Just a thought but I’m wondering if the corpse of a native bee doesn’t provide enough for a SHB to develop to maturity. As I have said I have no experience with natives bees but with the explosion of SHB this Spring I fear I might become an expert about them. Sunday I checked my apiary perimeter traps and gave up counting at 100, by far the most I have had. I have seen hive collapse because of SHB up here, but from memory not as big an issue when I was at Richmond, but maybe they are a bigger issue these days there.
Cheers
I don’t think the bee corpse size has anything to do with SHB, the larvae seem to prefer chewing their way through brood combs, but I’m not sure it they actually consume pupating bees, just damage them perhaps.
The first sign my hive was undergoing a slimeout was when I noticed workers dragging out large amounts of bee brood, but it wasn’t all dead.
Native bees may be able to resist due to how they structure their hives but also how they defend them. The used to have stings but lost them through evolving other ways to protect themselves.
WOW! You guys are great, thanks for the continuing education, I know I am in the bee business for another 3 yrs for sure since I am doing this for a company I work for, and don’t get me wrong my passion is growing as I learn from you all. I just got approved to move forward on purchasing what is necessary to expand or make a split come early spring, I think I would like to purchase another complete hive consisting of a 8 frame deep and two medium supers, I am thinking I would like to put a medium super on this year, currently my bees have two 8 frame deeps almost full, I am going to open the hive tomorrow for an inspection, and evaluation. Its been 2 1/2 weeks since I opened the hive, I noticed the other day the numbers appear to be way up compared to 2 1/2 weeks ago just from standing and watching the activity, but there is a nectar flow currently going on. I am open for suggestions, I would like to be ready for a split come spring in order to maybe avoid a swarm, first thing come spring I want to put my flow super on, and I am not certain when I should do that, oh my I sound confused, I am reading simple methods of making increase by Wally Shaw so maybe I’m not to old to learn yet. Thanks for everything guys, much appreciated.
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This is what I have in mind to purchase this year, and use one of the medium supers to add onto my existing hive.
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Jerry, got some news for you mate, if you aren’t yet addicted to being a bee keeper then after the three years agreement in front of you then you will be well and truly hooked.
I got hooked 48 years ago with no interest in bee, then I helped an elderly neighbor unload a truck of boxes of honey frames he was extracting that night. Going for what I though was a short walk changed my life. Now, 48nyears later and 72 years young I haven’t stopped learning about bees. He was a commercial bee keeper and became my mentor.
A very common mistake folks make is adding a super, or a second brood box, too early. I have covered my thoughts about that previously so I’ll only say now is not to lush it, Bees need to live in ‘high density’ living conditions and expanding the hive too early can actually set the colony back.
Cheers
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Yes I will heed that advice, the hive that I purchased today is so I will be ready come spring so I can do a split or have a place to go with a captured swarm, currently my hive consist of two 8 frame deeps that are about 3 frames short of being full. I have some superiors that have questioned why I have not attempted to have any honey this first year, and of course I have explained that we need a strong colony with plenty of reserve to get through the winter. My intent is to put the flow super on early spring whenever the time is right, of course currently I have not learned when that is. I have entertained adding a medium super this year depending on what I see next week when I do my inspection, and I am only entertaining that because of others wishes, but I we stand my ground if I find it better to wait till spring. I very much appreciate your guidance, and hoping I can find a local beekeeper to lean on shortly. Thanks
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Your the bee keeper so stand your ground about it. Your already an educator on bee keeping to your superiors who like most only wants the end result and the taste of the honey. They need to understand to adjust to ‘bee time’ and wait. Tell them that in a bees life time under ideal conditions it can only make 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey, that often is a reality shock that makes them think…
Cheers
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Concerning SHB and native bees.
Yes they are a problem with these hives. As mentioned a strong hive can resist and overcome them but a weaker one is probably doomed. The following slime out from an infestation is something that you don’t want to experience. This is one of the reasons that their hive entrances are so small.
I originally started with nave bees and was reluctant to have honeybees hives as they may attract more beetles to the area.
That is interesting about the smaller entrance, that might explain why they are not, or at least, a lesser issue in a native bee hive.
Cheers
Hi @Jerry, I have only just found this topic that you originally posted. I too am a newbee, as I only got my bees in November 2020. Until doing so, I had never been interested in owning bees. One day while on the honeyflow forum, one of these kind regulars warned me that I would become addicted to beekeeping, I had to force myself from not laughing. Well now I’m not laughing, because NOW, I am 150% addicted, as I have discovered just how amazing these little creatures really are.
I too made the decision not to put on the flow box for the 20/21 honey season, but rather to concentrate on making sure that my bees were strong enough to get through winter, that I’m now sure was the right decision, as they have almost filled two full size brood boxes, and going through 4litres of sugar syrup per week, as well as still foraging, even though we are now officially in winter, here in NSW Australia. I am so looking forward to Spring to finally putting on the flow box and extracting our first home produced honey.
How is the hive that you are running going?
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