I last heard some activity about 3 weeks ago when I knocked on the side of the hive and heard a friendly buzz … but nothing recently.
I saw a flying honeybee a few days ago and went down to my hive, in hope, to observe … nothing.
I took off the mouse guard and had a look in … dead bees everywhere.
Despite being an optimist, I was 100% sure the colony was dead. I felt pretty gutted – I was not going to see any of my bees flying around on a warm February day. The hive wouldn’t be building up for the first nectar flow.
I went down on Saturday (2nd Feb) to record the devastation. And then to my surprise and delight …
Wooo hoooo. On a warm day I might see some bees come flying out. I cleared the entrance and some of the bees from the floor to give them a hand.
Still not sure if their is a Laying Queen or if they will survive the Winter. But they are alive today. This was the most bee-ing I had done since I Gave My New Queen A Good Home. I am looking forward to Spring.
PS. Do the bees carry out their dead or do I have to do it for them?
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Hurray! I liked how quickly you put the roof back on once you realised there were live bees inside, very sensible!
You might enjoy this article by Rusty at Honey Bee Suite reassuring beekeepers who find lots of dead bees in front of their hive: http://www.honeybeesuite.com/dead-bees-all-over-the-place.
Thanks Emily – very reassuring. There must be over 5,000 dead bees on the floor of my hive. Still not sure if there is a Laying Queen in there. Planning to apply Oxalic Acid at the end of the current cold snap as it looks like it will be below 5C for some while. However, am a bit worried that the Oxalic Acid might finish them off. Also, a bit worried that the varroa mites dropping off the bees will land on the dead bees and climb back into the hive. So many possibilities! I did some research on applying Oxalic Acid and have started writing them up as How-To Guides (primarily for myself, as books are often a bit light and I keep finding good tips and then forgetting where I found them). Grateful for any feedback: Oxalic Acid Treatment How-To.
Hi Roger, I like your oxalic acid page, the advice on it is very practical. I may well have a look at it before next year’s treatment!
Perhaps you could sweep out the dead bees before applying the oxalic?
The bees do carry out their dead, but in the spring they need some help. I just read that dead bees need to be cleaned out of the hive as early in the spring as possible because otherwise they’ll mold. I’ve also read that you don’t want to open the hive unless the temp is at least 52.
Thanks for the advice. In the UK they suggest 15C, that’s 59F. I’ll get on it when it warms up.
Great post!
I’ve seen my bees fly when it’s as cool as 50-55F, especially if they’ve been cooped up in freezing weather for a while.
I’ve opened my hive cover to give them a quick peek before when the outside weather was in the upper 40Fs or lower 50Fs. Usually in late winter I’ll open the lid, pull one frame near the center of the cluster, look for brood and close them back up all in about 20-30 seconds. It’s quick enough to give me an idea if the queen is laying brood, how much and her pattern without chilling the brood, that way I’ve got a good idea how they’ll finish the winter and head into the spring.
I have found beekeeping a lot about delayed gratification and patience … in fact, I’m still waiting for the gratification! It’s 5C (=41F) at the moment here. I’m waiting until its gets to about 10C (50F) and then I’ll drizzle the bees with oxalic acid and see how they’re doing. I won’t look at the frames though until its 15C (=59F). I have distracted myself by digging up an allotment over recent weeks and delaying the moment I open the hive. Good luck.