Loads of food/honey hive died

[stephenpug]

i have just checked my 4 hives and the late swarm i caught the end of August that never really got going has died it went into winter on only 3 seams,It is my inexperiance that i never put it into a poly nuc but i have learned from this so if i get a late swarm again it will be unite or keep in a nuc but having said that i think they were doomed from the start so i did well to get them this far, The other 3 hives are all doing well and have plenty of fondant on so roll on summer lol

 

[MuswellMetro]

Last Spring and Summer we had FERA warnings about colonies being at risk of starving and many of us had to feed bees when normally the supers would have been being filled.

We fed syrup or fondant, but did not feed pollen. In my view my colonies suffered through lack of pollen. They the queens did not lay as well as usual and they built up very slowly. I think that for my bees it was shortage of pollen and not poor mating that most adversely affected queen performance. anyone else notice anything similar?

Yes, pollen is often forgotten, i had one hive on a semi isolation site that filled everyspare cell with with a deep orange pollen, (old mans beard)..it is.my strongest hive since early march, others on sites i know have litle autumn pollen are now struggling , i tried feedbee but not hopeful

 

[drex]

Looked at 2 of my hives as they were not flying. Both dead. Brood and half. Plenty of stores left, just not on the frames in which they had their heads stuck well down in the cells. Both were small colonies.

One had a patch of sealed brood, and opening those about 30% had varroa mites, despite thymol in autumn, and oxalic in new year.

The other had bad dysentery, and since I have just started microscopy, I did a slide for Nosema, and there were loads - heavy infestation when I look at slides in the books. They all had thymolated syrup in autumn. So at least I know now that I can identify Nosema!

I think I will clean up the frames and put fresh foundation in. Seems a pity as the supers were combs drawn fresh last year ( supers under BB), and as I say loads of pollen and sealed syrup/ivy honey. Is it worth giving acetic acid a try? I think that kills Nosema?

 

[susbees]

I think I will clean up the frames and put fresh foundation in. Seems a pity as the supers were combs drawn fresh last year ( supers under BB), and as I say loads of pollen and sealed syrup/ivy honey. Is it worth giving acetic acid a try? I think that kills Nosema?

Indeed. 80% acetic (not glacial). 150ml on a sealed stack of five supers wearing protective gear and stack in the open/well-ventilated area not on concrete. Might want to remove metal runners if used and sterilise separately and dispose of plastic ones.