was visting my hives and noticed an odor coming from one, kinda like burnt wood. we had some weather above freezing for afew hours the other day leaving the undertakers w/ plenty to do. had a few hundred dead bees in piles and scatered about in the snow, some w/ "death swirls." has ANYONE ever heard/smelled something like this?
burnt wood smell
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No. But odors make me want to investigate. AFB smells different to different people, and you will want to eliminate that from your list of possibilities.
that's what i've always thought too. it gets too cold here (our local low temp was 32 below this season). i have seen SHB during the summer though, just didn't think they "thrived" due to our winters. i've still got my hives covered/wraped and didn't plan on taking it off for another 2-3 weeks, but now i'm worred so may have to take a peek. i'll let you know.
thomas
thomas
SHB sould not be a problem right now. evevn if they are a few left in the hive they will not be raising any little ones yet. they really need warmer weather to really get active. Dont think i would investigate until the weather gets better. I agree with michael that it sounds like it could be AFB. the damage has already been done. wait until weather improves.....Good Luck David
Wait for warm weather, of course. I'm just saying I'd check it out. I doubt it's anything. But smells are subjective.
this actually kept me up all night. all of my equiptment was new. i'm at least 10 miles from nearest known beekp HOWEVER i do know of some unscrupulous commercial guys who come up here to pollinate cranberries. the nearest bog is at least five miles away. could those bees be contaminting my bees? These pollinaters (i'm being nice) were confronted by a friend of mine when he wittnessed them packing up the bees during mid day, leaving the zillions of foragers NO HOME TO RETURN TO. i was told the bees kept showing up for nearly a week looking for their colony. my pacifist nature was challenged that day. would these bees come to my apiary w/such an abundance available. would my bees pollinate that far away being so close to the variety available were they are? Kim flotums book states "most beekps will never experience AFB because its so rare." how did i get so lucky? besides contacting through normal movement, used equipment or ferrel robbing i just don't see how this happend. please keep the discussion going. i'll hold off an inspection for a bit, but can the hive that's smells contaminate my other ones NOW? if it is AFB should i burn while their still clustering?
thomas
thomas
first thang you gotta do is relax. its gonna get you ta drinkin you aint careful
you gotta look at the opertunitys that adversity brings. you gonna lose hives if you stay with it long.
next time they leave bees like that go catch em an add em to your hives or
make a split.
you gotta look at the opertunitys that adversity brings. you gonna lose hives if you stay with it long.
next time they leave bees like that go catch em an add em to your hives or
make a split.
i did think about capturing some of the lost and homeless bees but i'm not sure i want any commercial bees (ie) "super stressed" bees anywhere near my apiary, especially if they are carrying disease which it seems clear they generally do, acording to existing research data or are being kept by people who don't care what is done to them.
thomas
thomas
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Oh? They generally do? I think you've been reading too much popular beekeeping literature. Maybe that "Vermont" author?? Perfectly clear to him I guess...he's got 50 colonies. Stop bashing the commercials. It's not doing anyone any good.
As a commercial myself, who gets inspected every year...those inspectors must be getting frustrated trying to find even 1 case of AFB in my bees. I have to say...I'm more concerned with novices like you Thomas than the commercials I know. You're already angsting over your case of Foul because your hive smells like burnt wood, and your considering burning the hive while still in winter cluster.
Vent closed.
if asking questions from "novices" (your assumption) offends you why bother w/ an answer? seems your a bit worked up w/ my sharing one experience w/ a commercial who obviously couldn't care less. please re-read my thread and try to be helpful or back off.
thomas
thomas
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Your words, not mine.
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I realize that Thomas. I was just drawing attention to the "commercial bashing" tone. I do get sick and tired of it. There are sloppy commercials and sloppy hobbyists. Saying "IF" followed by frightening generalizations is wrong and offensive to me. I hope you understand.
It's as my old brother used to say...
"If my grandma had had *alls she woulda been my grandfather".
what i understand michael is that you're an offended commercial beekeeper who didn't read/obsorb the entire thread (i'm still waiting on some valid answers to Q i posed) and that commercials are relentlessly under attact w/ some regularity around here, but it was never my intent (intent implies blame)to offend or attact you or your efforts. i mentioned my experience w/ ONE commercial "polinator" (i could have included several others w/ equal zeal from my past experiences w/ commercials) in this area. here's hoping for an "equal" understanding. i "wish' we were so lucky in "northern" Wisconsin as to have a State inspector, not that i'd neccessarily trust one w/out knowing where their stake was tied. heck, the nearest bee club is a two hour drive from here. its why i've come to rely on sites like this, but not at the expence of offending anyone or being atacted simply for asking Q or presenting a horrendous offence to bees in our area. i promise to be more sensitive to commercials (on this site) from now on. enough of this, can anyone just answer some the questions i've posed?
thomas
thomas
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Thomas,
The question has been answered. Odor is a subjective thing. What smells burnt to you may be characterized as a totally different smell to someone else. The only real option you have at this point is to wait and see. Opening the hive for a detailed inspection with your highs being below 40 will surely result in loss of the hive. They are better off left alone until the weather warms up.
Do you have AFB, probably not, other problems, maybe, maybe not. All anyone can do right now is speculate about this particular hive.
Now for speculation:
The only proactive thing you should do at this point, in my opinion, is make sure the hive is properly ventilated. Since you wrapped for winterizing, it is possible that you inadvertently decreased ventilation to a point that is/was harmful to this particular hive. This could result in too much moisture accumulation which would allow for a mold growth if temperatures within the hive were right. This could account for the odor. COULD, being the operative word. The problem will not be SHB at your temperatures. It would more likely be Nosema and/or dysentery from being unable to cleanse and /or too much moisture in the hive.
Your bees are not an island. They will interact with other bees, either kept or feral. They will pick up parasites and disease. They have to be managed as such. They are just as likely to pick up problems from ferals as they are untreated/unmanaged kept bees. I imagine years ago one could just “keep” bees, but in today’s world, they must be managed or lost, due to the multiple vectors that did not exist 30 years ago.
And for my somewhat unbiased opinion, your post
In short it could have been better phrased and not have offended anyone. As written, it could easily be offensive.
I am a hobbyist btw.
Cheers and good luck with your hives.
jeb
The question has been answered. Odor is a subjective thing. What smells burnt to you may be characterized as a totally different smell to someone else. The only real option you have at this point is to wait and see. Opening the hive for a detailed inspection with your highs being below 40 will surely result in loss of the hive. They are better off left alone until the weather warms up.
Do you have AFB, probably not, other problems, maybe, maybe not. All anyone can do right now is speculate about this particular hive.
Now for speculation:
The only proactive thing you should do at this point, in my opinion, is make sure the hive is properly ventilated. Since you wrapped for winterizing, it is possible that you inadvertently decreased ventilation to a point that is/was harmful to this particular hive. This could result in too much moisture accumulation which would allow for a mold growth if temperatures within the hive were right. This could account for the odor. COULD, being the operative word. The problem will not be SHB at your temperatures. It would more likely be Nosema and/or dysentery from being unable to cleanse and /or too much moisture in the hive.
Your bees are not an island. They will interact with other bees, either kept or feral. They will pick up parasites and disease. They have to be managed as such. They are just as likely to pick up problems from ferals as they are untreated/unmanaged kept bees. I imagine years ago one could just “keep” bees, but in today’s world, they must be managed or lost, due to the multiple vectors that did not exist 30 years ago.
And for my somewhat unbiased opinion, your post
taken at face value seems like a swipe at all commercial keepers, not a single unscrupulous one.
In short it could have been better phrased and not have offended anyone. As written, it could easily be offensive.
I am a hobbyist btw.
Cheers and good luck with your hives.
jeb
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