KayJ
New Bee
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2010
- Messages
- 33
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- North Wales coastal strip
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 5
This is my first year keeping bees so I wonder if anyone can please tell me if this is normal / why do you think so many bees have died?
The weather today was up to about 8 degrees so I went to check on my bees. As expected they were removing the dead ones but there was such a difference between my two hives. Hive 2 seemed to have very few dead bees and not many bees flying. ( This is usually the much quieter hive )
Hive 1 was very busy and had lots of dead bees so I moved the mouse guard out of the way to help them. The bees were milling around in the air above the hive and it reminded me of the summer when the queen had gone out on a mating flight. The bees were being removed by the handful so hundreds must have died. Why? I can see fresh cappings on the floor under the hive.
I have left the honey in the hives for the bees this year (my nuc swarmed as soon as I got it so I had two small colonies but they built up well) and fed them as well so I think they just about had enough stores. Could they have starved? Why such losses on only one hive. They are 2 feet apart on the same stand.
I live a mile from the sea on the North Wales coast. We have had no snow to speak of but very cold and frosty, night time temperatures down to -9. The hives are on OMF on a slatted stand and wintering on brood and a half.
The weather today was up to about 8 degrees so I went to check on my bees. As expected they were removing the dead ones but there was such a difference between my two hives. Hive 2 seemed to have very few dead bees and not many bees flying. ( This is usually the much quieter hive )
Hive 1 was very busy and had lots of dead bees so I moved the mouse guard out of the way to help them. The bees were milling around in the air above the hive and it reminded me of the summer when the queen had gone out on a mating flight. The bees were being removed by the handful so hundreds must have died. Why? I can see fresh cappings on the floor under the hive.
I have left the honey in the hives for the bees this year (my nuc swarmed as soon as I got it so I had two small colonies but they built up well) and fed them as well so I think they just about had enough stores. Could they have starved? Why such losses on only one hive. They are 2 feet apart on the same stand.
I live a mile from the sea on the North Wales coast. We have had no snow to speak of but very cold and frosty, night time temperatures down to -9. The hives are on OMF on a slatted stand and wintering on brood and a half.