of extra shade.

 

[bobthecob]

Those are all (or at least mostly) drones that have been kicked out by the bees (just zoom in on the picture, it's clear). A period of heavy rain at this time of year can trigger this response in a colony. Essentially they go "OK, summer must be over, let's get rid of these freeloaders". Sad, but nature in action. Nothing to do with the landing board.

 

[philkhor]

I hope that when you day “closed up the entrance” you mean “reduced the entrance”?

 

[bobthecob]

Oh, sorry - re-read the post - did you actually entirely close the entrance?

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Sorry Bob and Phil - I reduced the entrance, not fully closed. Sorry for the confusion.
Today all is well other than wasp attacks. It looks like they were drones.
I should have braved the weather and had a closer look yesterday.

 

[bobthecob]

Sorry Bob and Phil - I reduced the entrance, not fully closed. Sorry for the confusion.
Today all is well other than wasp attacks. It looks like they were drones.
I should have braved the weather and had a closer look yesterday.

Phew - that's all right then. Yeah, just drones paying the price for being useless now that mating season is over. Tough life .....

 

[North End Bees]

I’m hoping it’s not bees that couldn’t get back in when the rain started..

They can definitely get back in, even through a very reduced entrance.
If you've ever watched the hive when a sudden heavy shower starts, you'll see huge numbers of bees all returning at once and crowding round the entrance in what seems like an impossible jam. Within minutes they're all in.

 

[bobba]

One reason why I don't use external landing boards any bees can soon get caught out by a sudden down pour.
With my UFE's i have a landing board but it is recessed within the floor.

I never considered the risk of bees getting rained on why they are hanging out on the landing board. I was put off the idea of a sloped landing board as I thought it may channel gusts of wind into the entrance of the hive.

I had a spare off cut of wire mesh, so for an experiment I made a mesh lading board. All my hives have a mini landing board about 2cm made from wood. so the mesh is an extention to the mini board.

The bees did not seem to like/use the mesh extension for the first few weeks. And you can still see most of returning bees ignore it. Some clearly intentionally land on it, but not many. However it makes a great safety net for for any returning bees that are struggling.

The bees seem to love to chill on the mesh on a hot day. I witnessed an unexpected down poor last week and watched the bees on the mesh struggle to get back inside. They all made it, but looking back I think the outcome would have bee different if it was a traditional landing board.

 

[redpig]

Checked the hives in pouring rain, to find this. It’s a really strong colony and I’m hoping it’s just the dead being chucked onto the landing board. I’m hoping it’s not bees that couldn’t get back in when the rain started because I closed up the entrance against wasps.

I see you have abelo poly in your collection, how does it fare in winter? I only got mine this season.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

I see you have abelo poly in your collection, how does it fare in winter? I only got mine this season.

Hi,
I’ve only been through one Winter with Abelo - and only one colony was all Abelo, whilst others were part poly, part cedar.
The all poly was ahead of the rest in Spring build up terms.
The only things I don’t like about Abelo poly are:
The plastic surfaces for strength are good but the boxes slide too easily sometimes
The poly is clearly more fragile than cedar
The varroa trays are really difficult to slide in and out - very fiddly
I find it difficult to vape through the mesh floor.

Despite the negatives I’m intending to get to overwintering all colonies in poly brood boxes from next year.

I hope you get on well with yours,
Cheers

 

[Erichalfbee]

The varroa trays are really difficult to slide in and out - very fiddly
I find it difficult to vape through the mesh floor.

Despite the negatives I’m intending to get to overwintering all colonies in poly brood boxes from next year.

I hope you get on well with yours,
Cheers

Make your own wooden floors with UFE and sit your Abelos on those
It's what I've done

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Make your own wooden floors with UFE and sit your Abelos on those
It's what I've done

Thanks Dani, perhaps a little project for the Winter months ahead.
It will help with the wasps too - it’s nightmarish in the apiary at the moment, but the bodged on tunnels are working at least at the moment...

 

[redpig]

Make your own wooden floors with UFE and sit your Abelos on those
It's what I've done

I've invested in an oxalic vape attachment which sits on a butane burner, it gives a measured dose in approx 30 seconds, no need to have varroa tray in or block up the entrance just a big cloud straight in and done. Administered the first application to my 3 colonies today, one of them housed in an abelo hive.
Its great, no more messing about with batteries or tabs on heating pads, reasonable price too.
If anybody is interested then i'll post up the details of where I got it from.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

I've invested in an oxalic vape attachment which sits on a butane burner, it gives a measured dose in approx 30 seconds, no need to have varroa tray in or block up the entrance just a big cloud straight in and done. Administered the first application to my 3 colonies today, one of them housed in an abelo hive.
Its great, no more messing about with batteries or tabs on heating pads, reasonable price too.
If anybody is interested then i'll post up the details of where I got it from.

Yes please.