robbing and dead bees

[honeypot]

3-4 weeks ago I noticed wasps around the hive - my bees were flying and out and about. A week later the wasps were going in the hive so I closed down the entrance and set up some wasp traps. I had been feeding the bees sugar syrup which they were not taking. I checked a week later and the wasps were more prolific and flying in and out of the hive so I closed down to the smallest space I could make. I checked the syrup and my bees were taking it. A week later I opened up the hive to find no live bees, approx 500 dead bees at the bottom of the hive. The stores of honey had been raided but there was still some left and lots of pollen stores.
Would the wasps have killed all the bees?? or have the bees died from some other cause?? What should I do with the remaining stored honey( not much) and pollen

 

[Bungalow]

Sounds like the wasps have done for them. I lost three out of four hives in an out apiary several years ago in similar circs. Lesson learned. Combine weak hives at the end of the season before the wasps get to them. If you have only one hive, then sadly it's prob a goner anyway. Good idea to see why it's weak. Q- or Nosema or DWV or whatever.

 

[oliver90owner]

Too late taking action for a start. Too little, too. Proactive is far better than reactive, where wasps are concerned.

Bees may well have been too weak anyway.

Wasp traps are futile when the wasps are already accessing the hive - all they do is attract more wasps.

We don't know whether they were still brooding or not or whether the wasps were still in 'carniverous' mode (feeding larvae), but they were almost certainly the cause of the (final) collapse of the colony. Whether there was any other underlying reason for weakness is impossible to tell from your post.

If there was not, then the sugar syrup (or whatever) stores would be OK to store in a sealed and sterile (wax moth, nosema, and other pathogens) situation for a future colony, but I would suggest it is not worth the risk, so advise you dump it and start afresh with clean infection-free frames in a scorched box.

 

[honeypot]

Thanks for the advice. I am gutted that I have lost my bees especially after they survived the last 2 winters. I am so annoyed at myself that I didn't close up the entrance quickly enough or small enough to start with when I first saw the wasps. Being fairly new to beekeeping I didn't realize the havoc that wasps could inflict. It.s a shame that they worked so hard to being in their stores to no avail. Your advise is welcome Thank you

 

[masterBK]

Honeypot : Did you go on a beekeeping course? If so then surely they covered robbing by bees and wasps and what to do about it and when. We instruct our beginners to reduce the hive entrance in august at the time the supers are removed, never to have a wide entrance when feeding and always to feed in the evening when flying has almost ceased remembering not to spill any syrup.

 

[honeypot]

Hi
I did go on a course although my dad was terminally ill at the time so my focus was elsewhere. They prob did talk about it but I can't recall. I hadn't got any bees when I went on the course so everything was new to me and I felt there was a lot of info to absorb. Anyway, I have had a steep learning curve and learnt from my mistake!! I will look at going on the course again now that I have had some experience and will know what they are teaching

Thanks

 

[Easy Beesy]

Honeypot

Read a book. Hooper is good but hard going. Try de Bryuns Practical Beekeeping.
It'll give you loads of info that, as a Beek of 2 years standing, will make sense and help you with knowing what to do, when. You'll know what questions to ask of the next course instructor too.

Eb

 

[Outlander]

Also Honey you should join your local association so as to have hands on help and advice. Sorry about your bees and better luck for the future. Also better two hives than one.

 

[honeypot]

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I almost had two hives!! I got a swarm and safely ensconced them in my second hive to find they had all departed the next morning!! I will make a beekeeper yet