Some dead bees laden with pollen

[greengumbo]

Had a wee look round the front of the hives after work today and noticed a handful of dead bees with pollen baskets full on the ground in front.

I'm only in my second year and last winter they were all tucked up by now so was curious about their fate.

It was a sunny and clear day up here today but it did get overcast at times. I recently reduced the hive entrances to a few bee spaces for wintering. My first guess is that they returned from foraging fully laden, the temperature happened to plunge as a cloud came over and due to the reduced entrance there was a bit of a que and some perished ?

Pretty sure it is Ivy pollen. Lots in flower just now.

I'm not worried about this hive or about this handful of bee deaths but just curious as to the forums thoughts.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Might not be dead.
Place an exhausted bee on your warm hand and it will come round.
Returned plenty to the hive this way.....well, a few

 

[oliver90owner]

Yep, beekeeper leaving too small an entrance for the conditions, I would think. Just how much were your entrances reduced?

RAB

 

[greengumbo]

Might not be dead.
Place an exhausted bee on your warm hand and it will come round.
Returned plenty to the hive this way.....well, a few

Well funny you should say that as after I wrote that post I went out to collect some of them to look at the pollen. None there. I cant imagine they all underwent a lazarus effect but maybe.....I suspect a hedgehog.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Might not be dead.
Place an exhausted bee on your warm hand and it will come round.
Returned plenty to the hive this way.....well, a few

Breath and a drop of syrup work wonders on mine

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Had half a dozen last night totally zonked on the landing board - probably just too knackerd to climb up the wall to the underfloor entrance and then it got colder - couple of minutes with a bit of warmth and they were fine

 

[Tom Bick]

I dont know what the temperature is in Aberdeenshire but I bet its a bit colder than the neighbours in the south east but even in the south east the ground at this time of year can be cold enough to chill the bees if they fall short of the entrance and find themselves struggling to fly.

 

[beeno]

Well funny you should say that as after I wrote that post I went out to collect some of them to look at the pollen. None there. I cant imagine they all underwent a lazarus effect but maybe.....I suspect a hedgehog.

Hi greengumbo,
A lot of mine stop at the flight board or on nearby grass for a breather and then they fly into the hive. Relief and exhaustion me thinks and then they get second wind. Not a very safe thing to do though as I have saved a few from being eaten by wasps that way!

 

[rugbee]

nothing to do with entrance size so long as the entrance is at least bee space they are fine with out adjustment at anytime of year

 

[oliver90owner]

*... at least a bee space they are fine with out adjustment at anytime of year

Sure! Two things.

1) Less than a bee space clearly means effectively closed.

2) One bee space (which is in agreement with your sweeping statement) would certainly be no good at the height of a large OSR flow, for instance, and likely spell death to a colony on a hot summer's day if a solid floor was in use. Lots of new beeks have been baffled when the bees cluster under the hive. Now we know why - they must have been advised by you!

So not entirely, if at all, good advice to the myriad of inexperienced beeks reading this forum. Would you think?

A sensible comment on the thread would be appreciated.

RAB

 

[Finman]

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Pollen bees are often around the hive, when bees forage on too cold weather.
They fly perhaps too late in the evening. They are tired for cold and drop down and do not get up any more.

Things are worst in shadow hive site in spring.

Wind makes things worse. The bee cools down in ground when it rests. In fast flight bees muscle temperature is 39C.

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index...-hives-warm-given-that-they-are-cold-blooded/

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[greengumbo]

Thanks for the comments guys. Finman you are basically describing the exact situation. Late afternoon / evening foraging, cold spell and a bit of wind with the hive in shadow.

I had the entrance down to about 3 bee spaces using those wbc entrance reducers.

Cheers GG

 

[Finman]

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That phenomenon is quite usual around my hives. If the hive gets sun from early morning to sunset, site is much more better than shadow place during afternoon. Sometimes it has real meaning in colony strenght.

So it is not good at all that bees forage in low temperatures.

I could not believe my eyes this summer when I went pick my hives back to home yard for winter feeding. I went in early morning when temp was 11C and sun was rising at the end of August. Hundreds of bees were landing allready to hives. They foraged honey dew from tree leaves. Night mist loosened the sugar.

I took the hive and I put 3 frame nuc in the site of hive that it collectet the foraging bees .
Couple of days later I pick the nuc. It had two frames covered by bees.

In summer I have noticed that hives stop foraging in the evening when tepm drops under 18C.
If weather is hot (30C) and temp is 24C after sunset, some hive may forage after sunset. But at same time another hive is allready stopped foraging.

But if bees know a place to rob, they are flying allready at 6C temperature. But only in calm weather. Wind changes everything. And a small rain shower is deadly to cool weather foragers.
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[enrico]

Deleted by me! Sorry

 

[rugbee]

lol if you spent some time beekeeping instead of a staggering 11,246 post you might actually learn something because you clearly dont know much

1) wow great next head of the exam board you are
2) don't think i said run on a single bee space but small entrances are fine lots of my hive prop the entrance down to a few single bee holes and what a shock they make it and honey i use solid floors with the entrance in the middle about 4- 6 inches and have no problems. the comment on bees clustering again what are you on about i take it your expert advice is they do this because they cant get in derr wrong like i say learn bees before ever making comments about me then i might train u up
dont like those yellow things either muppet

 

[Erichalfbee]

Stop it!!!
A simple "I disagree is quite sufficient"

 

[Finman]

Yep, beekeeper leaving too small an entrance for the conditions, I would think. Just how much were your entrances reduced?

RAB

;My bees like to use upper entrance. It is 15 mm wide.
In nucs I use 0,5 upper entrance.

Then I have solid floor and 1 cm x 10 cm main entranbce. - in spring and after yield period.

Sometimes bees like to use hive track which is 3 cm x 0,5 cm.

Small entrance does not stop bees to go in.

.

One reason why I use upper entrance in every hive is that if I join colonies, some has been used to use upper entrance, and in bad wether they must get in fast before they stiffen in cold.

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[Finman]

Stop it!!!
A simple "I disagree is quite sufficient"

Not for men...

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[Tom Bick]

I am coming to the opinion that the bees prefer small entrances and think that the big open entrance during the summer months is a hangover from when we had solid floors and more about ventilation than congestion.

 

[Skyhook]

lol if you spent some time beekeeping instead of a staggering 11,246 post you might actually learn something because you clearly dont know much

1) wow great next head of the exam board you are
2) don't think i said run on a single bee space but small entrances are fine lots of my hive prop the entrance down to a few single bee holes and what a shock they make it and honey i use solid floors with the entrance in the middle about 4- 6 inches and have no problems. the comment on bees clustering again what are you on about i take it your expert advice is they do this because they cant get in derr wrong like i say learn bees before ever making comments about me then i might train u up
dont like those yellow things either muppet

How incredibly rude!


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