When brood is only in frames above the bottom box, what then?

[tillie]

Since one of my hives died, I am terrified that something will go wrong with my remaining hive.  When I inspected it today, the bottom deep has no activity in it - no brood, no stores, nothing.  There is a small brood area in the medium above the bottom box - here's how it looks:



Upon closer look, although the pattern is somewhat spotty, there are good larvae (c shaped and shiny) in the uncapped cells and it looks OK to me.  I believe that I read a recommendation from Finsky once to then move this box below the deep at the bottom of the hive since the bees tend to work their way up the hive.  With larvae like that I think I must still have a good queen in this hive but I want to help them thrive.  I put on a Boardman feeder but haven't moved the box until someone here says I should!

The bees in this hive were really active and looking strong.  But I did see one with deformed wings and am scared that the varroa will take their toll on this hive in that way..... :-x

Linda T in Atlanta feeling really insecure as a beekeeper.....

[michelleb]

The shotty brood could mean that the workers are doing a good job of dragging out varroa infested larvae, or it could mean a failing queen. Also--will workers remove brood if they feel they don't have enough pollen coming in? Have you done a sticky board test to determine mite loads? I'm thinking that this would be the time to treat in Georgia, if you need treatment.

Smaller brood clusters in the top box are common this time of the year. Some folks simply reverse the boxes, others rearrange frames. If you don't have anything in the lower box, then you can reverse. But if you still have empty comb in that inhabited box, maybe removing the lower box until  you've treated--or until the girls have built up a bit more--might be a good idea. Less comb for them to care for, and less comb getting contaminated by whatever treatment you decide to use.

Not a huge fan of boardman feeders for many reasons, though they do make good waterers.

[Michael Bush]

Try a sugar shake and see what the Varroa level is.  If they have an empty box, in Atlanta, now, I would guess there are things blooming right?  You can put it above the current one and feed until there are some stores.

[tillie]

Yes, the red maple is blooming which is big for bees here and the redbuds are starting today as well.  I can move the boxes and do a sugar shake with a sticky board under the hive.  I SO don't want to lose this hive.

Linda T :(

[tillie]

I am feeling more hope.  In the picture above on my Picasa program, I can enlarge it a great deal and in doing so I can see a grain of rice egg in the bottom of almost all of the "empty" cells (the ones making the brood pattern look spotty).....so there's been a laying queen in that hive within the last day or two.....whew! 

I hope, hope, hope that this one makes it.  I'll put on this hive the filled frames of honey from the dead hive to give it a boost.

Linda T :-\