Checked my two new hives yesterday and they appear to be doing great, Saw some dead bees around the bottom that ween't there the week before. After investigation found the two deeps with frames full of honey but no brood or pollen. I know the queens have been working great this summer because their numbers came up really fast. Could the lack of brood and pollen just be from the lack of flowers in August? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks
If you have no food coming in, a dearth, a good queen will stop laying eggs. Brood consumes huge amounts of food, honey and pollen. A full hive with brood can consume as much as 100 pounds of honey in a month. That same amount of honey will feed that same hive all winter.
Is the hive noisy, are the bees running all over the frames, If not, your queen is probably still in there.
Jim
Yes brood will be reduced during a dearth. Goldenrod will soon start coming in and for my hives brood production will increase a little but nothing like spring
The bees seem busy and happy not very aggressive. They are active and not real nosy unless you smoke em but that is as expected.
Quote from: sawdstmakr on August 11, 2013, 07:56:21 AM
A full hive with brood can consume as much as 100 pounds of honey in a month.
It cannot.
A big hive consumes about one pound a day, and it makes 30 pounds.
QuoteThat same amount of honey will feed that same hive all winter.
n Finland wintering hive consumes about 50 pound food in 8 months.
In autumn, when weather is near zero, a hive consumes 2-3 pound in a month.
When hive raises its temperature food brooding, consumption rises. T
When hive gets pollen, it is able to rear larvae, and consumption rises.
If a hive makes brood in autumn and does not stop, it will consume all 50 pound food, and will be dead in 3 month.
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Is the hive noisy, are the bees running all over the frames, If not, your queen is probably still in there.
Jim
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