trick of the week: beebeeka opens hives :)

[domino]

What do you mean by "on the stores"?

That they aren't at risk of isolation starvation.

 

[ugcheleuce]

I crack the crown board if they are flying just to look between the frames to make sure they are on the stores.

What do you mean by "on the stores"?

That they aren't at risk of isolation starvation.

But... if they are *flying*, is isolation starvation still an issue?

Isolation starvation is when the cluster gets isolated from a portion of the food store and is unable to walk over to it because they die before they can get back, due to the cold hive temperature. But if they're flying, then they can certainly also reach the other food, or not?

 

[domino]

But... if they are *flying*, is isolation starvation still an issue?

Isolation starvation is when the cluster gets isolated from a portion of the food store and is unable to walk over to it because they die before they can get back, due to the cold hive temperature. But if they're flying, then they can certainly also reach the other food, or not?

I've had hives die to this so that's why I crack them open because hefting doesn't tell you where the bees are - only how heavy the hive is.

 

[alldigging]

I've had hives die to this so that's why I crack them open because hefting doesn't tell you where the bees are - only how heavy the hive is.

But a day of an inspection board in will tell you where they are and what they are doing - honey uncappings are pale.

 

[BeeBeeKa]

Bad news. Frosts for almost every single night in February did not leave any chance for my smallish 2-frames colony to survive(Hive №2 accordingly ). The main reason of dead is a combination of diseases, though. Broun feces on frames and rapid shrinkage of the colony during last couple of months let to presume that one of them is nosema (Broun feces was not the case untill the wery last stage of shrinkage though( cerana?)).
It was as strong colony as any others in my apiary in the autumn.
But I believe that nosema should be in any of my hives. All my hives had those feces on them and around a year ago. There is no sign of it so far nowadays, thanks to the closed mesh floors ( I truly believe).
Thus another disease ( or a reason)is yet unknown. It`s not a varroa, not a lack of storages, not a brood diseas( as there was no brood or eggs), just a dead quinn on a halve full of stores frame and about 4 cups of dead bees on the floor. The Quinn was the new one, hatched on 1.08.15, started laying on 19.08.15, and got 5 frames of brood on 8.09.15. It was a prospective girl. RIP
Good news. All the other bees are alive and proactive when weather allows, even the problematic one – the hive № 8. Amount of top frames occupied by bees seems to be the same, but in some hives I see some bees occupying bottom BB, wich is a sign for me to give them a couple more store frames in their living area at the top, thus moving a dummy board a bit closer to the wall. I`ll do it as soon as weather permits. Today I just given them a pollen substitute. I`m sure they`ll eat it much more vigorously than the previous year, as conditions in the hives are much more favorable for it now.
As for comments…I`m relaxed more than ever
I like to read books. I read a lot. On a wide range of subjects and topics. Since early age. Most of the time just for a pleasure and because of curiosity… Since certain time in English too And I often wonder how quickly sometimes I find the answers to some questions I did not look for in that specific book that I`m reading…Same story here again. Enjoy :
“Many have noted that new and better ideas succeed in scientific debates through attrition, that is, by one generation of scientists retiring from their field and eventually dying of. But before this generation drops from the debate, the next generation of scientists will have listened carefully to the various arguments made by their predecessors, been persuaded by the most compelling claims on the truth, and adopted the new theory. Thus the support for a new and better theory (e.g., the sun-centered theory of Copernicus and Galileo) grows while it fades for an older and poorer one (e.g., the earth-centered theory of Ptolemy). The most often quoted statement describing this social process is by Max Planck: “A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it.” One difference between aged scientists and aged scouts, though, is that the people tend to drop out of the debate reluctantly, sometimes not until death, whereas the bees do so automatically. I cannot help but wonder whether science would progress more rapidly if, in this regard, people behaved a bit more like bees.” Tomas D. Seeley. Honeybee Democracy. Page 257 (out of 525).

P.S. I also always try to do the things in a logical way. Why I put the pollen substitute now? Because It was too forking cold before, bees would not eat it( as from my first year experience) But a few days ago I`ve noticed bees brought first pollen in the new season. Brood rearing is definitely on the way. But forecast predicts plenty of warm but rainy days ahead. Thus, it`s definitely time for the action. If weather does not let them fly and collect pollen, why would not help them a bit during this critical brood rearing cycle?

 

[Fatbee]

How do you know it wasn't varroa?

 

[For want of a better word]

You should develop a better HOLLISTIC approach to your keeping of bees.. the REDUCTIONIST approach you seem to be pursuing will no doubt result in loosing a lot of colonies of bees.

Remember St David's student monk St Dominic brought honeybees from Wales to the Irish Isles to bring some sweetness to the Irish who lived on those isles at that time!

So they say...

Yeghes da

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Same as St Piran crossed from Wales to Cornwall to try and bash some decorum into the mackerel munching piskie chasers

 

[madasafish]

Small nucs/colonies are ALWAYS going to struggle over winter due to the greater heat losses of a small hive (greater surface area per bee.) This makes bees more vulnerable to nosema and disease.

Since I have adopted insulation cosies and 100mm of top insulation, I have not lost a colony over winter. (of course you need to check weights and feed fondant if light).

I suspect you need to do the same.