It finally happened

kattz · February 18, 2010, 10:06:52 PM

After almost 3 weeks of bad weather today it hit the 60's and I checked my hive, needless to say I had just a small cluster and all my bees were dead.
It sure was sad to see that they all had died and I had my suspensions since they didn't have a lot of stores going into winter. I feed as much as I could or should I say as much as they could eat and store in the short days in late November when it was still warm.
I learned a lot and will take all that I learned and try again, thanks to everyone that has posted here.

homer · February 18, 2010, 10:18:00 PM

Yup.... that's unfortunate for you and your bees! But it is part of beekeeping. Whatever you do, don't get too frustrated by it.... just keep on going and learn from this experience!

doak · February 18, 2010, 10:23:15 PM

Did you have only one colony? Was this your first Year? If so try to get your next colony started about one week before the main nector flow starts. (If) the flow starts before July or later.
Even That is not too late to start, if there is plenty for them. You can Re queen here as late as Sept. or Oct, But I would not try to start a colony from scratch that late. :)doak

applebwoi · February 19, 2010, 01:53:44 AM

If you're going into the winter with a light hive and very low stores you can always add dry sugar to the top hive body as insurance. It doesn't always work, but usually does and I'm sure it should be effective in your area.

BjornBee · February 19, 2010, 07:56:57 AM

Light stores going into winter can be rectified in about 30 seconds by any beekeeper. 25 pounds of foundant or even 25 pounds of sugar can easily feed bees for months.

The hive perhaps starved if you were not paying attention. But many times I hear about "light" hives, and it usually also translates into "weak" hives. As a beekeeper, I can overcome a light hive. Unfortunately, I have little control over brood production, from the sense that it it up to the bees themselves, unless I can add frames of brood or combine.

Weak hives going into fall, equals a small fall brood area. They will only raise brood they can cover at night. So if you have a weak hive, they have a slim chance of survival come winter. They just will not raise enough brood to make it through winter, no matter how much you feed.

Feeding a light hive but a strong hive....can be saved.
Feeding a light hive and a weak hive.....usually is a lost hive.

Feeding strong hives, with light stores is something we can all do and be successful. But combining weak hives is still the best approach.

This may not help the original poster, but for others with more than one hive, this may help.

Two Bees · February 19, 2010, 08:36:10 AM

I agree. I had a light hive going into November and I packed 30# of dry sugar on top of the frame bars using newspaper and they are just cruising along this winter!

kattz · February 19, 2010, 11:22:57 AM

I started feeding in late August and into September, but in late September there was a lot of robbing going on. I placed a robber screen to slow it down but I caught it too late, and I think by then the colony might have been not as strong.
Also after the robbing my hive seem to be weak and even with as much feeding as I did, They never seemed to recover on the stores that they were going to need for winter.
I think the final nail was that here in North TX we usually have real mild winters and this winter has been usually with snow already 5 times this year.
This was my second year and I did place sugar on top of the frames for emergency.