Really difficult year this year

[RoseCottage]

You know how sometimes you work at something and still you don't seem to make headway. That is how it has felt this year. It has been the kind of year that has reset my self belief, that has caused much anguish, soul searching, frustration, guilt and sadness. Not a great deal of joy, not at all.

The year started well enough with 5 colonies out of 6 surviving winter and looking strong. All of them beginning to become a little more feisty than the previous year, with a couple of genuine hard nuts.

Still got through the early part of the year with that little burst of sun coming at the right time and we got 200lbs of rape honey.

Then we entered the swarm season. Work consumed my time, my hive builder became ill, and the weather turned ugly. Bees didn't fly and didn't die. When the sunny breaks came everyone tried swarming at once. I didn't have enough kit to keep up. We lost swarms, probably 3, but managed to recapture 1.

The colonies were reduced in numbers but I thought that was just about ok as the weather was bad and they would find it easier to feed themselves. I didn't feel the need to feed, I expected the weather to improve. All colonies had respectable stores.

All colonies were aggressive, 2 really angry and defensive at all times even with plenty of stores.

The weather stayed terrible and work demands at weekends grew, the rain come down, and the girls hid indoors. I went 7 weeks without being able to see them due to foul weather and work commitments. When I got back to them it was disaster. 2 colonies had starved. Probably the queen had failed to mate due to poor weather and the colonies had consumed all stores whilst being penned in.

How I felt isn't worth typing out.

So I was down to 4 colonies again but 2 of them were much reduced with small brood nests and little stores. 2 others were motoring by comparison. 3 weeks on and just 2 visits have been possible.

1 more colony has died although there was no obvious sign of death. No.mass of dead bees near the entrance or inside. The other weak colony has some brood and bees. I am feeding them ambrosia and planning a feed this week by bucket. The 3rd colony has plenty of bees but no sign of a laying queen. So I will need to combine 2 and 3 next weekend.
Colony 4 was requeened mid summer to try and sort out their nature. They are still following 200 yards. They are, however, perfectly capable of surviving winter. They are filling a 14*12 BB and 2 supers with bees and have lots of stores.

It has been really tough this year to spend enough time with them. They have struggled with the conditions, I have made some very poor judgements, and overall it has been awful.

Aggressive bees, heavy rain, oversized colonies, and poor calls. Not really how I imagined it.

For Winter I will treat for Varroa, feed, cleanse my equipment, and have a long think.
The weather is triggered by El Ninio behaviour so I an told we should expect 3-5 years of these Summers.

I think I will have plenty of kit when I cleanse it all. I may stick with 2-4 hives next year and may also try and requeen the lot with bought in docile queens. At least for a while that may make life easier and more fun.

There you go a confessional.

Sam

 

[steve1958]

Hi Sam,
it has indeed been a 'Different year' for Beekeeping.
Not only for Beekeeping either. The Allotment Holders have very little to show for their efforts,
and I am sure Farmers will be experiencing similar.
Which means food prices rising I guess.

I spent last Autumn reading books.
Hoever the Bees didnt, and I am sure thay went out of their way to do everything that wasnt it the book.

Some of my Hives have produced Honey, while others have cost me a small fortune in Sugar syrup.

The national Bee Unit keep sending me 'disease alerts'
The latest informs me that the European Foulbrood they warned me was 5KM from my apiary is now only 3KM away.

I would move my Hives, but know that if my Bees have any early stages of EFB then I will just be spreading the problem.

I did pick up a few swarms this year, so number wise I should be better off.
However due to some Hives not thriving I have had to combine the weaker ones, so still show no gain.

After saying all of that the Little loves are still fighting back (I have the stings to prove it),
and the Honey I did collect tastes even better than last year.

Part of me wants winter to hurry up, so that my Bees will be safe inside their Hives and not out socialising with some of my EFB neighbours.
But part of me wants the sun to stay as long as possible so that the colonies can build up more stores ready for winter.

Steve

 

[Luminos]

So sorry to hear your story Sam.
Chin up.

 

[Jeff Buzz]

Sounds like you have had a bad year Sam and sorry to hear about it, I guess it all part of the learning curve of keeping bees. I console myself that when its hard like this year perhaps that when you do the most learning, get a good year and you will be in business and flying high again.

Good luck

Jeff

 

[Poly Hive]

No need to beat yourself up, this is the worst beekeeping season in living memory.

You did all you could. Life has a nasty habit of tripping us up and biting us.

Nothing more to say really, sometimes it just does not work out despite all our best efforts.

There always next year, and it will be better.

PH

 

[Travelator]

I've had a pretty rubbish beekeeping year, and it's a massive relief to know that it isn't 100% down to my incompetence and other people are seeing the same problems.

 

[BeeNice]

It may have been a horrid year all around, as said, my allotment hasn't produced much at all for the effort, but as for the beekeeping, throw the book out the window and really start thinking. I have had the same trouble as you, as have most of us. But I have tried things out that have worked and haven't. Two things I will do different next year, one if I have good hives will take a couple to the OSR and later on in the year to the heather. Also really have a go at queen rearing. This year has concerntrated the mind like no other and was a real learning experiance. Don't be down, it's a challenge, by the way it is pouring down and I will be off to feed up 3 of my hives ready for the winter, and have managed to take of all of 18lbs of honey.
steven

 

[burren]

I think PH has said it all, it is hard not to feel despondant with a year like this, and a story like yours Sam,I am sorry it was a difficult time for you, but brace up and get ready and plan ahead for a good next year good luck everyone for a safe winter

 

[mbc]

There always next year, and it will be better.

PH

Indeed.
If we survive a season like this then we can prosper handsomely in the majority of seasons.

 

[waverider]

7 weeks is along time not to inspect your livestock!

 

[Oscarmonster]

7 weeks is along time not to inspect your livestock!

 

[Skyhook]

Basically, it's been a git of a year. Yours doesn't sound too dissimilar to mine, and I'm guessing we're not the only ones. Having got up to 6 hives I'm going to regroup, and possibly retrench (my target was 5). If next year is good I will keep going with 5 or increase, if not I may go back to 2 hives and stick at that (sorry Finman!)

.

 

[BeeJayBee]

7 weeks is along time not to inspect your livestock!

The south of the country had almost continuous rain for several weeks, so finding a suitable 'weather window' for hive inspections has been difficult, especially with work commitments. It's raining again, torrential stuff, and temperatures have dropped so perhaps a very early autumn is on the cards.

As an aside - we lost a lot of garden plants and a couple of native trees this year, they drowned, and we live on a slope. Our vegetables are almost non-existant!