Howsoonisnow
New Bee
After inspecting my hives today, I have three questions that I'd appreciate any thoughts on:
1.Several hives had on some frames a pepper pot pattern which I know is never good. I have just watched Ivor Davies on Countryfile and they are similar to his struggling hive. How common is this? Its not chalk brood.
2.Perhaps related to this on one such pepper pot frame, there were a handful of cells that had white seemingly fully developed adult bees that were uncapped and still in their cell (but white - the colour of larvae – so definitely not) that were dead. One I observed had a bee attempting to drag it from its cells.
3.The site vacated by the donor hive that was used to unite with another a few days ago still had returning bees that were congregating. It had another hive a metre away. I thought when they found their hive gone, they migrated to the nearest available?
Thanks
1.Several hives had on some frames a pepper pot pattern which I know is never good. I have just watched Ivor Davies on Countryfile and they are similar to his struggling hive. How common is this? Its not chalk brood.
2.Perhaps related to this on one such pepper pot frame, there were a handful of cells that had white seemingly fully developed adult bees that were uncapped and still in their cell (but white - the colour of larvae – so definitely not) that were dead. One I observed had a bee attempting to drag it from its cells.
3.The site vacated by the donor hive that was used to unite with another a few days ago still had returning bees that were congregating. It had another hive a metre away. I thought when they found their hive gone, they migrated to the nearest available?
Thanks