Varroa situation

[The Poot in Somerset]

It's always sad when you lose a colony ... it can happen so quickly that sometimes you just don't get the chance to get in quick enough to do anything about it. But .... nature has a way of weeding out those creatures that are not destined to survive in the long term and even our best efforts to keep colonies alive and thriving will fail.

If there were more survivors in the colony I would be agreeing with some of the other posters who have suggested ways of keeping a colony going .. indeed, if you only had two hives I might have considered some other options but you have good strong colonies outside of this one and they need to be what you should concentrate on now as winter approaches.

It's so easy to make increase in the spring - from colonies that you know are strong - that's what you should be looking ahead to and planning your numbers (and your kit !) for next year.

Nothing to beat yourself up about - show me a beekeeper who hasn't had a colony failure at some point and you're looking at someone who has never kept bees or is a fantasist ! Onwards and upwards ...

Sound advice methinks.

 

[beeno]

Alternatively, you could try to overwinter her in an Apidea. It is handy to have one of those anyway and they come with a super. You only need to start off with a mug full of nurse bees to see if she is viable - if you have time and the inclination. Us southerners are going to have summer next week, but we do not know where you are.

 

[pargyle]

Alternatively, you could try to overwinter her in an Apidea. It is handy to have one of those anyway and they come with a super. You only need to start off with a mug full of nurse bees to see if she is viable - if you have time and the inclination. Us southerners are going to have summer next week, but we do not know where you are.

I agree, apideas are useful ... I have a couple of apideas I picked up in the sale a couple of years ago and they are handy bits of kit ... but, unless the OP has one .. it's not a good decision financially at this stage to go out and buy one - it will cost £30+ for the apidea and frames ... then you have to get them drawn out with the remnants of a weakened colony ...

A new queen, ordered now, will cost £35 in spring and you have a new productive colony next season with a proven overwintered queen ... and a full colony with donated bees from her other hives for less cost and less hassle than trying to save this lot.