bees dieing

[kendo]

hi well, my bees did ok this winter when I opened up the hive a few weeks ago on a warmish day i had about 6 full super frames full of bees but over the last few weeks, the bees seem to get fewer.
an experienced beekeeper helped me clean up after the winter and she said the girls were doing ok, but the queen does not seem to be making brood i have seen her so i know I'm not queenless what's the problem?

 

[user 6228]

a queen can go off lay because of a shortage of stores or because of disease.(i.e. the worker are stopping her laying because there is a brood problem) or she is no longer fertile...assuming stores and forage are ok adding a frame of brood in all stages will either produce supercedure or some more bees to maintain numbers until the problem fixes it self.

 

[kendo]

thanks it would be great if I could get a frame of brood!! anyone out there can help?
I live in Bacup Lancashire cheers ken

 

[kendo]

I don't know why last year I put a super on as the queen was laying like mad but now
the bees are up in the super and the brood box and its frames are empty?

 

[Beagle23]

I don't know why last year I put a super on as the queen was laying like mad but now
the bees are up in the super and the brood box and its frames are empty?

The Queen's not stuck in the Super is she?

 

[kendo]

no she can go anywhere as I've no queen excluder in the hive

 

[Beagle23]

I don't know why last year I put a super on as the queen was laying like mad but now
the bees are up in the super and the brood box and its frames are empty?

The Queen's not stuck in the Super is she?

 

[sherwood]

Try to stimulate her into laying by putting rapid feeder on with 1 part sugar to 2parts water presupposes that they have some pllen present. If its cold up there its a lot of space for a small ammount of bees to keep warm, consider perhaps removin the brood box or some of the outer frames and replacing with some bulky insulation. I make up some extra wide dummy boards from insulation boards. Has a dual effect reduces both space and heat loss.

 

[Nige.Coll]

Reduce space. Remove supers etc or even put into a poly nuc if the numbers are that low.
Test for nosema.
Feed if needed.
That's how I would start the finish depends on the test results.

Is there a only a small patch of brood? Any eggs or double eggs in bottom of some cells at the edge of the brood area ?