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Author Topic: Hive loses so for?  (Read 19001 times)

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Hive loses so for?
« Reply #40 on: February 08, 2009, 11:52:03 pm »
When assessing deadouts, besides lack or presence of stores another consideration is whether or not the entrance was blocked by snow and for how long.  I've know of hives to sufficate when the entrance has been blocked due to snow blocking the entrance and no other vent to allow fresh air into the hive.  The bees can seal a hive up air tight.
An excess of dead bees building up on the bottom board so that neither the air can get in or the bees get out is another way to lose a hive. 
Both of those are reasons to have a small vent/entrance at the top of the hive.
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Offline EasternShore

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Re: Hive loses so for?
« Reply #41 on: February 09, 2009, 07:32:51 am »
Talked to my mentor...real bad news for him...tragic...
Out of 62 colonies 3...yes 3 are left. This is due to IMHO lack of care. All hives had very old comb, were never treated, heavy pollenation hives. It's really sad for him.
I tried to help him this summer but he refused to deal with foulbrood issues, SHB and mites. He reuses comb from other sick hives and has destroyed his operation. I've learned a great deal from this. His comment to me was.." Do as I say..not as I do"

I will be following MB's lead with my girls...all natural comb, treat only as a last rersort. I have most of my equipment ready now and have started preps for spring.

Anything worth doing is worth doing well.
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Offline Gregg

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Re: Hive loses so for?
« Reply #42 on: February 09, 2009, 08:53:38 pm »
Lost both my hives , so start over again :(

Offline BjornBee

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Re: Hive loses so for?
« Reply #43 on: February 09, 2009, 09:02:35 pm »
I think once beekeepers get and and count the hives in the northeast, there will be more dead than expected. A poor fall flow and a long cold spell, has taken out a good number of hives.
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Offline sc-bee

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Re: Hive loses so for?
« Reply #44 on: February 09, 2009, 10:23:38 pm »
Did A check today. It was pushing 70 or a little above. Queens are laying --- hives stronger than I expected.
All are alive @ this point, 5 ten frame and two 5 frame nucs. I will need to watch the nucs close, they will need a new home soon.
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Offline troutstalker2

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Re: Hive loses so for?
« Reply #45 on: February 09, 2009, 11:52:14 pm »
  I have 3 hives all look good, keep my fingers crossed :lol:

Offline Scadsobees

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Re: Hive loses so for?
« Reply #46 on: February 10, 2009, 12:00:21 am »
Talked to my mentor...real bad news for him...tragic...

Ugh...that sure isn't a mentor...that is a mental!

I've lost 1 out of 11 so far...a late swarm that quite frankly I didn't expect to make it.  Large cluster, little honey.  I made sure I checked the rest of them, and there were a few others like it that got some sugar and creamed honey.

Rick
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Offline TwT

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Re: Hive loses so for?
« Reply #47 on: February 10, 2009, 06:08:02 am »
It was pushing 70 or a little above. Queens are laying --- hives stronger than I expected.


same here! I was feeding mine and when I opened the hives they were huge, the bee's are telling me it will be a early spring, so that means spring will start early then when my fruit tree's bloom we will get a freeze, never fails  :(
THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 MONTHS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

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Offline SystemShark

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Re: Hive loses so for?
« Reply #48 on: February 10, 2009, 02:32:47 pm »
I don't wanna get too excited but today its supposed to be 50 out and and tomorrow they say 60+.... if it stays nice like this all week I'm calling EARLY SPRING and I am putting my beesuit on to check things out.

This winter has been very short for my area... We didn't really get good frosts/snow until like late novemember and and if its over mid Febuary!! woot!!! I will be visiting the apairy daily, hope to see them flying soon.

Offline BjornBee

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Re: Hive loses so for?
« Reply #49 on: February 10, 2009, 03:29:44 pm »
www.bjornapiaries.com
www.pennapic.org
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Offline Grandpa Jim

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Re: Hive loses so for?
« Reply #50 on: February 11, 2009, 01:07:28 am »
Lost 3 out of 12 as of the weekend.  One had a small cluster in one side, honey on the other side...starved.  One with a ton of bees no honey(they had honey in the fall, but used it all to produce that ton of now dead bees).  The other I had queen issues in late fall that I thought I had corrected...guess not!   The others look good for Feb. 

Offline CBEE

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Re: Hive loses so for?
« Reply #51 on: February 12, 2009, 03:30:22 pm »
Lost 1 hive.. kinda looks like CCD. The hive had plenty of stores but where did all the bees go ??.. There were a total of about 15 dead  bees period. This hive was fine in the fall and  up till the real cold set in about a month ago.The 1st couple nice warm days we had last week I noticed no activity so I popped the top and it was empty other than the few dead bees. ????

Offline Cindi

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Re: Hive loses so for?
« Reply #52 on: February 13, 2009, 12:01:23 pm »
Phew, rather perplexing thing here.  Eight out of 9 colonies dead.   The only one alive is really alive with 6 frames of bees in the upper deep.  I checked really quickly the other day, doing nothing short of lifting the lid to peak on for a couple of moments.  I was going to feed pollen patties and decided before I brought them outside that I should check to see if all were alive.  Needless to say I was pretty shocked.  All colonies, save one, which was in a single box, had gone into winter with lots of food supplies, large clusters of bees.  I have no clue what has gone on and won't know for a few days.  These losses, in my mind, are pretty severe, I will be contacting the province Bee Inspector, Jacquie Bunsie, to see if she would like to come and do the initial inspection with me, to ascertain what may have gone wrong.  I really thought that these colonies would all fly through winter.  I have not experienced these winter losses before.  Only one time in the fall with 9 colonies collapsing with varroa mite issues, but nothing that ever died throughout the wintertime.

The only thing different this year is the extended period of time where it was below zero, which is unheard of for so long in this area.  We may get a couple of below zero days, but not the cold we have had.  We got our first snow around the middle of December and it still has not fully melted in all places in my yard, unheard of....anyways, time will tell the tale of what has happened.  Right now.  No clue.

Maybe it is just the way things should go.  Moving one hive will be much more simple than moving 10.  I am being prepared by the mysterious unknown for moving day.  There have been many mysterious things going on to make my life easier when we find that new home.  Have a most wonderful and awesome life, day, health, that being the most important.  Cindi
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Offline Kathyp

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Re: Hive loses so for?
« Reply #53 on: February 13, 2009, 04:27:39 pm »
cindi, that's a bummer.  let us know what you find.  i'm not sure the weather can be the only reason. our winter was much colder than the last few, but my bees have come through better.  so far (knock on wood) no losses.  if it were just weather, i should have had the same kind of loss?  our weather is much the same.

only thing i did different this years was feed heavily late into fall.  we had a warm early fall through november.  then it changed overnight into cold and nasty.  i also left dry sugar on the inner covers, but i always do that and they didn't take much of it anyway.
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Offline BearCreekBees

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Re: Hive loses so for?
« Reply #54 on: February 13, 2009, 06:31:49 pm »
We have hardly thought about bees all winter. But, happy to report that hubby went out today and was able to confirm that all 4 of our  association demonstration hives are looking good, in spite of the long cold winter we have had so far. It was only about 15 degrees F today so he didn't open any of the hives to check for stores- hopefully we will have a warmer day here before much longer. This is the "starving month" for bees up here, so I may pop them open soon even if it is a little chilly.

Hive #4 was started from a package last May. One of our new club members lost one of his queens while installing packages so I gave him the queen from Hive #4. Had a heck of a time getting a new queen raised- we had horrible weather and I think it was almost 8 weeks before we had a laying queen. Since our heavy nectar flow is in June, this particular hive just never got going. I figured it had a 50/50 shot at making it through the winter and I am pleasantly surprised to see that it is still alive.

Offline Keith13

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Re: Hive loses so for?
« Reply #55 on: February 13, 2009, 06:32:00 pm »
Phew, rather perplexing thing here.  Eight out of 9 colonies dead.   The only one alive is really alive with 6 frames of bees in the upper deep.  I checked really quickly the other day, doing nothing short of lifting the lid to peak on for a couple of moments.  I was going to feed pollen patties and decided before I brought them outside that I should check to see if all were alive.  Needless to say I was pretty shocked.  All colonies, save one, which was in a single box, had gone into winter with lots of food supplies, large clusters of bees.  I have no clue what has gone on and won't know for a few days.  These losses, in my mind, are pretty severe, I will be contacting the province Bee Inspector, Jacquie Bunsie, to see if she would like to come and do the initial inspection with me, to ascertain what may have gone wrong.  I really thought that these colonies would all fly through winter.  I have not experienced these winter losses before.  Only one time in the fall with 9 colonies collapsing with varroa mite issues, but nothing that ever died throughout the wintertime.

The only thing different this year is the extended period of time where it was below zero, which is unheard of for so long in this area.  We may get a couple of below zero days, but not the cold we have had.  We got our first snow around the middle of December and it still has not fully melted in all places in my yard, unheard of....anyways, time will tell the tale of what has happened.  Right now.  No clue.

Maybe it is just the way things should go.  Moving one hive will be much more simple than moving 10.  I am being prepared by the mysterious unknown for moving day.  There have been many mysterious things going on to make my life easier when we find that new home.  Have a most wonderful and awesome life, day, health, that being the most important.  Cindi

Wow so sorry to hear Cindi. That is one heck of a positive spin you put on it though concerning moving only 1 hive.

Keith

Offline TwT

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Re: Hive loses so for?
« Reply #56 on: February 13, 2009, 07:13:35 pm »
BearCreekBees, would you please update your profile so we know your location? seems like some cold temp's where ever you are at!
THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 MONTHS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

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Offline BearCreekBees

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Re: Hive loses so for?
« Reply #57 on: February 13, 2009, 07:50:34 pm »
Done TwT. Thanks for the heads' up- I did not realize the location was not shown.

Offline nkybeekeeper

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Re: Hive loses so for?
« Reply #58 on: February 13, 2009, 08:28:22 pm »
Two hives of Italians alive and well here in Northern Kentucky, Boone County.



Offline slaphead

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Re: Hive loses so for?
« Reply #59 on: February 13, 2009, 09:31:12 pm »
Cindi,

So sorry to hear of your losses.

SH
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