From 7 colonies to zero colonies: poor spring

[Spanglebee]

I had built up from 2 colonies back in 2015 to 7 colonies in 2017. But my first proper check last week surprised me! Not one colony survived. They were busy coming and going most of the winter during warm weather. They were around after the beast from the east, but I think the beast from the east 2 and the wet weather did something to them! Perhaps the snow drifts slow melting around the hives raised the humidity or something! Plenty of food left in hives, not much brood, bees all dead! Last two years I had 100% winter survival!
Now I am a beekeeper with no bees! Sh////////t!

 

[Beefriendly]

A sad day, my commiserations.
What were your autumn varroa treatments?
There appears to be a link (tenuous perhaps) between successful autumnal varroa treatments and survival this winter.

 

[Spanglebee]

Perhaps the link is right.
My story is that I started beekeeping with bought nucs and colonies back in 2013, and treated for varroa as per popular guidance at the time. I didn’t have much luck. So in 2015 I decided to start afresh with swarms instead of bought bees, and I decided to take a darwinistic approach without treatment, and it worked well, I increased colony numbers slowly from most successful hives, and all was going well. But the darwinistic approach has obviously failed me this spring!

 

[madasafish]

Sorry to hear of your loss.. temporary I hope..

 

[Into the lions den]

Perhaps the link is right.
My story is that I started beekeeping with bought nucs and colonies back in 2013, and treated for varroa as per popular guidance at the time. I didn’t have much luck. So in 2015 I decided to start afresh with swarms instead of bought bees, and I decided to take a darwinistic approach without treatment, and it worked well, I increased colony numbers slowly from most successful hives, and all was going well. But the darwinistic approach has obviously failed me this spring!

One year is no indication whatsoever of 'treatment free' working. If you started clean you have at least three years before collapse. Mass die off to mass die off is a wave pattern (used to be 3 to 5 years, now considerably less due to reinvasion and viruses)...until the numbers overwhelm them you can think it a perfect way to work.

Most treatment free advocates have relatively short experience or relatively creative imaginations. They are also in many cases a hazard to their neighbours.


Of course it is possible its not varroa at all.

All the old killers are still there.

 

[Quevy]

Also lost my (only) colony.
Ordered new one, all around me flowers, willow but no bees

Very frustrating

 

[Stiffy]

Perhaps the link is right.
My story is that I started beekeeping with bought nucs and colonies back in 2013, and treated for varroa as per popular guidance at the time. I didn’t have much luck. So in 2015 I decided to start afresh with swarms instead of bought bees, and I decided to take a darwinistic approach without treatment, and it worked well, I increased colony numbers slowly from most successful hives, and all was going well. But the darwinistic approach has obviously failed me this spring!

Sorry you lost all your bees.
However, the Darwinist approach didn't fail you. Darwin's theory of evolution suggests changes to species are gradual and take many thousands of years, you just had bees for a few years.
I have an apiary site next to a beek who professed not to treat, until he lost all his stock. The varroa load on (my) colonies close by was awful and unless I treated on a regular basis I would have lost them.
If you decide to have bees again, please try and keep them as mite free as possible.......you wouldn't let a dog or cat become overrun with fleas?
S

 

[Poly Hive]

Fleas would seem a poor analogy. More like covered in virus bearing blood sucking ticks and leaches.

I'm afraid the people who refuse to treat bring a great deal of grief upon themselves sadly.

PH

 

[Erichalfbee]

Sorry you lost all your bees.
However, the Darwinist approach didn't fail you. Darwin's theory of evolution suggests changes to species are gradual and take many thousands of years, you just had bees for a few years.
I have an apiary site next to a beek who professed not to treat, until he lost all his stock. The varroa load on (my) colonies close by was awful and unless I treated on a regular basis I would have lost them.
If you decide to have bees again, please try and keep them as mite free as possible.......you wouldn't let a dog or cat become overrun with fleas?
S

Amen!
I have to treat my neighbours’ varroa too.

 

[Finman]

.
These big losses happens in my country to very experienced beekeepers too. And the reason is always varroa. Something went wrong in treatment.

In USA big losses are connected to the varroa treatment methods.

Mite resistant bee breeding on hobby level is worst reason to the losses.

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[Stiffy]

Amen!
I have to treat my neighbours’ varroa too.

Amen
Sorry if I sounded 'preachy', didn't mean to
S

 

[maddydog]

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Something went wrong in treatment.



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The OP didn't treat.

No consolation for the OP but Darwinism worked perfectly.

 

[Finman]

The OP didn't treat.

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Then Life teaches more than Darwin.

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[Beefriendly]

Then Life teaches more than Darwin.

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Survival of the fittest....

 

[SDM]

Survival of the fittest....

Sadly the varroa were fitter. Now they're probably getting fitter still feeding on the neighbors bees that he saw coming and going earlier.

 

[Beefriendly]

That would depend on how long varroa can live without a living host.

 

[Finman]

That would depend on how long varroa can live without a living host.

Oh dear....

In nature varroa tolerancy is much based on swarming.

Let the colony die and wait that new swarms fill the hives next summer. But that does not work with varroa.

Main idea of scutellata bee is that it leaves the brood combs and moves to the new hive. It has a north border, because it us not able to gather new winter food storage.

if you want to follow nature, find first out, how colonies live with varroa.

It is like to rear sheep with volves.... Or with lynx, what you want now to Britain.



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[Finman]

That would depend on how long varroa can live without a living host.

Now it has lived about 100 years, since Ice Ace.

 

[nantmoel]

I had built up from 2 colonies back in 2015 to 7 colonies in 2017. But my first proper check last week surprised me! Not one colony survived. They were busy coming and going most of the winter during warm weather. They were around after the beast from the east, but I think the beast from the east 2 and the wet weather did something to them! Perhaps the snow drifts slow melting around the hives raised the humidity or something! Plenty of food left in hives, not much brood, bees all dead! Last two years I had 100% winter survival!
Now I am a beekeeper with no bees! Sh////////t!

Have you watch The Bee Mans, Facebook post on his take on why so many colonies have been lost this winter. He's has the opinion that its down to a lack of pollen.

 

[Finman]

Survival of the fittest....

I think that varroa is selecting fittest beekeepers. Varroa has kicked off in first wave the laziest, do nothing beekeepers. Now it is going second wave , the nature lovers.

Best future varroa has in professional beekeepers, because they can guarantee sure future to the varroa family and its viruses. It does not help mites, if they die totally in winter.

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