Winter 2008/2009 Winter loss poll

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What is you % hive loss to the nearest 5%

  • 0%

    Votes: 24 60.0%
  • 5%

    Votes: 1 2.5%
  • 10%

    Votes: 2 5.0%
  • 15%

    Votes: 4 10.0%
  • 20%

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 25%

    Votes: 1 2.5%
  • 30%

    Votes: 3 7.5%
  • 35%

    Votes: 2 5.0%
  • 40%

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 45%

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 50%

    Votes: 2 5.0%
  • 55%

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 60%

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 65%

    Votes: 1 2.5%
  • 70%

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 75%

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 80%

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 85%

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 90%

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 95%

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 100%

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    40

jimbeekeeper

Queen Bee
Joined
Dec 14, 2008
Messages
2,461
Reaction score
8
Location
East Yorkshire
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
1
Hi

Following on from this thread, http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=417 and we are now officially in Spring it would be good to try and get some numbers to forum member’s losses.

• Do they match the predicted 30% the BBKA and Government states?
• Do you know why you lost a hive?
• What do you plan to do this year differently to last?
• Do you plan to increase stock this year?

It might also help to indicate you number of hives

Jim
 
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I lost 50% and it has noting to do with anything bar bad beekeeping its that simple.

Two were bloody strong nucs that starved as I was just too tied down getting the business up and running to attend to, they badly needed moving into a full hive but died poor sods before I could get to them.

I will say in some mitigation I am strange to the area and didn't realise just how pollen poor it is. My spring build up is very poor too and there is a massive dearth of pollen in the area.

The other three were very poor stocks going into winter and I am not surprised they have gone.

Just had a chat with a very competent beekeeper in Aberdeenshire (yes this has no bearing) and they are still losing hives now as the spring is so poor.

PH
 
I put 15%
one lost out of 6?

Cause: Bad beekeeping,they froze due to an empty super with crownboard above leaving a small cluster with to much space to heat up.
They starved with loads of stores around them but to cold to move.

p.s thanks for doing the poll for us Jimbeekeeper.
 
I'll hold fire until I've done full inspections. So far I've lost 8% but I've got a few strugglers, some of which won't be viable, plus there's bound to be a drone layer or 2 lurking somewhere. But it's already clear we've done way better than last winter.
 
We won't be able to do the maths right unless we know how many out of how many hives people have lost. It would be good to know if 30% of the hives monitored were lost or not.
 
We won't be able to do the maths right unless we know how many out of how many hives people have lost. It would be good to know if 30% of the hives monitored were lost or not.

P&W it does not really make sense what you have written, please can you expand more?

We are just looking for a % of hives you have lost. But without making the poll to detailed it is best if you add a note ref % hives lost against number of hives.

Although any hives lost is bad 100% loss when you only have 1 hive is quite different to 100% loss when you have 100 hives.
 
zero loss but only one hive at the mo so could easily have been the other extreme.


David
 
I haven't lost any (so far) although I expected one to go as at my last check in the Autumn, the queen wasn't laying, but she is now.
I seem to have done most things right for once:-
I made some polystyrene/blocks and slightly reduced the internal dimensions with them and also put some above the crown board -thanks Finman :cheers2:
I fed thymol syrup in the Autumn - thanks my local mentor Gavin :cheers2:
I fed syrup and carried on till they stopped taking it - thanks Blossom :cheers2:

Frisbee
 
If we want to know the overall percentage of hives lost the sum is

total number of hives that survived Winter divided by total number of hives that went into Winter x 100

If we did this sum we would have a much better idea whether the average loss is 30% or not. So you would have to ask each person to answer the above. You are right probably too complicated for a poll.
I often I rubbish though, particularly if I have been on the Islay malt!!!
 
If we want to know the overall percentage of hives lost the sum is

total number of hives that survived Winter divided by total number of hives that went into Winter x 100

Hi P&W

Your above equation is the way I envisaged people would do it any way, it is certainly the way I calculated mine.

And also from Admins example (he lost 1 out of 6 = (5/6)*100 = 83.33% survival or 100-83 = 16.66667 % loss) it is how Admin calculated his.

I think we are all singing from the same hymn book:cheers2:
 
Just giving this thread a bump back up in case people who have only just started opening up their hives missed it.

Only 21 people have currently voted, but results are looking good.

BUT if you have had a loss we can all benefit by learning if you know the reason or if not why not ask a question! Someone might be able to help you so you can have better results for 2009 / 2010 winter.

Jim
 
three into winter and three out of winter - 100% survival - beginner luck I guess.

Yos
 
Well don Yos,just remember that statistics from the states say that its the second and third winter that give the biggest % loss.

So its the next 2 winters you really need to be on your guard and not complacent.
 
Well don Yos,just remember that statistics from the states say that its the second and third winter that give the biggest % loss.

So its the next 2 winters you really need to be on your guard and not complacent.

Apologies Admin, I should have introduced myself, but I've been lurking so long I feel I know many of you already - and I'd forgotten it was my first post here.

Cheers

Yos
 
Well I think I can take the leader board as my % loss this winter is 60%.
I had in apiary 1 ten colonies and lost 6. 2=Nosema so I killed them off.
3 = don't know, there were stores which were available (not crystallised) and in Jan fed all hives fondant.
1 = bad beekeeping as I should have known better than to leave a small swarm to fend for its self.
Home apiary nil losses.

the colonies that have survived are all in Langstroth hives wooden and poly. (can't spell polystyrene).

Last year I was hit by vandals now I'm hit by?????????.:svengo:

Apologies as I hit the 65% button instead of 60% so Jim please take that into account

Regards:
 
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Lost a queen in one of my seven hives, wasn't heartbroken over it as I intended to unite this colony with another there wasonly four frames of bees in the autumn, but mainly because she was from some very swarmy stock (this was a Sept swarm) still they wintered fine.
So, more or less a 15% for me in coming out of my second winter.

Rich
 
Apologies Admin, I should have introduced myself, but I've been lurking so long I feel I know many of you already - and I'd forgotten it was my first post here.

Cheers

Yos

Sorry Yos,I must admit I had seen your username in the online panel a few times so forgot to welcome you.
 
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