A little warning

[Heather]

I have been chatting to an experienced beekeeper who has just lost a large colony.
The entrance was reduced to one bee size as wasps bad this year. She saw bees flying 6 days ago, but went yesterday to find piles of dead bees on the open mesh floor. The exit blocked by dead bees and no way out for the colony. All food gone.
If the entrance has been reduced to minimal then please check that access is still clear. it doesn't take many bees to fill that gap.

 

[Karol]

This is tragic but an important lesson for everyone to learn. It's not the size (width) of the entrance that's critical so much as the number of ranks of bees that it is able to form within that width. So depth is more important than width which is where a wider but deeper tunnel arrangement is safer because it allows easier passage of bees whilst at the same time providing greater depth of resistance to wasps (provided that the entrance is effectively 1 bee height).

Viz:

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=12345&stc=1&d=1441441427

vs:

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=12346&stc=1&d=1441441427

 

[user 6228]

practically this allows about 4 bees through yet its 75mm long

 

[Eyeman]

A large strong colony needing the entrance reduced to one bees space?
Must have been plagued by wasps!
Never had to reduce the entrance on my strong full hives to that extent.

 

[Millet]

I have been chatting to an experienced beekeeper who has just lost a large colony.
The entrance was reduced to one bee size as wasps bad this year. She saw bees flying 6 days ago, but went yesterday to find piles of dead bees on the open mesh floor. The exit blocked by dead bees and no way out for the colony. All food gone.
If the entrance has been reduced to minimal then please check that access is still clear. it doesn't take many bees to fill that gap.

I have never been near my hive for nearly 10 day's and you now have me worried..i will be doing a serious revamp when i get there today..

 

[pargyle]

I have been chatting to an experienced beekeeper who has just lost a large colony.
The entrance was reduced to one bee size as wasps bad this year. She saw bees flying 6 days ago, but went yesterday to find piles of dead bees on the open mesh floor. The exit blocked by dead bees and no way out for the colony. All food gone.
If the entrance has been reduced to minimal then please check that access is still clear. it doesn't take many bees to fill that gap.

So beekeeper error not wasps ? With a strong large colony I doubt that wasps would normally stand a chance with even a three bee wide entrance. You have to question why so many bees were dead and with a healthy and large colony what the undertakers were doing ?

Strikes me there was a bit more to this than just a reduced entrance - I would be looking for signs of disease or infestation and why, with a large colony, the beekeeper had not left them with at least 7 days worth of stores in there - or possibly even fed them if the supers had been taken - I tend to leave a lot more when the season is as variable as it has been this year..... but there again I'm not an experienced beekeeper !

Just a two hive owner really ... with a few more.

 

[enrico]

Sounds a bit to me like the colony starved. As soon as they get weak the wasps will finish the job. I have never had to feed all my hives at this time of the year. But I am doing just that now! No wasps but my bees ate my only full super in two weeks. I am now feeding them all on four pints a day. You would not believe how they have bucked up with the sugar rush! All you have to be careful of is leaving enough room for the queen to lay. A super under the bb is sometimes the answer to that just while they are getting sorted!
Thanks for the heads up though Heather. Not doubting what you are saying but just suggesting there may be other reasons as well.
E

 

[Hachi]

Build JBM'S floors plans are on here no need for reductions awesome bits of kit and easy to make

 

[enrico]

Is there a link to the right thread?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Here's the latest - you can download the diagrams in post #6, theres also a lonk earlier on in the thread to an older more detailed thread

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=34669&highlight=underfloor+entrance

 

[REDWOOD]

I must add, the thing I like about these floors is you don't get brace comb below the frames as you do with a conventional floor

 

[enrico]

Can't get my head round that plan at all. So .... The bees fly in , is there a back wall in that entrance that leads to the 9mm slot? Sorry if I am thick but .... I probably am!
E

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Can't get my head round that plan at all. So .... The bees fly in , is there a back wall in that entrance that leads to the 9mm slot? Sorry if I am thick but .... I probably am!
E

Well yes - the first diagram is the side view with the side rails of the floor removed so you are seeing the floor of the entrance 'lobby', the rear wall and the 'ceiling' with a nine mil gap at the back next to the 'back wall'

 

[mbc]

Sounds to me like a colony gone q- fizzling out and being finished off by wasps.

 

[Heather]

Dead colony was on 10 frames of bees. Queenright. Had stores.
Wasps this year have been horrendous. Strong colonies at my apiaries and I am standing at the edge of hives killing wasps by the dozen. Traps full. Wish I could find the **** nests.
Sorry wasp lovers but they are overpowering many hives in my area.

I had to rescue one yesterday for a beekeeper.
Hive with new Buckfast queen on 7 frames, within a week was down to a mugful of bees. Fortunately queen still present when I put the dispirited little cluster into an apidea. Some syrup in, closed for 2 days to recover strength then they will be resited.
As I rescued the bees I was unintentionally standing on waiting wasps .. .

 

[pargyle]

Traps full. Wish I could find the **** nests.
Sorry wasp lovers but they are overpowering many hives in my area.

.. .

What sort of traps have you got in your apiaries Heather ?

 

[Jimmys Mum]

Wasps this year have been horrendous.

Sorry wasp lovers but they are overpowering many hives in my area.

Same here Heather, I have one out apiary especially suffering, wasps everywhere and hornets are now joining in too - picking off the bees coming home. Last week I closed down the entrances to about 2 bee spaces on the two worst hit hives and went back today expecting the worst but they seem to have rallied and in the time I was there, I didn't see one wasp get inside despite repeated attempts so maybe they will make it after all.

I'm liking the underfloor entrance plans. I feel a winter project coming on.....

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

wasps hate underfloor entrances.

 

[Cazza]

Sorry wasp lovers but they are overpowering many hives in my area .

It has been hard (as a wasp lover) to resist the temptation to squish or trap the wasps round my hives this year. (My bee shed is full of the beasties as it is never wasp proof despite my annual efforts.)
I know I have one nest in the garden, another in the roof and a hornets nest in the eaves. The bees are doing a good defensive job and I think wasp numbers are beginning to reduce. Trying hard to live and let live.............
Cazza

 

[Karol]

<snip>

Sorry wasp lovers but they are overpowering many hives in my area.

<snip>

Sorry to hear that you're having problems. No disrespect intended but it does sound as if you haven't instigated the full suite of integrated wasp management measures that are required to protect hives. I say that because you shouldn't have to resort to killing individual wasps at a hive in a bid to protect the hive which is almost always counter productive because the squished wasps will produce alarm/distress pheromone which will only work to precipitate frenzied feeding and draw even more wasps into the vicinity of your hives giving rise to a vicious positive feedback loop.

The interesting thing is is that if you get integrated wasp management right you will kill far fewer wasps and get better results. You really don't need to kill many wasps to be wasp free! I know that sounds absurd but it is true.