T
Tom Bick
Guest
Inspected one of my hives yesterday and although I knew it was doing well as I lifted one frame a week or so ago but was very surprised as to what I found bees on all 11 frames, 3 frames with each 50% capped honey, pollen, empty cells and fresh nectar, 2 frames say 70% full of eggs and the remaining 6 frames 70% full of brood of various stages. On 2 frames two small patches of drone brood.
The most surprising bit for me is it also had last years queen present and been attended to and laying as I watched her, I say surprising as the last time I saw her she was very slim and looked neglected with a big fat very late supersedure cell and it looked doubtful for the old queen and the 2nd week of October doubtful for a virgin queen to, at this time I had no idea I was looking at a cell under construction or one a few days after a virgin had emerged, they had also raised two good patches of drone brood at the same time and this was sealed so my guess now is that the virgin had emerged? I was able to check the hive on the 2nd week of November on a nice warm day and found no eggs or brood but cells polished and the old queen present neglected and very thin it all looked bad at this time despite the hive full of bees.
I obviously don’t know the full story even now, I later suspected Nosema Ceranae for the queen seemingly failing as a 2nd beekeeper is on site, and his bees look sick to me and my bees over a week suddenly increased their stores without me feeding them (they are Feltham girls) and also silly me decided not to treat for Nosema as a precaution.
It is possible that the virgin if I had one failed and the old queen recovered? she today looked a bit thinner than she was last year but that could be down to age and time of year? but she was magnificent last year, and it is also possible given the size of the colony at this stage I have mother and daughter?
If you are interested to know I don’t know the parentage of this queen but I do know she is a locally bred queen from Essex and came from Thurrock Bees of the forum and you wont get a more gentle bee no stings last year built up from 4 frames and produced 40lbs of honey with only one indication as to intention to swarm and soon gave up when I asked them to, its the first time I had seen brood frames full of brood to the four corners of a frame and they flew in all weathers with one and occasionally one and a half orange stripe at the top of the abdomen. The queen is large with an abdomen with the colour of bronze. So seems a mixed bag to me perhaps others hive an idea.
My intention is to shook swarm this hive and this will be the case as this is my preferred Varroa control as I don’t or have not to date gone down the OA path. My intended date for the shook swarm was in seven days time but may hold back now after a 2nd inspection perhaps looking for a 2nd queen?
Its been quite a surprise after fretting all winter and kicking myself as to why I decided not to treat for Nosema and expecting the worst and I could not have expected the hive to be at the stage it is at this time of year and it may not be that unusual as my experience is not as long as others. Obviously with beekeeping things can go wrong and this hive may stumble yet.
Its only one case but it just goes to show that we don’t have to drag queens halfway round the world and we can raise local good queens on our doorsteps. I for one will now be moving my queen rearing ambitions forward a bit.
The most surprising bit for me is it also had last years queen present and been attended to and laying as I watched her, I say surprising as the last time I saw her she was very slim and looked neglected with a big fat very late supersedure cell and it looked doubtful for the old queen and the 2nd week of October doubtful for a virgin queen to, at this time I had no idea I was looking at a cell under construction or one a few days after a virgin had emerged, they had also raised two good patches of drone brood at the same time and this was sealed so my guess now is that the virgin had emerged? I was able to check the hive on the 2nd week of November on a nice warm day and found no eggs or brood but cells polished and the old queen present neglected and very thin it all looked bad at this time despite the hive full of bees.
I obviously don’t know the full story even now, I later suspected Nosema Ceranae for the queen seemingly failing as a 2nd beekeeper is on site, and his bees look sick to me and my bees over a week suddenly increased their stores without me feeding them (they are Feltham girls) and also silly me decided not to treat for Nosema as a precaution.
It is possible that the virgin if I had one failed and the old queen recovered? she today looked a bit thinner than she was last year but that could be down to age and time of year? but she was magnificent last year, and it is also possible given the size of the colony at this stage I have mother and daughter?
If you are interested to know I don’t know the parentage of this queen but I do know she is a locally bred queen from Essex and came from Thurrock Bees of the forum and you wont get a more gentle bee no stings last year built up from 4 frames and produced 40lbs of honey with only one indication as to intention to swarm and soon gave up when I asked them to, its the first time I had seen brood frames full of brood to the four corners of a frame and they flew in all weathers with one and occasionally one and a half orange stripe at the top of the abdomen. The queen is large with an abdomen with the colour of bronze. So seems a mixed bag to me perhaps others hive an idea.
My intention is to shook swarm this hive and this will be the case as this is my preferred Varroa control as I don’t or have not to date gone down the OA path. My intended date for the shook swarm was in seven days time but may hold back now after a 2nd inspection perhaps looking for a 2nd queen?
Its been quite a surprise after fretting all winter and kicking myself as to why I decided not to treat for Nosema and expecting the worst and I could not have expected the hive to be at the stage it is at this time of year and it may not be that unusual as my experience is not as long as others. Obviously with beekeeping things can go wrong and this hive may stumble yet.
Its only one case but it just goes to show that we don’t have to drag queens halfway round the world and we can raise local good queens on our doorsteps. I for one will now be moving my queen rearing ambitions forward a bit.
