What’s this... is it pollen?

[Swn58]

does everyone put everything that they find in and around a hive in their mouth?.?
asking as a very new initiate to the bee arts..

I only said what I did because Etton had obviously tasted the strange stuff on the inspection board. I assure you that is not what I would do!

 

[Curly green finger's]

Bees have natural habit to renew combs, if combs are too old or mold have ruined the cells during winter. Then they draw new cells instead.. . I bet this.

Bees do not waste pollen stores that way..

You may open the hive, lift the frames andf
look, from where that stuff comes. Seeing the answer it should not be difficult.

I also thought this is what's happened old comb being renewed, I've seen swarms rip down 3 frames before and renew the comb.

 

[oliver90owner]

does everyone put everything that they find in and around a hive in their mouth?.?
asking as a very new initiate to the bee arts..

Ha ha. Dead mice, slugs, etc.

 

[Finman]

does everyone put everything

Of course. Its name is organoleptic inspection.

 

[Into the lions den]

Its just normal spring cleaning.

Its what also slays the myth of cells getting smaller as the combs get older. The bees clean the old cocoons out in spring to return celss to the parameters they want. You see it very commonly at the sides of the entrance as it gets tipped outside. Any colony showing this at the door has turned the coner and is on the upswing now. Its a very good sign.

 

[Finman]

Its just normal spring cleaning.

Its what also slays the myth of cells getting smaller as the combs get older. The bees clean the old cocoons out in spring to return celss to the parameters they want.

No.I have seen how it happens. Bees do not clean old cocoons from cells. That is why I do not get much wax with sunmelter from black combs.

Every silk cocoon has a small poo droplet, which the larva made before pupa formation.

When I had a skep, it has continuously black crumbs on the hive bottow. To chew off old combs was only way to renew their combs.

I have here a church, which have had a feral bee nest at least 30 years. No one has seen it, because you cannot break the little brick side tower.

 

[Into the lions den]

No. Bees do not clean old cocoons from cells.
Every silk cocoon has a small poo droplet, which the larva made before pupa formation.

Yes they do. Have proven it when we used Pierco.
Also had some BROOD combs that were SEVENTY years old (long gone now) that had a special pattern of foundation in them that was identified for me by Dave Cushman.....last made in the late 1920's. Their cells were just the same size as the others....and must have had some 300 or more brood cycles through them.

This semi fibrous dust appears outside all colonies with old combs in them when the first rapid spring expansion takes place and they are bringing combs that have not been in use for brood for the winter back into service..

When we had the Pierco frames with the thick plastic midrib (Also has some Dadant types too) they ended the season completely opaque...but after the spring clear out the cells were back to semi translucent at initiation the first brood cycle after the fibrous dust was chucked out.

Text books might say otherwise but they are full of opinion..this is a fact deficient craft/trade. If they say they do not clear out this stuff each spring they are just plain wrong.

We see a lot less of it than we used to now we do the big autumn comb change.

 

[Finman]

During 60 years I have seen too many kinds of crumbs on the hive floor. It is not a miracle. I can look the frames from where it comes from if needed.

May I ask, what is black and white in hens poo?
... it is same poo.

 

[StephenT]

May I ask, what is black and white in hens poo?
... it is same poo.

The black (usually brown) is poo and the white is piss.

 

[Finman]

The black (usually brown) is poo and the white is piss.

Well. That is good to know.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

The black (usually brown) is poo and the white is piss.

Patches fan?

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Pratchett

 

[Etton]

I’ll post the answer when I make my first inspection & yes finding my strong magnifying glass is on my todo list.

 

[Pembroke]

I once stored some very old combs in sealed boxes and when I went back to them the had dried out and the resultant mess, almost dust, looked very much like the debris you have there.

 

[GuyNir]

I once stored some very old combs in sealed boxes and when I went back to them the had dried out and the resultant mess, almost dust, looked very much like the debris you have there.

Pollen mites.

 

[Etton]

I checked this hive yesterday and found exactly the same deposits on the varroa board again! No mouse nest or anything else except the frames above are all filled with capped drone brood-see photo ( I’ve posted on a different thread what to do re shook swarm option).
There must be a link between these unusual deposits and all the domed brood comb.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Why are you considering a shook swarm? What will that achieve. It looks like your queen is failing. Shake them out today while it's still warm

 

[Etton]

I know I said shook swarm... I meant ‘shake out’

 

[Etton]

Did the shake out today onto a white sheet and found the queen...and she is no more! Queen unmarked yet in the autumn she was, and not worn away. Interesting to watch all the bees easily gaining entry to the other hives. I smoked them first thinking this may encourage them to take honey in before the shake out. I noticed some eggs on the side of the cells could this be drone laying workers as queen eggs normally at the cell bottom, yet there was a queen present? Maybe DLW because queen pheromone is low or the queen is laying badly. Any opinions on this?