what to do after colony loss from dwindling?

[RoseCottage]

So this could be seen as a negative train of thought but it is quite late/early...


If I lose my colonies due to dwindle - not enough brood hatching before old bees die - what hive hygiene is necessary?

Do I need to swap out brood comb?
How long will Varroa persist in the hive or combs?
Do I really need to scorch the hive interior?

If I lose out this year, and I am not expecting total disaster yet, I will be getting more bees May time. Will 6 weeks be enough time for Varroa to die in the hive?

Sam

 

[Dishmop]

Why are you assuming that any loss must be because of varroa?

 

[Arfermo]

Why are you assuming that any loss must be because of varroa?

I have lost a colony due to starvation. Masses of crystallised honey led me to believe hefting weight was OK when it is now clear it wasn't and I have found a full B/B of crytallised frames wall to wall and a lower half B/B empty but forw dead bees with their heads at the bottom of empty cells. Think Q may have starved too dammit, so will shortly be uniting the many bees that are left.

 

[johna]

Sounds like isolation starvation due to cold weather of a few weeks ago.

 

[enrico]

Might be wrong but sounds like you are using rape honey to overwinter bees, or possibly honey that has been 'seeded' by rape which crystalises it. Sometimes this can get so hard the bees won't use it. If this is the case try and keep any supers used for rape separate from any other nectar flows so that the honey doesn't go rock hard!!

 

[oliver90owner]

Why are you assuming that any loss must be because of varroa?

Dwindling, as the poster clearly stated, has nothing at all to do with varroa!

Do I need to swap out brood comb? No, if otherwise healthy

How long will Varroa persist in the hive or combs? They don't. They are a parasite of the honey bee. No bees, no parasite

Do I really need to scorch the hive interior? Yes, always a good for hygiene.

Regards to Sam, RAB

 

[RoseCottage]

Rab,
Many thanks for your advice....it leads to a question though 8)
If no bees no Varroa that's great but what about the buggers that may remain in brood cells?
All the best,
Sam

 

[Rosti]

Sam, your question on frames with brood still in situ / potential varroa within uncapped cells. I took a look at the varroa data sheet and the following from the CSL bulletin while I was thinking about what I would do.

"The mated females live on the young host bee until they enter cells to reproduce. In the summer mites live about 2-3 months but much longer in the winter. They can sustain without a host for a period of some days"

Based on the above fact that the little b*ggers can live a long time with a host and some time in the abscence of a living bee host I think I would decap and remove any remaining brood with a fork and then as a precaution freeze (slowly - bigger ice crystals = better death rate) and hold frozen for 48 hours the frames I wanted to re-use. If you are having to re-populate then utilising your pre-drawn must give them a head start so I would do anything to avoid binning it.

I hope it doesn't come to that, good luck, R

Edit add: the bulleting implies that without a living bee host you wont get further reproductive cycles so this is a residual clean-up job

 

[Dishmop]

Dwindling, as the poster clearly stated, has nothing at all to do with varroa!

I dont see where the poster has stated that dwindle has nothing to do with varroa.
What I see is.

If I lose my colonies due to dwindle - not enough brood hatching before old bees die - what hive hygiene is necessary?

and then some queries about varroa and hygiene, so my assumption was that the poster is linking a loss thro dwindle as being caused by varroa and what needs to be done in the way of hygiene......

 

[RoseCottage]

Rosti,
Many thanks for doing the research. I will take on board both Rab's and your advice should it come to that. I have given my girls some food and pollen patties and will leave till the weather turns good again before I go and disturb them. I think in the next 2 weeks I'll know whether I am ok or not. one colony on my last inspection (when I gave them the patties) had started to cap some brood but we are talking 3 palm size patches across 3 frames. The other had nothing but did have polished cells. I am hoping the patties will spur the queens into laying. Both colonies were bringing in small amounts of pollen and even a little nectar.

Rab suggested uniting them but I have decided not to yet as I am hoping they will pull through...it may be very expensive education.

All the best,
Sam

 

[RoseCottage]

Dishmop,
Many thanks for taking the time to reply. I think that perhaps I was a little ambiguous. I did indeed intend my comments to imply starvation or poor forage rather than Varroa infestation.

My Varroa drops are low - 1 a day one one colony and 1 a week in the other.

Sorry for the confusion,

Sam

 

[RoseCottage]

Enrico,
My girls were all fed to the gunnels with sugar syrup which is still being eaten by them. It has 'crystallised' a little but they are eating it well. They also had late summer, post OSR, honey stores and in Feb some fondant (most of which is still there).

I think they probably stored some OSR in the BB during spring last year but they are not OSR bound in the hive.

Good point though for me to bear in mind.

All the best,
Sam

 

[Poly Hive]

No you do not need to scorch though some do it at every opportunity it seems.

A good scrub with Virkon S or washing soda will achieve the same results.

Your most likely culprit is nosema.

PH

 

[Dishmop]

Dishmop,
Many thanks for taking the time to reply.

Thankyou for your thankyou..

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Sam,
If you have a very small colony it is better in a nuc hive or pack your hive with insulation. A smaller hive will help the bees keep the brood area warmer = more brood = more bees.