Thanks Paul. This hive is exactly the same as the other TBH, whose colony
is seven years old now. Both have cladding of featherboard on their long
sides. I'm pondering making a new hive anyway, as this one is ten years
old. So I will think about the insulation as I get going. (Watch this
space, it may be a while!)
H
On Wed, 14 Apr 2021 at 21:45, Oxnatbees <oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Thank you, Gareth. I wasn't sure about those tips!
Helen, if this hive has a history of short lived colonies, and this last
one showed signs of isolation starvation, perhaps it needs more insulation?
My TBHs have an extra layer of wood, just pine, on 3 sides giving about
37mm thick walls. I added celotex under rhe roof. I can send photos. One
colony is entering its 5th or 6th year, the other lasted 4 or 5.
Paul
On Wed, 14 Apr 2021, 21:21 Helen Nunn, <helenmaynunn@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
There was absolutely no brood, and almost no pollen stores. I reckon
there were probably a couple or three empty combs between the bees and the
honey. I guess I should have opened up at some point and either moved the
honey closer, or fed from above?? But maybe the colony was too small
anyway, following that trauma last year. Ah well.
Thanks for all comments and thoughts.
Helen
On Wed, 14 Apr 2021 at 19:20, Gareth John <gj.garethjohn@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Seeley’s work (and others) suggests that bees have a cut-off beyond
which they significantly reduce pollen foraging. This equates to around a
week to 10 days of usage. So if bees are foraging for pollen, it
suggests brood was present in the last week or so. Once that week to ten
day cut-off is reached and stored pollen is no longer being consumed, one
can maybe draw inferences. But I’m never too sure if this is a reliable
indicator!
It’s true that bees are reluctant to leave brood. But even if no brood
is present, if hive temperatures away from the cluster are below 8-10C, any
bees that leave the cluster to search for food will soon become torpid and
are unlikely to return. A bit like Scott’s Antarctic expedition; "I may be
some time". So the cluster has no way of finding stores if they are more
than an inch or two away and even that would be a push if the weather is
constantly cold.
Gareth
On 14 Apr 2021, at 18:02, Oxnatbees <oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I've come across a couple of snippets of info recently from experienced
conventional beeks: not sure how accurate these tips are:
Pollen going in - only a reliable indicator of a laying queen if the
pollen lumps on the bees' legsare massive.
Isolation starvation - only happens if they have some brood to keep
warm: they won't leave brood
Paul
On Wed, 14 Apr 2021, 17:47 Gareth John, <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Hi Helen
Some had their heads buried deep in the cells – classic starvation. But
surely the colony should have moved along the hive to access the stores??
Conventional beekeepers see this in nationals. It’s referred to as
isolation starvation. The bees will not move sideways to access stores if
that means breaking cluster in cold weather. Bess will much more readily
move upwards as the comb just above the cluster will be warmish.
Gareth
On 14 Apr 2021, at 17:38, Helen Nunn <helenmaynunn@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi
I discovered today the demise of the swarm we got last May from South
Parks (sorry Jane!) which we put in my oldest TBH, which has a bit of a
history of short-lived colonies. There was almost no activity yesterday
while the other two hives were really busy. so today I opened up and there
were perhaps 200 bees at the most, all dead. A group on the floor (which
was propolised, by the way) and a couple of groups either side of the two
empty combs nearest the entrance. There were 13 bars altogether and I took
out about four with lots of honey on them from the further end, and two
with a bit, from about bar 4 to 8 inclusive. Bars 1-3 were empty with these
small clusters of bees on them. Some had their heads buried deep in the
cells – classic starvation. But surely the colony should have moved along
the hive to access the stores??
This is the colony which had the episode of possible poisoning last
June, but it seemed to recover and in March I saw pollen going in, which
ought to indicate a queen laying???
I'm a bit baffled. Any ideas please? Meanwhile I'm getting sticky.
Helen
PS sorry about the photos titles - I name my colonies from where I got
the swarm!
<april SP.jpg><SP dead April.jpg><south parks dead, April.jpg>
