Starving Bees

[Headfry]

Did not open them up but had a look yesterday.....astonishment.....they were working like crazy! just like they did when the rape was in flower. I think they are working the ivy, we have loads very close to the hive. clever little girls.
Thanks plot17b
Good luck with your girls over next few weeks....will we ever get some nice mellow, warm weather?

[trebellangeminired]

Dear Headfry, Plot 17B and other beekeepers of the vine,

Sorry have had a few technical problems. Sounds like you have had some seriously anxious times thanks to the awful weather. Hope all your girls are safe and well now, I know how much they mean to you. Here's to a better summer next year. Today was quite mild here but the forecast is not so good for tomorrow.

Best wishes,

[Headfry]

Thanks TGR that is very kind and thoughtful of you!
Best wishes are sent in return
HF
x

[Headfry]

How stressful was this!

This is how my plan went or did not go as was the case.
Nice still and mild morning...first in almost two months.

Got to hive - bees every where, clustered over front of hive, hovering about the front....masses of flying bees for the time of year- looked as if they were going to swarm.
opened the hive- thousands of bees, they will never fit into just the brood chamber.
SUPER empty of stores (hundreds of bees though) NO FOOD at all in the whole hive!!!!!
Went through brood, Queen Attila the Hum laying like crazy, no drones roaming about hive, but loads of capped drone cells! NO stores either
it's autumn, the books say they should be reducing in numbers and queens should have slowed the rate of lay.!!!!
need a new plan.....
called Oxon bee keeper, such lovely lady....she helped with a new plan.

put super UNDER the brood chamber, excluder is OFF the hive completely...

This is my new look hive!

Floor + varroa tray
Super
Brood chamber
Eke + Apiguard
Ashforth feeder
Glass quilt
Roof


what the heck is going on ????

They have, in two days have had 6 ltrs of syrup and I will be putting more on tonight!!!!

I am going to leave them a copy of Ted Hoopers 'guide to honey bees' book
and tell them to read it! and follow it! ....... pleeeease, before my nerves are totally shredded!
poor little girls - so close to starving, they had plenty of stores when I looked at them last week!

A mix of these is how I looked 3 hours later!

New extractor is now in the loft!

[shirlthegirl43]

The seasons seem to have nature very confused - I am sure I have been hearing spring birdsong the last few mornings! Bees were very busy on my chocolate mint yesterday (about the only flower in the garden at the moment) - wonder if they will make choccy mint honey YUM

Hope your bees settle down Headfry

[Plot17B]

Blimey HF, sounds like you're having a 'mare too!

It is amazing how fast they are working through their stores. Just had a fellow bee keeper round this morning (he's been re-laying some carpet after our recent building works) and he's said a lady from our local group has just lost her bees - they swarmed! It's September for heavens sake. The girls are v confused right now.

Super under the brood box is a smart idea actually. Good call. Drones are a bit odd though. All my drones were bumped off in early August and they've not really reappeared. I'm overdue an inspection though (been ill so couldn't do it this weekend despite ideal weather conditions) so maybe Queenie has been busy this last week. I'm still on a sickie today but feel it's a bit cheeky doing an inspection when off ill!

All very confusing for the girls and mere mortals like us.

Keep us up to date with the news.....and keep thinking those +ve vibes

P17B

[Headfry]

Plot17b Hope you are feeling better, Was worried about the super under the brood, why do this? I just did as was advised but forgot to ask the reason for doing so, be hand y to know for next time?
Girls have had 8 ltrs of food in 3 days, 2 more to go on tonight. How will I know when its enough? or as weather is better should I stop now?
I thought mine were going to swarm, the front of the hive was black with bees!
Think they went back in! fingers crossed.
No hatched drones but lots of capped drone cells ?????

[Plot17B]

Well, pure conjecture but my gut feeling is that they'd be more likely to use the space in the super under the brood chamber, as they'd have to pass through it to reach the main body of the colony. The girls will be more settled in that space I think. If the extra space in a new super was above the busy brood box, perhaps they would not be so tempted to move upwards? Also, it's further for them to go upwards to the feed and again, they may simply not progress northwards despite yummy sugar being up there. I've seen the reluctance to go upwards in my girls before now...

It's really just a brood and a half you've given them I guess. Fellow lottie bee keeper Ken is going to start afresh in 2009 with a new brood & a half hive. More bees, more honey, less swarming is the theory (and we know how accurate the theory is being these days!).

Drones at this time of year. **shrug**

I'd keep feeding them for as long as they take it. At the worst, it'll mean the girls have to make fresh wax to draw new comb for winter storage of it (and flap their little winglets lots to dehydrate it). At best, it's possibly essential stores which could make the difference to their winter survival. (sounds a bit dramatic, but as we've both lost ALL honey stores in a week or so each, I think it's a fair comment!).

I'm going to keep feeding mine until they go to bed in October. They've had a good dose of Fumidil in the syrup so that's a bonus too.

At least we can all be puzzled together here!
P17B

p.s. not heard from Crichmond for a while. How' are your colonies handling the strange conditions/weather?????? Are they all ok????

[Headfry]

Thanks plot17B I will try to relax a little now.

I was thinking about Crichmond - wondering how he and his bees are doing.

Crichmond....how are you getting on in this perplexing year?