I've been reading here and elsewhere about how a lot of folks have lost a lot of hives over this past winter. I'd like to see folks post how many hives/nucs they had before winter and how many they loss and what is the "normal" loss. This could be interesting. Thanks.
Went into winter with 10....Lost one in early February, so I was at 9, with another that I'm afraid has a failing queen, So I have it atop a double screen board above a swarm I caught and will probably end up combining it.
I've caught and hived 3 swarms from my own bee yard, and have another that moved into one of my swarm traps yesterday that I haven't dealt with as of yet. Yeah, I know, I obviously still have a lot to learn about swarm management! LOL! :-D As well as two swarms collected from other locations.
So I'm currently sitting at 14 hives, 13 not including my Observation Hive....plus the one in a swarm trap Nuc.
This is really on the high end, actually above where I would want my hive count, but I just have a hard time saying no when an opportunity to grab some bees presents itself. As a matter of fact, I went look at a cutout yesterday and told the people I'd do it for them. :-/
There's just a certain comfort level in numbers...When I had two hives and lost one, I was crushed...When I have ten hives and lose one, I'm like, "Oh well! it happens, move on! :-D
Thought I had it figured out but I have lost 7 out of 23 and still a month til dandelions. three were queen failures.
I had 16 last fall, sold 4 during the winter, lost one that lost its queen, combined it with another hive. Split 6 of the hives and now have 17 hives. I also lost my OH but saved the queen and put it in a split.
Due to weather and being busy with other projects I missed splitting 5 hives and they swarmed out and could not be split. One hive in a single hive out apiary swarmed and built back up and already has 2 medium brood boxes plus has a medium super completely filled with honey. I put a drawn super and a foundation on it and will not me moving to the farm because it is so large.
Jim
went into winter with about 100, and am down to 60 couple, so I am at about 40% loss.... So Far.
Still, we have a little while to go, like Vance said. We will have 50's today, so I will be getting to see some good activity at the feed.
I don't like to count losses.....unless it is through some fault of my own. A loss by means of nature, I look at it as culling the weak genetics of my stock.
My losses have always been low till this year. Lost 5 of 12. Probably due to sorry beeekepping but i wonder because all my losses were in the same yard near the peach fields?
Went into winter with 5. Came out with 5. No losses. Split one of the smaller hives and caught someone else's swarm. up to 7 now.
Quote from: rbinhood on April 05, 2014, 09:05:04 AM
I don't like to count losses.....unless it is through some fault of my own. A loss by means of nature, I look at it as culling the weak genetics of my stock.
I agree. Natural culling does strengthen your apiary. It is tough loosing them though.
Jim
I started the winter with 3 ended with 2. The one that I lost was a late cut out. But it did have honey left. We had a long (4-5 week) sub-freeze spell that kept them from the honey.
Wintered 14 all survived. 5 caught swarms later at 19. I have 6 packages coming in June. When all said and done I want to winter no more than 20 this year so I'll be combining real soon. Will have nucs with reserve queens just in case.
went in with 9, 1 starved and had 1 queen failure (combined it),came out with 7. i've made 3 5 frame deep nucs and plan on making a few more this week. i'm going to start several 3 frame mating nucs in a week or so. i plan to go into winter with at least 30 this year.
Just lost my smallest surviving hive last week in a cold snap (it dipped down into the teens again). Grrrr! It is so frustrating to get them so close to making it and then lose them. :'( My other surviving hives were bringing in pollen yesterday for the first time.
JC
just keeping the thread alive..
Went into winter with 5, lost 1, they lost their queen. Back at 5 now.
My bees didn't make a lot of honey last year, so I left all they made for them. On first check one hive had 18 or 19 frames of brood, I had left the supers on. They swarmed and went to the hive I had lost, I hadn't put it up yet. How strange is that.
Joe
Went into winter with 3 nuc's , had a really bad cold snap with subzero temps for over a week, lost all 3 to starvation. Now at 10 with packages picked up on the 5th. Plan to go into winter with 30 + full double deep hives running all russian at that point.
Quote from: Joe D on April 11, 2014, 02:50:18 AM
Went into winter with 5, lost 1, they lost their queen. Back at 5 now.
My bees didn't make a lot of honey last year, so I left all they made for them. On first check one hive had 18 or 19 frames of brood, I had left the supers on. They swarmed and went to the hive I had lost, I hadn't put it up yet. How strange is that.
Joe
Strange!!!
I would call it GREAT. :-D
Jim
bump
My 1 hive survived.
Quote from: hjon71 on April 19, 2014, 11:13:48 PM
My 1 hive survived.
Congratulations. :piano:
Did you treat your hive with any chemicals?
Jim
Went into spring last year with 52 .lost 36 due to to much rain. Went into fall with 16 lost 6 over winter. Gained 2 swarms and 3 cutouts. Now have 15 and getting another one next weekend.
.
I started three packages last year, one from Brushy Mountain and two from a fella a bit north of here. The Brushy hive I started with mediums. Brushy hive is the only one that made it and it is great. I split it. I don't remember what happened to the one hive, but I didn't actually go into winter with it. The other one, I just found empty, with honey, old brood and pollen, but no bees sometime in February. This year, I made the split and started two packages.
I have lost only one hive since I started beekeeping . Highest colony number I had is 35 hives.
I have 5 now and all survived
Quote
Congratulations. :piano:
Did you treat your hive with any chemicals?
Jim
No Jim. I do not treat at all. No chemicals no sugar shake. They are on natural comb(no foundation) and a sbb. All 10 frame mediums now. They still survive despite my ineptness.
I want to split or catch a swarm for increasing to 2 or 3 hives total.