Saved from starving just in time ....

[Lesley Hoppy]

I put Apiguard on both my colonies last Tuesday - and removed the one remaining super on each one, so as not to taint the honey with thymol, with the intention of replacing after the treatment.
Today - half the bees in one of the colonies are dead from starvation. I had assumed that they would have enough stores in their 14x12 frames to survive for a month - I was wrong.
I noticed today that whilst one hive was buzzing with activity - the other was silent and no bees were entering or leaving. There were quite a number of dead bees around the entrance.
When I opened the hive, the bees were hardly moving and there was a centimetre of dead bees on the mesh floor. Much of the brood had been uncapped and many dead bees had their heads in the cells - obviously trying to get food.
I phoned my mentor for advice who suggested I spray sugar syrup on the frames urgently. This I did - and the bees started to recover almost instantly.
I then spoke to the local bee inspector who suggested that I put the full super back under the brood box - not sure why under - but that is what I have done.
I feel really dreadful about this obviously - but what a lesson.

 

[beeno]

Hi Lesley,
So sorry about your news, but thanks for your honesty it will help others. You may have seen my Feast-Famine post where I as a newbie miscalculated the stores needed. I thought lots of foraging i.e. pollen going in so the others must be carrying nectar. Have since learnt that they may be flying back with an empty tank! Mine have recovered beautifully and I sounds like yours will too. Lot's of luck with the winter.

 

[oliver90owner]

I had assumed

Sorry to read of your bees' plight, but never assume when a quick check is all that is needed. Theory is all right up to a point, but the stores needed would depend on several factors - one being how much open brood was present. Open brood gobbles up stores rapidly and some strains of bee don't seem to know when to stop brooding.

 

[Luminos]

At least you caught them before it was too late

Had a similar thing with my smallest colony - they were robbed out, and I only just caught it in time (had already closed the entrance to one bee space and put glass over the entrance).
Put a feeder on, and they're OK now. I plan to unite with another colony when the Apiguard treatment is finished.

 

[thepliedes]

Thanks for your posting. We live and learn, sometimes from the plight of other people. You seem to have caught the problem in time for many of your bees. As a newish beekeeper myself I have learned so much from the experience and advice of others on the forum for which I'm very thankful.

 

[Beeline]

Lesley,
Excellent that you were able to salvage the situation.

Although not starvation I had a scare recently. I've had two colonies in my garden produce a reasonable harvest which I took off in early Sept. I left them with half a super of stores, to be topped up later this month with ivy honey however, on inspection of the brood last week I noticed the queen had gone off lay (very little brood) because there were no/zip stores on the brood frames even though the super above had 5 frames of stores. Clearly the local forage had dropped off dramatically and they weren't able to replenish the stores on the brood frames - I should have seen this but had assumed stores above meant there were stores in the brood.

Anyway the situation was quickly resolved by swopping brood and super around and giving them 3 gallons of syrup directly over the brood box. Both are now back in lay but it taught me a useful lesson: Don't assume

 

[youngyoungs]

Lesley, thanks for the honesty and the warning.

I put my Apiguard on last week, and wasn't planning to look right into the brood chambers of the hives till next week when I put the second treatment on.

I thought being a beekeeper would be a very peaceful activity, it seems non stop!

 

[beeno]

Lesley, thanks for the honesty and the warning.

I put my Apiguard on last week, and wasn't planning to look right into the brood chambers of the hives till next week when I put the second treatment on.

I thought being a beekeeper would be a very peaceful activity, it seems non stop!

Yea, I know. A bit like child rearing, with a BIG difference they don't talk back!

 

[madasafish]

Weekly hefting makes stores assessment much easier and takes approx 30 secs/hive

 

[itma]

...
Today - half the bees in one of the colonies are dead from starvation. ...
... spoke to the local bee inspector who suggested that I put the full super back under the brood box - not sure why under - but that is what I have done.
...

Being tight, I wouldn't have given them back absolutely all the honey! But it is perfectly fair to give them some of the fruits of their labour.
Putting it under will probably result in it being quite quickly moved up into the brood chamber. If (when) they empty all the honey out, you can remove the shallow box. The 14x12 should have plenty capacity for the winter.
BUT, you need to get that brood box well-filled with syrup (and some honey) ASAP.
Your BB having zero stores, the full super will provide only about half their winter needs, so you need to get at least 5kg of sugar (made into heavy syrup) in there, before the weather gets too cold. You might even give them Ambrosia. As I said, I'd have pinched some of the honey - but I'd have repaid that debt, and more, with Ambrosia.
Oh, and don't go cutting down any Ivy for another month or so!

And since you have a slightly under-strength colony, DO fit a reduced entrance (if its not there already) and it would be good to give them insulation in the roof - as early as you can.
Its not wholly true that the smaller colony will need less stores for the winter. They will certainly need more per bee ...

 

[Luminos]

Weekly hefting makes stores assessment much easier and takes approx 30 secs/hive

Hmmm. Didn't really expect to have to heft inAugust.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I weighed all my hives last year after they clustered. I knew they were full as I had looked so that gave me a base line and I weighed intermittently over winter.
I have started hefting this year to get a feel of a hive.
One of my colonies has practically zilch brood but is rammed with stores and they have had no syrup. The box next door has six frames of brood and little stores and is being fed. All the hives are busy on balsam and all have Apilife on.
I've stopped inspecting but have had a quick look at stores.
Just goes to show how colonies in the same apiary can differ.
Good job you got them in time.