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Author Topic: Not a nice smell  (Read 5369 times)

Offline BB2

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Not a nice smell
« on: May 05, 2012, 07:45:03 pm »
Hi haven't posted for a while so here is the
The story:
Hive was a strong swarm that built comb quickly and was requeened last year

This Spring they started building strongly and were given a second brood box.

They swarmed - swarm was hived and taken away.

Hive inspected (weather had been foul and v cold) 20 or so Queen cells found on almost every frame.

2 nucs made up with 2 frames of brood with 3 Queen cells left between each nuc.

Hive left to hatch out new Queen and 12 or so Queen cells removed - most had NOTHING in them ??????

Two weeks or so later hive checked - a smell of baby sick??

Took all frames out - nothing - no larvae, no eggs, nothing smelling except the combs with nectar - these combs are on new foundation last year.

No dead bees, no dead mice or anything that might chuck up, no Queen, bees are calm and quiet except for a few buzzing around my head.

Next  - checked the nucs made from this hive ten feet away - no smell - no eggs - no larvae - no Queen - bees calm and busy with pollen and nectar.

There is another nuc  we housed from a swarm from this hive last week and we're waiting for time to pass to see if their Queen produces eggs or if this is another failure.

Sorry long story but, 

Why so many sealed Queen cells empty?

Why have the Queen cells on the frames given to the nucs not produced any Queens?

Why the smell in the hive but not the nucs?

Why the smell only from the combs containing nectar?

The original swarm will be inspected in a few days - what are the odds that original Queen from last year isn't there or is duff???






Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Not a nice smell
« Reply #1 on: May 06, 2012, 05:11:18 am »
The cause of smells in a hive are worthy of investigation.  But often they are some kind of nectar.  Sometimes they are dead rotting bees on the bottom board from pesticides.  Sometimes they are brood diseases.  I the smell is only from combs containing nectar it is probably the smell of the nectar.  I've heard rumors that  because of the weird winter goldenrod is blooming early some places and it smells like funky gym socks.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Not a nice smell
« Reply #2 on: May 06, 2012, 05:11:48 am »
Where are you located.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

 

anything