HI Semaphore. I think my hive is doooomed. I’ll check on the weekend and if there is no brood, i will take all the honey and reluctantly let this hive go. I can’t see myself locating and installing a new queen by the weekend. boo hoo
If you can find a Nuc from somewhere maybe you could combine it and save the hive?
Hiya Ki, the Capped brood has all hatched. I thought it looked odd when i saw it but it had all hatched within a couple of days.
Hopefully, and weather permitting, i’ll expect on the weekend.
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Sounds like you have pressed the right buttons and it gives you breathing time to introduce a mated queen.
That can be a problem when you have just the one hive, you are restricted to some extent in being able to do some things for yourself. In this case you can’t introduce a comb of young brood so the bees can make a new queen for the hive.
Regards
Hi Peter,
I’m unwell today so can’t open the hive but i did check the corflute. There is activity in the brood along the frames, no SHB which is good.
At this stage all i can do is keep an eye on it and hope that in 21 days or so there are new bees. if it looks like the hive is failing i’ll close it down.
Hello @BeeShack, You might be surprised with a hive that looks too weak to survive can bounce back. While we have this Summer weather it is a good sign so don’t get despondent. It might be worth thinking about giving them a feed of 1 to 1 of sugar and water if the frames look light on for nectar.
I spent 2 hours at my hives today and replaced the base boards, checked the brood and the stores, they are bringing in pollen and nectar and everything is going really well. I couldn’t see the queens but not really looking for them because of the brood.
I am picking up another nuc with a young queen from @JeffH tomorrow afternoon, he has plenty of knowledge and very switched on about bees. Just listening to him brings back memories of when I had hives in the Hawkesbury and Mudgee, I thought it was forgotten but seems my memory just needed restarting and a lot has come back to me.
Sorry to hear you are not feeling well, you take it easy on yourself.
Regards
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For anyone interested i think… BEES are GO.
On examination of the corflute, it looks like a frame has hatched and there is lots of activity in the frames. If there was any chalk brood, it’s been tossed out and is lying on the corflute. I have not seen a single hive beetle. It’s amazing.
The weather is unreliable with intermittent rain, and it’s just become colder in the evening. I wouldn’t like to open the hive until the the rain clears up and we have a few warm days.
Bee Brain’s trust, thank you for keeping me going and optimistic during this testing time.
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Nature has a way of coming through but it might need a helping hand with feeding syrup till the hive rebuilds. It is great to hear back from you and it is good to read a success story.
Regards
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