Survival rate for winter 2013

[BeeJayBee]

Loads in the garden yesterday and today on one particular plant ...

Hellebore, probably Helleborus niger (Christmas Rose) as it's a bit early for the Lenten Rose (H. orientalis)

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Hellebore, probably Helleborus niger (Christmas Rose) as it's a bit early for the Lenten Rose (H. orientalis)

 

[Trebor Edwards]

3 out of 3 survived (so far) - put some precautionary fondant on them a couple of days ago as I have no faith in my hefting skills and didn't get around to weighing in autumn. Will probably give some pollen supplement soon to help with early expansion

Loads in the garden yesterday and today on one particular plant (sure the clever ones can identify)

plenty about now
Hi,
Christmas Rose,bit late but doing fine,grey/white pollen snowdrops
spring is around the corner.
Ted

 

[justmejonny]

HI my name is jonny and i am from Romania,I want to make exchange of experience online, if anyone's interested, and I have many questions.
1 what is the price of honey in uk?
2 How many types of honey do you have in uk,and other questions
Is enyone interested?

 

[dpearce4]

HI my name is jonny and i am from Romania,I want to make exchange of experience online, if anyone's interested, and I have many questions.
1 what is the price of honey in uk?
2 How many types of honey do you have in uk,and other questions
Is enyone interested?

 

[Scubi]

Bees were out and about today which is good news. However, I notice many (30 or so) bees from one of my colonies had dropped onto the ground fairly close to their hive and have now unfortunately perished. Is this normal and these are just old winter bees giving it their last or maybe it just too cold for them to be out flying and they have been caught out or do you think there maybe some other problem such as starvation? Not having much experience yet I am not very good with hefting as I don't have anything to compare the weight with and I don't want to open the hive unless I really have to. My other hive (some miles away) seems ok so I am a little worried.

 

[madasafish]

Bees were out and about today which is good news. However, I notice many (30 or so) bees from one of my colonies had dropped onto the ground fairly close to their hive and have now unfortunately perished. Is this normal and these are just old winter bees giving it their last or maybe it just too cold for them to be out flying and they have been caught out or do you think there maybe some other problem such as starvation? Not having much experience yet I am not very good with hefting as I don't have anything to compare the weight with and I don't want to open the hive unless I really have to. My other hive (some miles away) seems ok so I am a little worried.

Hi Scubi

It's perfectly normal on sunny days for bees to fly around, become exhausted or cold and collapse on the ground. Well mine do that and Our Association's Apiary bees do it...

I pick up such bees in my bare hands and often the warmth revives them - or place them in a warm room -.... Did that with two this morning - in bare hand and they started to move.

Hefting is a problem of judgement and experience. I tried lifting 3-10 x 1kg bags of sugar so I had a feel of what weight to expect.. It gives an idea of different weights and the feeling in arms and back.


As for worrying.. look at the hive floor if you have a removable one. Clean it and re-inspect in 2-3 days time. Wax deposits or their lack will tell you where bees are and how active.

After 3 years, I can roughly tell how a hive is doing from the level of wax deposits... None = dead. Lots = OK. Little = possible running out of food.


Unfortunately experience is all!

 

[robsbees]

I have lost one hive the other hive was busy today flying in and out so fingers cross

 

[peteinwilts]

Checked my bees today. out of thirty hives, four losses.

Two of the hives were dwindling considerably in the autumn, but was too cold to find the queen to combine so let them take their chances.
Two others were a surprise. Not huge colonys, but were tightly clustered and look as if they perished due to the cold...
No sign of nosema, and all of my hives that are in the bee program are all still with us

All four dead hives looked very busy from the outside of the hive, but was due to robbing. When tapping the back of the hive (too noisy due to buzzing round the front), the hive did not buzz back.

all entrances sealed and will remove the hives in the next few days ....

roll on spring!

 

[peteinwilts]

Bees were out and about today which is good news. However, I notice many (30 or so) bees from one of my colonies had dropped onto the ground fairly close to their hive and have now unfortunately perished. Is this normal and these are just old winter bees giving it their last or maybe it just too cold for them to be out flying and they have been caught out or do you think there maybe some other problem such as starvation? Not having much experience yet I am not very good with hefting as I don't have anything to compare the weight with and I don't want to open the hive unless I really have to. My other hive (some miles away) seems ok so I am a little worried.

At this time of your I prefer them to have too much food than too little. We do not really know when it will get warm, and am sure many beekeepers remember the cold May a couple of years ago with temperatures barely getting above freezing with an ice cold wind.

if they have too much food, it can always be taken out again!

If you are concerned, give me a shout and i'll pop over and heft. Most of my confidence regarding food is done purely by the amount they have taken in autumn, and\or how much fondent given in the new year (an average hive... (if ever there was one!) in my regime takes about 18Kg sugar over the winter... some a bit more.. some a bit less.)

 

[Alan and Anthea]

Things looking up for our hives in Northern Ireland; on Friday we had a really mild day 13 degrees which resulted in all hives flying including a small late swarm. The bees were gathering pollen aplenty from the nearby snowdrops.
It has turned colder since but was great to see them all out and about.
Alan

 

[Chris Luck]

It's a bit too soon to know the survival rate for winter, I won't know that until at least another month or possibly longer.

Bee activity doesn't mean you have a viable Queen.

Chris

 

[Chris B]

It's a bit too soon to know the survival rate for winter, I won't know that until at least another month or possibly longer.

Bee activity doesn't mean you have a viable Queen.

Chris

That's true, most losses seem to happen in March for me. But flying and gathering pollen is definitely a positive indicator even if it's not a 100% guarantee of colony viability.

 

[user 6228]

That's true, most losses seem to happen in March for me. But flying and gathering pollen is definitely a positive indicator even if it's not a 100% guarantee of colony viability.

if nothing else it makes the beekeeper feel optimistic... which is no small thing

 

[Chris Luck]

The point is that bee activity even with pollen going in doesn't mean you have a viable Queen, she may have become sterile any time from October or may even be about to run out of sperm now....

.....sorry.

Chris

 

[Charley]

Fabulous picture.

 

[Erichalfbee]

What a cracking shot!
I have pinched it for my desktop

 

[sipa]

What a great photo, do you mind if I use it ?

 

[Chris Luck]

I agree, one of the best photos I've seen, what kit are you using Alan?

Chris

 

[Luminos]

I agree, one of the best photos I've seen, what kit are you using Alan?

Chris

It might've been Anthea's kit, lol