Losing a hive

[pyranah]

Losing a hive quickly, bee numbers are reducing quickly every day I’m down to a small handful of bees and a queen

My other hive is super strong but can’t understand why I’m losing this one so quickly

 

[Murox]

Could be for several reasons, you don't give much info. However, as you are down to such small numbers, if its not already too late get them into a poly nuc with some stores pronto and pray.

 

[pyranah]

Thank you - that’s the action I have taken, been in there a week but shrinking quickly - hoping

 

[hemo]

Reasons can vary
Poor queen laying .
Winter bees not reared in later Autumn.
Varroa.
Virus.

It probable she simply hadn't laid up enough winter bees, it is only an assumption. The dieing off being seen now are the old Autumn bees who have finally come to the end .

We have otherwise no other info to go on.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

is there any fresh brood at all? many dead in/around the hive? you don't even mention that - looks like another classic spring dwindle without any more specific information, or even the final throes of Nosema Ceranae with the queen going off lay and foragers going out in the morning and forgetting where the hive is on attempting to return

 

[Parsonage Bees]

#not helpful#

 

[drex]

Yes my money is on nosema. Posted earlier about a colony of mine dwindling. Did a squash and looked under microscope and sure enough Nosema spores.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

#not helpful#

what isn't?

 

[Erichalfbee]

what isn't?

The post Ben edited

 

[Parsonage Bees]

what isn't?

My snarky dumb response. #edit to the original post (just to make it clear (good grief)) #edit

Shouldn't the advice here be, very little you can do and doing something is unlikely to save them if they are that small and how do you even know this sort of detail about the size of the cluster at this time of year? Repeatedly opening the box and. worse still, lifting frames will be detrimental
You want to do something to help but leave them alone and do a post-mortem later.

Put them on top of another colony to keep them warm? Maybe?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Shouldn't the advice here be, very little you can do and doing something is unlikely to save them if they are that small and how do you even know this sort of detail about the size of the cluster at this time of year? Repeatedly opening the box and. worse still, lifting frames will be detrimental

my feelings as well - why open up every five minutes, especially as, at this time of year, there isn't much you can do.

 

[pyranah]

Apologies, newbie on here not putting enough detail

Hive has plenty of stores available and fondant- bees are laid in the bottom of the hive, I transferred them into a poly nuc about 3 weeks ago to try and help

The hive I took them out of had a lot of dark brown tar like substance all over the place

I have looked at the entrance of the nuc this morning and the same residue is at the entrance

There is about half a frame of bees left

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Nosema Apis, to be blunt, with what you have told us I think it's a lost cause, the only thing that May sort them (desperate long shot) would be to spray them with a weak solution of thymolised syrup.

 

[Murox]

Have to agree

 

[pyranah]

thank you everyone for helping, I have to agree it’s about gone but I will take your advice and try -

Any advice on what to do with the hive so I can reuse this year?

I have just burned all the frames I took out

 

[Erichalfbee]

There is about half a frame of bees left

Sorry but there’s nothing you can do. Spraying them with syrup in the cold will just do them in quicker.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Any advice on what to do with the hive so I can reuse this year?

clean it, with the poly it just needs a good soaking in hypochlorite solution and a scrub - with a wooden hive, just scorch it.

 

[Matthew Roberts]

I have a similar issue. What's the recipe for thymol syrup?

 

[Swarm]

This is the thymol recipe
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/thymol-recipe-against-nosema-fermentation-of-syrup-feed.6513/

 

[Matthew Roberts]

This is the thymol recipe
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/thymol-recipe-against-nosema-fermentation-of-syrup-feed.6513/

Thanks. I might have a go if we get warm weather.