Big scare - my girls

[Headfry]

Went over the plot to check 'the girls' (my bees)
one bee was all that was seen in the hive (should not open them this time of year, but I use a glass inner top, so I don't have to disturb them too much)
could not even hear them when I tapped on the hive ......desperately worried for them.
Quickly made up some fondant food (its like thick cake icing) went back when it got a little warmer and put it on top of the frames and lo and behold up came more bees......I have no idea how many I have left but it's just slightly possible that there are enough in there and maybe the queen too.
Boy it's going to be a long winter before I can open the hive and go thorough it properly- about March time- weather permitting!

[piskieinboots]

blimey! I have so much to learn!! I hope your girls are all in there and snoozing away

[smallblueplanet]

Hope your girls are alright HF. Do they hibernate then? Perhaps you should feed them weekly?

[bobleponge]

Maybe they were just misbe hive ing to get more food?
Hope all is ok though, I've seen on the weather forecast that its been cold in the UK.

[shirlthegirl43]

I have been wondering how your girls were HF. Hope they make it through for you.

[Snadger]

I think the idea is that we take their honey (which is their winter food!) but leave them a strong sugar solution instead?

Hope they are ok Headfry and that you haven't got the hive situated in a frost pocket?

[Headfry]

Hi guys....No they don't really hibernate
The numbers of bees reduce down to 300 or so, sometimes less.
They form a ball around the queen, the bees that are in the center of the ball move to the outside and the outer, cold bees move to the center to warm up! they do this constantly to keep warm and keep the queen warm.

I did not take any honey form mine this year (bad year for the girls)..... they had plenty of stores as we went into autumn, only problem here is the type of honey that they store. Some sets solid as in the case of rape, during spring. In the autumn the main source of nectar near my girls is ivy, but also sets solid. When it is like this the bees are unable to use it with ease, if at all. Sometimes it is better to feed them, than rely on a poor store of 'solid' honey.
In the spring/Autumn we use a sugar syrup solution, this has a high water content, the bees will evaporate the excess water off ok in the warmer months but this uses lost of bee energy! so, in the winter we make 'candy' for them. It's like the thick icing you get on cakes (the type you can mould) This has much less water and takes less energy to process. Does any of that make any sense at all????

[smallblueplanet]

So we should send you all our old xmas cake icing HF?

[Headfry]

I would eat it!!!!!!! and maybe share a little with the girls too!!
just love icing!
Kind thought though SBP thanks

[Plot17B]

Hi HF,
Joining the chat a bit late i know! First time to GYO for about 3+ weeks.
Hope the girls pull through ok. It's difficult to tell what's going on in there isn't it! Still think we need hivecams. When will you check if they've taken the fondant? It's dry & warm-ish right now so I might take a peek, or at least heft the super. Let us know when you do peek. Did you have a lot of dead bees around the entrance or the usual number?

I've tapped my hive and listen to the shortlived buzz which is still there, so I'm guessing there is a good number of bees huddled in. The buzz sound is short which does indicate a mature population at least. I left the entrance open until late November as there was so much ivy around the lotties, wanted them to stock up on pollen as much as nectar (and 1 in 3 or 4 foragers were coming back laden with good pollen stocks). With the pollen and a full super, we can only hope all goes well really.

Keep us informed and hope all have a great Xmas! :-)
P17B

[Plot17B]

Okey dokes...as you made me nervous HF ( ), just donned the suit and popped up to the lottie. It's a lovely 12 degrees C, blue sky and gazillions of bees on the wing! With pollen sacks brightly coloured toboot. Madness for December really.

2nd super has bees crawling around and 1st super (which had 10/11 frames of stores) is rammed with workers and heavy to lift. Swapped the entrance blocks from my fab home-made mouse guard back to my normal block. Housekeeping started within 2 mins, with the girls dragging out the dead bees. (the mouse blocker I made has 7 or 8 7mm holes drilled in, enough for a bee but just on the limit of what a mouse can get through. But also means hard for the bees to clean out the expired workers and peeking in, I can see quite a few on the mesh floor. Sooner they are removed the better to stop any fungal growth I guess).

So !!phew!! all seems well at the moment just over the border from you. Do let us know when you check your fondant again and fingers corssed for you that all stays well.
P17B

[Headfry]

Hi Plot17b, well.....
I went over Saturday and they were out flying and like yours coming back with pollen????
This is not what my books say!
I had a look in and they have started to move the fondant, so the signs look so much better than I had first thought.
I never ever thought I would have been so upset last week, could not stand the thought of NO GIRLS!!!
Just got keep our fingers crossed for all the bee keepers
Merry Chirstmas Plot17b hope 2009 will be a better summer for us all.

[JILLY JACKSON]

hi hf,my local college are advertising a course on bee keeping,so i may go even though i cant keep bee's.Good idea for the future??Bee's need all the help we can give them by the sound of things.

[Headfry]

Jilly, go for it! they are soooo fascinating and you never know, when you mix with other keepers they might offer you space for a hive, worth a try
Have a great Christmas Jilly
HF
x

[JILLY JACKSON]

thanks hf.Enjoy your holiday break with family,i'll certainly try to get on the course,in new year i think.Should Bee fun!