Wayne Miles
11-27-2006, 05:43 PM
While doing an inspection of my TBH today I found 3 items that I did not expect...
There was no cluster (but it has been 70 or near it for several days now). The bee population is about 1/3 of what it was in August. I assumed this was due to attrition and getting smaller for winter.
First surprise was there was almost no honey, the 2 front bars (which were all honey) are now empty comb. I started feeding today, originally I had thought the hive could do well on into January.
Second item ; saw several small hive beetles, that gave me pause and made me wonder if the reduced population may be to the SHB. Not sure how I will handle this, thus far the hive has had no additives.
Third thing that surprised me was a creature that on first glance resembles a cock roach. Further study revealed the bug has a long narrow pointy tail,it's backside was brownish/reddish and had a shine to it. Obviously I don't know what it is, one was buried in an empty cell, pulled it out but saw half a dozen others on the empty side of the follower board.
There was no cluster (but it has been 70 or near it for several days now). The bee population is about 1/3 of what it was in August. I assumed this was due to attrition and getting smaller for winter.
First surprise was there was almost no honey, the 2 front bars (which were all honey) are now empty comb. I started feeding today, originally I had thought the hive could do well on into January.
Second item ; saw several small hive beetles, that gave me pause and made me wonder if the reduced population may be to the SHB. Not sure how I will handle this, thus far the hive has had no additives.
Third thing that surprised me was a creature that on first glance resembles a cock roach. Further study revealed the bug has a long narrow pointy tail,it's backside was brownish/reddish and had a shine to it. Obviously I don't know what it is, one was buried in an empty cell, pulled it out but saw half a dozen others on the empty side of the follower board.