Hives are Empty! Plenty of bees, No Honey!

[newbee101]

I have 5 hives about 10 miles North of my home apiary. I have there, 2 hives of Italians started May 6, 1 swarm of Italians put there May 16 and 2 splits of Minnesota Hygenics placed there at the end of June. A month ago I did an inspection and found plenty of brood and eggs but no honey. Not one drop in all 5 hives. I fed sugar water, about 12 liters over the course of 2 weeks. I did an inspection last week and there is still not one drop of anything in the combs. Plenty of brood and eggs, but no stored sugar water. NOTHING! I am going to start feeding with hive top feeders to get a few gallons to them quick. Are my bees being robbed out?
I have 3 hives at home of Minnesota Hygenics started April 9. I have plenty of honey here, even a full super on each. Should I move these hives somewhere else?

[manowar422]

Are my bees being robbed out?

With the info you have provided, It's hard to say.
Perhaps give us some more details of their spring & summer activity.
I'm really suprised the "oldest" of your hives has no stores,
this leans me towards the strong possibility they were robbed out.
 
Since you have five at the remote yard, why not bring a couple
home and see if they start putting up stores?
At least then you'll know if the location is to blame.
As to the question of robbing, maybe put up a robber screen on
just one of the hives...

[romduck]

Although I cannot give you an answer, I CAN give you more info. I can only imagine that your hives are somewhere up in my area. With the dry weather my two hives of Italians at home tore through the stores that they had built up as of June / July. They've been eating away instead of bringing more in over the past six weeks.

I don't understand about the feeding though. Are they going through all of that syrup just to keep the hives going?

Area you using boardman feeders? What sugar ratio are you using?

[newbee101]

1 to 1 ratio on feeding. I was using boardman feeders, because that was all I had. I am putting Mann Lake hive top feeders on tommorow. The hives are in Woodbury. You would think that there would be something in there. Plenty of pollen, plenty of brood.

[manowar422]

I was using boardman feeders, because that was all I had. I am putting Mann Lake hive top feeders on tommorow.

newbee,

IMO you need robber screens asap!
(unless you move them)

Having had boardman feeders on, has enticed someone
elses bees to rob your's blind :shock:

Even if you put up top feeders, the bees that have been robbing
the feeder jars, as well as internal stores, will continue to do so
if not stopped

[Michael Bush]

I've seen healthy (but foolish) hives that were burning all their resources raising brood, but there is still SOME nectar in the hive.  I've only seen them dry in a dearth (in which case they would NOT be rearing brood) or when they were being robbed.  Still, I'd look for more signs of robbing.  An easy way to find out is close them up after dark and see if a crowd arrives when the sun comes up.

[newbee101]

I found hundreds of dead bees in front of all 5 hives today. I was going to put the top feeders on today, but I had no robber screens so I did not feed. I am thinking of hauling the bees somewhere else.  

[Michael Bush]

Robber screens are easy to make.  Reducing the entrance to 3/8" by 3/8" can make a big difference.

[Kris^]

Even just installing a top feeder can incite robbing, as I discovered.  I put the feeder and syrup on my small split yesterday.  Today there was a flurry of activity and fighting at the entrance, which I'd reduced to medium opening.  I even saw one bee take off from the landing board, dip in the air then gain altitude, and fly over to and enter the strong hive at the end of the row.  So I closed the entrance down to one bee's width, and it eventually calmed down after a few hours.

-- Kris

[Michael Bush]

If you have several hives, I've found the best way to boost one that is short on stores is to steal from the rich and give to the poor.  Capped honey sets off robbing less than an open feeder does.  ESPECIALLY one with essential oils in it and ESPECIALLY one with Honey Bee Healthy in it or honey in it.

[AdmiralD]

ESPECIALLY one with Honey Bee Healthy in it

What is "Honey Bee Healthy"???
 :?

[Finsky]

Just this summer I have hives in 8 places. 2 of them gived very little in June and other places gived nearby 200 lbs in 3 week.

The distance may be 5 km and another site gives as much as bees can gather and another place gives nothing.  Hot weather, dry soil and if it is windy too, it is the worst combination, .

I use to write for good pastures and everybody must find himself. Bees do not only make honey yield. Very little we talk about pastures and how to find them.

[Michael Bush]

HBH is a product sold to add to the syrup.  It's two essential oils.  Lemongrass oil, which simulates Nasonov, and Peppermint (I think or maybe it's spearmint) oil.  The Lemongrass oil attracts bees like crazy.  It's a great product to use on new plastic foundation to help acceptance, but in my experience it sets off robbing when used in weaker colonies.