KPBee
New Bee
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2011
- Messages
- 20
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Devon
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 1
I went up to my bees in the week to see if they had enough food to keep them going and were not starving. The hive was quiet and felt quite light so I opened it up. All dead apart from four clinging onto the comb. They appeared to have enough food as there was honey on the comb. The honey did not appear to be crytalised. There were some brood that had not hatched properly and had died with bodies halfway out of the comb. This has happened to the brood on occasion throughout the year. I have wondered if the neucleus I aquired was unhealthy. I asked the local DEFRA man to have a look. After sometime of inspecting them and unable to make up his mind whether the bees were diseased, eventually admitted that he was perplexed by what was happening in the hive and would return at a later date. I did try to contact him prior to wintering down but had no result.
Post feeding, I wintered down. I made sure that they had enough stores to last however, this was a bit hit and miss as I was not exactly sure how much they required but appeared to have sufficient for the amount of bees. The colony had been up and down with loss since obtaining them and I would say did not particularly increase in number very quickly. I left the cover board holes open and put the mouse guard on with an open varroa floor.
I did not inspect the hive this week in detail as I felt slightly sad and sick at the fact the bees were dead. I will however, have a proper look this weekend or early next week.
Did I winter down correcly? Could they have been diseased after all? Should I send samples away to be checked? What should I clean the hive with just incase they were diseased to start afresh this year?
Post feeding, I wintered down. I made sure that they had enough stores to last however, this was a bit hit and miss as I was not exactly sure how much they required but appeared to have sufficient for the amount of bees. The colony had been up and down with loss since obtaining them and I would say did not particularly increase in number very quickly. I left the cover board holes open and put the mouse guard on with an open varroa floor.
I did not inspect the hive this week in detail as I felt slightly sad and sick at the fact the bees were dead. I will however, have a proper look this weekend or early next week.
Did I winter down correcly? Could they have been diseased after all? Should I send samples away to be checked? What should I clean the hive with just incase they were diseased to start afresh this year?