Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

ocba - Re: [ocba] One hive dead, one hive thriving

ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Randall Austin <ra41717 AT gmail.com>
  • To: Phil DeGuzman <phil.deguzman AT gmail.com>
  • Cc: ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [ocba] One hive dead, one hive thriving
  • Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2013 20:17:20 -0500

Hey Phil,

Your situation isn't uncommon at all. Varroa-induced collapse happens just as you've described. I've seen it plenty of times. What was your varroa mite load going into the fall?
 
The myth of CCD is much larger than the reality. It is much more prevalent on the internet and in the news media than it is in actual apiaries. As of the last time I asked our state bee inspectors, there hasn't ever been a confirmed case of CCD in North Carolina. I seriously doubt that you are the first.

The only hive disease that you really need to worry about with respect to the used comb & equipment is American Foulbrood (AFB). AFB isn't unheard of but fortunately it isn't very common either. It is kind of like cancer in people --- you probably don't have it but it is very, very bad news if you do. Find some photos on wikipedia of the characteristic dried scale that is left on the bottom of cells with AFB. There is also a nasty smell, although that could depend on how long it has been since the hive expired. If there is any hint of AFB, call Don Hopkins or Will Hicks (two of our state bee inspectors) to have them check it out for you.

Assuming that you don't have AFB, you are ahead of the game with a hive full of drawn comb plus stored honey. If your other hive is strong, then making a spring split is a great option, especially if you aren't worried about getting a honey harvest. That's what I would do.

These things happen. If it's any consolation, I tell people that the best way to have two strong hives in the spring is to have four strong hives the previous fall. So you are spot on. Keep an eye on your mite loads and treat accordingly. It is easy to ignore a threat that isn't obvious to the eye and that can go a long time without causing a crash. But the crash will come. As I mentioned, it has happened to me many times.

Randall Austin

On 2/27/2013 7:41 PM, Phil DeGuzman wrote:
I have two first-year hives side by side (I started them last April so this is the first winter). I fed them right up until November when both hives stopped taking food. I did a light check on them about every two weeks (opened the top cover and looked for signs of life) through December/January/February. Last weekend I went in for my first deep inspection of the year. One hive was very active, lots of action in the brood chamber and workers galore throughout the hive. Everything looked better than I had expected.
 
However, my second hive looked like...well...it looked like what I've heard CCD hives look like. There were no living bees in the entire colony, only about 200 dead bees throughout the hive. There was plenty of pollen and honey (heck there were two fully capped frames that we went ahead and extracted). There are still two mediums of fully drawn comb with a mix of honey, pollen, some brood. The creepiest thing was two gianQuestion 2:t roaches in the bottom of the brood chamber surrounded by the heads and tails of a few dozen bees.
 
Question 1: has anyone else seen this- a seemingly well stocked hive with no bees remaining? No signs of carcasses in/around the hives. No slime, fungus or foulbrood signs. I saw a couple of signs of mites, but nothing excessive. All the CCD documentaries describe hives that are empty of bees and no carcasses...could I be victim to that? I thought perhaps they might have swarmed, but there were no signs of queen cups or anything like that.
 
Question 2: Dare I try a split off of my healthy hive? Should I wait and try a new package in April? EIther way, is it a good idea to reuse the drawn comb and capped honey in the dead hive box? Concerned that if there is some ailment that affected the bees that it might transfer to any new bees I introduced.
I would like to have two hives to help pollenate the orchard and garden...and as insurance in case one hive dies overwinter.
--
"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” - Helen Keller


_________________________________________
ocba mailing list | North Carolina Beekeeping| http://www.theocba.org/
Manage Your Subscription: http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/ocba/




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page