Advise me PLEASE

sweet bee · July 15, 2011, 01:07:45 PM

2 weeks ago during a quick inspection, It appeared that the bottom box was backfilled with nectar/sugar.( I had fed them for one week because there was no pollen coming in...it was probably mistake #1). They have just started drawing out the comb in the second box so I took 2 frames of drawn comb and placed it on each side of her so she would have somewhere to lay. I moved the 2 backfilled frames to the second box. It has always been a very active hive and really gentle...until today! When I went in this morning, I started with the top box (where I moved the backfilled frames to) they have really been busy drawing out the remaining frames. That is where I found the queen, very little larve, and mostly drone brood( but not even a whole lot of that) I tried to put 2 more empty drawn frames on the bottom so I could put her back below with room to lay. But the girls were in a VERY pissy mood. All I could do is put the tops on and run for the house! What should I do now????

Word of Advice: Never swat a bee sting with a hive tool in the other hand :-D I have an itty bitty bee sting and a 6 inch cut on the arm :shock:

~Angie

FRAMEshift · July 15, 2011, 01:16:53 PM

We're in a dearth right now so you don't really want a lot of brood. Sounds like you did fine in moving the frames 2 weeks ago. Now I think I would just leave the bees alone.

As to why they were angry, maybe you were working on a dreary day with low clouds? That makes them feisty. Are you wearing a veil, and long sleeves?

sweet bee · July 15, 2011, 01:42:28 PM

Yes, a very cloudy day....It came a down pour 15 minutes after closing the hive up. but I was so anxious about whether or not the hive was doing ok. so I had to look. Should I be concerned about the drone brood? It was in the center of 1 frame and a few on the other. I installed these packages 10 weeks ago and I've had very little drone so I was suprised to see them. Thank you for your quick response. As I mentioned, I've been really anxious :)

~Angie

danno · July 15, 2011, 01:48:27 PM

is your drone brood in drone cells or worker cells with bulging caps? If its the later and there is alot of it you most likely have a queen problem

sweet bee · July 15, 2011, 02:19:16 PM

Quote from: danno on July 15, 2011, 01:48:27 PM
is your drone brood in drone cells or worker cells with bulging caps? If its the later and there is alot of it you most likely have a queen problem

Yes, The brood caps were bulging... and I did spot the queen. Does that mean I could still have queen problems?

~Angie

sc-bee · July 15, 2011, 02:25:21 PM

Most likely time of the year for Southern beekeeper without a flow and 100+ temps. Queen will cut back this time of year.

We laugh at the YANKS early in spring as they are covered in snow and they laugh at us the rest of the year (as in no fall flow) ;)

Edited: Hey that rhymes, I certainly didn't do it intentionally :-D

Kathyp · July 15, 2011, 02:39:09 PM

deep breath. how about some pictures? we'd be better able to help you if we could see what you are concerned about.

protection: wear it. it is one thing for an experienced beekeeper to decide not to wear at least a veil. quite another and quite a risk for a new beekeeper to do the same. at least protect your eyes and airway.

it is a good thing for new beekeepers to check their hives often, but....disrupting the bees often will lead to slower work, aggravated bees, and stings.

we all have the urge to get in there and then to fix things. it is our nature. just be aware that there is a downside to our "help" and try to balance that urge against real need.
it comes with time ;)

FRAMEshift · July 15, 2011, 02:49:14 PM

Quote from: sweet new-bee on July 15, 2011, 01:42:28 PM
Yes, a very cloudy day....It came a down pour 15 minutes after closing the hive up. but I was so anxious about whether or not the hive was doing ok. so I had to look. Should I be concerned about the drone brood? It was in the center of 1 frame and a few on the other. I installed these packages 10 weeks ago and I've had very little drone so I was suprised to see them. Thank you for your quick response. As I mentioned, I've been really anxious :)
~Angie

Angie, you said "mostly" drone brood and I took that to mean that there was some worker brood too. You started only 10 weeks ago from packages, so it's not unusual to start having some drone brood now. If you did not also have some worker brood, I would be worried. And for most of the year your worker brood should greatly outnumber your drone brood, but this is a dearth so not much worker brood is being laid.

I assume you are using foundation... which restricts drone comb. Your bees finally got some drone comb built... or built out a foundation cell... so they could follow their instincts.

Yes, if it rained 15 minutes after you left the hive, they were angry about the weather.

FRAMEshift · July 15, 2011, 02:53:52 PM

Quote from: sweet new-bee on July 15, 2011, 02:19:16 PM
Yes, The brood caps were bulging... and I did spot the queen. Does that mean I could still have queen problems?

~Angie

Drone brood always bulges, whether it's in drone comb or worker comb. No, I don't think you have a queen problem. Leave the bees alone for a month. If you still don't have any eggs, larvae, or worker brood you can start to worry. I think you are fine.

iddee · July 15, 2011, 03:14:35 PM

Ditto frameshift.... Leave them for awhile and go in on a sunny, warm, "not hot" day.They will probably be much happier to see you.

As Kathy said always wear protection.. Also, always use smoke.

sweet bee · July 15, 2011, 03:23:45 PM

Quote from: kathyp on July 15, 2011, 02:39:09 PM
deep breath. how about some pictures? we'd be better able to help you if we could see what you are concerned about.

protection: wear it. it is one thing for an experienced beekeeper to decide not to wear at least a veil. quite another and quite a risk for a new beekeeper to do the same. at least protect your eyes and airway.

it is a good thing for new beekeepers to check their hives often, but....disrupting the bees often will lead to slower work, aggravated bees, and stings.

we all have the urge to get in there and then to fix things. it is our nature. just be aware that there is a downside to our "help" and try to balance that urge against real need.
it comes with time ;)

No pictures today...The girls were not in the mood for company :lol: I need to be better protected when I go out. It's been so hot (about 100+ most days) and my bees seem soooo sweet :-D That most of the time I'm wearing no veil, T-Shirt, capris and flip flops.(I didn't say I was bright :-D.. but Lesson Learned)

danno · July 15, 2011, 03:46:04 PM

I have had many pictures taken of me holding full frames on bee's or scooping up a handfull from a swarm with nothing more than a tank top and shorts but these were all taken after I got the feeling of them, that day wearing protection. Most of the time it just a veil this time of year. If the weathers not great its a jacket and hood and at harvest time its boots, a full suit and gloves. Sooner or later you'll flip a lid only to have a cloud come up in your face

Scadsobees · July 15, 2011, 03:55:50 PM

Quote from: iddee on July 15, 2011, 03:14:35 PM
Ditto frameshift.... Leave them for awhile and go in on a sunny, warm, "not hot" day.

"not hot"
So she'll have to wait till October or November? :lau:

Or do you mean somewhere in the mid-90's? :-D

iddee · July 15, 2011, 06:08:07 PM

Below 90, before 10 AM, or after 7 PM. Not hard to find a day like that.

Brian D. Bray · July 15, 2011, 06:56:14 PM

Georgia should be through with it's blackberry flow by now.

What types of bees do you have, Angie?

Russian bees will go into a brood dearth about halfway through major flow like blackberries produces. As the brood hatches the empty cells are then used for curing/processing the nectar into honey. It is then moved out of the brood area into the storage area where it is capped. Soon after a major ends the queen will once again begin laying eggs and building the population of the hive back up to a size sufficient to handle the next honey flow. The hive will appear to be honey bound.

When this happens many beekeepers think they have either gone queenless or have a bad queen. The queen is good, the brood dearth is the Russian bees way of reducing the varroa mite load. They will typically go through about 3 brood dearths per year, at least that has been my observation.

If a honey bound situation exists the beekeeper can never go wrong by opening up the brood area. That is, removing a couple of honey bound frames and replacing them with undrawn frames or empty combs to stimulate the queen into resuming brood production.

Ther are a lot of reasons why bees can be proddy one day and gentle as a lamb the next, or visa versa. some of these things include weather (adverse or changing), outside irritants (varmints and pests, including kids with rocks), inside irritants (SHB, ants, or mice), objectionable odors (perfumes, some beverages, animal sweat), plus a host of other considerations.
Don't get concerned about a proddy hive until the hive remains proddy for 30 days or more, then access for causes. Always decide to replace the queen as the very last, most darastic, action necessary.

sweet bee · July 15, 2011, 09:27:45 PM

Hi Brian,

We are surrounded by cotton which is just starting to bloom, so maybe that will pick things up again. My bees are Italians, do they have any similarities to the Russians in regards to the brood dearth?
I go into my hives about every week sometimes every other week (which is probably too much) But thought by doing so, I could keep a close eye on any problems with the SHB.

It was very cloudy and rained a ton just a few minutes after I closed the hive up. I'm sure that's why they were so nasty. Also, the queen was in the top box and I set that to the side so I could check the bottom box and it was the bottom that got so fiesty, do you think it could be from having the queen separated from them?
I'm extremly new to beekeeping, I study and read everyday for hours trying to learn all I can. I just don't want to overlook anything that could lead to problems. So any information that y'all share with me is very appreciated.

Thank you :lol:

~Angie

Brian D. Bray · July 16, 2011, 10:07:33 PM

I have not noticed any brood dearth actions by any of the Italian bees I've had contact with of late. Mine are home grown mutts, cross of Italian, Russian, and Old World Carniolans. The brood dearth tendency does seem to be dominate when the types are crossed.