Hives #2 ad #3
Well, not quite two weeks into the new year and I'm already back up on the Bee Project. Last week sometime, when the snow was deep drifted around my hives, I was on my way in from seeing Grandma and on a whim I swung by said hives. I nearly freaked out and tore the lid off the first one because I had dead bees spilling out the front door all over the snow. I refrained from such panicked action and told myself next warm day we had, I'd check my hives.
Well, with the highest temperatures predicted today for any period in the foreseeable future (at 57* at the heat of the day), I followed up on that internal conversation.
The good news is: two hives are still buzzing. The bad news is: my big hive, the one I expected to survive out of the three--is dead. Completely.
Well, with the highest temperatures predicted today for any period in the foreseeable future (at 57* at the heat of the day), I followed up on that internal conversation.
The good news is: two hives are still buzzing. The bad news is: my big hive, the one I expected to survive out of the three--is dead. Completely.
A sight no beekeeper wants to see...
Here's the interesting thing...both supers had capped honey. Which means they didn't starve to death.
I saw a few Verroa mites, but nothing to such a degree that I would say that they had a serious infestation. (Unless that is just a green beekeeper talking.)
I saw a few Verroa mites, but nothing to such a degree that I would say that they had a serious infestation. (Unless that is just a green beekeeper talking.)
There are at least half a dozen mites visible in this photo.
The comb in several areas was wet...I am not quite sure what that means, other than condensation that, due to the bees being dead was not taken care of. (Bees attempt to keep their hives a particular temperature--both winter and summer either buzzing their wings for warmth or cooling effect.)
I believe that they probably froze to death in some of our recent VERY cold weather. They were situated higher off the ground and with a lot less wind break than the other hives, which would account for their demise and not that of the other two hives.
Anyway, on the off-chance that they were diseased, I decided against putting their honey supers on the other hives. I will extract that and we can eat it. I still have some spring honey left (some of which I just fed to the remaining bees). I have found that plastic zip-lock baggies with honey in them, then pricked with a knife point work tremendously well for in-hive feeding.
I believe that they probably froze to death in some of our recent VERY cold weather. They were situated higher off the ground and with a lot less wind break than the other hives, which would account for their demise and not that of the other two hives.
Anyway, on the off-chance that they were diseased, I decided against putting their honey supers on the other hives. I will extract that and we can eat it. I still have some spring honey left (some of which I just fed to the remaining bees). I have found that plastic zip-lock baggies with honey in them, then pricked with a knife point work tremendously well for in-hive feeding.
Partly dismantled; the supers waiting to go indoors for extraction...the brood box waiting to be dumped and the frame scraped.
Praying the rest of the bees survive for another couple of months (Hive #2 still has some capped stores). I have two 3 lb. packages on pre-order (supposed to arrived second week of April). I'm not counting my chickens before they hatch...but I would love to have four thriving hives this year!
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