dead bees

[Cuckmere couple]

yup....im thinking though that the virus is hardly likely to have disappeared so if they survive...i should still remove frames and blow torch hive.....if the contents arent safe to re-use, how are the contents safe to be used once whole colony is moving around and expanding in spring is whats in my mind

 

[Erichalfbee]

yup....im thinking though that the virus is hardly likely to have disappeared so if they survive...i should still remove frames and blow torch hive.....if the contents arent safe to re-use, how are the contents safe to be used once whole colony is moving around and expanding in spring is whats in my mind

I’ve never had CBPV this late. So what I will do is get them on new frames in the spring with a Bailey. Then burn the frames and sterilise the box and floor.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

sounds sensible

 

[Cuckmere couple]

I’ve never had CBPV this late. So what I will do is get them on new frames in the spring with a Bailey. Then burn the frames and sterilise the box and floor.

so

nearing the time...trying to understand the process for a few weeks time Dani....

do a bailey to keep brood....will you use comb or foundation in new bb above old bb.....

will you also move Q up with a frame from below to lay on and is this not a risk of cross contamination?

 

[user 819]

The N.T are like the beek at Blenheim, they both have funny ideas on how honey bees work and fly.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

will you use comb or foundation in new bb above old bb

If you have comb then that would be a proper Bailey change. The method was devised to get bees off old, potentially diseased comb on to sterilised drawn comb ASAP, so if you do have drawn comb, even if not a boxful, get the queen up on to it immediately them put a QX between the new box and the old one

 

[Erichalfbee]

so

nearing the time...trying to understand the process for a few weeks time Dani....

do a bailey to keep brood....will you use comb or foundation in new bb above old bb.....

will you also move Q up with a frame from below to lay on and is this not a risk of cross contamination?

A combination of old comb and foundation for me, move queen up, place QX and feed. As soon as the bees are established in the top box I’ll replace the queen.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

A combination of old comb and foundation for me, move queen up, place QX and feed. As soon as the bees are established in the top box I’ll replace the queen.

great, thanks both...v helpful

feed to help draw comb on any foundation?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

feed to help draw comb on any foundation?

yes

 

[Cuckmere couple]

A combination of old comb and foundation for me, move queen up, place QX and feed. As soon as the bees are established in the top box I’ll replace the queen.

presume you will replace with a queen from another colony rather than let them raise from eggs from the existing colony....

but presume you can also allow them to raise a queen from donated eggs?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I’ll replace with a mated queen to get them building up quickly. I’m uniting the two swarms I had on the potting shed. The unite will keep the new queen. The old queen must be at least in her third year. She’ll keep them going till I decide what to do with them.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

I’ve never had CBPV this late. So what I will do is get them on new frames in the spring with a Bailey. Then burn the frames and sterilise the box and floor.

hi Dani...are you going to Bailey them as early as possible? just conscious things are starting to wind up but am going to leave it a couple of weeks....youre not going v v early are you?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

hi Dani...are you going to Bailey them as early as possible? just conscious things are starting to wind up but am going to leave it a couple of weeks....youre not going v v early are you?

never Bailey them too early, you need a good hive full of bees and decent weather otherwise it is a right kick in the teeth for the colony.

 

[Erichalfbee]

hi Dani...are you going to Bailey them as early as possible? just conscious things are starting to wind up but am going to leave it a couple of weeks....youre not going v v early are you?

No. I’ll wait till there is a good dandelion flow

 

[Cuckmere couple]

No. I’ll wait till there is a good dandelion flow

despite feeding?

 

[Erichalfbee]

despite feeding?

If there is a good flow no I won’t feed. If by mid next month weather closes in I will feed

 

[Cuckmere couple]

If there is a good flow no I won’t feed. If by mid next month weather closes in I will feed

back from a week away....dandelions are out as is all the blackthorn and soft fruit trees....will have a look this week

 

[Erichalfbee]

back from a week away....dandelions are out as is all the blackthorn and soft fruit trees....will have a look this week

Careful. We have nearly two weeks of cold weather coming.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

today is the day to have a look....some good weather coming up and am going to feed

slight anxiety that foragers and robbers may be attracted to the lower box which will have potentially diseased comb and the brood etc in it....with feed at the top of the new box....so worth narrowing entrance?

 

[Boston Bees]

some good weather coming up and am going to feed

Definition of oxymoron:
a combination of contradictory or incongruous words (such as cruel kindness)
broadly : something (such as a concept) that is made up of contradictory or incongruous elements

(Merriam Webster)

Just kidding, I know there can be exceptions to this like a comb change.

It just sounded weird.