Post by beenatural101 on Jun 19, 2010 19:14:51 GMT -6
Today I stopped by a pal's house to borrow a hive, because I have this queen coming and I did not want to trap out into a hive body with plywood top and bottom with a hole bored in it. So I go by my pal's house. Last night he told me his bees left him. Again that is correct. The third or fourth time in 5 years for him. Maybe he is in a bad spot, I dunno. Maybe they don't like him. Who knows, they are bees. First thing I want to say is this fella really has his bees best interests in mind, but he goes by the book and feeds. I hope by this time next year I will have some honey stored I can feed back to the bees, but they like the cold brewed mint tea in the sugar water just great. I am pretty sure that supplies them with some nutrition. So he feeds his bees lots of people do. So anyway, I go out to look at his hive, which seems to have as many bumblebees coming and going as honeybees. It's being robbed he says. I am like yeah. So his bees left. What I did not realize untill I opened the cover and found 100 or so honeybees bravely trying to take the hive back. From moth larvae, beetle larvae, bumblebees. Real infestation too. He was in New York 2 weeks is all. Been back a week. Was gonna check the hive today, he had a good many bees thursday, but not yesterday. OK. So here is my theory and it flies. He feeds his bees, that is evident by the amount of spoiled honey left in the hive. At least a medium full. Wasted. So... he had been feeding even through the honey flow, 1 qt a week. Surprised they didn't swarm earlier, but anyway. They are used to feeding, this stimulates them. They fill the 3 boxes he had and ran out of room by end of may. He checks them (slam full of bees 3 boxes), cuts out queen cells, does not ask me to check his bees, and goes to NY. Well, I think he missed a cell, personally. That was 3 weeks ago.
Right, so right before this gal hatches she goes to piping and works em up into a frenzy. Half or more swarm out, looking for a new home. Too bad, it's way too dry there is no bloom and they are a goner unless they land in a beekeepers lap. Likely anyway a goner. Ok so say 1/3 of his bees and all his capped brood (not alot of brood I imagine, that hive was FULL)are left with lots of honey still, and 3 boxes to cover. Ok it is almost summer by date and def by season. Alot of bees are dying out of healthy hives that have lots of stores, a good queen will cut down in this dearth, smaller colony eats less... But there is a balance, between ants, beetles, wax moths, wasps yellowjackets, bumblebees and hornets, honeybees have lots of defending to do. Lots of cleaning when it comes to beetle grubs and moth larvae.
1/3 of bees in same space can lose that war in 3 or 4 days is all. After the queen mated, the harassed colony absconded. At least they had full bellies. The hive was a mess, fermenting honey (it has been over 93 all week, monday it hit 104 in the shade. Doesnt take long for beetle and moth larvae to set up some serious rankness, and one beetle or moth lays a lot of eggs.... Bleeding shame.
Now the bright side of this is... He will ask me to check his bees for him next time. Also he gave me a complete hive to put bees in and keep for him out here in the country somewhere. We can split the honey and I get to play with more bees. He won't have all his eggs in 1 basket, and he will get to make mead next spring from good ol sparkleberry honey if we have a good year...
Right, so right before this gal hatches she goes to piping and works em up into a frenzy. Half or more swarm out, looking for a new home. Too bad, it's way too dry there is no bloom and they are a goner unless they land in a beekeepers lap. Likely anyway a goner. Ok so say 1/3 of his bees and all his capped brood (not alot of brood I imagine, that hive was FULL)are left with lots of honey still, and 3 boxes to cover. Ok it is almost summer by date and def by season. Alot of bees are dying out of healthy hives that have lots of stores, a good queen will cut down in this dearth, smaller colony eats less... But there is a balance, between ants, beetles, wax moths, wasps yellowjackets, bumblebees and hornets, honeybees have lots of defending to do. Lots of cleaning when it comes to beetle grubs and moth larvae.
1/3 of bees in same space can lose that war in 3 or 4 days is all. After the queen mated, the harassed colony absconded. At least they had full bellies. The hive was a mess, fermenting honey (it has been over 93 all week, monday it hit 104 in the shade. Doesnt take long for beetle and moth larvae to set up some serious rankness, and one beetle or moth lays a lot of eggs.... Bleeding shame.
Now the bright side of this is... He will ask me to check his bees for him next time. Also he gave me a complete hive to put bees in and keep for him out here in the country somewhere. We can split the honey and I get to play with more bees. He won't have all his eggs in 1 basket, and he will get to make mead next spring from good ol sparkleberry honey if we have a good year...