Queen failure spring plan

[LeaBees]

Coming to conclusion that one of my hives has gone through winter Q- or with a failed Q following a very late attempt at supercedure/swarming. When I come to confirm this in spring what should i do with the remaining bees? Shake them out or something else?

Thanks

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Don't mess about, just shake them out

 

[LeaBees]

Don't mess about, just shake them out

Cheers,
With the frames/comb, is it ok to immediately re-use? Colony had some CBPV earlier last year which they got through ok. Or would you suggest binning it all and starting fresh ?

 

[PeaBee]

If they are not showing signs of disease and just queenless that suggests to me that the comb is probably ok. I guess there is always a risk in reusing and swapping frames and you need to decided what is acceptable to you.

 

[Swarm]

Cheers,
With the frames/comb, is it ok to immediately re-use? Colony had some CBPV earlier last year which they got through ok. Or would you suggest binning it all and starting fresh ?

Only case of CBPV I've had was dealt with by requeening, no combs were destroyed and not seen it since.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Cheers,
With the frames/comb, is it ok to immediately re-use? Colony had some CBPV earlier last year which they got through ok. Or would you suggest binning it all and starting fresh ?

I’ve had CBPV. I’ve sought advice from virologist Prof David Evans who has done quite a bit of work on the virus. His opinion is that we don’t know enough yet to justify re using the frames and that he personally wouldn’t.
There is opinion on the forum that it’s ok to do so though it’s anecdotal

https://www.theapiarist.org/aristotles-hairless-black-thieves/

 

[LeaBees]

Don't mess about, just shake them out

Popped crownboard to check for any brood, 2nd frame I lifted I saw a fat queen. No brood on the two frames lifted so I guess an unmated/failed queen? Still advise to shake out or try requeening in early spring?

 

[Cuckmere couple]

I’ve had CBPV. I’ve sought advice from virologist Prof David Evans who has done quite a bit of work on the virus. His opinion is that we don’t know enough yet to justify re using the frames and that he personally wouldn’t.
There is opinion on the forum that it’s ok to do so though it’s anecdotal

https://www.theapiarist.org/aristotles-hairless-black-thieves/

i've certainly had 3 colonies affected late summer/autumn and removed the floors etc for a couple of weeks

was going to destroy frames in spring...am wondering if the bees are still carrying it does changing the frames help that much...one has a whole UBB full of untouched stores which would be a bit of a loss

 

[Erichalfbee]

If they were mine I would throw them away and so would David Evans.
Swarm has said they are safe and you can use them. Pays your money takes your choice.

 

[Erichalfbee]

If the bees are still alive I’d requeen with an unrelated queen anyway. That’s what I’m doing with mine. They actually look ok for size. I’ll get them into new frames asap

 

[Erichalfbee]

Popped crownboard to check for any brood, 2nd frame I lifted I saw a fat queen. No brood on the two frames lifted so I guess an unmated/failed queen? Still advise to shake out or try requeening in early spring?

Depends on how many bees survive till you get a new queen.
Don’t write her off yet.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Popped crownboard to check for any brood, 2nd frame I lifted I saw a fat queen. No brood on the two frames lifted so I guess an unmated/failed queen? Still advise to shake out or try requeening in early spring?

Just hang on for a bit longer, she may start laying again, you've nothing to lose anyway, and there's nothing else you can do regardless

 

[LeaBees]

Just hang on for a bit longer, she may start laying again, you've nothing to lose anyway, and there's nothing else you can do regardless

Definitely not the old Q as she was marked and this one isn't.
As you say can't do anything now so hanging on for a month or two more.

 

[Swarm]

i've certainly had 3 colonies affected late summer/autumn and removed the floors etc for a couple of weeks

was going to destroy frames in spring...am wondering if the bees are still carrying it does changing the frames help that much...one has a whole UBB full of untouched stores which would be a bit of a loss

I spoke with Peter Little about CBPV (well I didn't get many words in, bless him ) and he suggested requeening as the best course of action, which certainly worked. The colony in question seemed to recover then relapse a couple of times but once the queen was changed, they picked up and were fine, not seen it since. (6 years)
Now with regards to the comb, purely your choice but I didn't destroy any. Let's say your colony goes down with CBPV and there are five supers of honey on them, would you destroy them all? Throughout the period where I found dead bees on the floor and below the stand, the colony was functioning as 'normal', healthy brood and brood pattern and this continued with the new queen, minus the corpses.
To me, it appears to be an adult bee problem therefore I would (did) keep the comb.
Do a test and keep the comb, give it to only one colony and see if they suffer for it?

 

[Erichalfbee]

It will be interesting to see What David Evans' study into CBPV partly funded by the BFA comes up with. Until then there is no definitive answer.
One thing for sure is that some lines of bees are more susceptible

 

[Wilco]

i've certainly had 3 colonies affected late summer/autumn and removed the floors etc for a couple of weeks

was going to destroy frames in spring...am wondering if the bees are still carrying it does changing the frames help that much...one has a whole UBB full of untouched stores which would be a bit of a loss

If they were mine I would throw them away and so would David Evans.
Swarm has said they are safe and you can use them. Pays your money takes your choice.

I spoke with Peter Little about CBPV (well I didn't get many words in, bless him ) and he suggested requeening as the best course of action, which certainly worked. The colony in question seemed to recover then relapse a couple of times but once the queen was changed, they picked up and were fine, not seen it since. (6 years)
Now with regards to the comb, purely your choice but I didn't destroy any. Let's say your colony goes down with CBPV and there are five supers of honey on them, would you destroy them all? Throughout the period where I found dead bees on the floor and below the stand, the colony was functioning as 'normal', healthy brood and brood pattern and this continued with the new queen, minus the corpses.
To me, it appears to be an adult bee problem therefore I would (did) keep the comb.
Do a test and keep the comb, give it to only one colony and see if they suffer for it?

It's got a capsid so likely to persist in environment for a bit thus a risk of affected hives' frames carrying some virions. If concerned but don't want to chuck them you can always dunk the frames in a virucidal disinfectant although this won't do anything for any contaminated stores if this is a route of transmission.

 

[Erichalfbee]

It's got a capsid so likely to persist in environment for a bit thus a risk of affected hives' frames carrying some virions. If concerned but don't want to chuck them you can always dunk the frames in a virucidal disinfectant although this won't do anything for any contaminated stores if this is a route of transmission.

Faecal transmission is a route of infection and bloated sick bees do defecate in the hive

 

[oliver90owner]

Popped crownboard to check for any brood, 2nd frame I lifted I saw a fat queen. No brood on the two frames lifted so I guess an unmated/failed queen? Still advise to shake out or try requeening in early spring?

You have both wasted your time and not helped the colony.

When will new beeks get the message and stop interfering with colonies at this time of the year?

No brood mean nothing. Yes, NOTHING. At this stage of the year it is quite possible that the queen is not yet laying.

Further there is no indication of your location - could be south coast or way up in Scotland (if even in the UK).

The one thing where you were correct. It was that of “guessing”. There is no place for making wild guesses on virtually no good evidence.

I would advise to wait until spring

 

[Boston Bees]

Old men getting their kicks by sneering at beginner beekeepers is sadly a facet of our hobby that never seems to go away.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Some of its ok So I’ve left that.