Ken&Andria
02-11-2008, 02:08 PM
We have a single hive, our first, and have made many, many mistakes our first year. But we are in sight of our goal for the first year, which to be able to keep the hive alive through a year! We are getting two more packages this spring, and might actually become bona fide beeks this year.
Anyway, I have a question- The hive set up is ten frame boxes, one deep on the bottom, a medium, and then another deep on top. When they went into the winter, the top deep was comletely full of honey. (I know, I know-Like I said, we made lots of mistakes!) Telescoping cover on top. The girls are Italians.
About 6 weeks ago, maybe more, I noticed they do more crawling than flying, don't seem to be able to make it back to the hive when they come out. I'm suspecting a pretty heavy tracheal mite load. I also notice that they spent most of the winter clustered in the top of the hive just below the inner cover, which is where the honey is anyway. Halfway through the winter I realised I hadn't set up proper ventilation in the hive, so proped up the telescoping lid with a rock to get some air flow. Since doing this, the bees have gotten into the habit of moving up on top of the inner cover durring the day, and using the gap in the cover as a top entrance. Of course they can't fly too well, so they just kinda fall out and die. There are also a lot of dead bees on top of the inner cover. But there does seem to still be a good size cluster still in the hive. I've placed a few pieces of fondant on top of the inner cover, and they've eaten it.
I haven't actually looked inside the hive to see what's going on, due to the weather, but it might hit 60 later this week and if so I'll do a full hive inspection. We are in the Pacific northwest.
And now, finally, my question: For feeding, should I go with fondant? I'm afraid that if the bees do have a heavy mite load, they'll just drown themselves in a division board feeder full of syrup.
Also, should I have top entrance available to them in the winter? Maybe with a screened deck on it that they can relieve themselves through and make it back into the hive? Or should the crawlers just go and not come back?
Sorry for being so long-winded. Thanks-
Ken H.
Anyway, I have a question- The hive set up is ten frame boxes, one deep on the bottom, a medium, and then another deep on top. When they went into the winter, the top deep was comletely full of honey. (I know, I know-Like I said, we made lots of mistakes!) Telescoping cover on top. The girls are Italians.
About 6 weeks ago, maybe more, I noticed they do more crawling than flying, don't seem to be able to make it back to the hive when they come out. I'm suspecting a pretty heavy tracheal mite load. I also notice that they spent most of the winter clustered in the top of the hive just below the inner cover, which is where the honey is anyway. Halfway through the winter I realised I hadn't set up proper ventilation in the hive, so proped up the telescoping lid with a rock to get some air flow. Since doing this, the bees have gotten into the habit of moving up on top of the inner cover durring the day, and using the gap in the cover as a top entrance. Of course they can't fly too well, so they just kinda fall out and die. There are also a lot of dead bees on top of the inner cover. But there does seem to still be a good size cluster still in the hive. I've placed a few pieces of fondant on top of the inner cover, and they've eaten it.
I haven't actually looked inside the hive to see what's going on, due to the weather, but it might hit 60 later this week and if so I'll do a full hive inspection. We are in the Pacific northwest.
And now, finally, my question: For feeding, should I go with fondant? I'm afraid that if the bees do have a heavy mite load, they'll just drown themselves in a division board feeder full of syrup.
Also, should I have top entrance available to them in the winter? Maybe with a screened deck on it that they can relieve themselves through and make it back into the hive? Or should the crawlers just go and not come back?
Sorry for being so long-winded. Thanks-
Ken H.