permaculture

["Rich Blaha" <rich@mossbackfarm.com>]

Hi Michelle

I'm still pretty new to the beekeeping game, but it sounds like a weak hive 
did get overrun by wasps, yellowjackets, or hornets.  I posted some links on 
this phenomenon a while back, including some pretty amazing video 
http://www.mossbackfarm.com/archive/000187.html

Cheers

Rich
Mossback Farm
Yamhill, OR
www.mossbackfarm.com/journal


>  
>     1. Bees and bee books (Michelle Maggiore)

>  
>  
>  ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>  
>  Message: 1
>  Date: Sat, 12 May 2007 12:37:57 -0400
>  From: "Michelle Maggiore" <mmaggior@mindspring.com>
>  Subject: [permaculture] Bees and bee books
>  To: <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
>  Message-ID: <000e01c794b3$e6837460$c7e7f904@MUSH>
>  Content-Type: text/plain;     charset="iso-8859-1"
>  
>  I have kept bees off and on in the past several years, and we had 
> something strange happen a couple weeks ago with a newly installed hive- we 
> found the queen on the ground after what looked like a light swarming 
> movement (with no cluster of bees anywhere in sight, like a normal swarm). 
> When we opened the hive later that day, there were no bees in there 
> ANYWHERE, except for an inch-thick layer of dead bees.Not only were they 
> dead, but every last one was also decapitated. I couldn't find reference to 
> this in the few bee books I have, but searching the web, I came across the 
> site of someone that  mentioned decapitated bees are the work of 
> carnivorous wasps. It was quite disheartening. I know this was a pretty 
> rare situation (I hope) and not CCD, but I am curious if anyone else has 
> had this happen? The hive next to it is fine, and strong.
>  
>  Is anyone using top bar hives on this list in the Southeast (U.S.)? It 
> sounds intriguing.
>  
>  Aditionally, I would like to recommend "A Book of Bees" by Sue Hubbell. It 
> is a yearly journal so its good for referencing what you should be thinking 
> of doing, and when I first read it, my impression was that this woman just 
> has the best job in the world and loves it! Very inspiring and relaxing to 
> read, and accessible for all levels of beekeeping.
>  
>  One positive side effect of this CCD problem.....I did a beekeeping 
> presentation for some 4H kids a few weeks ago, and they were all very 
> concerned and expressed  great interest in learning to keep bees, because 
> of it. I only wished we would have scheduled the presentation for earlier 
> in the year, when they still could have ordered package bees, but theres 
> always swarms and nucs, I suppose.
>  
>  Have fun! Michelle in Virginia
>  SUSTAINABLE SCOTTSVILLE
>  Creating sustainable options right here at home:
>  www.sustainablescottsville.com
>