Oakbear
New Bee
2013 started off very promisingly. Although i went in with a single colony they built fast, and i did an AS to get back to 2 colonies. I visited every week.
The original hive continued to go from strength to strength and i put 2 supers on, leaving off the excluder to encourage them up for a week. The new AS hive was slow to build despite feeding.
Then real life got in the way. I stopped visiting. No harvest, no winter feed, no insulation, no varroa treatment. I just left them as they were towards the end of summer.
Spring 2014 i felt pretty guilty, but hoped there were enough stores for them to over winter, but life still got in the way. 2014 dragged on, and i didn't go at all. Partly time, partly guilt. Life settled down towards the end of the year, and i regretted abandoning my colonies.
By winter i guessed that was that, but went to look recently, full of guilt.
The AS hive was dead as a doornail and had been home to a mouse. Looks like they never really built up. I packed it up for cleaning.
In the original hive i found them looking strong. Today i went to inspect.
The colony was very large and spread over a 14x12 and both supers. Plenty of brood in all stages in all 3 boxes, good levels of pollen and honey.
Tons of wild comb between boxes, with stores and brood in it.
They looked the same to my eye in size, colour and temperament as when i had left them, although appreciate it may be a swarm that moved in.
As i removed the supers they became increasingly aggressive. I imagine that wasn't helped by the fact that i removed the wild comb. In the end the weather was starting to turn and i was fed up of the aggression, so i replaced the supers and roof.
I'm pretty rusty and am left wondering what to do next?
Suggestions and help gratefully received.
The original hive continued to go from strength to strength and i put 2 supers on, leaving off the excluder to encourage them up for a week. The new AS hive was slow to build despite feeding.
Then real life got in the way. I stopped visiting. No harvest, no winter feed, no insulation, no varroa treatment. I just left them as they were towards the end of summer.
Spring 2014 i felt pretty guilty, but hoped there were enough stores for them to over winter, but life still got in the way. 2014 dragged on, and i didn't go at all. Partly time, partly guilt. Life settled down towards the end of the year, and i regretted abandoning my colonies.
By winter i guessed that was that, but went to look recently, full of guilt.
The AS hive was dead as a doornail and had been home to a mouse. Looks like they never really built up. I packed it up for cleaning.
In the original hive i found them looking strong. Today i went to inspect.
The colony was very large and spread over a 14x12 and both supers. Plenty of brood in all stages in all 3 boxes, good levels of pollen and honey.
Tons of wild comb between boxes, with stores and brood in it.
They looked the same to my eye in size, colour and temperament as when i had left them, although appreciate it may be a swarm that moved in.
As i removed the supers they became increasingly aggressive. I imagine that wasn't helped by the fact that i removed the wild comb. In the end the weather was starting to turn and i was fed up of the aggression, so i replaced the supers and roof.
I'm pretty rusty and am left wondering what to do next?
Suggestions and help gratefully received.