Feral colonies Survival 2012/2013

[MuswellMetro]

looking at all the feral colonies i know only one survived the winter of 2012/2013

what was the postion on survival near you of feral colonies

mine was

Chimney 1 (rural 5 years)survived though still extremely weak ( usual swarms on OSR but not this year)

Chimney 2 ( rural 7 years) dead (swarms on OSR)

Church undercroft 1 year dead

Oak tree swarm last year dead

Woodpecker old nest (urban 7 years) dead

shop eves(urban 4 year) dead

antique shop 2 years dead

stables evees urban swarm last year dead

Houses PB 2 years thought alive but may be robbing

 

[Jeff Buzz]

I knew of 3 near me all dead this year.

 

[melias]

We have a feral colony in a chimney that appears to have been going strong for at least 15 years. I've seen no obvious breaks followed by recolonisation. It's 20 feet from my apiary and was there long before I started keeping bees.

 

[SWFC]

Both feral colonies I know of on the farm died this winter. One in dead elm and one in graveyard, sad to see them gone.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The ones in the chapel wall with me died out in early spring - c an't tell how long this one colony had been there, but I can attest five years minimum - mother's cousin who is also a beekeeper checks the Saturday before palm Sunday and he reckons they'd been there a lot longer.

 

[victor meldrew]

There is one in a tree close by a pub car park!
Last Tuesday morning it swarmed !
The land lady informed me that this colony swarms around this time every year !(she has a beek on tap for removal)
This rather goes against re colonisation ?
VM


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[For want of a better word]

It seems that feral bee sites are occupied by a succession of swarms from locally managed hives.
Kate Thompson gave a lecture to BIPCo in the winter on her research into "feral colonies" and her findings seem to support that viewpoint, from results of mtDNA RFLP ( CO11) and nuclear (microsatellite loci) DNA that she could allow us to see.

My expectations would be that the feral colony sites will re~establish as soon as the local population of managed hives release flying swarms into the area.
Unless of course someone foams up all the entrances!

[Using complex statistical analyses of the bee's DNA the relationships between honey bee colonies and levels of mixing od races can be established]

 

[For want of a better word]

There is one in a tree close by a pub car park!
Last Tuesday morning it swarmed !
The land lady informed me that this colony swarms around this time every year !(she has a beek on tap for removal)
This rather goes against re colonisation ?
VM


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Possibly... but what if the colony has died out... possibly the site, being so attractive for honeybees, would be recolonised?

I know of one old National hive that is not managed at all, but the "beekeeper" who is totally hands off, claims that bees have occupied it for at least 25 years. He moved into the property in 1987 and set the hive up, the colony swarmed in 1988 and he never bothered much about it as he only wanted pollinators for his orchard.
The colony died out in 2007 and again this year.
Will be interesting to see if more bees move in!

 

[victor meldrew]

I was able to view this particular colony after swarming and it behaved in the typical after swarming fashion ie carrying on as if nothing had happened!
The size of the bough didn't look as though it would provide a civilly of large proportions but this colony had come through a long hard Winter and built up to swarming without human assistance ,ergo it must be a healthy colony !
I walk along a nearby canal and use this car park regularly so I shall keep my eye on the colony now I know where it is!
I expect someone to suggest that in a weakened state it could be superseded by a swarm ,giving the appearance of continuous occupation!
I would doubt this as I have had colonies dwindle but never ousted by swarms though I suppose it happens . Year on year though ? Nah!
VM


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[Rich0909]

Collected a swarm on Sunday that the householder said definitely came from a colony in the chimney of the house next door.

Rich.

 

[Illo]

Two feral colonies inthe building next door to me; both have been there many years and issue 2-3 swarms a year - sometimes big ones.

Both survived the winter. One issued a swarm and a cast a couple of weeks ago (both recovered - quite small, but the first now with brood). The second issued a prime swarm on Sunday (don't know where it went, so someone else's booty)

The bees are always heavily infested with varroa (they get OA straight away), but seem disease free otherwise and are of a lovely calm temperament. Has been a good source of swarms for me - five or six in two years so far, and I fieel lik ethey are almost of known provenance.

The building was sold last month - to a developer, so it remains to be seen what will happen to the colonies (and the builders! )

LJ

 

[ellypatt]

One near us made it through the winter (I usually check it every week as we cycle past on the way to swimming lessons) and last week it swarmed, landing in my friend's garden nearby.

 

[Gribbee]

One in a hole in a tree nearby has survived the winter again. I have been watching this colony for the past 3 years and every year have seen bees in early spring and sometimes cleansing flights in winter. Surely sightings of bees at these times means feral colonies do survive winter there are no swarms around to repopulate dead colonies.
Steve

 

[victor meldrew]

I have read that unmanaged colonies survive for up to 3 years!
However ,I haven't seen peer reviewed documentation.
VM


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[For want of a better word]

I have read that unmanaged colonies survive for up to 3 years!
However ,I haven't seen peer reviewed documentation.
VM


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Guess that a lot of information to do with our little friends behaviour is anecdotal !


Jackdaws have been nesting in the chimney of the old house next door to me for at least 80 years, according to a 94 year old lady who has lived all her life in our village.............................. and she recalls a swarm of bees settling into the wall posting box just as WW11 was declared.. seems they have gone now!

 

[user 6228]

Since most of the habitiat left to feral bees is faults in brick buildings. It would not be surprising that a large number of colonies in such nests would fail this year. The poor thermal conductance of 3" of brick compared to 6" of wood.

lambda of brick 0.6 to 1.6
lamda of wood 0.1 to 0.15.
20 times difference in conductivity

This means a bee in a brick cavity of an unoccupied section of a house or building.. e.g. disused chiminey is thermally worse off than even in a thin wooden hive.

It would be nice to see survival rates normallised for thermal environment.

 

[Pete D]

5 out of 5 that I know of in my area have all survived the winter. A couple of times a week I pass by them on my way home looking for a swarm...........

2 so far !

Dunno if its a coincidence or some devine intervention but 3 of these are in church walls.

 

[For want of a better word]

Since most of the habitiat left to feral bees is faults in brick buildings. It would not be surprising that a large number of colonies in such nests would fail this year. The poor thermal conductance of 3" of brick compared to 6" of wood.

lambda of brick 0.6 to 1.6
lamda of wood 0.1 to 0.15.
20 times difference in conductivity

This means a bee in a brick cavity of an unoccupied section of a house or building.. e.g. disused chiminey is thermally worse off than even in a thin wooden hive.

It would be nice to see survival rates normallised for thermal environment.

Why did the tree hole dwellers perish?

 

[user 6228]

Why did the tree hole dwellers perish?

You need to provide a large enough sample of tree nests to make a judgement as inidividual colonies die out even in the best care. Stoachastic systems.
Given the large die off of colonies in thin wooden hives reported compared to poly, I would expect higher losses in unmanaged colonies in brick. I havent seen comparisions between trees nests, brick nests and managed unmanaged hives.

Not including in the analysis of feral colonies the thermal performance of the nests seriously compromises the research.

A bit like studying the historical distribution of tuberculosis without including the level of poverty

 

[Hivemaker.]

Given the large die off of colonies in thin wooden hives reported compared to poly, I would expect higher losses in unmanaged colonies in brick.

I had none die off at all, few drone layers, but none dead, and they are all in wooden hives with solid floors, the nucs are 9mm ply.