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Author Topic: COMPLETELY empty hive  (Read 11154 times)

Offline MikeyN.C.

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Re: COMPLETELY empty hive
« Reply #40 on: December 25, 2015, 08:48:59 am »
Lost my one an only give (first hive)same situation

Offline KPF

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Re: COMPLETELY empty hive
« Reply #41 on: January 05, 2016, 02:48:50 pm »
I just joined the dead hive club. Interesting thing. I found my queen with about 40 bees in the top honey super.  That's it. The rest of the hive empty. About 100-200 dead bees on the bottom board, so no idea what happened. A lot of club members in my area (Southeastern Massachusetts) have had deadouts recently.

I'm a first year beekeeper and both hives failed, the first in summer, the second this month. There's always next year.  April is just around the corner.
"Sprinkles are for winners."

Offline Rurification

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Re: COMPLETELY empty hive
« Reply #42 on: January 05, 2016, 03:01:07 pm »
I feel your pain.   I lost all hives the last two winters.   Lost 2 of 4 this fall and have fingers and toes crossed that the last two make it this year [Russian and Russian X queens].   The milder winter does not bother me at all.     This is the end of my 4th year and I've never had a great honey harvest.   It would be nice to have a year where I feel like I'm doing something right.  It's easy to get discouraged so it is nice to hear other beeks say to take heart.
Robin Edmundson
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Offline D Coates

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Re: COMPLETELY empty hive
« Reply #43 on: January 05, 2016, 04:52:57 pm »
I'm not trying to minimize anyone's pain.  I've lost hives too and I know it hurts.  It especially hurts if nothing can be learned from it.  Can those who've lost hives tell me what their mite counts were or when they treated?  The OP mentioned OV treatment but what treatments/monitoring had been done prior?  I used to lose hives in circumstances similar to those described but that was before I treated for varroa consistently.  Of my 2 apiaries, one is surrounded by commercial agriculture the other is within a mile of it.
Ninja, is not in the dictionary.  Well played Ninja's, well played...

Offline KPF

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Re: COMPLETELY empty hive
« Reply #44 on: January 05, 2016, 06:13:17 pm »
I had a few hive beetles but did not notice anything else. I did not treat for mites. I'm of the opinion that bees and mites are both bugs and the fewer chemicals I expose my bees to the better. I'm open to oxalic acid, though. That seems relatively nontoxic. If I continue to lose hives I'll probably ditch my cumbayah notions of being chemical free, but for now I'm trying to limit exposure to any chemicals. There are so many variables in this bee thing that it's tough to know what the true culprits are, but I have a whole set of equipment ready to go for next year.  I will get more bees, and do it again, and hope for the best. When I "graduated" from my club's bee school I thought I was well prepared for my first year. I soon realized bee school only scratches the surface of everything you need to know.  There is so much information that even after a 4 month course you don't really have a full appreciation of the complexity of this stuff.

"Sprinkles are for winners."

Offline capt44

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Re: COMPLETELY empty hive
« Reply #45 on: January 05, 2016, 06:33:17 pm »
I treated all my hives with Oxalic Acid Vapor and retreated 10 days later.
I have not had any bees abscond since the treatment this past fall.
I treated back in March of 2015 and had 2 hives abscond in July but I think the small hive beetles contributed to that.
All in all I have had very good results using Oxalic Acid Vapor.
Now I have heard other beekeepers around say they've had hives abscond.
I am in central Arkansas.
Richard Vardaman (capt44)

Offline tjc1

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Re: COMPLETELY empty hive
« Reply #46 on: January 05, 2016, 11:20:50 pm »
OP responding to D Coates: I had previously treated with formic acid (MAQS), wanting to stay with organic material rather than pesticides. It seemed to work well the first uses, but when I lost all of my hives last winter, I wondered if the fall MAQS treatement had anything to do with it, so thought I'd try the oxalic vapor, as it seemed really benign. In retrospect, I probably waited too long to treat this year. These were both new packages in the spring, had done well over the summer (one phenomenally well), and late in the summer suddenly started showing mites. I thought I'd wait to treat until most of the brood had hatched out before winter. That my have been too long to wait - maybe the bees got overwhelmed and were ready to throw in the towel (abscond) by the time I did treat...

I agree - there are so many variables and unknowns with the bees that it's hard to sniff out what the problems are/may be. I had great success my first three years as a beek, and now it seems impossible to keep them going...

Offline Sundog

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Re: COMPLETELY empty hive
« Reply #47 on: April 12, 2016, 12:57:53 am »
NP Sundog.
I have been there. Just keep on Beekeeping.   :grin:
Jim

Guess who finally caught a swarm.  Small but gentle, hived into a 5 frame nuc and taking syrup.  Also bought 3 pounds after joining the local association.

Offline GSF

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Re: COMPLETELY empty hive
« Reply #48 on: April 12, 2016, 07:25:24 am »
Is that a kitty litter box on the tree? That would be a hoot if it was.
When the law no longer protects you from the corrupt, but protects the corrupt from you - then you know your nation is doomed.

Offline KeyLargoBees

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Re: COMPLETELY empty hive
« Reply #49 on: April 12, 2016, 07:54:51 am »
Yep...looks like a Tidy Cat Litter Pail.....thats a new twist on a swarm trap LOL.
Jeff Wingate

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Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: COMPLETELY empty hive
« Reply #50 on: April 12, 2016, 12:38:20 pm »
Congratulations Sundog. You cat them.  :grin:
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
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Offline Sundog

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Re: COMPLETELY empty hive
« Reply #51 on: April 14, 2016, 12:10:18 am »
Is that a kitty litter box on the tree? That would be a hoot if it was.

It is a Tidy Cat pail.  Waxed a piece of used comb inside the top, lemon grass oil in a straw ala Capt44, 3/4 inch hole at the bottom.  Hangs so nicely from the palm tree.  I will be putting it up again as soon as I relocate the first bunch.

Also saw bees visiting another trap today, so I may have another small swarm.  Thinking of maybe combining them and wondering how best to do such a thing.

Having fun again...

 :cool:

Notice all the bees returning to the tree where the pail hung.

Offline cao

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Re: COMPLETELY empty hive
« Reply #52 on: April 14, 2016, 12:23:01 am »
Glad to see that you are back in the bee business.  :grin:

Offline GSF

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Re: COMPLETELY empty hive
« Reply #53 on: April 19, 2016, 04:01:21 pm »
Ok Sundog, I'm going to try and up you one. I'll be hanging an old slop jar w/lid (aka night pot) in a tree.
When the law no longer protects you from the corrupt, but protects the corrupt from you - then you know your nation is doomed.

Offline KeyLargoBees

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Re: COMPLETELY empty hive
« Reply #54 on: April 19, 2016, 05:08:50 pm »
Oh lord..... I think this needs to transition to a new thread ...and needs to be stickied.....and then Pics of all the outlandish things people can use as swarm traps ;-)
Jeff Wingate

Changes in Latitudes...Changes in Attitudes....are Florida Keys bees more laid back than the rest of the country...only time will tell!!!
piratehatapiary@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/piratehatapiary

Offline Sundog

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Re: COMPLETELY empty hive
« Reply #55 on: April 19, 2016, 11:50:03 pm »
Hung it back up earlier today and had two scouts checking it out within minutes.

Could it be the bright yellow color helps?  I had a drab green nuc hanging a few feet away for years and never saw a bee on it.

 :cool:

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: COMPLETELY empty hive
« Reply #56 on: April 20, 2016, 12:14:15 pm »
"Could it be the bright yellow color helps?"
That would bee neat if it turns out to bee true.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline KeyLargoBees

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Re: COMPLETELY empty hive
« Reply #57 on: April 20, 2016, 05:59:54 pm »
All my swarm traps are green....so let mew know if I need to repaint ;-)
Jeff Wingate

Changes in Latitudes...Changes in Attitudes....are Florida Keys bees more laid back than the rest of the country...only time will tell!!!
piratehatapiary@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/piratehatapiary

Offline Sundog

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Re: COMPLETELY empty hive
« Reply #58 on: April 21, 2016, 12:06:05 am »
All my swarm traps are green....so let mew know if I need to repaint ;-)

Your traps seem to work as well as any.  I would stick with what's working for you, and yes, I see the wink.

So what's the best way to combine several swarms?  I'm in the city and two hives is my limit, besides that is all I want.

Side note...  haven't seen any eggs yet anywhere, getting concerned.

Offline KeyLargoBees

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Re: COMPLETELY empty hive
« Reply #59 on: April 21, 2016, 04:27:51 pm »
Can a swarm that moves into a trap be queen less?

I have caught two queen less swarms but they were both shaken off of bushes into boxes and later combined...I thought if a swarm went to a bait hive or trap they were queen right...at least at the time they moved in.
Jeff Wingate

Changes in Latitudes...Changes in Attitudes....are Florida Keys bees more laid back than the rest of the country...only time will tell!!!
piratehatapiary@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/piratehatapiary