Low numbers in hive - to feed?

[Nick W]

I have a hive which only just survived the winter. The numbers were very low. I feared it wouldn't survive.

I had fed last year but they didn't take it down at all. It was pre-mix from a well known supplier.

However I put a super from last year back on and let them take the honey down.

They have grown to about 5 frames of brood and there are plenty of bees in the super. That has around 8 frames full.

But they dont appear to be putting any stores in the brood box.

I am thinking ahead and dont want them to starve over winter.

So should I take the super off at some point and feed for winter? Or should I just leave the super on.

Im not good enough yet to spot the Queen and sadly she isn't marked, but as there has been brood all season I assume she is fine and laying.

I wont be taking it off for a crop. I will obviously also have to treat for Varoa and take the super off.

Just not sure what to do going forward. Thanks

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I have a hive which only just survived the winter. The numbers were very low. I feared it wouldn't survive.

I had fed last year but they didn't take it down at all. It was pre-mix from a well known supplier.

However I put a super from last year back on and let them take the honey down.

They have grown to about 5 frames of brood and there are plenty of bees in the super. That has around 8 frames full.

But they dont appear to be putting any stores in the brood box.

I am thinking ahead and dont want them to starve over winter.

So should I take the super off at some point and feed for winter? Or should I just leave the super on.

Im not good enough yet to spot the Queen and sadly she isn't marked, but as there has been brood all season I assume she is fine and laying.

I wont be taking it off for a crop. I will obviously also have to treat for Varoa and take the super off.

Just not sure what to do going forward. Thanks

First thing I'd do would be to do a proper Nosema test, a colony that didn't take stores last year, struggled through winter and, to be honest has struggled through the whole summer and still won't store much sounds sick to me.
Another thing is, what varroa treatment did you use last autumn, and what's the varroa load like now?

 

[Nick W]

Is that something my local association can help with?

It was Apiguard last autumn. As for the loading Im new to this so do struggle to look. Do I look in the brood with a magnifying glass?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Is that something my local association can help with?

Yes, if they don't have microscopes they will have members who do - you need to collect a couple of dozen foraging bees, kill them (freezer works well) then study what's in their gut.

It was Apiguard last autumn. As for the loading Im new to this so do struggle to look. Do I look in the brood with a magnifying glass?

Your hive should have an inspection tray if it has a mesh floor, put that in for a measured period, count the dead mites on it then go on to beebase to use the varroa calculator on there - this method can be highly inaccurate but it's better than nothing in the circumstances

 

[Nick W]

Thanks!

 

[Curly green finger's]

Hi nick W are you with an association? I'm only half hour from Kidderminster and would be willing to take a sample for you to some one that has a microscope. Or I could have a look at the samples. You can do a field test for nosemia.
Allso might be worth thinking of doing a sugar roll or alcohol wash.

 

[Curly green finger's]

You can pm me if you like
Mark.