Lots of Dead Bees?? Anyone Help?

[jezd]

I remembered one day in the few hot days we had the other week I turned the BB 90 deg, so more air flowed through it, but didn't take in to account the double thickness of the wood in the box

So easy to do this with so many variations on hive kit, I too bought 4 new OMF's this weekend only to find the exact same issue, they have e a slopping up entrance to a flat level mesh floor - in my case I spotted it and had to turn all my hive 90' (yet AGAIN!), the fix for me is to simply apply a 1" strip around the OMF to raise them up.

Sorry for you loss of bees.

Jez

 

[karl moss]

Don't be too hard on youself, we all make mistakes (Not everyone admits to it)
I put a "Miller type" feeder on one of my hives,when i was a newbee, forgot to replace the glass strip, result two days later hundreds of drowned bees, i will never do it again
lesson learned

 

[Mission]

I dropped a full hive when I was moving it about 10 days ago. If you never make a mistake then quite frankly your not doing things right!!

 

[Hivemaker.]

Shame for the bee's,but a lesson you won't forget,rubbish floor design.
Most new beekeepers seem to like watching the bee's come and go from the hive entrance,you obviously did not notice that none were flying at all from this hive.

 

[Finman]

.
Now I undestand the bottom. It is a mesh floor but air blocked with brick base.

 

[Hivemaker.]

No,entrance blocked completely, because floor is cheap crap design,and brood box can only be one way.bee's were prisoners,like them battery chickens.

 

[Busy Bee]

Should have found this problem sooner, no EXCUSE! Hivemaker is spot on. Your bees whats left of them, probably have DYSENTRY now. I should consider new Brood Box and a feed of Thymolised Syrup. Old brood box disinfected with acetic acid.

Regard

Busy Bee

 

[BKF Admin]

A little harsh Busy bee but your advice is spot on.

 

[Busy Bee]

I too bought 4 new OMF's this weekend only to find the exact same issue

Should the mesh not be rebated into the floor 10mm down from top of floor, where Brood Box sits. This would ensure this bees don't get locked in, unless you put the entrance block in the wrong way.


Busy Bee

 

[jezd]

Should the mesh not be rebated into the floor 10mm down from top of floor, where Brood Box sits. This would ensure this bees don't get locked in, unless you put the entrance block in the wrong way.


Busy Bee

Exactly, that is the issue I had, the mesh is flush with the top of these OMF's and BB just sit on them - the entrance on mine slopes upward into the hive and of course fails with one side of the BB.

You pay for what you get, at least I spotted it before I left the hives.

Jez

 

[BKF Admin]

Could someone take a picture of these floors so others can see how the mistake could be made.

 

[jezd]

Could someone take a picture of these floors so others can see how the mistake could be made.

can do over the weekend, I need to cut down the amount of time I spend in the hives.

jez

 

[Ando]

Hi Guys

I'll try and answer the comments you've given, there not excuses by the way, I know they're aren't any for whats happened. I know you guys are passionate about the bees and probably see a lot of newbees making stupid mistakes, but I could of kept quiet and now this has been spotted it may help it not happen again. I will take some pics of the floor, going to modify it later today. Maybe we could have a sticky post made on Varroa floor designs?

I do go and look at the hives as often as I can, by that I mean crouching and watching them come and go, they are in a out apiary, so I don't get to see them everyday, obviously I didn't notice them flying in and out of this hive, the entrance doesn't face the path to the hives, as hive 1 does or I would have done something about it, but to be fair I didn't realise the floor design would lock them in or I would have left it how it was or modified it before using it, I know this has made me look a numpty but I'm not stupid.

Even with the entrance being blocked there would be air flow through because the brick base has a 3 inch gap down the middle and the rear of the floor is open for the screen to slide in.

What would be signs of disentry? would that be the same as Nosema? ie. poo all over the outside of the BB box?

I Agree you do get what you pay for and I now know I should have thought about it a bit more first.

Cheers

Mark.

 

[Polyanwood]

Mark, you are clearly not a numpty and you showed courage in telling us. I thought you told us for the benefit of us all, so that the risk of one of the rest of us doing it was less. Thanks. I appreciate both the opportunity to learn and the fact that by being candid, you will have saved the lives of some other bees from the same fate.

Karin

 

[baggieboing]

Mark, you are clearly not a numpty and you showed courage in telling us. I thought you told us for the benefit of us all, so that the risk of one of the rest of us doing it was less. Thanks. I appreciate both the opportunity to learn and the fact that by being candid, you will have saved the lives of some other bees from the same fate.

Karin

I agree

 

[Finman]

.
You missluck is not worse than comon swarming. In swarming half of bees escape. You did not lost so much?

Everynhing happens... If you do not make mistakes, you do not learn anything. there are beekeepers which system works splended all the time. Forget them.

 

[marklaverda]

Should have found this problem sooner, no EXCUSE! Hivemaker is spot on. Your bees whats left of them, probably have DYSENTRY now. I should consider new Brood Box and a feed of Thymolised Syrup. Old brood box disinfected with acetic acid.

Regard

Busy Bee

BB sometimes we look beyond the obvious... We all make mistakes and this forum gives excellent advice (though sometimes conflicting due to peoples opinions/experience/culture etc)
It would be shame if people were afraid to give their honest experiences of mistakes so that others can learn, because they are afraid of being embarrassed on the forum by more experienced Forum members.
Mark thanks for your honest feedback and experience which I know someone else will learn from in the future

 

[grizzly]

Hi Mark

Good on you for posting, i was getting very bored with being one of a very small few who post about cock ups and mistakes, as you say, it helps others to avoid the same.

Keep the posts coming regardless, and good luck with the bees.

 

[Ando]

Hi

Had a look through the Hives again today and modified the Floor, the queen is laying and there were lots of uncapped brood and eggs, they have taken down nearly a liter of syrup in 3 days, very pleased with what I saw, so hopefully the colony is on the mend and should be back up to numbers in the next month.

To modify the floor I got some 12mmx12mm wood and pinned it around the edge of the floor. See pics below.

Fingers crossed now they won't be able to get trapped in ever again and this is the problem sorted.

Cheers

Mark.

 

[jon]

Mark:
You might want to put an entrance block in there as the entrance is now really big. The bees will have problems defending it against robber bees and wasps later on in the year. I would say about one third of that size is about right.