Even bees get it wrong

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chycarne

House Bee
Joined
Sep 12, 2010
Messages
168
Reaction score
0
Location
West Cornwall, 190m altitude
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
7 hives
Sad one this … had a call from our local electricity distributer yesterday, and went out to attend a fuse box on a pole that had got bees in it - one glance from the repair man he had resealed and moved away quick. We got there at 5.30 opened up and found 10.000 dead bees, 3 big combs approx 10 inches top to bottom, 8 inches in length, completely empty and the signs that they had been through one brood cycle. I guess that was one of the last swarms from the summer and didn’t have enough time to get organised. Interestingly it was also a woodpecker’s nest they had occupied. Just wish we had been called out 2 weeks before nice dark bees brought into the warm and a trickle of sugar solution just top see but not even a twitch. Even the bees get it wrong sometimes. Really sad to see though.
 
Maybe I'm a bit slow, but what killed them? Did they get electrocuted or did they starve?
 
wrong sometimes

It is reported that it happens 75% of the time, so nothing unusual.

Regards, RAB
 
I thought I had lost my tiny colony that was salvaged from a dead apple tree last September and put in Polynuc. They had no stores at all in the tree, small brood and wax moth galore. Very silent colony last week - no sign of a bee
I looked again today to give some warmed fondant that I could slide between frames- just in case- and 2 bees flew up at me :hurray:
Early days I know- but where there is life....

But if still in the tree- they would be dead now.
 
Great news Heather. It really upsets me that people don't realise that most swarms will die if left. This is one of the reasons that I think natural beekeeping is cruel.
 
well done Heather, that was why we went out last night, poor beasties had starved, I think, then frozen as all cells were completly empty.
 
Great news Heather. It really upsets me that people don't realise that most swarms will die if left. This is one of the reasons that I think natural beekeeping is cruel.

It may be cruel but remember Darwin - survival of the fittest.....

Sometimes I think people interfere too much - and thats not to say Heather or anyone else was/is wrong to gather up a wee cast and nurture it. I'd do exactly the same thing!!

chycarne - yeah, it would have been nice to have rescued that swarm a while back... watch that spot next year as another swarm is likely to be attracted back to it
 
Great news Heather. It really upsets me that people don't realise that most swarms will die if left. This is one of the reasons that I think natural beekeeping is cruel.

It may be cruel but remember Darwin - survival of the fittest.....

[Nit picking]
Nature (as opposed to Natural Beekeeping) - is what is oft times considered cruel.
It isn't though - "Nature" just is
Cruel implies (some level of) anthropomorphism (sp?) and deliberate infliction of suffering.

I doubt many Beekeepers (Natural or otherwise) think they are being cruel and despite Polyan's quote I would doubt they are accusing anyone of deliberate cruelty.
[/Nitpicking]
 
Our weather has been nothing like the UK's but we have had a lot of snow and sub zero temperatures. Today was overcast but +8C so I had a quick peek at the Apidea. I was expecting the worst - not enough bees to generate enough heat - but they were fine, I gave them a slice of fondant and tucked them up again.
 
Cruel implies (some level of) anthropomorphism (sp?) and deliberate infliction of suffering.

Bit like a cat with a mouse.
 
Cruel implies (some level of) anthropomorphism (sp?) and deliberate infliction of suffering.

Bit like a cat with a mouse.

Exactly HM an excellent example - If you think of the cat as cruel you are investing the cat with human emotion and thoughts (anthropomorphising) the cat is just "practising" its hunting skills (although the cat wouldn't rationalise it as such) not "being nasty" to the mouse.
 
Teemore, in my case more coffee... ah well ok yup we had the same thought and talked with the electric people (dont) and they gave us permission to raid if swarm seen, also their blokes and are going to watch out for us too, one lives nearby, all I can say is I hope we get the chance, inspite of them being daft enough to swarm late (and who can say why, fire, other damage or just they thought hey lets go for it?) they had a good look about them, perhaps we might get lucky and get the earlier brighter bunch next year. With our bees so far so good... we hope it is the same for everyone out there!!!
 

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