colony disappeared

[beebopper]

I had a small colony which I requeened about 6 weeks ago and all seemed fine with them building up slowly.
Went to inspect a few days ago and there is nothing there - why would they completely disappear?

Added: 3 frames bees with frame of stores in a nuc

 

[Millet]

They probably did not like there new home and swarmed elsewhere, i did a artificial swarm a while ago and my old Queen and bees did the same, luckily i had a bait hive up and i found them in that.

 

[enrico]

Did they leave any brood or eggs?
E

 

[Millet]

Did they leave any brood or eggs?
E

Mine left nothing, but they where only in there 2/3 days.

 

[madasafish]

I have had the same . They don't like the accommodation on offer..

 

[beebopper]

Did they leave any brood or eggs?
E

A little brood small patches

 

[BeeJayBee]

I had a small colony which I requeened about 6 weeks ago and all seemed fine with them building up slowly.
Went to inspect a few days ago and there is nothing there - why would they completely disappear?

Added: 3 frames bees with frame of stores in a nuc

They absconded for their own reason. It could be because they didn't like where they were or perhaps because they didn't have enough space for the queen to lay or nowhere for stores.

You say "all seemed fine" but was there any hint of a problem beforehand, for example, were the bees lethargic or were there some walking about on the ground below the hive entrance?

 

[enrico]

A little brood small patches

I have never known them leave brood. Yes! Very odd! No answer though.....sorry!
E

 

[masterBK]

Bees often leave brood behind when they abscond. I had one abscond last week leaving behind 5 combs of brood. On closer examination the brood was found to be all drone and there was evidence of laying workers with multiple eggs in some of the cells with some on the sides.

Bees heavily infested wiith varroa will also abscond as will some colonies in hives exposed to full sun and colonies overdosed with Apiguard. Small colonies are more prone to do it eg overcrowded Apideas with recently mated queens (if you forget to put the excluder over the entrance)

 

[enrico]

Bees often leave brood behind when they abscond. I had one abscond last week leaving behind 5 combs of brood. On closer examination the brood was found to be all drone and there was evidence of laying workers with multiple eggs in some of the cells with some on the sides.

Bees heavily infested wiith varroa will also abscond as will some colonies in hives exposed to full sun and colonies overdosed with Apiguard. Small colonies are more prone to do it eg overcrowded Apideas with recently mated queens (if you forget to put the excluder over the entrance)

Ok sorry!

 

[maddydog]

. I had one abscond last week leaving behind 5 combs of brood. On closer examination the brood was found to be all drone and there was evidence of laying workers with multiple eggs in some of the cells

Shirley not one of your colonies masterBK!?!!

 

[masterBK]

Yes , one of mine. It was a demaree top given a queen cell in late May and a split board put in. Just before I went away on holiday in June I noticed a eggs were present on one side of one comb so I moved the BC to its own stand and let it get on with it. When I returned from holiday there were several combs of haphardly laid up brood with some cells with single eggs and some with multiple eggs. There was drone brood in worker cells but the capping wasn't as domed as I normally find it with drone laying queens and many of the unsealed larvae were in funny positions as seen with EFB and some melting down and rotting. I diagnosed abandoned drone brood but just to be on the safe side called out local bee disease officer. He came a few days later by which time the bees had cleared off leaving just a couple of dozen workers and 5 combs of dodgy brood.

 

[Eyeman]

Bees often leave brood behind when they abscond.

Depends on the situations.
Most absconding that I have seen is when a newly installed swarm decides to leave. No brood present.
It is very rare for a colony to abscond when brood is present- at least in my neck of the woods. I can only remember seeing it once when a top feeder decided to leak and drip over the bees. They decided enough was enough. Interesting the clipped queen with a few workers was left behind.

 

[REDWOOD]

Where did they go !!!

 

[Stevie Day]

I had a small colony which I requeened about 6 weeks ago and all seemed fine with them building up slowly.
Went to inspect a few days ago and there is nothing there - why would they completely disappear?

Added: 3 frames bees with frame of stores in a nuc

Were you feeding them, to help them establish the colony?
NBU issued a starvation alert on 29/06/16.

Your colony may have abandoned the hive due to depleted stores during a difficult time.

 

[REDWOOD]

Were you feeding them, to help them establish the colony?
NBU issued a starvation alert on 29/06/16.

Your colony may have abandoned the hive due to depleted stores during a difficult time.

Correct me if im wrong but a starvation alert should be issued to yourself every 7 days

 

[Erichalfbee]

No excuse unless beginners don't actually know how much a hive needs in reserve

 

[beebopper]

Thanks all for responses.

I feel like I absconded this thread - I've been away for a few days at a funeral and had to rebuild by computer. Never play with java is what I have learnt.

I was not feeding them but they had over 2 full frames of stores. Best guess is they did not like their surroundings for whatever reason.