Page 2 of 26 FirstFirst 123412 ... LastLast
Results 11 to 20 of 255

Thread: Any casualties yet?

  1. #11
    Senior Member Adam's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Norfolk East Anglia, South Scotland
    Posts
    962

    Default

    It's said that by combining in Autumn, you take your losses then rather than over the winter. Makes the over-winter loss-surveys look good!
    I've been very lucky with winter losses so far.

    Jon, I would guess that your bees are more consistent with regard to winter brood size than many beekeepers as you selectively breed; it's interesting the differences. Will you check for nosema in Spring when they start to fly?

  2. #12
    Senior Member Jon's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Belfast, N. Ireland
    Posts
    5,122
    Blog Entries
    94

    Default

    Actually I see a lot of variation in winter cluster size and I always suspect that nosema may be an influence.

    I know it makes sense to combine weak colonies in autumn but I always have a load of new queens.
    If the winter is mild, even the weak ones come through.

  3. #13

    Default

    Treated 85 stocks and all still alive. A couple are are bit small in numbers, and if the temp comes up a few degrees and the bees are flying, then i will tranfer them out of their full hive into a poly nuc

  4. #14
    Senior Member Jon's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Belfast, N. Ireland
    Posts
    5,122
    Blog Entries
    94

    Default

    Hi Keith
    That's good going to have no losses yet by end December.
    How many of those are full colonies and how many are nucs?
    The clusters in mine are smaller than this time last year but I reckon I will get most of them through now at this stage.

  5. #15

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jon View Post
    Hi Keith
    That's good going to have no losses yet by end December.
    How many of those are full colonies and how many are nucs?
    The clusters in mine are smaller than this time last year but I reckon I will get most of them through now at this stage.
    I dont know. If i was to guess then , about 50 full hives and 35 nucs. Some nucs will be strong enought to go into full hives and some full hive will need to go into poly nucs.

  6. #16
    Senior Member Jon's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Belfast, N. Ireland
    Posts
    5,122
    Blog Entries
    94

    Default

    If I come across a box with a small cluster I try and close it down by replacing several frames with insulated dummy boards.
    I posted picture of a couple of clusters on another thread on here yesterday.

  7. #17
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Lindau Germany
    Posts
    705
    Blog Entries
    5

    Default

    very strange indeed I have lost one from 27 colonies (absconded)
    my mentor has lost 14 from 32. Our stratagies are very similar - we are scratching our heads as to why.

    Half my colonies are on the same site as his...

  8. #18
    Senior Member Jon's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Belfast, N. Ireland
    Posts
    5,122
    Blog Entries
    94

    Default

    Sounds odd indeed.
    What did his dead outs look like?
    Were his similar strength you yours in the autumn, same age queens?
    By similar startegies I take it you mean feeding and varroa primarily.

  9. #19
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Lindau Germany
    Posts
    705
    Blog Entries
    5

    Default

    hi Jon,
    his were probably somewhat stronger, we raised queens from the same stock mother, his were on avarage younger max 2nd year queens...
    He treated 6 times with AS and once with perizin, I treated 7 times with AS 60%, once in October when he did his perizin treatment.

    His dead outs were all absconded - no nosema to be seen. Three were about done - the bees not clustered together, moving around hecticly - a sure sign for us that they'll be no more soon. We stacked those to see if they'll be able to make anything out of themselves.

  10. #20
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Scottish Borders
    Posts
    439

    Default

    AS in my thoughts is Artificial Swarm, but not obviously 6 times... translate please?

    PH

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •