All honey and very little eggs

[greig1983]

Hello all,

I'm new to beekeeping and got my first hive which is a polystyrene double brood hive.

Anyway, I noticed a bee a week ago dying on the ground and it had a varroa mite on it, I spoke to the previous owner and he told me that he treated them with Apiguard in early September.
It's an open mesh so I put a board with sticky tape on it under the mesh and had about 20/30 mites in a week. During this time I purchased BeeVital Hiveclean.

Cut a long story short, I opened up the hive today and split the broods to spray this fluid in. The top brood had a lot of honey, each frame was basically full of honey but the odd one would have some larva, meaning about 15 in total I would guess, the bottom brood had two frames of honey and the rest of the frames were empty.

Is this correct? I honestly thought there would of been much more eggs/larva?Im starting to worry now in thinking they won't survive due to this.

I only had a quick look for the queen but didn't notice her. She isn't marked so would of been there a while. None of the larva had mites on them and couldn't see any on the bees.


Anyone got any ideas or thoughts? I'm based in East Kilbride, Glasgow if anyone is willing to have a look if there free.


Thanks again all

 

[Arfermo]

It sounds as though the Apiguard treatment was not as effective as it might have been but it's too late now. You won't see mites on larvae as they are under the capping but this isn't the time of year to go poking around in the hive as you have done anyway. They should be left alone until at least end of December when oxalic in one form or another will deal with the phoretic mites which will then be on the bees as there won't be any brood.

 

[Finman]

.
This time of year it is good that there is no more brood.

Take the lower box off for Winter. IT us only harmful for wintering.

When the hive does not have much brood, it is better to destroy those last brood. Then varroa has no place where to hidden.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

this isn't the time of year to go poking around in the hive as you have done anyway.

and pouring snake oil on them won't have helped much either

I've noticed a lot of colonies are broodless at the moment this year.
How much space was there for the queen to lay?

 

[greig1983]

There's a good space on one of the broods which has the brown cappings (30 or so) and some larva. Do you think a Pherotech superboost would help lay eggs or am I best just to leave the hive?

 

[Millet]

I'm no Eisenstein at this bee keeping lark but i think you need someone who know's what they are doing to have a look at your hive and set up..

 

[Millet]

''

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

There's a good space on one of the broods which has the brown cappings (30 or so) and some larva. Do you think a Pherotech superboost would help lay eggs or am I best just to leave the hive?

Just leave them in peace, they obviously have plenty of stores, but is there empty space for the queen to lay? I have a feeling there is.
Personally I think you should stop fiddling and relying on magic potions and just let the bees sort themselves out - they've been doing it a lot longer than us.

The dangers of opening up so late in the season - we spend the winter worrying about things we can do nothing about

Not just that - 20/30 mites in a week is nothing to get stresswed out about

 

[pargyle]

Just leave them in peace, they obviously have plenty of stores, but is there empty space for the queen to lay? I have a feeling there is.
Personally I think you should stop fiddling and relying on magic potions and just let the bees sort themselves out - they've been doing it a lot longer than us.

The dangers of opening up so late in the season - we spend the winter worrying about things we can do nothing about

Not just that - 20/30 mites in a week is nothing to get stresswed out about

This is GOOD ADVICE ... take heed, leave them be for the winter - in a Poly hive it sounds as though they will have more than enough to see them through but try and get some idea of the weight of the hive so that, if winter is a long one, you have a measure of what stores they have put by and the rate they have used them. You can always feed them in the early spring with Fondant so nothing to worry about there. The varroa can be treated in spring if needs be.

Spend the winter doing a course, read everything you can and look forward to an exciting time next year - when you will really have something to worry about if they are genuinely double brood !!

 

[greig1983]

Thanks for that. You did say treat them in December is that the best time to do it or am I better just waiting to spring?

Yes there is plenty of space for the queen to lay and there is a lot of weight in the frames that are full of honey. I just thought there would be more brood that's all plus the fact a 8 out of 10 frames in the bottom are empty.

Thanks again

 

[B+.]

I just thought there would be more brood that's all plus the fact a 8 out of 10 frames in the bottom are empty.

Thanks again

So long as the colony has plenty of food, leave it alone until spring. You can do more damage at this time of year than good.
I suspect that, due to your inexperience, you may not appreciate how quickly the colony can develop in the spring. So, leave the empty box in place over winter but do make sure there is a mouseguard over the entrance or you may find a field mouse makes a home of your comb over winter.
I would leave them alone until March now. You will notice an increase in flying when snowdrops/crocus flower in February but this is just the start of early pollen. They won't see significant income until March.
The colony will be largely broodless between now and early spring, so, any varroa mites will be on the adult bees. Those who advocate treatment will say this is the time to apply a treatment. Personally, I don't.

 

[Thymallus]

You will notice an increase in flying when snowdrops/crocus flower in February but this is just the start of early pollen. They won't see significant income until March.

Don't forget you live in the balmy sarff B+.
In North Yorkshire Snowdrops often don't appear until March, as for Glasgow.....
Perhaps add a few weeks to those timings for regional variations?

 

[B+.]

Don't forget you live in the balmy sarff B+.
In North Yorkshire Snowdrops often don't appear until March, as for Glasgow.....
Perhaps add a few weeks to those timings for regional variations?

Yes. This is true...although I wouldn't describe it as balmy now ;-)
I tried to give an indication of plants in flower as well as time period they flower here (in Bedfordshire) so the OP would have a guide. Of course, he should go by whats happening in his area.

 

[Madge]

... next year - when you will really have something to worry about if they are genuinely double brood !!

Why should double brood be a cause of worry to Greig when summer arrives?

 

[B+.]

Why should double brood be a cause of worry to Greig when summer arrives?

Because if he had a double brood now (when most colonies have little/no brood) they'd be enormous when colonies can be expected to be at their peak (late spring/summer)
pargyle meant two boxes full of brood.....not just two brood boxes (1 empty and 1 full of stores)

 

[Finman]

.
Hi guys.... Even if you keep "double brood", it does not mean that hive needs double on Winter.

Empty box for Winter, why? Draft, wind? For goodnes sake, put the ventilatin smaller.

RULE ONE FOR WINTERING: REDUCE the bee space! NOT ADD IT!

Take empty combs off. They only take mold there. .... And don't say anything about climate, please!!!!

 

[Cazza]

.
Hi guys.... Even if you keep "double brood", it does not means that hive needs double on Winter.

Empty box for Winter, why? Draft, wind? For goodnes sake, put the ventilatin smaller.

RULE ONE FOR WINTERING: REDUCE the bee space! NOT ADD IT!

Take empty combs off. They only take mold there. .... And don't say anything about climate, please!!!!

Finman's knows what he's talking about. I would take the second box off. Weather is mild today so easily and quickly done.
Cazza

 

[Finman]

Because if he had a double brood now (when most colonies have little/no brood) they'd be enormous when colonies can be expected to be at their peak (late spring/summer)
pargyle meant two boxes full of brood.....not just two brood boxes (1 empty and 1 full of stores)

If the Queen lays so. Normal mongrel lays only on box.

Winter is coming now! Before that it is autumn. Before next summer it is spring.
.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Finman's knows what he's talking about. I would take the second box off. Weather is mild today so easily and quickly done.
Cazza

What does he do with the brood? throw it away? This is the UK not Finland let's not forget.
Stop fiddling - leave the damn things alone

 

[B+.]

Empty box for Winter, why? Draft, wind? For goodnes sake, put the ventilatin smaller.

RULE ONE FOR WINTERING: REDUCE the bee space! NOT ADD IT!

Take empty combs off. They only take mold there. .... And don't say anything about climate, please!!!!

My advice was geared towards an inexperienced beekeeper who may not react quickly enough in the spring. This might lead to overcrowding and swarming preparations. Being so far north, this is unlikely but, until he gets a few years experience under his belt and knows what to expect, I would urge caution. You and I are using Langstroths which have the benefit of more space, but, anyone using Nationals has less space to work with.
The space under the brood wouldn't be a problem as far as heat is concerned, especially since they are well insulated poly hives. It would only be a problem if it were above the brood.
If he were on the ball, and knew when to add space as the colony grew in the spring, I would say; yes, he could get away with removing the empty box (unless he is using an open mesh floor with the bottom open - this could be a cold area close to the developing brood in the spring) but, let him get some experience of what to do in his area first. As an earlier post said: a local mentor would help him far more than comments on the forum.