dismal results on welsh heather bees

[Chris B]

Do you go and feed your drones when they get chucked out to starve?

Chris- B that was a rather stupid comment...Put some more milk in your bowl.

You cannot allow for sheep knocking them- but starvation seems inexcusable- they are livestock after all - just 'cos they are tiny doesn't mean we should be less responsible.
IMO We should only look after the number we can cope with!

In a hive with average stock of food- how long is it safe to leave them? Have to say I check weekly till they are in for the winter- then rely on a heft

Heather, sooner or later you'll get caught out by starvation. Especially if you have to ask how long is it safe to leave them. It won't be because you have too many bees, it'll be because you got sloppy or took a risk or just went on holiday for 3 weeks at the wrong time. And you'll come on here after a bit of sympathy and encouragement not for a slagging off.

 

[Queens59]

There is a difference, and if you can't see it that may be a part of the problem? Drones are evicted from the hive as a natural turn of events in the hive - bees starving to death on heather moors is not, and can be avoided with a little care surely?

 

[Adam]

Several of the books report giving them a good feed before you go. In fact, farmers often move animals to far flung places in the hope of a crop and the old animal is sacrificed (falls off a cliff, gets stuck in a bog etc). No doubt the OP has learnt his lesson. That doesn't mean you shouldn't do it, but his preparations next year will no doubt be more rigorous. Try reading Honey by the Tonne and Sixty Years with the bees. They both have lots of tips. But the best one seems to be a pre-move feed.

Ada,

 

[preyingmantos]

to all those that take the moral high ground on this subject
remember that this is a business and so we can make a living we need
to have many hives and ununfortunately are unable to check all our bees
all of the time. the hive that died, died because it burnt itself out. It actually had more food to start with than most of the other colonys (2 food combs in the 1st super + brood supplys).

It takes us 2.5hrs to get to our site, we work everyday of the week, mostly 10-12 hours a day to look after out bees with not a lot of money involved. i earnt a LOT more as a electrician. we do it because we love it and to be accussed of neglect is distressing for me. lazy? i dont think so...

the hives that that did well will be going next year, the hives that didn't, wont.

Ill go back again dispite this years loss, just in case

and yes by the way ive read both those books suggested... good reads

 

[BKF Admin]

One loss out of 24 in a remote location ?
Sounds more like bad luck than mismanagement to me..

 

[preyingmantos]

1.5 loss in 48 - the others at the bottom of the hill, sheltered from the wind but actually futher away from the heather fields were all doing ok.

at least theres not much to be pressed! every cloud...

 

[mbc]

Strange....if it was a field of sheep or cattle you allowed to starve to death you would be in court.

thats a bit rich coming from someone who advocates poisoning bees with homemade concoctions of thymol

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

We are talking about a 3% failure here. Yes there was an error, but I suspect we all make those every now and then, and preyingmantis has learnt his lesson and will probably over-feed next year. It was good of him to acknowlege it for the benefit of others.

 

[Poly Hive]

For those that want to go to the heather here are a few hints which work.

First of all I checked mine on a weekly basis, or at worst fortnightly as it pays to do so, if you get an extra super or two well you are £'s in on fuel and I used to do a 100 mile round trip...

Find a managed Grouse Moor. Find good access, find bracken for the hives (denotes shelter) and find Juniper if you can, (denotes the right conditions).

Rather than go for height go for shelter.

Be aware that if you are up very early you will more likely get a crop pre the heather (bonus time). I have had three supers a hive from moor flowers.

Ling (which produces Heather honey) can flow very early, third week in July for instance. Be there or miss it.

Honey from the moor pre the Ling is NOT heather honey.

Heather cut comb/Ross rounds/sections are the creme de la creme of British Beekeeping.

PH

 

[rae]

The failure rate seems low and I struggle to get excited by it (bad things happen, we learn from it), but this:

It takes us 2.5hrs to get to our site, we work everyday of the week, mostly 10-12 hours a day to look after out bees with not a lot of money involved. i earnt a LOT more as a electrician. we do it because we love it and to be accussed of neglect is distressing for me. lazy? i dont think so...

seems wrong. The defence of "I'm too busy to look after my stock" is a weak one, and as others have said, would cut no ice if the animal concerned was a horse or cow. There is no defence possible, only the admission of a mistake, and the acceptance that things will have to be done differently in the future. I don't see this in any of the posts.

 

[preyingmantos]

actually your right rae, i clearly have to much time on my hands to post comments on this board (my intention was to warn people of the blunders i have made). so basically i wont bother and get back to my bees. thats if i dont get arrested for insect cruelty

pathetic.

 

[Poly Hive]

Before the stone throwing carries on much more can I respectfully point out two things.

If you have never lost a colony then well done, and if not then you are not really in a position to comment.

There is an ethos on here which seems in danger of being forgotten.

Kick the message not the messenger.

PH

 

[PaleoPerson]

(my intention was to warn people of the blunders i have made). .

I think your comments on the situation are something that a lot more people should take heed of, not just for heather, but for general hive location.

Putting bees into a location that initially appear be totally suitable, may, for some reason, prove otherwise. I have bees on one farm location that is awesome in the spring and early summer but borderline this Autumn due to lack of rain over the summer.

The main point being made here is that the bees need constant monitoring to ensure things are all ok. Bees are not the only ones who don't read the books, neither does mother nature.

To quote Oscar Wilde “When you assume, you make an ass out of u and me.”

I applaud you for owning up to your mistakes. Perhaps I will start a thread listing the mistakes I have made this year and see just how many people will own up as well.

I also know that almost everything you could ever want to know about beekeeping has probably been put into print with numerous variations, but just because you have read the books, it will not make you the perfect beekeeper.

Personally, the only thing I can guarantee for the future, is that I will continue to make mistakes, hopefully, they will not be repeats of earlier mistakes and that they get fewer in number as I gain more experience.

 

[chycarne]

Fascinating, I have to say on reading all of this I am pleased with some and disapointed with others...
but a couple of points for info and help too ( I have learnt a lot too, thanks Preyingmantos!! ) we had food on a strong colony and the bees died due to them being unable to move the two inches needed to get to it yes it was on the frames but sadly the bees clustered one frame away and you cant keep openign the hive to see where they are so... (see other posts of mine and a post from admin) we are here to help each other!!!! or at least some of us are... I need this forum as part of my beekeeping experience you all have knowledge and skills to share, stop fighting and keep sharing we will all grow then and keep more bees. Thank you to all the sharers its helped me and I hope Preyingmantos who I hope will keep posting!!

 

[Poly Hive]

That is my whole ethos of posting on here PP, which is there is utterly no point in others making the same mistakes as I have.

My mentors told me I couldn't repay them directly but I could in a way, by passing it on which is what I try to do in my own little way.

PH

 

[rae]

If you have never lost a colony then well done, and if not then you are not really in a position to comment.

I haven't lost one yet, but I'm sure I will in the future. However, if I do lose one for reasons other than disease, it will be my fault and mine alone. If I get to the point where "I'm too busy and the petrol costs too much" then I will either keep fewer bees, or not keep bees at all.

 

[Queens59]

I haven't lost one yet, but I'm sure I will in the future. However, if I do lose one for reasons other than disease, it will be my fault and mine alone. If I get to the point where "I'm too busy and the petrol costs too much" then I will either keep fewer bees, or not keep bees at all.

 

[BKF Admin]

We are talking about a 3% failure here. Yes there was an error, but I suspect we all make those every now and then, and preyingmantis has learnt his lesson and will probably over-feed next year. It was good of him to acknowlege it for the benefit of others.

If members don't post up mistakes then we will all learn less.
Sometimes you read things from Bee books and take little notice,but when it comes up on the forum it does often appear more real and important.

 

[mbc]

I dont think anybody can be regarded as a serious beekeeper if theyve not lost a colony . How are Darwins theories ever going to be given a chance if everyone molycodles their bees to such an extent that they dont lose any ?
The very idea that bees need looking after is not natural and is really only appeasing beekeepers and their strange tendency to anthropomorphise their charges and has no real benefit to the long term wellbeing of apis mellifera. I love my bees and would hate to see them suffer but creatures die all the time and to imagine that its a healthy situation never to lose a colony is twisted logic

 

[Heather]

Heather, sooner or later you'll get caught out by starvation. Especially if you have to ask how long is it safe to leave them. It won't be because you have too many bees, it'll be because you got sloppy or took a risk or just went on holiday for 3 weeks at the wrong time. And you'll come on here after a bit of sympathy and encouragement not for a slagging off.


B"@@"#*s
I dont go on holiday from late March till late Oct- because of my bees. I still check every hive once a week, and feed as appropriate - so please don't tell me I will get sloppy. I try and keep standards high as I mentor.
I only asked how often you fed bees when hiving a distance away- not something I will do, so have no experience of this..I think still weekly- but depends on forage, weather, stores left...
I try not to slag anyone off- I realise hives can be damaged etc- but bees are livestock- and cannot be 'neglected'.
This is what worries me with all the new beekeepers this year. I just hope they dont think it is too much hassle and walk away...bees are time consuming!