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Author Topic: Overwintered Hives Question  (Read 2107 times)

Offline jdb1930

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Overwintered Hives Question
« on: February 16, 2009, 12:47:37 pm »
I have 2 hives that I got last year. We have had a couple days in the 70's so I opened them up and checked on them, and I am worried.

Hive 1:
I found the queen in one of the hives and she looked good, and there were a lot of bees, but almost no brood. All of the frames but 1 was full of honey and only 1 frame had any brood at all, and even then only the very center of that frame had brood (maybe 20 capped brood). I did not see any eggs or larva.

Hive 2:
In this hive I did not see the queen, but I really didn't look very hard. There were lots of bees, lots of honey, but no brood at all.

Is this normal for overwintered hives or should I be worried and find some new queens fast.
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Offline Keith13

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Re: Overwintered Hives Question
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2009, 01:54:48 pm »
How cold is it out? Where is your location? Could be a good sign or a bad one.

Keith
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Offline Rufa

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Re: Overwintered Hives Question
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2009, 01:56:42 pm »
What is your configuration? As in... how big is the brood chamber? are you using a queen excluder? any supers on top of the brood chamber? deeps, mediums, shallows, or a combination?

That information may or may not give me a clue... but I'm not very experienced either.

Could the bees have run out of space for laying brood?

Are you sure one of them has no brood at all?

Here's my take, but keep in mind I'm a newbie too:
If you've only got one frame open for brood laying, I would expand the brood chamber, especially now that the coldest part of winter is over. If you've got lots of bees, either the queen is just recently gone, or is doing fine. I would check it again in a week and see if there are fewer bees and still no brood. Queens don't lay as much brood in the winter as in the warm seasons.
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Offline iddee

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Re: Overwintered Hives Question
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2009, 02:19:36 pm »
Yes, No, maybe, and almost are all correct answers. Put your location in your profile and we can tell you which answer fits you. Otherwise, no one can help you.
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Offline Jim134

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Re: Overwintered Hives Question
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2009, 02:27:50 pm »
Give a location in your profile at well help a lot.



     BEE HAPPY Jim 134  :)
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Offline jdb1930

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Re: Overwintered Hives Question
« Reply #5 on: February 16, 2009, 03:48:16 pm »
I am in central Texas and the hives are 2 deeps (each consist of 2deep boxes), I am thinking about putting on 2 empty frames in the middle of the lower boxes. My thinking is that somehow they have honeybound themselves and won't lay any brood.

The weAther is mid to high 60's duringthe day and low 40's at night
« Last Edit: February 16, 2009, 04:28:48 pm by jdb1930 »
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Offline gaucho10

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Re: Overwintered Hives Question
« Reply #6 on: February 16, 2009, 11:27:45 pm »
Maybe it is still too cold in your area at present and your queen did not start laying yeat.  Wait for the weather to be more stable in the upper temps.
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Offline jdb1930

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Re: Overwintered Hives Question
« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2009, 03:15:09 pm »
Thanks, I will hold off for another couple weeks then and see if they start laying brood.
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Offline Beaver Dam

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Re: Overwintered Hives Question
« Reply #8 on: February 17, 2009, 10:10:36 pm »
JDP my bees were out strong today bringing in pollen. Where are you? I'm in Azle. NW of FT Worth. I have a really small hive that I brought thru winter. Probally less than 200 bees. I know the Queen has started laying because there was that many out foraging today.
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