Went into my bees today, 1st time this year. Finally had good enough weather to pop the top.
Observations Hive 1: [Russians]
Small tennis ball sized cluster between frames 2 & 3, lots of stores. No Brood and no foraging activity, but observed that queen was still alive in this hive. Area under hive covered with large pile of dead bees (no bottom board)
As I progressed through all 3 medium boxes I noted bees spread out throughout hive at locations of small areas of stores away from cluster. Also noted was the presence of 4 late season queen cells. Hive in Crisis.
Conclusions:
Appears dead workers were caught out of cluster during abrupt weather change, in act of acquiring stores to transfer to cluster location. Rate of decay indicated that this happened more than once during the winter.
The presence and location of late season queen cells indicates that hive may have lost queen in late September of October. Lack of brood may be due to cluster not much more than a handful of bees or that late season queen may not have mated and is now barren or infertile or both.
Solution:
Reduced hive to 5 frame nuc. Since both frames occupied by cluster still had abundant stores placed frames next to east wall of nuc with west side of frame 2 solid stores then placed frame of full stores in center of nuc. Removed frame of bees and partial brood from Hive 2. Added another frame of bees and brood from hive 3 (similar to making nuc using frames from 3 or more hives).
Added 2nd nuc box with frames of stores on out and 3 frames of empty comb in the middle. Enough bees were added to create a cluster that should cover ball three brood frames. Hopefully, if queen is fertile she'll begin laying in cells around capped brood, larvae, and eggs on added frames and then, as brood hatches move up to the 3 empty frames and begin laying.
Observations Hive 2: [Old World Carnolians]
6 frames of bees in middle box. Low on stores. Some evidence of bees being caught away from cluster during abrupt weather changes but not as bad as hive 1. Activity was moderate. 4 frames of brood, 3 full frames, one partial of hatching bees. Some forage evident but not enough to enable rapid development of hive. Hive development is slow, a little concerned.
Conclusions:
Hive had siimilar experience to hive 1 but not as severe. Queen is laying (nice looking queen) and hive is rebounding.
Solutions:
Placed extra stores from hive 1 in top box above cluster and brood. That should enable bees to focus on brood development. Moved frame of mature hatching brood to hive 1.
Observatons Hive 3: [Russians]
Top box full of bees with 7 frames of brood. Middle box has 4 frames of bees and cleaning of combs and processing of nectar is ongoing. Activity is good. Little in old stores but several frames of new stores. Hive condition is Satisfactory.
Conclusions:
Hive is as expected for time of year and available forage.
Solutions:
Moved frame of staged brood (eggs, larvae, and pupae) to hive 1. Replaced frame with frame of empty comb from hive 1, plus added 1 frame of stores from hive 1.
Cleaned up hive 1 and left as dead out for future swarm or repopulation from nuc. Noted that orientation flights were begining from the nuc. Hopeful sign.
Thank you Brian, this is exactly the kind of insight and detailed observation I've been seeking.
If it ever warms up here I'll be conducting similar duties.
thomas
Quoting Pooh, "You can never tell about bees!"
I should have mentioned that going into winter Hive 1 was the strongest of the 3, Hive 2 was 2nd in production and vitality and Hive 3 was the weakest. During the winter their conditions reversed, and in the case of Hive 1, dramatically. It is also a good illistration why 1 or even 2 hives is not adequate to maintain an apiary. 3 hives is the minimum as my 1st inspection indicated.
I currently have 3 hives in my apiary and 2 at my younger brother's. I had been hoping to crank up my queen castle in a week or so but a lack of drones plus the condition of hive 1 placed that item back a month.
was hoping to do the same here today, but wind kicked up and it's COLD!! glad your bees are making it this year.
Crossing my fingers that the rain holds off so I can get into the hives and see what's happening..... Lost 1 hive (Queen failure) and 2 nucs (probably queen failures too)
Mike
how's your wind. that east wind is whipping where i live. was trying to get the garden ready (late) and the ground is so wet i can't run the tractor down there without causing a mud bog. hope this isn't a repeat of last spring. :(