My 3 hives at the close of August

Draginol · August 24, 2007, 01:43:49 AM

Before I start, I want to thank you guys for all your help. My sons and I started beekeeping this year and this forum has been incredibly helpful in learning about bee keeping.

We started 3 hives this year. I got 2 back in May and a Nuc in early June.

The first two have taken different courses. One has 3 mediums full of bees and seems to be doing great.

The second has two mediums full of bees with a third medium started. Hoewver, there are a LOT (as in a pile) of dead bees in front of it. For the past 3 weeks the pile keeps getting added to with live bees on top of the pile and becoming part of it. I have no idea what the cause is.

The third is doing terribly. About 7 frames of one medium are being used. I have heavily fed them all Summer and little has happened (they eat the sugar syrup though). The queen is laying and I've seen brood but it's just been slow going.

In early September, I plan to merge the third hive with my strongest hive to help ensure its Wintering. If I knew what was wong with the second hive, I'd be inclined to merge that with the weak one.

Next year, I hope to expand to 5 total hives (3 that I'll take care of and 1 for each of my boys to take care of). The 2 new ones would be 8 frame mediums instead of the 10 frame mediums.

With the failing hive that I plan to merge, rather than killing the queen I plan to take her and some of the bees and put them into a nuc that I would take care of over the Winter and try in a fresh hive next Spring if they survive.

Any thoughts on this?

Understudy · August 24, 2007, 09:02:50 AM

Take the third hive and reduce it to a nuc.

The second hive seems to be doing alright. The pile of dead bees may have been due to them running into some pesticide. Sweep the bees up. Do not add another super to it until it appears stronger.

Leave hive number one alone it is doing well.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

Potlicker1 · August 24, 2007, 09:08:34 AM

I'm not so sure I'd keep that queen from the weak hive. She may have poor genetics which isn't worth repeating again next year. I'd be more apt to requeen this fall and give them a jump start into next spring.

BMAC · August 24, 2007, 09:11:22 AM

I agree. Kill the weak queen and turn then entire third hive into a nuc for the winter with a good fall queen.

Kathyp · August 24, 2007, 12:43:14 PM

requeening is not always successful. if he kills her now and the new queen doesn't take, it's getting late in the year....guess there might be time to try twice....

how are you doing with mites? they sure can weaken a hive. if you have 3 hives with issues, you might have one common problem.

Cindi · August 25, 2007, 11:39:03 AM

Hmm, draginol. YOu say that for about 3 weeks the pile of dead bees is getting bigger. I would think that if it was pesticide poisoning, it would be more sudden, not over time like it is so. That is the only part that I feel comfortable to make a comment on in your post. Wait for good answers, by the way, good luck with your bees, excellent that your two sons are taking an interest, yeah!!!! Have this wonderful day, Cindi

KathyP, by the way, keep meaning to make this comment, but forgetting. I love the picture of the woman in your avitar, tell us about why you chose it and where it comes from, curiosity never got this cat. C

Kathyp · August 25, 2007, 01:53:03 PM

cindi, just saw it and loved it. it fit my gemini, schizophrenic, view of myself. i have also been told that i intimidate some people on first meeting. i don't mind that, and thought the avatar fit this also. :evil:

i'm pretty sure i got it from this site.

http://avatars.jurko.net/

Cindi · August 26, 2007, 12:51:05 AM

Kathy, beautiful, I love it too. Have a wonderful day, greatest of life. Cindi

Zoot · August 26, 2007, 01:25:17 AM

Have you been paying close attention to the content of your frames? All of your colonies sound small considering when you started. Have you had a season-long dearth there? Even when feeding syrup (sometimes especially when feeding syrup) your hives can become nectar-bound. In my past experience this has caused hives to suspend growth.

jeffreym · August 26, 2007, 10:34:26 AM

Kathyp:
I went to the avitar site and my virus detector found a "JS-Downloader-AUD" Trojan. The script was blocked by my MaCafee. Use caution.
J-

Kathyp · August 26, 2007, 02:01:56 PM

thanks jeffreym, i run some pretty good protection on this computer and did not pick up anything, but i did see that they have some nasty and annoying add stuff on there. some of it is rollover stuff. not only do i run good virus protection, but good spyware stuff. i highly recommend both to people. most trojans are not damaging, but they are not something you want on your computer.

oh ya....i run the blocking silent. may not have even noticed the trojan. good catch.

Draginol · August 29, 2007, 12:35:56 AM

Quote from: Zoot on August 26, 2007, 01:25:17 AM
Have you been paying close attention to the content of your frames? All of your colonies sound small considering when you started. Have you had a season-long dearth there? Even when feeding syrup (sometimes especially when feeding syrup) your hives can become nectar-bound. In my past experience this has caused hives to suspend growth.

The problem I have had has been with drawing comb. Especially with the smallest hive, the bees just don't seem to be drawing comb. There's very little stored honey, mostly brood.

Zoot · August 29, 2007, 01:01:30 AM

It could still simply be a matter of there not being enough room. Have you checked out Micheal Bush's site? He details an excellent procedure for opening the brood area.

rdy-b · August 29, 2007, 02:01:47 AM

DRAGINOL if they arnt drawing comb stimulate them with one to one syrup they will have no choice but to make wax thin sryup works for this ;) thicker sryup wont have same efect keep going still time to get a couple rounds of brood- thumbs up - RDY-B