- Was too much honey harvested? Honey was plentiful with at least 2 "frames" of pollen.
- Cappings on the brood combs looked normal, so I ruled out AFB. There was no discernible "brood nest" but I believe the spotty pattern is a result of good housekeeping.
- DWV. I didn't see deformed wings among the dead, but with a hygienic colony that's normal. A thin layer of dead bees on the floor is a sign IMO that our bees were good housekeepers.
- Mite Count. There were plenty of dead mites in the debris pile, which is to be expected with any Winter colony. As the bee population drops toward the end of the year, the mites-per-bee ratio goes up. Then as the bees die, the number of mites on the floor will seem disproportionately high.
- Mite Poop. Loads of it! At first glance the brood combs looked clean. When I rotated one so I could see the cell roofs… totally different story. Look at the 11th photo in the slideshow.
Welcome to our backyard and our venture into beekeeping with Top Bar Hives in Colorado. Currently blogging from Coastal Virginia, we hope this site is helpful to you in your very own TBH adventure. — HB
Showing posts with label post mortem. Show all posts
Showing posts with label post mortem. Show all posts
January 19, 2015
Breaking Down the Little Top Bar Hive
December 08, 2010
From Booming to Deadout
The hive in early September, full of bees. |
The hive in early October. A reduction in population is normal, but we're worried about their low numbers. |
The hive in late October. Population has really declined and they've positioned themselves far from food. |
The hive in mid-November. There are not enough bees to make it through Winter. |
Early December: the floor below the cluster. |
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