What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Murox]

Cant play spot the Queen now!

 

[Moobee]

Checked on the three hives. Unfortunately it looks like one has a failing queen. Bee numbers have reduced substantially from the last check in early February and there is very minimal uncapping of brood showing on the varroa floor and hardly any pollen going in compared to the other two
Very happy with the other two though - lots of activity, good weight and loads of pollen from crocus and hellebores.
So I’ll probably be in the market for an overwintered nuc or a swarm in the spring.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

there is very minimal uncapping of brood showing on the varroa floor and hardly any pollen going in compared to the other two

Each colony is different so I wouldn't give up on them quite yet. the bringing in of pollen (or not) is never a good indicator of queen status.

 

[JamezF]

Last night I opened up the blocked entrances to the hives that I moved earlier in the week.

It was my intention to collect up a few stands that I have spread about the place, including in the old apiary, today. When I had a look in the old apiary though there were a few bees that had flown back to their old site. Not many, perhaps a few dozen. They seemed a bit dischuffed with life though, so I decided I'd have to leave them to their fate and come back later unless I wanted to put my bee suit on. I could perhaps try to get them to climb onto some old comb and shake them onto the hive in its new position, but I imagine they'd just fly back again.

Checking the entrances of the moved colonies there were lots of bees making orientation flights and even some bringing in pollen, so I'm taking that as a good sign.

James

 

[JamezF]

Finally shifted all the stands etc. to the new apiary. There wasn't much flying, though I did see one or two bees carrying pollen. This afternoon was sunny, but the northerly wind wasn't entirely pleasant to be out in. Looking at the forecast I reckon they'll be staying home for the next few days, too. Temperatures look like they're going to drop a few degrees from tonight.

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

hard frost last night, had to break the ice in the chicken's water feeders this morning, got pretty sunny early afternoon but still cold enough to sight a few brass monkeys very light in the scrotum department, although the bees were fairly active

 

[W0otz]

Bees very busy today, lots of pollen going in and they're collecting plenty of water too.

 

[JamezF]

Bees very busy today, lots of pollen going in and they're collecting plenty of water too.

Mine are still tucked up under their duvets! Frost this morning and it's cold, breezy and grey here. Can't see much of an improvement on the horizon either.

James

 

[Wilco]

Busy today, 12C and flying well although sadly realised I'd lost my weakest nuc over the weekend (had been a bit peaky). Fought the urge to look in the hives but plenty of pollen coming in so might whack a second deep under each at some point just in case. Time to start planning when to move them to the out apiaries methinks.


One of the girls landed on my hand when I was filming. First thing she did was do a dump on my finger!

Lambing has started too.

 

[Boston Bees]

Busy today, 12C and flying well although sadly realised I'd lost my weakest nuc over the weekend (had been a bit peaky). Fought the urge to look in the hives but plenty of pollen coming in so might whack a second deep under each at some point just in case. Time to start planning when to move them to the out apiaries methinks.

Sorry to hear that - don't fancy keeping us entertained with an autopsy?

 

[Wilco]

Sorry to hear that - don't fancy keeping us entertained with an autopsy?

I'll take a proper look next time I'm up there with spare time but had a very brief look when I realised/suspected they were no more:

• Some stores present (mix of capped and uncapped, plenty of fondant above (untouched).
• No sign of brooding from cursory look.
• Had been treated for varroa (I use OA sublimation).
• Only tiny handful of dead bees (seriously low numbers) and clustered away from stores but of the handful present, only one had a head in a cell so not entirely convinced of isolation starvation but possible.
• Some evidence of wax moth and mould on frames furthest from 'cluster' so suspect nuc had been small/dropping for a while. Suspect colony numbers dwindled so low they struggled to keep warm and would presumably have been unable to rear any brood, compounding the situation.
• Didn't look long enough to see queen among dead.
• Was a small, late nuc so may have been poorly mated.

Now sealed up to avoid robbing.

 

[Moobee]

Watched the girls whizzing in and out with pollen despite the bitingly cold wind yesterday.
One hive has definitely had it. No sign of life so I’ll check today, take some pictures and close up to stop any robbing and hopefully waxmoth. Plan to sort out properly at the weekend.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Nothing moving here. Bitterly cold and windy. On the odd day the bees from the tree are on the garden flowers. The apiary bees have nothing to forage on yet. There is a huge willow by the pond, some sort of exotic one with long catkins that usually promises early nectar and pollen, but the gales blew every single flower bud off. The goat willow is yet to come. They are all tucked up in bed

 

[Moobee]

Checked the quiet hive and it’s sadly gone. Looks like the queen may have failed as hardly any brood and only a few dead bees clinging pathetically to the corner of a frame. A nasty mess of dead and mouldy bees on the mesh floor, a bit of wax moth and mouldy pollen.
Have salvaged any decent drawn frames and put them in the freezer.
A few pictures attached and I would appreciate any comments or ideas about what may have happened. They were in a standard National brood box with a nadired full super of stores, fondant directly on top bars over brood nest in an eke with clear crownboard and roof with 2” of kingspan. Still some stores in super & fondant left. Varroa floor has been in due to high winds.
Sad as it was my first hive.

 

[Wilco]

Checked the quiet hive and it’s sadly gone. Looks like the queen may have failed as hardly any brood and only a few dead bees clinging pathetically to the corner of a frame. A nasty mess of dead and mouldy bees on the mesh floor, a bit of wax moth and mouldy pollen.
Have salvaged any decent drawn frames and put them in the freezer.
A few pictures attached and I would appreciate any comments or ideas about what may have happened. They were in a standard National brood box with a nadired full super of stores, fondant directly on top bars over brood nest in an eke with clear crownboard and roof with 2” of kingspan. Still some stores in super & fondant left. Varroa floor has been in due to high winds.
Sad as it was my first hive.

View attachment 30739View attachment 30740View attachment 30741

First photo may have some recapped brood which might indicate a varroa issue or some other brood problem. Last few may have starved as some heads in cells but were probably doomed anyway if there were so few. Sorry to hear. How old was the queen?

 

[Swarm]

Nothing sinister IMO.

 

[Boston Bees]

Checked the quiet hive and it’s sadly gone. Looks like the queen may have failed as hardly any brood and only a few dead bees clinging pathetically to the corner of a frame. A nasty mess of dead and mouldy bees on the mesh floor, a bit of wax moth and mouldy pollen.
Have salvaged any decent drawn frames and put them in the freezer.
A few pictures attached and I would appreciate any comments or ideas about what may have happened. They were in a standard National brood box with a nadired full super of stores, fondant directly on top bars over brood nest in an eke with clear crownboard and roof with 2” of kingspan. Still some stores in super & fondant left. Varroa floor has been in due to high winds.
Sad as it was my first hive.

View attachment 30739View attachment 30740View attachment 30741

Sorry to see. Happens!

IMHO, nadiring that super created a completely unnatural brood nest shape, with (from the bottom up), empty cells, then a honey arc, then a large area of empty cells, then another honey arc. You would never find that setup in nature, which is why I wouldn't recommend nadiring unless it's done very early in the season. But to be honest I don't think that was what caused the issue with this hive. They didn't starve.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

that's why I don't like putting the half of a brood and a half under the deep late in the end of a season, bees are reluctant to move sealed stores back up above the brood and if it's a fairly small colony going into the winter, they don't move back down to find the food again.
a few bees died on emerging by the looks of things

 

[Moobee]

First photo may have some recapped brood which might indicate a varroa issue or some other brood problem. Last few may have starved as some heads in cells but were probably doomed anyway if there were so few. Sorry to hear. How old was the queen?

Treated for varroa after honey came off in September and OA vaped in December - no significant drop then. Queen was last seasons (late in the year due to queen issues with this hive all year) but was slow to get started once mated and by the time I realised it was late in the season and decided not to combine with either of the other two hives to preserve two better queens.

 

[Wilco]

Treated for varroa after honey came off in September and OA vaped in December - no significant drop then. Queen was last seasons (late in the year due to queen issues with this hive all year) but was slow to get started once mated and by the time I realised it was late in the season and decided not to combine with either of the other two hives to preserve two better queens.

Might be similar to what happened to mine then. How many other colonies do you have?