Winter Losses?

[Poly Hive]

Did my January treatment yesterday and much to my annoyance found a dead colony.

They offered to swarm just as the weather up here broke after the dry spell and judging by the pitiful amount of bees left the queen failed to mate properly. All the rest of the nucs and colonies are looking pretty good.

Bit of a pisser but that's nature for you. Keep livestock and expect some deadstock.

PH

 

[birdsandbees]

I've lost one too last month, they appeared fine, not the strongest colony but should have been strong enough and had a full Super, went to check the hives and add fondant where required but they'd died.

when I opened them up they'd starved, comb was all empty and roughly opened so I think they'd been robbed out by the others.

some Nucs were light and have been fed but all so far all others still alive and kicking.

I'm actually pretty gutted, the first colony I've lost over winter, its ruined my run of five winters without loss

 

[Stiffy]

Checked mine in the last few day, though non lost (yet) several starting to get a bit lighter than I would like. Fondant going on in next few days.
S

 

[simonforeman]

Going to add more fondant to mine on Friday afternoon... 2 of the 4 were a little light but seem to be holding their weight at the moment with the fondant added before Xmas. All looked pretty strong to me.

Also while adding the fondant I'm swapping all 4 to clear crown boards to help with checking the fondant without opening them up.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Did my January treatment yesterday and much to my annoyance found a dead colony.

They offered to swarm just as the weather up here broke after the dry spell and judging by the pitiful amount of bees left the queen failed to mate properly. All the rest of the nucs and colonies are looking pretty good.

Bit of a pisser but that's nature for you. Keep livestock and expect some deadstock.

PH

found exactly the same week before christmas and for similar reasons, forty hives vapourised with oxalic and one found dead that in late august had a single queen cell.

 

[Helen]

I think one of my colonies is on its way out as well.

I added a bought in Buckfast queen during the summer, and while she did lay a bit, nothing very much. Bees gradually dwindled. They are now on 1 seam. Plenty of fondant still, just running out of bees.

Thinking of moving them this weekend from the hive into a poly nuc which has more thermal protection and smaller space.

 

[user 6228]

had colony I thought was dead but every so often on a warmish day we see them orientating. This is in an AT so a small colony has a better chance.

 

[Stedic]

One of mine looks a bit iffy. Again a queen issue in autumn slowed them down (but happened too late to replace her).

4 seams of bees at the moment. Did think about moving them to a nuc, but wonder if that might be too disruptive.

 

[Millet]

I think one of my colonies is on its way out as well.

I added a bought in Buckfast queen during the summer, and while she did lay a bit, nothing very much. Bees gradually dwindled. They are now on 1 seam. Plenty of fondant still, just running out of bees.

Thinking of moving them this weekend from the hive into a poly nuc which has more thermal protection and smaller space.

I have one very similar with a bought in 2018 buckfast Queen..i gave them 2kg of fondant a month ago.. rolled out in grease proof paper which covers just about all the area over the top bars..i have not looked in on them for a while as they have more than enough to last them if they survive..

 

[TooBee...]

... in an AT so a small colony has a better chance.

What's an "AT"?... Artificial Tree ?

 

[Beefriendly]

Yes.

 

[simonforeman]

Did my last gas-vap vape for my 4 hives and swapped them to clear crown boards. Before that I checked their fondant all have started on it but only 1 needed another slab and that hive on double national is on 7-8 frames in top box, don't know how many in bottom if any. All looking good so far.

 

[Curly green fingers]

I was concerned for one of my colony's it was only on 4 seams brood/half but they look strong and all over the fondant,and are moving into the half above
So all's good. all the others are covering 6/7 seams
And doing really well plenty of store cappings on the inspection boards so I'll keep both eyes on them , weighing etc...

 

[Helen]

I think one of my colonies is on its way out as well.

I added a bought in Buckfast queen during the summer, and while she did lay a bit, nothing very much. Bees gradually dwindled. They are now on 1 seam. Plenty of fondant still, just running out of bees.

Thinking of moving them this weekend from the hive into a poly nuc which has more thermal protection and smaller space.

So moved the colony into a poly nuc from the hive. A few more bees than I expected, but in the quick transfer, I couldn't see the queen at all. No brood. Worryingly, there were a couple of old torn queen cells on one brood frame. Maybe they tried to replace her ... but would have been very late.

So much for the expensive buckfast queen.

 

[jeff33]

Fingers crossed, so far no losses. I vap all my hives over the last few weeks and had to vap one 4 times due to high drop. I cracked the board up of a nuc to check stores and glad I did as the cluster was isolated from stores. I put the full frame next to the cluster, fondant over and re-sealed the lot.
They have all started brood again looking at debris on the boards.

 

[Beefriendly]

So much for the expensive buckfast queen.

If she wasn't laying much originally...sound like duff queen. They come in all strains.

 

[Helen]

If she wasn't laying much originally...sound like duff queen. They come in all strains.

Yes I think so. She laid a little, but not much. Queen provider suggested introducing her to another nuc, feeding, and being patient. Tried everything suggested, but no dice. By that time, too late to swap for another as was into autumn.

 

[Millet]

Yes I think so. She laid a little, but not much. Queen provider suggested introducing her to another nuc, feeding, and being patient. Tried everything suggested, but no dice. By that time, too late to swap for another as was into autumn.

I bought Five Queens from the same breeder last year.. i killed one my mistake..but all the others where introduced into nucs the same way..all done ok in the nucs..so they where put into national poly brood boxes..one was doing that well it got a super put on top..that is when the poop hit the fan..a couple of weeks after the super was put on top the bees half filled it but then stopped...the Queen started laying more drone brood than i have seen in all the other colonies.. this colony also had a big varroa problem...to start with this was the strongest of the four Queens..now it is the weakest..like i said all from the same stock but i think this one is a dud..

 

[TooBee...]

... i killed one my mistake..but all the others where introduced into nucs the same way....like i said all from the same stock but i think this one is a dud..

I'm glad experienced members like you on the forum share your mistakes, I too killed a Queen this year by accident and she too was bought in, I was really gutted, my first loss.

There's another Thread started about British reared Queens vs. imported, although timing is everything to some, I'm starting to realize from listening to many, that quality, and I mean consistent quality, is very important.

 

[Millet]

I'm glad experienced members like you on the forum share your mistakes, I too killed a Queen this year by accident and she too was bought in, I was really gutted, my first loss.

There's another Thread started about British reared Queens vs. imported, although timing is everything to some, I'm starting to realize from listening to many, that quality, and I mean consistent quality, is very important.

I'm not experienced but i have had my fair share of up's and down's that are good learning curves... i never make the same mistake twice so to speak..my mistake with the Queen in question was trying to fire her through the hive entrance with a catapult as the hive was too angry to go near..