Bugger

[mickbees23]

I think Finman is right, it probably was a high varroa load that disproportionately affected larger colonies as two smaller ones and an overwintered nuc are doing fine.
My fault as I had an all clear from the local inspector in September, one colony only showing varroa, didn't treat after that until oxalic acid in January.
last month I checked stores and only one had gone, so 2 very recently.
I now have 2 full supers of stores I'm not sure what to do with

I understand the logic to Finmans reply but it doesn't really all point in that direction.

One of the large colonies that has lost such a lot of bees did have a high varroa load in October, the other didn't. All colonies were vaped twice in October and give OA trickle in December. December treatment was just a precaution as the varroa drop was very low, no ejected larvae and no sign of nibbled wings.
I think a savage spring is a huge contribution to the loss because brood rearing is probably 6 weeks behind here.
Weather here today 7C pouring with rain and strong east wind. Weather in London 17C, sun and light winds. It makes a big difference.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I think a savage spring is a huge contribution to the loss because brood rearing is probably 6 weeks behind here.

This past winter has been a good winter for bees compared to 2012/13 when it rained almost every day through 2012 followed by a much harder winter and the coldest late spring for 50 years, was like a cold winter right up until June.
The losses around the country during this period were huge.

 

[Finman]

I understand the logic to Finmans reply but it doesn't really all point in that direction.
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Diffcult to know what is there 2000 km far away, when I do not even know "all point" 20 meters away in my own yard.

 

[Beefriendly]

. All colonies were vaped twice in October and give OA trickle in December.

Alas, Mickbees I don't think 2 vapes is sufficient to cover killing all the mites still within the emerging brood. 3 is the minimum I would use; spaced at roughly 5 day intervals and a 4th as well if time allows.
Last autumn one of mine got 10 vapes as the varroa levels would not drop low enough,. After 7 vapes they were still dropping a few hundred varroa, and only got down to single figure drops after 9th and 10th. These girls were already doomed, they just didn't know it. There was a massive loss of bees during Feb which I assume may be due to the high varroa load in Autumn shortening the lifespan of the winter bees or the effects of so many vapes.

 

[Finman]

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Vaped twice in Ochtober.... I do not know your bee climate, but I bet that that vaping is too late. Treatment should be done before the hive starts to rear winter bee brood.

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[maddydog]

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Vaped twice in Ochtober.... I do not know your bee climate, but I bet that that vaping is too late. Treatment should be done before the hive starts to rear winter bee brood.

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Also, IMHO there is a large range in efficacy of vaping due to equipment type and the operator

 

[Beefriendly]

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reatment should be done before the hive starts to rear winter bee brood.

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Which in our region is October/Nov. It's difficult to treat earlier as the hives are still collecting heather honey until mid/late September.

 

[mickbees23]

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Vaped twice in Ochtober.... I do not know your bee climate, but I bet that that vaping is too late. Treatment should be done before the hive starts to rear winter bee brood.

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Bees only just back from Heather Moors in October and as the climate has changed its warmer in Oct and Nov than in March or April now here

 

[Finman]

Bees only just back from Heather Moors in October and as the climate has changed its warmer in Oct and Nov than in March or April now here

I have had problematic habit to nurse my hives. They are full of boxes when I should treat them. But now I make one frame prison cages to queens and I make the hives broodless during best yield month, in July. I treat broodless hives at the end of July.

Idea is from Coloss project and during two years it works with splended way.

To fumigate one hive 7 times in a summer is not my case.

I have seen in many years that biggest hives are in biggest danger in autumn. Their mite load is too big for winter brood.

Your brooding period is much more longer than I have, and mites have time to raise to lethal level during one summer.

Mites are not my whole life and I have done what I have done.
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[mickbees23]

I feel deep in my heart you are probably correct, its just not something I have experienced before. 2017 is the first time I have had truly big colonies, one made 140lbs of honey and they have been the hardest hit by loss of bees. On a positive they are still alive and although we are looking at another month of rain its possible they may survive until spring arrives.

Thanks for the advice all.

 

[Finman]

I feel deep in my heart you are probably correct, its just not something I have experienced before. 2017 is the first time I have had truly big colonies, one made 140lbs of honey and they have been the hardest hit by loss of bees. On a positive they are still alive and although we are looking at another month of rain its possible they may survive until spring arrives.

Thanks for the advice all.

I have lost many such hives to mites, which have brought 350 lbs honey.

One hive was such that it was broodles at the end of yield season. I sprayed it with oxalic acid, but still it died. It had 5 langstroth boxes and 3 mediums.

I realized that when I had next door 2 as big hives, and I did not treat them, mites drifted quickly to neighbour hives. And drones are quick to move them.


When you treat, treat them at same time.
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Good was my experiment 2 years ago. A big hive had a layer of dead mites on the floor. I moved off the brood frames and I shaked a good gang to the old site. I trickled the new gang. I got a good colony over winter because the new hive did not have mites.

i took the brood frames to my home yard. I got a whole box of bees from them. Then two weeks later there was only queen and coffee cupfull of bees.

It tells that brood were so violated that nothing was left. I have learned to know this phenomenon better during few years. Last autumn I made several experiments with this system. Difficult is when to do it, that I get a good colony for winter.
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That about vanishing bees... CCD...

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[TryingToLetThemBee]

Despite a crap summer followed by a lingering winter with cold snaps continuing into spring the no. 1 killer remains inadequate varroa treatment in the autumn, first thing to analyse in my book.

I reckon #2 is nosema. I get good results trickling with "last winter's feed" (lots of thymol).