What caused my colonies to fail?

[elainemary]

I think you did absolutely fine in the circumstances for your first season. I lost 2 out of 3 colonies in my first season. You weren’t to know OA strips were not effective. You’re doing absolutely the right thing now, reflecting, taking advice and learning, all will make you a better beekeeper next season. Jot down some notes on what you’ve learnt this first season (easy to forget details), start record keeping if you haven’t already started.There are lots of examples on the web including Bibba website like this one Section 4.14 - NatBIP 1 Record Card Instructions - BIBBA
Keeping reading, attending your local association, contributing to this forum, trying and learning. Good luck for next season

 

[oliver90owner]

If padding out a box for a small colony, the most important part is complete sealing at the crownboard - heat will be simply dissipated to the empty sides just like leaving matchsticks under the crownboard for the winter. Next is the sides where the importance is greater as one gets towards the top.P

The bottom is of no consequence, really. Only needs sealing if there are two colonies in the box! One can consider the bottom sealing just like an OMF.

Personally, these days a pair of small casts may well be united and allow them to sort out a queen.

 

[rampino]

Hi Dave, I agree with elainemary. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep going. Don’t get discouraged. Small colonies don’t always survive. As others have said combining them increases their chances. You’ll do better this year.

 

[Patrick1]

Ahhh .. right .. I assumed from his profile that this was Year 2 of his beekeeping (first registered on here is 2020) .. That would excuse a lot of things then ... too many alligators for a first year swamp drainer !

Yes, indeed 8 months is a lot different than what I was led to believe in the posts, kinder words of encouragement would have been fairer, although I cannot unsay it, I would like to think somewhere in all the posts are some useful lessons.

 

[Patrick1]

My first year, I was set up by a now prominent figure on the BBKA with two select national hives £1000 at the time, June came and so did the two swarms to fill them supplied by the same person at £50.00 each. I had no idea that this was the worst way to set up a new beekeeper until I took the roof and crown board off to do the inspection, they could have launched a Boing 747 I was smothered in bees in no time at all, roof back on and a hasty retreat.
They lasted until September and thankfully they disappeared, I gave the boxes to my local association and bought my first Langstroth, I introduced two nucs in the spring at £150 each, with the help of a bee buddy and I was off, there is a lesson in all this, you should be careful what you wish for, generally I have around 300 hives on top fruit waiting to build for nuc sales and most people will know the other bits and pieces I do.
70 this year and I keep promising myself it’s time to quit, well maybe it will happen……………one day, the problem is I love it and sometimes we forget just what a pleasure our hobby is.
8 months, I wish you well Dave.

 

[Poly Hive]

Drex? Re uniting. It is a researched long term view as it was found that combing hives into super hives failed to over winter. As ever there is a balance. Weak + weak fails, too strong fails so it's that nice point we need to look for. I'm pretty sure Mobus mentions this in his wintering articles but I'll need to read over again.

PH

 

[Curly green finger's]

I think you did absolutely fine in the circumstances for your first season. I lost 2 out of 3 colonies in my first season. You weren’t to know OA strips were not effective. You’re doing absolutely the right thing now, reflecting, taking advice and learning, all will make you a better beekeeper next season. Jot down some notes on what you’ve learnt this first season (easy to forget details), start record keeping if you haven’t already started.There are lots of examples on the web including Bibba website like this one Section 4.14 - NatBIP 1 Record Card Instructions - BIBBA
Keeping reading, attending your local association, contributing to this forum, trying and learning. Good luck for next season

I can only reiterate what elainemary has said, I think considering you have done really well, I've only had one cast but it to only survived untill the next spring so your odds were stacked against you straight away.
I treat swarms like I would a new bull or tup, isolated, treated, fed and assessed you went through all of these moshions I think.
I also agree about your notes even if it's minimal words it all helps in the future to fall back on.
Good luck for the new season and keep posting.

 

[Arfermo]

Stick the combs in a freezer for 24hrs before sealing up the hive to kill any wax moth larvae/eggs that may be present.

 

[Arfermo]

Not duct tape .... Aluminium tape from Toolstation ... the bees will get caught up in the adhesive when they eat through the duct tape. Dead bees ... They won't touch aluminium tape - useful for so many other beekeeping things as well - essential for your bee box.

https://www.toolstation.com/alumini...ugg_q=aluminium+tape?searchstr=aluminium tape

Never, ever have had a problem with duct tape. Have always had a couple of rolls so personally would not waste money on yet more pointless stuff. No offence intended.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Agree on the Aly Tape. I use it for all sorts of things in the hive, including repairing the cosies

 

[mbc]

My first year, I was set up by a now prominent figure on the BBKA with two select national hives £1000 at the time, June came and so did the two swarms to fill them supplied by the same person at £50.00 each. I had no idea that this was the worst way to set up a new beekeeper until I took the roof and crown board off to do the inspection, they could have launched a Boing 747 I was smothered in bees in no time at all, roof back on and a hasty retreat.
They lasted until September and thankfully they disappeared, I gave the boxes to my local association and bought my first Langstroth, I introduced two nucs in the spring at £150 each, with the help of a bee buddy and I was off, there is a lesson in all this, you should be careful what you wish for, generally I have around 300 hives on top fruit waiting to build for nuc sales and most people will know the other bits and pieces I do.
70 this year and I keep promising myself it’s time to quit, well maybe it will happen……………one day, the problem is I love it and sometimes we forget just what a pleasure our hobby is.
8 months, I wish you well Dave.

Swarms are one of the very best ways to set up a new beekeeper, as nature intended, there's also a bit of Harry Potter "the swarm/wand choses the wizard/beekeeper" goes on.
You weren't to know your initial foray into beekeeping was doomed to failure as you'd upset the gods of beekeeping by exchanging cash for a swarm.
Just don't do it.
I do myself out of nuc sales every season by passing on swarms, pays in the long run not to upset the gods though imho

 

[madasafish]

I have used Duct #tape for lots of beekeeping stuff. Works very well and no issues. Ally tape is ideal for sealing /joining insulation boards.. but I also use duct tape!
# Wilko tend to have cheap deals on it.

 

[Arfermo]

If padding out a box for a small colony, the most important part is complete sealing at the crownboard - heat will be simply dissipated to the empty sides just like leaving matchsticks under the crownboard for the winter. Next is the sides where the importance is greater as one gets towards the top.P

The bottom is of no consequence, really. Only needs sealing if there are two colonies in the box! One can consider the bottom sealing just like an OMF.

Personally, these days a pair of small casts may well be united and allow them to sort out a queen.

Because I can't find any skips with offcuts of Celotex/Kingspan going begging, I merely block the CB holes with spare bits of glass out of an old greenhouse cut down to about 10" x 8". Does the job and the bees couldn't care less. It's better that than using the bits of 3ply I have as the weight stops any leaks.

 

[pargyle]

Never, ever have had a problem with duct tape. Have always had a couple of rolls so personally would not waste money on yet more pointless stuff. No offence intended.

You can always teach an old dog new tricks if they are willing to learn ... Duct tape can be eaten by the bees, it's not waterproof, it leaves a residue when you peel it off and it's thicker than aluminium tape ... Some stuff is pointless ... aluminium tape is not - if you haven't tried it - don't knock it. I tried duct tape and the evidence of it being useless inside the hive is in the photos. No offence intended.

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

You can always teach an old dog new tricks if they are willing to learn ...

Aly tape doesn't need scissors or a knife to cut it - but you do need a strategy if it's not to spring back into a coil, all stuck together and irretrievable

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

We're a bit off-topic now but this has been a good thread - the forum at its best. I'll write about it for our BKA newsletter and encourage people to read it.

 

[Erichalfbee]

We're a bit off-topic now but this has been a good thread - the forum at its best. I'll write about it for our BKA newsletter and encourage people to read it.

Great.

 

[F.F.Stung]

I use flower boards which have images of plants in flower by month to inform new foragers what to look for.

I do a wiggle dance on the hive roof and they all come up to make notes.

 

[user 20297]

You can always teach an old dog new tricks if they are willing to learn ... Duct tape can be eaten by the bees, it's not waterproof, it leaves a residue when you peel it off and it's thicker than aluminium tape ... Some stuff is pointless ... aluminium tape is not - if you haven't tried it - don't knock it. I tried duct tape and the evidence of it being useless inside the hive is in the photos. No offence intended.

..it's cheap too.

 

[user 20297]

Aly tape doesn't need scissors or a knife to cut it - but you do need a strategy if it's not to spring back into a coil, all stuck together and irretrievable

...it's actually better ripped apart, if you cut with scissors it can take ages to find an edge to separate from the backing. Sometimes I deliberately rip a corner again when I'm frustrated at separating it.