Is my hive overcrowded

Thank you for that Dawn, not seeing a queen cell at this stage unfortunately. Will take yours and Jeffs advise and keep at it. Moved a honey frame over today with some more bees. The new bees are starting to forage. And they are capping honey. And storing pollen. The poor things just needs a Mother. Talk soon. Cheers Jude.

2 Likes

@JeffH and @Dawn_SD,
Hi to all, further to my last post regarding, swarm prevention - it has been a long 22 days since we last checked the new brood box. On that check 26/9 we thankfully found 1 capped queen cell + 4 others on another frame not capped. Today, 18/10 - the cell was opened and there appeared to me to be more bees. Could not find the queen on inspection but believe we have spotted her on one of the photos. ( ? Mid right side of frame surrounded by her girls. Would appreciate confirmation here ) I do believe it is a weak hive at this time. Most of the bees looked very aged and there is very little new brood, also quite a number of shb. However they are very busy and there is lots of pollen coming in and a full frame of honey, if they need it and they are starting to drawing the wax on some of the new waxed framesā€¦ We have 2 oil traps between the frames and diatomaceous soil in the base tray. Will check them again on Monday, hopefully we will see more brood. I have learnt many things with this exercise, thanks everyone for your input. The main thing is with all my worry and bumbling efforts in the end nature played its course and the girls just naturally did it on their own. Cheers Jude.

1 Like

Oh yes, that is the queen alright, a beautiful specimen. I also see some chalk brood in a couple of cells. That partially capped cell could be chalk brood as well.

Thanks for that observation Jeff, I missed that. The hive has certainly been under stress and the weather has been all over the place, so makes sense that chalkbrood may be around. I have noticed over the last week or two, larvae in the bottom tray of both hives as well as on the entry board , also a long stringy type substance and half opened cells in the new hive. So apart from trying better hygiene between hives and removing what I can, do you have ant advise here. Thanks Jeff

More information please Judeā€¦:thinking:

2 Likes

Hi Jude, you are welcome. The only thing Iā€™d suggest for ants is to use barriers like grease or oil between the ground & the hives. One example would be a greasy rag tied around posts, if posts was part of the hive stand.

The ā€œlong stringy like substance and half opened cellsā€ sounds like something to be concerned about. I await your reply to @skeggley. cheers.

Hi Skeggley nice to hear from you. We replaced the bottom board in hive no 1 when we split the hive because the core flute board kept getting stuck with wax and the small black commercial shb catchers do not seem to work for us. Rob made a draw arrangement that would hold diatomaceous soil and we placed it in the bottom slide. Have just gone down to take a photo to show you, rather then try to explain.

it is a whole lot worse now. Have removed the bottom draw and replaced with the coreflute in the top slide. ( which is a great pity, because the tray is working very well as far as the shb is concerned). Not able to check the hive now till Monday. I did not notice damaged wax in the hive on last inspection 10 days ago. We checked hive no.2 draw yesterday when we were checking for the new queen. There is no moth, some small larvae and lots of dead shb, so we are assuming that it is beetle larvae. I hope itā€™s just normal garden moth and not wax moth. These girls are giving me far too many sleepless nights. What to you think skeggley.

Ps. The lavae we saw on the landing board of hive no. 2 was a lot larger then these lavae. So it appears we have two problems - chalkbrood and moth.

Thanks Jeff. Will try the creasy rag, there are quite a few ants around. Have replied to skegglysā€™ inquiry. Look forward to your thoughts. Cheers Jude.

1 Like

Phew I thought you meant stringy stuff in the cells with broken cappings!
I think what you are referring to is the wax moth lavae silk trail on the bottom board?

2 Likes

Hi Jude, do not ever consider wax moth to be a problem in the hives. Wax moth will never be an issue in the hives unless a hive has died out or close to dying out. In your/my case SHB will be an issue before wax moth. They will both co-habitate to turn a dying or dead hive into a pile of rich organic soil.

I have wax moth larvae living between the perspex & wood of my observation hive full time. They feed on the hive sweepings after the bees keep the floor immaculately clean. This is what the wax moth larvae are doing on the core flute, consuming the hive debris that would normally get taken out with a solid floor. This is beautifully illustrated near the start of the video ā€œCity of Beesā€ on Youtube.

2 Likes

Hey Jude,

Donā€™t make it badā€¦
Take a wax moth and make it betterā€¦
Remember, donā€™t let them under your comb,
Then you can start, to make it betterā€¦

Hey Jude, donā€™t be sad,
You were made to go and get them,
The minute you make your hive strong,
Then you begin to right the wrongsā€¦

:blush:

Nah, nah, nee, na na nahhh!!!

3 Likes

That was alarm bells all over there for a second! AFB!:persevere:

Thank God- just dear old wax moth webs.

3 Likes

Wow Dawn, when ever I sing that song again I am singing those lyrics. Awesome!
Thanks Jeff, Dawn, Skeggly , Semaphore I feel so much better now. Will watch the utube clip a bit later. Only just home and reading my messages, what a relief. Sorry to give you all such a scare, probs did not explain myself well enough. Will put the very functional bottom draw back in and maybe address some of the gaps. Have also greased a ring around the pole that the hive sits on. Now will wait and see. Cheeers Guys, have a good week end.

3 Likes