Lost Bees???

[baggieboing]

Hi all, got a puzzling problem that some of you may have some experience of.
I went to have a look at the inspection tray under my OMF today for evidence of cappings being removed etc.
What I found was approx 20-25 Bees on the surface of the board looking understandably sluggish in this freezing weather.
I also noticed during the main season that Bees would congregate in this area underneath the open mesh floor between the inspection board. In fact at the end of the season there was quite a cluster of dead bees in this space.
Any clue on this behaviour? remedies? (if needed) etc.
Many thanks in advance.
Nick.

 

[Finman]

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Do bees somehow get in between tray and mesh and they stay there and starve to death?.

 

[baggieboing]

.
Do bees somehow get in between tray and mesh and they stay there and starve to death?.

Yes Finman that seems to be right. The only way they can get into this space, is by leaving the entrance and entering the gap from the rear of the hive (where the plastic board slides in). It is as if they cant find the entrance again.

 

[Hivemaker.]

The bee's are attracted to this area by the residues which fall through the mesh floor onto the inspection tray,they are also then in contact with the bee's above the mesh and so stay where they are,get chilled and die,not having the intelligence to fly out of the rear and back into the front entrance.
Block the gap at the rear,make or modify the slide or get a varroa floor that has a decent fitting slide with no gaps.
Or just leave it out.

 

[baggieboing]

Thanks Hivemaker. Are there varroa floors with no rear gap at the back? The gap on mine is approx 1.5 cms!!

Going to post some pics I have just taken of the rear of the hive and with the tray half out to show the problem.
Also, is that Varroa on the tray? The board was clean when I put it in place on Saturday, so has been recording info as it were for 5 days.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Yes,good quality floors have no gap in the rear,the slide fits more like a drawer with a top lip excluding the gap.

 

[RoofTops]

You can stuff a strip of foam in the gap. It will get wet when it rains but it will keep the bees out.

 

[Stiffy]

Hi all, got a puzzling problem that some of you may have some experience of.
I went to have a look at the inspection tray under my OMF today for evidence of cappings being removed etc.
What I found was approx 20-25 Bees on the surface of the board looking understandably sluggish in this freezing weather.
I also noticed during the main season that Bees would congregate in this area underneath the open mesh floor between the inspection board. In fact at the end of the season there was quite a cluster of dead bees in this space.
Any clue on this behaviour? remedies? (if needed) etc.
Many thanks in advance.
Nick.

I leave the tray out unless I am monitoring for varroa. If you leave it in all the time surely it is pointless having OMF?
Cheers

 

[baggieboing]

Hope you can see these ok

 

[rae]

I see that my bees seem to do this even when the floor is not in place. If I go out and look at the hive at the end of a sunny day when they have been flying, there are always a handful of bees clinging to the bottom of the varroa mesh. Presumably they end up dead as they couldn't survive -1C temps on their own outside the hive. I'm guessing that they are half dead bees that have fallen to the ground, then seen their mates above them, and have crawled up to say hello.

 

[Hivemaker.]

From the look of your first pic it looks as though the mesh may have become detached in the center.

 

[baggieboing]

I leave the tray out unless I am monitoring for varroa. If you leave it in all the time surely it is pointless having OMF?
Cheers

Well not really as there is a gap that allows circulation; the board stops draughts (somewhat) and unlike a solid floor it stops the build up of damp.

 

[baggieboing]

From the look of your first pic it looks as though the mesh may have become detached in the center.

You may be right there, will try holding up with tape etc until weather is better and I can disturb them a little more.
Ta

 

[baggieboing]

Also, is that Varroa on the tray? The board was clean when I put it in place on Saturday, so has been recording info as it were for 5 days.

Thoughts?

 

[Tom Bick]

baggieboing in your first photo it also looks like your mesh for the omf floor is hanging down and will need fixing back or wedged closed sap

Woops never saw the 2nd page mesh already spotted

 

[Onge]

The first picture. Just take the inspection try out and only use it for say 24h monitoring or applying Apiguard. Also pin or stick up the mesh as its not attached properly.

The second picture looks like wax moth poo. Anyone agree?

 

[Melbourne12]

...

The second picture looks like wax moth poo. Anyone agree?

It certainly looks like frass or excrement of some sort. Not varroa, so baggieboing can take some comfort from that.

 

[Tom Bick]

In the photo it looks like one varroa mite 30mm from the top and 10mm in from the right it looks similar and may well be pollen

 

[Polyanwood]

Nick,
give me a pm if you want me to come and have a look.( I think I am round the corner from you?)

I think you need a drawing pin or two as hivemaker suggests... the OMF is saggy at the back. Also worth thinking about whether you really want the board under OMF in.

K