Bees been keeping me for a decade now. I have had good survival rates for the last 8 years or so until this year. Up front to all ..... I do not treat. Nothing ..... notta. Did first year but decided it was not the way I wanted to go.
Got dad (83 yrs old) started with a couple hives last season. One died a month or so ago. Empty hive, no dead bees, no honey, nothing. The hive next door may have robbed the honey after the colony was dead. Well yesterday we found the remaing hive has plenty stores and about 100- 200 bees and a queen. A gonner for sure. A month ago it was busting with bees.
Not a feed problem I am sure. No wing deformation etc. When there is a varroa problem do you have dead bees remaing? As said above Queen there just no bees.... Any ideas???
Really a bummer since we all pooled toghter and got him bee equipment for Christmas and now no bees :(
Is question too vague.... too stupid.... or just....???? No takers? Where are you Iddee chap me :)
I've not had bees for as long as you. Back a few years ago I had a hive that was doing good, I had six then, We went down to Fla for a few days came back and one hive had no bees, alive or died. The other hives were still doing fine. First thing I thought of was the Queen, if she hasn't been replaced and has stopped laying the hive would die. There are other things it could bee, never figured out what happened to mine.
Hope things start looking better for you.
Joe
Did you see VARROA feces in the empty cells?
Quote from: GLOCK on December 28, 2014, 10:08:31 PM
Did you see VARROA feces in the empty cells?
New one on me anybody ok pics..... Guess I will google.
was the queen still laying in the weak hive? if so, was there a bad shotgun pattern?
The first thing I look for, especially this time of year, is dead Varroa on the bottom. Then Varroa feces in the brood cells. This is the time of year for Varroa losses. Next I make sure they didn't starve. If there is honey, the next thing to check is to see if the cluster is in contact with it. Also is there brood in the middle of the cluster. If there is brood and the cluster is not in contact with stores, then they starved because they couldn't move. If there is no honey near the cluster at all, they starved because they ran out of food.
Not enough brood to call it laying. Was a cell or two of brood. Bees what few left clustered with queen in a 6 inch area. Did not starve plenty access to feed. Actually dad may have overfeed as they have been sucking it down all winter.We rarely have weather cold enough where bees can't break cluster for a long period. No dead bees to be found. I guess varroa would be most likely suspicion.
Frustrating to him as a new beekeeper and especially because he has visions of mead jugs in his head :) And to me as I have not had this problem until last year.
Quote from: sc-bee on December 29, 2014, 12:15:12 AM
Quote from: GLOCK on December 28, 2014, 10:08:31 PM
Did you see VARROA feces in the empty cells?
New one on me anybody ok pics..... Guess I will google.
Check Randy Oliver's web site he has some pictures of brood comb with the white feces in them and explains how to check combs.
Quote from: sc-bee on December 29, 2014, 12:15:12 AM
Quote from: GLOCK on December 28, 2014, 10:08:31 PM
Did you see VARROA feces in the empty cells?
New one on me anybody ok pics..... Guess I will google.
the big brown spots on the bottom of the cell?
Quote from: jayj200 on December 29, 2014, 06:39:36 PM
Quote from: sc-bee on December 29, 2014, 12:15:12 AM
Quote from: GLOCK on December 28, 2014, 10:08:31 PM
Did you see VARROA feces in the empty cells?
New one on me anybody ok pics..... Guess I will google.
the big brown spots on the bottom of the cell?
You mean white???
funnen ya
Dont let it get you or your Pop down SC. One good thing about bees is that you got the equipment, they can be replaced. Dont get me wrong, losing a hive sucks, I just lost one too, however, all that built comb is a very valuable commodity to what will be its new inhabitants via split, package or swarm. Keep your chin up. G :chop:
You will bounce back and keep learning. Chin up and use the hive for a split this spring.