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Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers

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  • From: Randall Austin <ra41717 AT gmail.com>
  • To: Donovan Verrill <verrildd AT yahoo.com>
  • Cc: ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [ocba] Thoroughly disheartened
  • Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2011 12:10:31 -0500

Bummer. I feel your pain. My guess is that you are they kind of guy who should stay away from Las Vegas --- you've had 2 years of bad luck!
 
If possible, I would recommend getting 2 hives rather than one. It isn't at all uncommon, in fact it is normal, to lose a hive or two (or more) every year. Nationally, beekeepers lose 25 to 30 percent of their hives over the winter, on average. With only one hive the odds are stacked against you in hive roulette. With 2 hives, you've got twice the chance of having at least one survive. Then you can split the survivor and you are back to 2 again.
 
There are folks who sell complete hives so you don't have to wait on spring build-up for a package or nuc. Check the NC Dept of Agriculture's "Agricultural Review" on-line newsletter (google it) for a long list of local vendors.
 
Just to make sure that you've got bad luck and not some bad disease, it would be prudent to get Will Hicks or Don Hopkins (our local NC Dept of Agriculture Bee Inspectors) to look at your dead-out to confirm that nothing has happened that can linger to kill again (such as American Foul Brood - consult a good bee book and/or google it for symptoms). Will & Don's services are already paid for with your tax dollars. You can get their contact info via links on the NCSBA website (ncbeekeepers.org).
 
Good luck!
 
Randall

On Mon, Feb 28, 2011 at 8:32 AM, Donovan Verrill <verrildd AT yahoo.com> wrote:
 
Hi all,
 
I have one hive, and my bees have absconded for the second year in a row.  The first year I had the hive, the bees overwintered wonderfully and did great through that spring and summer.  The following spring they were gone.  I bought new bees and installed in the existing frames and they seemed to be doing great through the spring, summer, and fall.  Checked on them yesterday and was met with an empty hive.
 
So, now I am considering either quitting, waiting a year and trying again, waiting a year and trying a top bar hive.  I just don't know what to do.  I hate to give up on this, but I can't bear to have another spring that begins like this.  Maybe I should have gotten all new frames when I installed the new bees last spring.  I just don't know.
 
*sigh*
 
Donovan


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