Workers Flying away with larvae

[misterbliss]

OK... hi all.. NEWBIE here ... and to my poor Bees - I have had my bees now 2 weeks.

Opened hive last eve - couldn't find marked Queen. No stress - saw what looks like capped brood in center frames.

Cleaned up some burr comb left over from Queen cage gap. Should I leave burr comb so my ladies can find it? will they recycle?

No Stings! yeah!... (well my wife's cat has a swollen face she says is my fault)..

HERE is MY QUESTION for this post:
This AM - I was observing my bees while having my coffee. I saw a bee struggle out with a white 'larvae'. She couldn't get airborne, so she fell in front of hive. and then flew away- leaving Larvae on ground. I watched @ 30 minutes and noticed another brood on ground in front of the hive. Then saw another bee FLY AWAY with a larvae. Is this normal? Where was she going with the 'grub'? The 'brood' I investigated on the ground was all white and milky on the inside.

It was @ 60 degrees last night (don't suspect chilled brood). I am pretty sure the burr I removed didn't damage any brood cells.

I can't describe in words very well - - how lost I feel. I feel my bees rely on me to give them what they need and protect them from harm... But I don't know what is normal and what is not. Heck on my 2nd day - they were flying crazy everywhere and bunching up at entrance.. I thought maybe the were getting 'robbed' already. But noticed this behavior over the last two weeks.. so it appears normal to me. I have learned a lot since Nov. (my decision date).. and continue to be humbled by my ignorance. I hope that I don't do anything too stupid and cause my hive's demise.

any observations or advice is much appreciated.

as always,
Misterbliss

[Robo]

Should I leave burr comb so my ladies can find it?
If there was any nectar in it, you can leave it on top of the inner cover and they will clean it out

 will they recycle?
They won't reuse the wax


It was @ 60 degrees last night (don't suspect chilled brood).
If there are not enough bees to cover all the brood, it can get chilled at 60

I feel my bees rely on me to give them what they need and protect them from harm
They will do fine without much help from you,  if you try too hard, you can actually hinder them

I thought maybe the were getting 'robbed' already.
Check the bees entering the hive, if they are bringing in pollen, then they aren't robbing.  Also when robbing,  bees leaving the hive (heavy with gut filled) will sometimes climb up the front of the hive to have a higher take off point to get airborn.

any observations or advice is much appreciated.

I wouldn't worry about a few dead larvae being removed,  the hive seems to be showing good hygenic behavior.


Please update your profile with your location,  it helps to better answer your questions

[misterbliss]

Thanks Robo!

Just to confirm my thoughts is a big relief. I know some brood may die and the bees will clean them up. I can't help but think that I will do something monumentally stupid - like ignore an important warning sign. I know my girls will get along just fine without me, and I want to do what I can to make their life as good as a bees life gets, even if it means I need not be involved.

My hive is just south-east of the Beautiful Sam Houston National Forest in East Texas. @3 acres of spring-fed water nearby. Flowers - Flowers everywhere. Heck My Wife and I bought/planted @ 10 types of new (to us) "Bee Friendly" plants. I am now the proud owner of 2 5-1 Apple trees. (Just for the girls.... but I do like apples). Pretty standard story here.. fascinated by bees. My 40x45 garden was productive yet disappointing -even with all my organic tricks for soil enhancement. So - My observation was very few Bees last season. Thought - What would attract more Bees? Hmmm... How 'bout a hive on the property.. That'll Do It. .... Sure enough we HAVE BEES EVERYWHERE. My Squash plants already now have more surving "squashes" than the last two years, guess we're going to have some tonight even. (We may be giving away a lot this year)
My Kids are getting used to Bees everywhere, but the dogs still don't get it.

Thanks again for the Confirmations. Guess I get to play with some bees wax this week... Cool!......

My girls are very productive so far.. They occupy @ 2 1/2 frames fully-drawn and were working on 2 more.. I did pick up my girls from @1 hour away (thanks R.Weaver). So I only lost a very few Bees during "shipping".

******* Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself ******

[manowar422]

My hive is just south-east of the Beautiful Sam Houston National Forest in East Texas. @3 acres of spring-fed water nearby. Flowers - Flowers everywhere.

I have driven down to the Weaver's place to pick up my packages
for the past two years. I live in the Dallas area so I-45 is my way
down there.

Once I leave the interstate the land is becomes prime habitat for
raising bees and harvesting a nice crop of honey.
The national forest is beautiful and I envy your bees location at
the edge of the pines.

IMO part of being a "keeper of bees" is giving back the knowledge
that was so graciously offered to me by others. Asking questions
is part of this learning process and we all depend on the veterans
who have many seasons of experience to guide us along, all the
while trying to understand these complex "creators of honey".

Try to make this forum part of your education, but by no means
all of it. Two books I consider to be a "must have" are
The Beekeeper's Handbook & The ABC's and XYZ's Of Beekeeping.
Make sure the books are of the latest printings as some of the older
ones do not address alot of the most recent issues concerning
pests and parasites.

Here's wishing that you find great satisfaction, in what alot of us
consider to be, the most interesting of hobbies