BEES – SWARMS, DISAPPEARING COLONY, DISAPPOINTMENTS

It started with my first phone call – while I was out of town, darn it!

SWARM Again!

So – the ‘Queen of the Hood’ – which was the first spring swarm from the Mother Hive last year (2009) has now swarmed twice…or was it another hive that made the first swarm?

The first swarm (was it my hive?  I’ll never know)…June 1st

Was found hanging in the neighbor’s fruit tree – just across the fence – low to the ground, & easily taken.  Matt Crawley took it away, but rumor is that he lost it…I will check to see if he got it again.  Ron took some pix, so I am eager to see them when I return…yes…the swarms happened while I was away to Michigan!

A late & wet spring makes for late swarms, I guess.

I have often wondered if that hive would swarm, it has seems so highly populated, with so much traffic & lots of activity on the front of the boxes…swarm…even though I put extra boxes on top.  I am curious – when I open it up – soon – what it will look like inside…have they really used up all that space, or are they predisposed to swarm like their “Mother Hive”?

This latest swarm was caught by Ron – using no protective equipment – into my swarm box I had at ready.  Will check the box for frame placement this week.  The amazingly fast build of rogue comb into spaces left by lazy beekeepers should not be repeated by those who have done it once already…

A further note – this hive appears to have been reproduced with the traits of its mother hive…swarming twice a year, into a low hanging fruit tree branch…coincidences?  Can the Queen carry this type of colony behavior genetically or what?

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June 10^th – Feeding the New Hive & the Swarm

MADE A ½ Gal of syrup (1:1) for my gals…the 2 feeders were pretty messed up – the lower (leaky) one was empty but lots of dead bees – I am guessing the weakest ones from the rainy starvation week… the upper feeder was full of fermenting sugar from over a week ago, why didn’t they eat it?  I am not sure – but removed the lower feeder – must reline the pans – and cleaned the good one out – replacing with fresh syrup, will check it in 2 days to see if they are partaking.  The Blackberry blossoms are now out in force, so there is a good flow on, I am sure….

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June 13^th – Hive Checks

David Partch’s hive is dead – gone – disappeared!  A thriving colony reduced to several frames of comb with bits if pollen & some uncapped nectar.  How weird.  Was it the cold, rainy spring – they ate everything & then starved to death?  If so – wouldn’t there be bodies in the hive? Is that hive the “swarm” that was caught in my neighbor’s yard, not so unlikely – only a couple of blocks away.   The hive was a stack of ready frames, about 20 frames showing comb development, many with pollen stores, some uncapped nectar, the bottom deep box & first shallow box had been brood chamber for awhile – well developed black comb with lots of old cocoons, pollen & yet – now – with a spotty brood pattern of only a few dozen capped cells, & no queen cells.

By the time I saw it today – the wax moths are already at work in one section.  Partch puts the exodus at after May 31^st, last time they can remember seeing bees making regular forage entrances.  David says he saw lots of fighting around the entrance before then, and it appeared that they were using the top as an entrance also.  Some aggressive behavior toward him as well.  I have taken the boxes home to expose them or freeze to rid the wax moths, and will create a storage until they are needed or David wants to try again.  Too sad.  I have taken pictures of the odd white stuff I found on several frames, in most boxes.  At forst I thought it was the cappigs from the upper boxes, as they were robbed.  But – I actually put one in my mouth & it was hard & grainey, not sure what it is. They are irregular sizes & shapes, seems unlikely that they are eggs of any kind – although the hive is filled with small ants doing clean up.  Does anyone know?

I checked the new hive, and they have not eaten all of the syrup in top tray.  In fact – I am unsure if they have used any of it.  There are a lot of bees hanging around in the trays & the entrance, so I assume they are using it.  So, I will check & refill with another ½ gallon on Tuesday before I leave.  The front entrance is being used, as I counted about 30 bees landing in one minute, so I assume they are doing ok inside .

Attached pictures of the white grains – anyone got ideas?  They were on top of the frames  also clinging to the outside edges of comb, as if they had been falling down the spaces & got caught by the sticky nature of the comb.