Most of nuc dead

[BBG]

Someone I know has checked their nuc to find most bees dead inside with only 1 or 2 frames of brood and some bees and the Queen left.

Suspect is insecticide - but no known crops being sprayed close by.

Dead bees all inside the nuc - V V odd!?

Is it wise for anyone to buy the other nuc, which is within feet of the almost dead nuc?

Sample bees were dry, no smell and are being sent to FERA I'm told.

 

[enrico]

I would suspect starving or disease rather than spraying. More likely the former!
E

 

[BBG]

I'm told there were frames of stores.

Any thoughts ref the disease?

 

[huntsman666]

If it was starvation you should see some dead bees with their bums sticking out of empty cells.

 

[BBG]

No bees with heads in cells - v mysterious and a little worrying.

 

[Winker]

I would go with the lack off food too.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Wouldnt touch the adjacent nuc with a bargepole before identifying cause

 

[theengraver]

There all stariving i have used over 200kg of suger in the past 2 - 3 wks and i am hearing horror stories everyday regarding starving bees
as far a nucs are concerend the rule is feed feed feed
this year is all mixed up some parts of the country things are going great guns in other parts there is no or very little nectar flow.
that can change a few miles down the road
so if in any dougt feed and then feed them more!!!
whats the cost of a few bags of sugar compared to losing your bees

and the old farts that will jump on this post and say they don`t need feeding are the ones that keep very quite when the derth catches them unaware

Did i mention FEED?

 

[Midland Beek]

Dead bees = starvation, poisoning, robbing.

 

[Poly Hive]

Couple of things here.

A competent beekeeper will see the colonies need feeding and do so.

Normally a well made up nuc does not need feeding but also may need it, and so needs to be watched.... competently.

Bees also die from suffocation, any risk that this was possible?

Not sure if the term "old fart" was aimed at myself but I am not happy about it and believe me I can look after myself, and look after my bees too thanks.

PH

 

[huntsman666]

'Old farts?'

First abusive post I've seen here.

Sad!

 

[DorsetB]

I notice you list yourself as being in Devon and Dorset.

If your nuc was in Dorset and is near Beaulieu I had an email last night from our club secretary stating that some 15 hives in the area have been killed due to a suspected as of spray poisoning.

 

[oliver90owner]

There all stariving

Bit of a bold statement - then to be followed up by 'are going great guns in other parts'

You really need to have both feet in the same camp to be credible.

I think the word COMPETENT perhaps needs emphasising.

Rest of list, if you are not competent then the engraver is totally correct. Join his group, by all means, if one wishes.

I'll stay with the PH group on this one. Feed IF NECESSARY.

RAB

 

[BKF Admin]

I assume that the term "old farts" just came across wrong.
Seeing as the average age of forum members is about 137 years old it could cause more than a little offence to a great many members...

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Robbing is a possibility. A really strong colony can do a lot of damage to a small nuc.

 

[theengraver]

Out of the 100s of members on this forum
i dare say the odd one may feel so full of self importance that they think every comment or question is directed directly to them!
So O90O have to let you down i never even gave you a thought when i was typeing the comment!

 

[victor meldrew]

Out of the 100s of members on this forum
i dare say the odd one may feel so full of self importance that they think every comment or question is directed directly to them!
So O90O have to let you down i never even gave you a thought when i was typeing the comment!

Oh! Sorry I misread your nic as gravedigger !
Must be a Freudian slip

John Wilkinson (definitely an old fart)

 

[BBG]

Apologies for not answering everybody's replies more quickly, we were called away for two days.

Regarding starvation some info:

bees were not head first in cells

The man to whom they belong feeds syrup heavily, to the point there may not be enough room for the Queen to lay.

A phone call to say the nuc wasn't wanted received a v short, cursory reply that that was OK - end of conversation.

Disease and worry of it was brought up - and conversation ended.

Have dealt with many business transactions/purchases and this is the most strange.

Caveat emptor should always be in everybody's mind.

Thanks for the tip from Dorset much appreciated as are all answers and
thoughts.

 

[BBG]

Polyhive, yes, that could be a strong possibility, the person said the entrance was blocked with dead bees and when opened up only a Queen and not many bees alive.

The Nucs have v small entrance and half crown size vent hole at rear.

It was noticed that initially, bees left vents but then propolised them over. This bright orangeish propolis disappeared over the period of a week and the beekeeper said the bees put it there and sometimes take it away too.

Hmm.

 

[Poly Hive]

Aye. Not many see suffocation.

PH