Just received the latest WA Beeaware update and it contained the 2019 survey results which may be of interest.
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I only glanced at it. Then I thought of a recent hive that I almost lost due to neglect, basically due to a lot of rain. By the time I inspected it, hive beetles were taking over, the population was down to maybe a cup of bees. I gave the bees a fresh brood box, with a fresh frame of brood before shaking 3 brood frames worth of bees onto the ground, waiting a few minutes before placing the new brood box next to the remaining nurse bees on the ground to wait for them to march in.
That hive is rescued & on it’s way to a new queen. Needless to say, on it’s way to a full recovery with some assistance.
My point is: Do I count that hive as a “lost hive”?
If a beekeeper commences the year with x number of hives (populated), then finishes the year with the same number of hives (populated), has he/she lost any hives, regardless of how many hives die from pests, disease or over wintering?
The other day a bloke told me that he wanted to get into bees. One of his motivators was that bees are dying out. I told him not to get into bees if that’s his main reason for getting a hive, because bees are in good shape.
Another person told me that they installed an insect hotel. She complained that the only insects to occupy it so far are wasps. I gave her a lecture on how beneficial wasps are & that they fall into the category of “pollinators”, just as bees do.
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