Vanished colony.

[Poly Hive]

This is a post on FB from a local beekeeper here in the Borders.

"9 days ago I had a queenless hive. I grabbed a frame of eggs and very young larvae/brood. Today, I had a peep inside looking forward to seeing some queen cells. Imagine my disappointment to find an empty hive - no bees, no brood - completely empty ??"

Now there are some wasps around here but not plagues so I am wondering about that one.

Any other thoughts?

PH

 

[Bee Bumble]

Two legged rats.

 

[Poly Hive]

The combs are still there I believe.

PH

 

[Hivemaker.]

They absconded...they do that sometimes.

 

[Poly Hive]

Yes and that was my first thought too but there should have been brood left on the Test Frame given 9 days prior which was a BIAS frame.

Curious eh?

PH

 

[Hivemaker.]

They most likely removed the brood, ate it.

 

[Poly Hive]

Sealed brood too? Well well.

PH

 

[Beefriendly]

Never believe what you read on facebook or take it at face value.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Sealed brood too? Well well.

"Bees do nothing invariably."

 

[Teemore]

It would be nice to have more details about the colony when the frame was added and exactly how it was found 9 days later before commenting on what might have happened...

 

[Poly Hive]

The post was form a trusted source not a random one. Not to mention a respected local person so forget the bias of FB.

The info is there if you read it, the unit was Q- so a test frame was inserted in the hope of raising some Q cells. 9 days later bees and brood had vanished leaving empty cells. Do I really have to spell this all out on here of all places?

Anyway thanks Hivemaker, live and learn.

PH

 

[madasafish]

Starvation., all brood ejected, eggs eaten, swarmed.

edit: and the weather conditions were ideal for that.

 

[Teemore]

Not being awkward, was really just looking for clarification of colony strength/size and stores status and a bit on the local weather before adding my thoughts. All give a clearer picture, an important point since my beekeeping circumstances are likely very different to the beekeeper referred to.
My local weather has not been great over the past 3 to 4 weeks but my bees have continued to forage and bring in pollen and nectar. Stores have increased in the majority of my colonies over that period. Given what I find in my stocks, my thoughts do not automatically turn to starving, absconding colonies, hence a request for a bit more info.
With regard to Hivemaker's observations, my 2014 colony records note some colonies uncapping brood and turfing the larvae out during a period when the weather turned cold and wet for several weeks with little or no opportunity for foraging. These colonies all experienced a complete brood break, hastened by them getting rid of some capped brood. All these stocks had stores and none absconded. Everyone has different experiences.
A local beekeeper always cautions that hunger can be a cause of swarming/absconding and advises that beekeepers should keep an eye out for colonies cannibalising larvae...

 

[user 6228]

"Bees do nothing invariably."

or dont bet your house on honeybees behaving to form

 

[REDWOOD]

If brood has been removed then something has done it.
No dead bees on the floor or comb then starvation is unlikely
Usually find brood with abscondment
Nosema ceranae can empty a hive quickly and can cause CCD as the foraging bees are the first to go in the field

 

[tidymeup]

Has no one got this yet or have I just missed a post.

Asian hornet?

 

[Millet]

Has no one got this yet or have I just missed a post.

Asian hornet?

Finny might have got the ferry over here to steal the bees, apparently these stolen bees hold the key to all civilization. .

 

[colinc]

My money is on field beans. They ate too many beans and the hive became uninhabitable, queeny was literally lifting the crown board so they upped and offed, lock, stock......

Did you smell it when you checked the hive?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Sealed brood too? Well well.

PH

Starvation., all brood ejected, eggs eaten, swarmed.

edit: and the weather conditions were ideal for that.

Had a colony run dangerously short of stores at an out apiary which I couldn't get to last weekend - very strong colony with only a part filled super - opened up and they were in the process of uncapping and removing the sealed brood, fed them in time but checked two days after (SBI visit due to AFB and EFB found a few miles away) bees are now fine but most of the sealed brood gone and cells polished ready for HM to start again