Could the furriness of bees be a very general indication of age?

[Zante]

Let me explain what I mean: I lost one of my two colonies this past winter, and I'm a bit worried about my remaining one. Being a beginner (first winter) I'm unsure what to expect.
I did a quick inspection of my bees and found them still with loads of food. So much in fact that I removed two combs (and still left them with loads) and replaced them with empty combs from the other hive.

Didn't see brood or queen, so I'm not sure whether the queen survived the winter. I don't have any reason to believe she didn't other than the lack of experience and of evidence, so I'm not too worried, also in my first inspection of the year I didn't check all the frames.

I did notice though that many of the bees were quite furry, and I kinda heard how they go "balder" as they age. So I was wondering if that can be used as a very general indication of the age of bees (and therefore say "oh, young bees, queen might be ok") or whether it's something that should just be ignored.

 

[Madge]

Yes, they tend to lose hair as they age. Very young, recently emerged bees are particularly furry and fluffy with lighter hair. They’re easy to spot.

I don’t know what the weather is like where you are, but here (in Scotland) it’s too cold, and the weather still too varied to open hives and particularly to remove food when they may need it to feed all the new bees and larvae.

 

[Zante]

I don’t know what the weather is like where you are, but here (in Scotland) it’s too cold, and the weather still too varied to open hives and particularly to remove food when they may need it to feed all the new bees and larvae.

Quite a lot further south than Scotland

 

[Madge]

Yes, I saw that! But I still don’t know what the weather is like there.

As postscript to my post, if the weather is fine for checking bees, and the OP (I can’t see his name now) removed a frame of honey to make space for laying, then that’s fine - provided they have enough food.

 

[Zante]

Yes, I saw that! But I still don’t know what the weather is like there.

As postscript to my post, if the weather is fine for checking bees, and the OP (I can’t see his name now) removed a frame of honey to make space for laying, then that’s fine - provided they have enough food.

No, they had plenty of room for laying. I removed some stores because I didn't want to risk sugar being moved in the super later on. I left plenty of stores and there is plenty of forage around with cherry trees, dandelions, rosemary and a peach farm nearby.

 

[beeno]

Hi Zante,
Plenty of stores, no brood and +17 degrees C. Get in there and find out whats going on!

 

[Zante]

Hi Zante,
Plenty of stores, no brood and +17 degrees C. Get in there and find out whats going on!

Not "no brood" it's more "I didn't see any on the half of the frames I inspected". As a first inspection I thought I had disturbed them enough.
Also we've had these temperatures only very recently. It's been raining almost every day recently.

 

[beeno]

Not "no brood" it's more "I didn't see any on the half of the frames I inspected". As a first inspection I thought I had disturbed them enough.
Also we've had these temperatures only very recently. It's been raining almost every day recently.

I am assuming you are looking for brood in the brood nest not on the frames of stores. You should have some brood in the brood nest this time of the year whatever the weather. Lots of stores is not a good sign this time of the year means little or no brood usually. Just do it.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

The colony should be brooding at this time of year.

 

[Madge]

Zante said he didn’t do a full inspection, and that he saw furry, fluffy bees - so, young ones. That sounds good to me.

Zante, wait for really good weather to do a full inspection. In the meantime, ensure they have food. I’m still worried about you removing two frames of honey, and I don’t understand your reason for doing that. You only add a honey super to a colony once they don’t need feeding anymore - so, the super should be sugar-free by then.

 

[Zante]

Zante, wait for really good weather to do a full inspection.

It was 19 Celsius here today, so if the weather keeps it's full inspections from now on. As I mentioned it's been non-inspection weather mainly because it was raining, not so much because of the temperatures per se.

In the meantime, ensure they have food. I’m still worried about you removing two frames of honey, and I don’t understand your reason for doing that. You only add a honey super to a colony once they don’t need feeding anymore - so, the super should be sugar-free by then.

Trust me, they have LOADS of food. I overdid it with winter preparations, and they had a full dadant brood box (10 frames) plus two and a half kilos of fondant on top. Being my first winter I thought I'd play it safe.

Once I removed the two frames of food they still had four other full frames with honey/syrup and pollen. Plus there is plenty of forage around.
I removed the frames because they are black. They were black last year when they came with the bees and I took advantage of the bees being elsewhere in the box to remove some filthy wax.

I'm planning to set up a couple of traps later on, and I will be using these old frames in them: the empty ones as attractant, and the full ones to get the swarm to draw new wax. Then they will be melted.

 

[e.slegh]

Hi, one way to check wether there is brood without opening the box is to see if there is fresh pollen going in. If there is, then there is brood.

Or you can put a white sheet under the varroa net or on the bottom, if your hive is closed on the bottom. If you have brown rubble in lines there must also be brood in the hive. Because these are from opening the caps when a bee leaves the comb.

Looking forward to hear what you find!


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[Hivemaker.]

Hi, one way to check wether there is brood without opening the box is to see if there is fresh pollen going in. If there is, then there is brood.

That is a myth.

 

[Curly green fingers]

That is a myth.

Could they be storing it then ? Why is it a myth HM.

 

[Madge]

... found them still with loads of food. So much in fact that I removed two combs (and still left them with loads) and replaced them with empty combs from the other hive. ...

... I removed some stores because I didn't want to risk sugar being moved in the super later on. ...

... I removed the frames because they are black...

Well, which is it? That's rhetorical. You don't need to answer.

 

[e.slegh]

Could they be storing it then ? Why is it a myth HM.

I am curious too. I was taught that pollen being brought in is at least very strong indicator for the presence of brood.


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[Zante]

Well, which is it? That's rhetorical. You don't need to answer.

It's both of them.

I removed them because I don't want to risk having sugar in the supers and chose to remove the black ones and leave the ones that were drawn last year.

 

[Curly green fingers]

I am curious too. I was taught that pollen being brought in is at least very strong indicator for the presence of brood.


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And me,being as its almost spring build up. Could bee's be storing pollen , to this time of year another question. When I changed my floor on the weekend there was brood capping in a line on the old floor.
So I've got some new bee's and also there were young bees doing there orientation flight's so her mag has been laying for a while.
Pollen has only been going into the hive for a couple of weeks so they must of had stored pollen.
The end
Mark.

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[beeno]

And me,being as its almost spring build up. Could bee's be storing pollen , to this time of year another question. When I changed my floor on the weekend there was brood capping in a line on the old floor.
So I've got some new bee's and also there were young bees doing there orientation flight's so her mag has been laying for a while.
Pollen has only been going into the hive for a couple of weeks so they must of had stored pollen.
The end
Mark.

Sent from my Swift 2 using Tapatalk

In early spring the bees can raise some brood without pollen. They use their fat bodies which are their protein stores and also contain lipids and carbs. End Feb beginning of March, when the first cold snap came I had 14 day old pupae thrown out (only three). They do store pollen, but it is mainly demand lead by nurses raising brood, they are raising brood.

 

[Kenson]

Seems to me that "In general", yes. They are "very furry" when first emerged and get smoother and shinier with time. In know peering through my sight-glass in January there were more shiny bees and now there are a lot of furry bees, so I am reassured.

Not confident yet, but reassured. Just by the number and furriness of the bees. No need to go in and "inspect"