COMPLETELY empty hive

[tjc1]

This hive was by no means honey bound; the bottom-most medium was almost empty comb except for some pollen stores.

[Robo]

one theory that has been proposed in the northeast is that the flow was so good hives became honeybound and left no room for the queen to lay. One very experienced beekeeper noticed this issue, spun out 4 frames of honey, and put empty (but built out frames) into the brood chamber to give the queen room to lay. He didn't have any problem with absconding, but many other experienced beekeepers did. This was in the South Shore of Massachusetts. Just a theory. It's tough to tease out these things, but the honeybound theory makes sense given how good the flow was this year.

The two failed hives that I inspected had plenty of room and were not honey bound.  There was some dead hatching brood (heads out, tongues extended).  Most had DWV,  but there was very little sign of varroa on the bottom boards.

[tjc1]

My hive also had patches of brood, with some just hatching as described, and some of the pupae I pulled out had DWV.

[tjc1]

Report back rom Bethesda lab: wax moth and varroa present; test for foulbrood was negative.

It look as if my second hive, which was a barn-burner all season and is full of honey, is also now empty of bees... What the heck is going on?!

[Sundog]

Both of my backyard hives absconded last week.  Both were hale, hearty and active local mutts with plenty of honey and stores a couple of weeks ago, yesterday they were both bone dry with wax moths moving in.  One hive was six years old and very strong, the other six months from hiving from an open-air colony, doing quite well.

Too much shade has always been an issue in my yard and this summer my neighbor put in a "privacy" fence about ten feet to the west of the hives, so no more late afternoon sun.  SHBs were worse than ever too, but with oil trays under the hives and traps, the bees seemed to be managing them.  This summer was different than recent years.  Much rain and there never seemed to be a real "flow", never saw them coming in with heavy loads as in past years.

I'm pretty bummed about it.  My mission was mostly to help the local bee population, so I hope they're happy where ever they are.  Not sure if I will try to start up again or not.

[BeeMaster2]

Sundog,
Don't give up. It has been a bad year for Florida. Commercially Florida had 0 production this year. My bees made very little honey this years and I lost a lot of hives.
Keep your head high and get a few traps ready for the spring.
Jim

[Acebird]

sawdstmakr, are you a commercial beekeeper?  Did they really have a bad year?

[BeeMaster2]

sawdstmakr, are you a commercial beekeeper?  Did they really have a bad year?

No I am not a commercial Beek.
I read an email on the report for USA honey production. It said FL production was "insignificant, basically 0"

[Sundog]

Thanks for the support, Jim.

...and I was just building them a brand new SBB. (Bummed)  That makes three bye+byes counting my KTBH a couple years ago, and they were so nice.

There was much rain here last summer, washed away much pollen.  Maybe I'll rebuild in the spring.  I never have trapped a swarm though not for not trying.  I currently know the location of three feral hives, but they are beyond my reach.  Two are in trees, one is an open-air about two blocks away.

Thanks for the swarm trap reminder, I feel better now.

[BeeMaster2]

NP Sundog.
I have been there. Just keep on Beekeeping.   
Jim

[John Schwartz]

Curious, for those who have had healthy hives abscond this Fall/early Winter, were your hives within flight distance of Soy or Corn fields?

[Robo]

Curious, for those who have had healthy hives abscond this Fall/early Winter, were your hives within flight distance of Soy or Corn fields?

The two hives I inspected,  and at least 6 others that I know of were not near corn or soy (no commercial agriculture of any kind)

[John Schwartz]

The two hives I inspected,  and at least 6 others that I know of were not near corn or soy (no commercial agriculture of any kind)

Thx, Robo.

[tjc1]

Nor mine - only commercial ag within three miles of me is cranberries.

[John Schwartz]

Nor mine - only commercial ag within three miles of me is cranberries.

Thx, TJC1

[Sundog]

Curious, for those who have had healthy hives abscond this Fall/early Winter, were your hives within flight distance of Soy or Corn fields?

Nothing commercial nor soy or corn within reach.

[John Schwartz]

Nothing commercial nor soy or corn within reach.

Thanks, Sundog!

[chux]

Curious, for those who have had healthy hives abscond this Fall/early Winter, were your hives within flight distance of Soy or Corn fields?

I understand your curiosity, and share it. If the hives were close to such crops, we can say, "hmmm." MAYBE there is a connection. Maybe not. Good to keep track and look for similarities.

[John Schwartz]

Maybe not. Good to keep track and look for similarities.

Right on. :)

[tjc1]

Update - my second hive, which was a huge, booming hive all season - has also disappeared. Again, full of honey (about 100lbs) and a handful of dead bees on the bottom screen. Curiously, on these bizarrely warm days that we have been having here in the northeast, there have been some other local bees visiting this hive - though they have taken none of the honey...