What should be seen in a hive at this time of year (October)

[Mymwood]

I inspected my three colonies today. One had a little sealed (and unsealed brood), the other two were devoid of brood but had loads of bees and lots of store (honey and pollen).

The bees look very healthy and active and, on sunny days, are still bringing in stores - albeit in lesser quantity than a few weeks ago.

Is this to be expected? With the colder weather, is the amount of brood dropping down to zero and the bees that are present will die off to leave the small over-winter colony?

Mart.

 

[Hachi]

TBH I stopped inspecting some time ago as the necessity, for me, isn't there. Was there a particular reason why you needed to inspect?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Is this to be expected?

To be honest, I wouldn't know - can't recall ever inspecting a colony this late in the season

 

[Mymwood]

TBH I stopped inspecting some time ago as the necessity, for me, isn't there. Was there a particular reason why you needed to inspect?

Only that I wasn't aware that inspections stopped this time of year. I now know - having read another thread that explained it. Clearly, I now plan to leave them alone - apart from providing fondant - until the spring.

 

[Swarm]

OK the reality is, after harvesting any honey, inspections are a quick check that all is healthy with brood and an assessment of their stores. Varroa treatment follows, and feeding if necessary. Liquid feed, invert or syrup or fondant is your choice.
All the best for the coming Winter.

 

[ericbeaumont]

the other two were devoid of brood

This is odd: how good are you at recognising eggs and open larvae, and has the ivy been in flower for a while?

If two colonies have no brood at this time and the ivy (or your feed) has been coming in (no income = queen off lay) then they may be queenless or waiting for supersedure queens to begin laying (but a bit late for that).

Did you shake bees off combs and see 1 Glazed, shiny pollen 2 Brood areas empty or being filled with nectar?

These signs indicate that bees don't expect to need the pollen and so preserve it, and don't need the brood area and fill it.

 

[beeno]

I inspected my three colonies today. One had a little sealed (and unsealed brood), the other two were devoid of brood but had loads of bees and lots of store (honey and pollen).

The bees look very healthy and active and, on sunny days, are still bringing in stores - albeit in lesser quantity than a few weeks ago.

Is this to be expected? With the colder weather, is the amount of brood dropping down to zero and the bees that are present will die off to leave the small over-winter colony?

Mart.

The broodless ones have probably completed their winter bees and are having a brood break. That's why I prefer to inspect in September to make sure the winter bees are on their way.

 

[user 819]

Unless I lift out the celotex from the poly carb CB, I see nothing except for the comings and goings at the entrance. Like nearly every one else last proper look in Sept after treatment and a final stores check if needed by very early Oct if the weather allows.

 

[ericbeaumont]

The broodless ones have probably completed their winter bees

Well, now I'm confused. I admit to running late and the colonies I saw last week had brood in all stages. Has a Welsh deep winter shut down Mymwood's already? I doubt it.

 

[Hachi]

Only that I wasn't aware that inspections stopped this time of year. I now know - having read another thread that explained it. Clearly, I now plan to leave them alone - apart from providing fondant - until the spring.

Cool your engines fella I wasn't having a dig. I'm a bit confused tho, you joined the forum in 2011.

 

[Courty]

I had a quick check of one of my hives last week when it was Relatively warm and Sunny, when removing apivar strips. no brood at all in any stage. I thought the queen may have failed so looked to do a unite, however when I checked the next hive to see if it was suitable it also had no brood, same with the third but I saw the queen in that one. So I relaxed and left them to it.
I’m in Yorkshire at 300m above sea level.
They all had plenty of stores,with small patches of polished cells near the bottom of the middle frames with some pollen round the edges.
I guess they are all having a brood break.

courty

 

[elainemary]

I had a quick check of one of my hives last week when it was Relatively warm and Sunny, when removing apivar strips. no brood at all in any stage. I thought the queen may have failed so looked to do a unite, however when I checked the next hive to see if it was suitable it also had no brood, same with the third but I saw the queen in that one. So I relaxed and left them to it.
I’m in Yorkshire at 300m above sea level.
They all had plenty of stores,with small patches of polished cells near the bottom of the middle frames with some pollen round the edges.
I guess they are all having a brood break.

courty

It’s ‘normal’ for some colonies to stop brood rearing in September and more likely with black bees.
My last inspection was mid sept and 3 out of 10 colonies had no brood at all, but lovely and calm (ie queen present if not seen) and full of bees and lots of stores. The rest had brood nests that were shrinking fast. I’m also in Yorkshire and asking around, lots of other beekeepers had colonies in this position.
No brood also helps with final weeks of varroa treatment as varroa stop breeding too, so will kill off remaining phoretic mites.
Same happened last year, in colonies that stopped brood rearing early, these have all had relatively low varroa during the following season and lots of brood again by early spring. A master beekeeper told me these colonies ie stop broodcrearing early are good to select for queen rearing.
So see it as a positive if the colony is otherwise healthy and behaving ‘normally’ rather than a worry.

 

[Erichalfbee]

It’s ‘normal’ for some colonies to stop brood rearing in September and more likely with black bees.

Any bee really.
I see Hivemaker is reporting lots of brood free colonies among his Buckfast

 

[elainemary]

I inspected my three colonies today. One had a little sealed (and unsealed brood), the other two were devoid of brood but had loads of bees and lots of store (honey and pollen).

The bees look very healthy and active and, on sunny days, are still bringing in stores - albeit in lesser quantity than a few weeks ago.

Is this to be expected? With the colder weather, is the amount of brood dropping down to zero and the bees that are present will die off to leave the small over-winter colony?

Mart.

Good article about brood size at this time of year. Helps explain why some colonies have little brood & helps reassure about those that have none

https://www.honeybeesuite.com/my-hives-have-no-brood-what-should-i-do/
Elaine

 

[StephenT]

My hives have all got about 3 frames of brood still and I’m seeing good orientation flights but then it’s still quite mild here with plenty of pollen available. Good article by Rusty and it highlights for me the need to keep an eye on stores over winter if they continue to have substantial brood.