frustratedearthmother
Herd Master
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So sorry, that just stinks!
Bees are tough to raise
- Thread starter babsbag
- Start date
soarwitheagles
True BYH Addict
I lost my big hive. Opened it up today and it is full of dead bees.There is a deep full of honey, and a deep full of pollen and a deep that should have had brood but doesn't, but lots and lots of dead bees. And some dead yellow jackets. The honey and pollen will go into the freezer for next year. One other hive is still be harassed and one is still just fine. I will open them up when this storm is truly gone, next week.
So sorry babs. Is there anyway you could take a pic of the dead hive and post to Beesource.com?
The top beekeepers in the world hang out there and maybe we could obtain some more info/advice as to what happened and what adjustments can be made to increase your future chances of success with the bees.
Yesterday I hung out with the owner of the company that is the number one supplier of pollen substitute in the world. He shared how he hired some of the top scientists in the world to help him understand bees and make a life changing substitute that is changing the face of beekeeping today.
Many people at Beesource have hives that number in the thousands and some of them are third generation beekeepers. They may be able to help you, and best of all, their advice is free.
- Thread starter
- #53
babsbag
Herd Master
@soarwitheagles Do you feed his pollen? That is a good idea about the pictures; I will try and get some when this storm lets up
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Happy Chooks
Loving the herd life
I'm so sorry babs. That really stinks.
Sorry Babs...
Baymule
Herd Master
I love this forum. We can share ideas, success, failure, encourage, commiserate our misery, lift each other up and LEARN from one another.
Big hugs Babs.
Big hugs Babs.
soarwitheagles
True BYH Addict
I have never tried his pollen sub because I just heard about it two weeks ago. Most of the massive beekeeping companies use his pollen sub and he normally only sells massive quantities [as in semi truck fulls] at a time. I was able to pick up 100lbs and will begin to experiment with it later this week.
For the last two years I have used Mann Lake's Ultra for pollen sub. I purchased their 50 lb bag of their dry Ultra version when it was on sale. So I had to mix it by adding sugar, HFCS, and oil to make the patties. I think after mixing, it is over 200lbs of patties. Personally, I think it works well. But this other pollen sub is highly sought after and used by large companies that must have massive quantities of bees ready for the almond bloom that begins in Feb. Most of the professionals buy not from Mann Lake, but, rather from this other guy. I am not even sure why he sold to me as I am less than a speck of dust when it comes to the quantity I ordered. Professional beeks are buying 4,000-5,000 lbs at a time.
For the last two years I have used Mann Lake's Ultra for pollen sub. I purchased their 50 lb bag of their dry Ultra version when it was on sale. So I had to mix it by adding sugar, HFCS, and oil to make the patties. I think after mixing, it is over 200lbs of patties. Personally, I think it works well. But this other pollen sub is highly sought after and used by large companies that must have massive quantities of bees ready for the almond bloom that begins in Feb. Most of the professionals buy not from Mann Lake, but, rather from this other guy. I am not even sure why he sold to me as I am less than a speck of dust when it comes to the quantity I ordered. Professional beeks are buying 4,000-5,000 lbs at a time.
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- Thread starter
- #58
babsbag
Herd Master
I buy mine from Dadant. My husband goes through Chico almost every week so it makes it easy, but if there is better stuff it would be nice. Both hives were pretty active in between rain storms today but who knows if they are the good bees or the "bad" bees... I will go in and check on them tomorrow if it is done raining. My pollen patties won't be here until the end of the week, but the hive that I lost had a full deep super full of pollen so I will take some of that out and give it to the other hives.
I read last night that there seems to be some benefit of three deeps for the brood nest. I know that the big hive I lost had three deeps and they did great before the robbing. I had a full honey super and they still had a full deep of honey and another of pollen. Earlier in the summer they had brood spanning two boxes and that is why they ended up with three. I never had them swarm either, and the other nuc I had swarmed three times. I think I will go to three boxes on all my hives next year.
I read last night that there seems to be some benefit of three deeps for the brood nest. I know that the big hive I lost had three deeps and they did great before the robbing. I had a full honey super and they still had a full deep of honey and another of pollen. Earlier in the summer they had brood spanning two boxes and that is why they ended up with three. I never had them swarm either, and the other nuc I had swarmed three times. I think I will go to three boxes on all my hives next year.
Happy Chooks
Loving the herd life
I also use the Dadant patties. I've been happy with them, they come in a nice box, and I keep them in my deep freezer until I'm ready to use them. Warning though, they are evidently very tasty to dogs. I turned my back for a minute and my dog was eating it before I got it in the hive last year.
My hives stored more pollen this year than I've ever seen them store. The really wet winter we had last year really paid off in the blossoms. I will give mine a patty when I see no more pollen around. We have one native bush in bloom right now, though I have no idea what it is. It really stinks when in bloom.
Every year, I get a bit better at managing my hives. This year, I tried not using an excluder. WOW, it was a huge difference in how quickly they filled that super. And not one bit of brood in it.
That is very cool soarwitheagles that you get to try out the stuff the pros use. I look forward to hearing how you like it.
I hope you have some good news when you inspect babs.
When I lost my hive my first year from mites, I didn't lose them until mid winter.
My hives stored more pollen this year than I've ever seen them store. The really wet winter we had last year really paid off in the blossoms. I will give mine a patty when I see no more pollen around. We have one native bush in bloom right now, though I have no idea what it is. It really stinks when in bloom.
Every year, I get a bit better at managing my hives. This year, I tried not using an excluder. WOW, it was a huge difference in how quickly they filled that super. And not one bit of brood in it.
That is very cool soarwitheagles that you get to try out the stuff the pros use. I look forward to hearing how you like it.
I hope you have some good news when you inspect babs.
When I lost my hive my first year from mites, I didn't lose them until mid winter.- Thread starter
- #60
babsbag
Herd Master
Hive number 4 is gone. The bottom board is full of wax cappings, dead bees, and dead yellow jackets so I would say that there was a fight 'til death. Hive number 5 does not appear to be being robbed, there is very little brood, no queen that I can find, and not many bees, (maybe they are out robbing the other hive). Their behavior is normal. I put a brood pattie in the hive, but they have a lot of stored pollen and honey for their size. I suspect that I am about to be "bee less".
There is always next year, right? The most frustrating part about buying bees every spring is that they get here too late for pollinating many of my fruit trees. No body wants to sell the splits until after the almond pollination and I want them then too.
Hive number 5 does not appear to be being robbed, there is very little brood, no queen that I can find, and not many bees, (maybe they are out robbing the other hive). Their behavior is normal. I put a brood pattie in the hive, but they have a lot of stored pollen and honey for their size. I suspect that I am about to be "bee less". There is always next year, right? The most frustrating part about buying bees every spring is that they get here too late for pollinating many of my fruit trees. No body wants to sell the splits until after the almond pollination and I want them then too.
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