Starving Hives

[theengraver]

Just to make people aware there is still a chance some hives can still starve
the good weather in the last few weeks has led to a rapid build up of bees
now in some areas EG: up here In scotland the weather has made a turn backwards.
so there are a lot more mouths to feed and the bees are unable to gather and make stores.
One of my hives last week had plenty of stores a quick check today nothing left had to feed. If i had left them another day it would have been a dead hive!

 

[juliabusybee]

bees gathering on front of hive

I am just north of inverness and in 2nd year. I noticed probably about 100 bees gathering on the outisde of my hive yesterday when it was sunny, they didn't seem distressed but do you think they were hungry??
There is plenty of forage here they were bringing pollen but I was concerned as tp why they were gathering on the front, ....I did inspect in good weather just past and all seemed ok, plenty of stores etc but maybe I should be adding a super?
Julia

 

[RoseCottage]

Surely where the rape is 100yds away and the day is peppered with showers the bees will be fine? Yesterday they were cropping in 5.5 degrees,
All the best,
Sam

 

[tonybloke]

I am just north of inverness and in 2nd year. I noticed probably about 100 bees gathering on the outisde of my hive yesterday when it was sunny, they didn't seem distressed but do you think they were hungry??
There is plenty of forage here they were bringing pollen but I was concerned as tp why they were gathering on the front, ....I did inspect in good weather just past and all seemed ok, plenty of stores etc but maybe I should be adding a super?
Julia

bees congregating on the front of the hive 'usually' indicates that they are full of nectar, and the house bees can't process enough of it fast enough!

 

[Tom Bick]

I am just north of inverness and in 2nd year. I noticed probably about 100 bees gathering on the outisde of my hive yesterday when it was sunny, they didn't seem distressed but do you think they were hungry??
There is plenty of forage here they were bringing pollen but I was concerned as tp why they were gathering on the front, ....I did inspect in good weather just past and all seemed ok, plenty of stores etc but maybe I should be adding a super?
Julia

A100 bees is not a great amount but when a swarm is waiting for good weather to go plenty of foraging bees often hang around the entrance waiting for the right moment.

 

[Tom Bick]

Just to make people aware there is still a chance some hives can still starve
the good weather in the last few weeks has led to a rapid build up of bees
now in some areas EG: up here In scotland the weather has made a turn backwards.
so there are a lot more mouths to feed and the bees are unable to gather and make stores.
One of my hives last week had plenty of stores a quick check today nothing left had to feed. If i had left them another day it would have been a dead hive!

Yes 2nd that I have a hive that has expanded beyond their stores. Was doing ok with a nice balance but with damp and overcast weather are now looking not so good and will need some feeding.

 

[juliabusybee]

thanks for your reply, sure you are probably right....was a bit worried, i thought it was a bit early for a swarm up here in APRIL.....yesterday was mainly overcast, bees were on outside when sun broke through clouds and it got really quite warm for an hour or so...also in the field next door they have what looks like OSR , yellow flowering crop, but today farmer has cows eating it so this can't be right...will wait till weather gets warmer again for another look inside...thanks again

 

[Susan1]

Have just given my hives sugar 1:1 as they had very little stores one hive has six frames the other nine but both only had one frame of stores so I thought they may need more as the weather is so changeable here.

 

[Teemore]

thanks for your reply, sure you are probably right....was a bit worried, i thought it was a bit early for a swarm up here in APRIL.....

Don't count out swarms too soon.... the Chair of my association reported that swarms have been reported in parts of Northern Ireland in the past two weeks. He couldn't tell me whether they were proper swarms of hungry bees absconding though!

 

[isc26]

I agree that the risk is still there. One hardy colony of mine munching fast through a block of fondant which they hadn't touched all winter.

 

[madasafish]

Just checked on teh feeders I filled yesterday.
One is untouched..

The other half empty..

Topped up all others in sunshine: bees everywhere : lots of grey and orange pollen.

 

[TOBY-3652]

Just checked hives, 1 large colonie on the brink of starvation lots of bees with heads and bodys in cells and about 300- 400 dead on floor fed and was so glad that i checked today cos tomorrow could of beed 2 late

 

[Chris Luck]

Surely where the rape is 100yds away and the day is peppered with showers the bees will be fine? Yesterday they were cropping in 5.5 degrees,

Pollen maybe, not nectar, as I put in another post, I understand OSR needs 16°C to flow and my experience tends to back that up.

Chris

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

I'm starting to get seriously worried about feed levels. A couple of weeks ago I made extra room in the brood box by taking what I thought at the time were excess stores and popping a super on in anticipation of the rape flow. Weather has kept me out since then, and now I'm looking for the first opportunity to give them some extra feed - either Neopoll patties or a 1:1 mix.

 

[drex]

as I have posted in another thread, a week ago all my colonies were strong with enough stores. This weekend, one was on verge of running out of stores, despite plenty of OSR all around! It was actually too cold to really do an inspection, but I was glad I had a quick look.

 

[Heather]

Just to confirm my findings.
3 out of small 4 colonies on a nature reserve- loads of pollen - very little nectar- bees stuck into cells licking out nectar, although more untouched store 2 frames away. Looked like dead bees (starvation death) till I nudged them.
Have scored stores and moved nearer the brood area- but I am adding a frame feeder of syrup as I feel these colonies are in trouble. The dry March has reduced the nectar flow maybe.
Be aware- nectar may be low in your hives- if so -Feed! 1:1 syrup

 

[TOBY-3652]

too true, i just couldnt beleive how low stores was on my hives. thing what i couldnt understand was i hive in the same place has fetched half a super of nectar

 

[user 6228]

May one suggest put back the insulation on the hives to allow them to reduce their heating bill?
heating = food

 

[mbc]

Pollen maybe, not nectar, as I put in another post, I understand OSR needs 16°C to flow and my experience tends to back that up.

Chris

The steamier the better as with most flowers but my experience of osr is very different, it will yield at much lower temps, I once measured a ground level temperature out of the wind at about 11°C and the bees were working peddle to the metal and filling supers fast.
I would concede that there are very different varieties of osr grown, I believe the one my bees were working at 11°C was a hybrid variety grown under contract for Flora margarine.

 

[wondervet]

Nothing new but just to add one more experience: looked in our strongest hive on Sunday because I was worried they might be thinking about queen cells.... they had a super with winter stores in most frames and five frames of brood on them 2 weeks before.

Only remaining stores were in extreme outer super frames. Floor covered in dead bees (just about all the drones included), super frames full of head-down almost-dead bees.

Kingspan is still on them. Not sure temp has been in double figures at that apiary in April so far.