Five alive + one autopsy - Seward, Alaska

[Paraplegic Racehorse]

We had a recent spate of warm weather and I didn't see any bees taking advantage of it to defecate. So I opened up the hives to take a peek. Of six hives entering winter, five remain (three Warre + two Langstroth).

Today, I performed an autopsy - and harvested the honey from - the deceased Warre. Full report at my blog.

Comments and insights requested and appreciated.

[Finski]

I live just at the same latitude in south Finland as you do. We have here beehives on Polar Circle area too.

I see from your pictures that you have not insulated hives. That is a bad thing. I recommnd to use foundations. It saves bees energy and your honey yield.
In cold climate good spring build up is usefull and in that warm insulated hives are the most important.

We have here average honey yield 50-80 kg per hive.
Winter dead rate is something 15-20%. Seldom hives starve but nosema and varroa kill hives.

[Finski]

Your photos

When I enlargened your photos I see several molded drones on combs. It tells that the hive has been without laying queen in late summer. That is why they have not killed drones.


It means too that the hive have died lack of bees and not by diseases.

So you may give those combs to other colonies.

[rdy-b]

I dont know much about that type of hive -But I was wondering if your bee pace is to big-
3/8 gap for top bars -would that help them build straight comb-also wondering about the
top cover what material was inside it-shavings ? -RDY-B

[Wynoochee_newbee_guy]

I posted my 25 cents worth on this on another forum. the spacing in the frames are way out of wack some tight some far apart. just a mess of a hive. with a hive like this how can one do a proper inspection move frames around to help the hive. wierd hives like warr'e hives ect only reforce how good a langstroth hive is being over 158 years old. yes we can tweek it here and there but not make a hive better then LLL did.

[Finski]

-would that help them build straight comb-

Do you think that natural combs are straight?  They must be curved!

[Paraplegic Racehorse]

Please. MUST we have the religious arguments about hive configuration? Can we not all agree that bees will fill a cavity with comb, stores and brood in an appropriate arrangement, even without beekeeper assistance (interference)? Clearly, these bees were not killed because of hive configuration. Combs did not suddenly move and kill the queen - an all too-frequent occurrence during hive inspections by "benevolent" beekeepers.

[Paraplegic Racehorse]

I dont know much about that type of hive -But I was wondering if your bee pace is to big-
3/8 gap for top bars -would that help them build straight comb-also wondering about the
top cover what material was inside it-shavings ? -RDY-B

No. The box between the roof and the combs was a Bro. Adam type feed trough with about 6cm of 3:1 syrup in it. It contained zero dead bees and the syrup had no mould growing in it.

I don't consider straight comb to be of any advantage to the bees. Feral nests almost never have straight combs. That is merely a convenience factor for beekeepers who wish to frequently disturb their bees by rearranging the inside of their home. Further, burr- and cross-combs are a reality even for framed-hive configurations whether with or without foundation. The top bars (or frames) exist to provide a place for the bees to hang the comb.

[rdy-b]

one thing about the comb-if the hive dies-the comb is a valuable resource for the beekeeper-
having the comb break in pieces trying to get the frame-or top bar out-Is counter productive-
not trying to tell you how to keep your bees -my question was do you think the comb would have been straighter if the 3/8
beespace had been observed-  :lol: I think it would have -because the bees build comb in direct relation to the frame or top bar provided-And you are right it dosent make any difference as far as the colony death -where you able to check the cell walls of the brood comb for the tell tale sign of varoa-(little white spot where the mite defecated) the spot would be on the top in relation to comb positon-RDY-B

[Paraplegic Racehorse]

[spacing of bars]
Since the bars are 3/4" wide, and not 1", a 3/8 gap would be insufficient width to build comb in. Also, the bottom box has no cross-comb at all. I don't think spacing was an issue.

[parasite and disease indications]
I saw no indication of varroa, SHB (unlikely in Alaska), foulbrood, chalkbrood, diarrhea, or non-beekeeper predation. The queen cups at the bottoms of the upper combs suggest that maybe they were ready to supercede the queen and destroyed her a little too early? Then again, it's normal for natural combs to have a few cups at the bottom kept on a "just in case" basis. I see this even in my Langs.

[rdy-b]

[spacing of bars]
Since the bars are 3/4" wide, and not 1", a 3/8 gap would be insufficient width to build comb in. Also, the bottom box has no cross-comb at all. I don't think spacing was an issue.

I just wondered because there are eight top bars and in the pic they have built nine combs in places
seams they had more than enough space -anyway i here that local honey is a treasure in ALASKA
glad you where able to enjoy some of the bees labors-RDY-B

[Paraplegic Racehorse]

As to that ninth comb, they started building in more than one place on bar4 and never properly joined the two combs in a straight line. I think that's what, ultimately, caused them to vary from the guiding inherent in the bars.

Thanks for the nice words on the harvest. I'm waiting for a lab analysis of the black stuff on three of the combs before I eat share any honey. I don't know that it isn't the "black mould" that health departments warn us about. Chances are very good that I'll just press out the honey and feed it to other hives.

[rdy-b]

-would that help them build straight comb-

Do you think that natural combs are straight?  They must be curved!

FINSKI this brings up a question-Are there feral bees in FINLAND-RDY-B

[Finski]

FINSKI this brings up a question-Are there feral bees in FINLAND-RDY-B

WE had German Black idiot bees up till 1990 but then varroa killed them all.
They were escaped swarms which lived in empty houses or in tree trunks.

Only those can survive which are handled agaist varroa. We have now Italian and Carniolan bees.

[rdy-b]

maybe ELGON bee will save finland  :) -RDY-B

[Finski]

maybe ELGON bee will save finland  :) -RDY-B

From what?

[rdy-b]

  varoa mites and crocked comb  :-D (Yes I know varoa easily handled with OXILAC DRIBEL)
;) RDY-B

[Finski]

City beekeeping is arising here. Perhaps it saves us.