Completed intense inspections

[taff..]

Hi Bcrazy

Out of interest, how many sites are your 23 hives on?

No I have two out aparies and a couple of hives at home.

 

[Poly Hive]

FWIW

Bee Farmers normally consider a normal site to support 40 hives.

PH

 

[BKF Admin]

1 unexplained death in first apiary: looked like a meltdown except the combs looked totally normal with brood and stores, and in any case it's been cold for ages. Piles of dead wet mouldy bees plus a few bedraggled live ones and a smell of fermented honey/nectar. Any ideas anyone? All other colonies in apiary totally normal too.

Sounds like volcanic ash to me..

On a more serious note do you think the honey was capped at a high water level or could the hive have a yeast infection?

Did you try a refractometer test ?

 

[Bugfan]

hehe, fair point

 

[Chris B]

Sounds like volcanic ash to me..

On a more serious note do you think the honey was capped at a high water level or could the hive have a yeast infection?

Did you try a refractometer test ?

Probably unripened honey plus whatever made the bees wet was enough to tip the balance. As for the sealed stores I haven't checked.

 

[SixFooter]

No I have two out aparies and a couple of hives at home.

I thought the recommended maximum number of hives at any one site is 7.
Is this outdated info or just wrong?

 

[Black Comb]

I thought the recommended maximum number of hives at any one site is 7.
Is this outdated info or just wrong?

Surely this depends on the site.
If there's enough forage then why not more?

 

[VEG]

It depends on what forage is available near the apiary site.

 

[Hombre]

I . . . Also unexplained was my box of smoker fuel spontaneously combusting for no apparent reason. This was all the more remarkable as it was a bit damp and lighting the smoker wasn't easy. Had a similar incident last year with a newspaper in the back of the truck while with same inspector. I heard our region is 2 SBI's short this year. Stan and Ollie where are you?

This can only be a case of rough justuce in action. Never a dull moment eh?