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Author Topic: The hive is buzzing like it was the middle of Summer  (Read 4665 times)

Offline DM

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The hive is buzzing like it was the middle of Summer
« on: February 03, 2011, 07:06:08 pm »
I am in my going into my 4th year and still learning as I go along. I have 4 hives, one is dead, two sound normal for a winter cluster when I tap on the hive and for the other I need a little advise.

We had a slight warm spell in January. This hive was out in force like it was summer. Many dead bees in the snow at the entrance and was  brown mess on the landing board. The bees were very loud inside.

Today after all the snow we just got the other day I went out to clean off in front of the entrances. The bees are in the top box and still sound like the middle of summer is here. I am afraid to open them up without smoke due to the buzz inside.

Any thoughts before I open them up to see what is going on and possible feed them some granulated sugar if needed?

Thanks Dennis

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Offline D Coates

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Re: The hive is buzzing like it was the middle of Summer
« Reply #1 on: February 03, 2011, 07:14:52 pm »
Dennis,

I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news and I hope I am wrong but I'd bet this hive is a dead out being robbed.  Is there a lot of "tracking" of what appears to be propolis where the bees are entering and leaving the hive?  Are there a lot of bits of wax under the SBB?  I had it happen to me a couple of years ago.  I thought one of my hives was really raring to go from all of the activity whenever it would turn the slightest bit warm but it turned out it was the bees from the other hives robbing the stores out.
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Offline DM

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Re: The hive is buzzing like it was the middle of Summer
« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2011, 07:28:19 pm »
It has been quite cold and stormy here. We have only seen the bees out on a normal cleansing flight back in Jan. My wife can see the hive from the house during the day and has not seen any abnormal bee activity. Not to say, she may have missed a big event at some point.  As for under the SBB, they are all covered up with snow. I will have to check to see what maybe under the hive. I have them raised up off the ground on stands so it will not be too hard to investigate.
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Offline hardwood

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Re: The hive is buzzing like it was the middle of Summer
« Reply #3 on: February 03, 2011, 07:29:20 pm »
Queenless hives will roar like that too.

Scott
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Offline AllenF

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Re: The hive is buzzing like it was the middle of Summer
« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2011, 07:46:46 pm »
Ya, That is what I am thinking.   Wait for a warm day to check.  Nothing you can do about it now.
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Offline hardwood

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Re: The hive is buzzing like it was the middle of Summer
« Reply #5 on: February 03, 2011, 07:53:02 pm »
Strong queenless hives can be challenging to work as well...wear protection and use copious amounts of smoke!

Scott
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"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

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Offline Rodni73

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Re: The hive is buzzing like it was the middle of Summer
« Reply #6 on: February 03, 2011, 09:26:32 pm »
Dm, I hope your hive have a queen and all is well. If push come to shuv wait until end of feb early march and get a board or two of broods and insert them in it that is if you do not see there is a queen and let them make their queen. I am sure you know what to do :)! Its been very cold in our area this winter!


-Rodni
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Offline AllenF

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Re: The hive is buzzing like it was the middle of Summer
« Reply #7 on: February 03, 2011, 09:29:49 pm »
I think the question is, will there be any drones in March there and will they take to the queen after being queenless for so long?
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Offline hardwood

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Re: The hive is buzzing like it was the middle of Summer
« Reply #8 on: February 03, 2011, 09:55:52 pm »
If they are indeed queenless (unresolved as of yet) and have been so for a while, the chances of having drones are pretty good (hive may have gone to laying worker by now). Of course they will neither raise nor accept a queen if that's the case.

Does the cold weather inhibit the urge(?) for workers to turn to laying or is it only the brood pheromone :?

Scott
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"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Offline Rodni73

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Re: The hive is buzzing like it was the middle of Summer
« Reply #9 on: February 03, 2011, 10:00:04 pm »
That is an awsome question/situation Allen!

Last year I wintered two hives and both made it! However, one lost its queen and was broodless. For how long? I have no idea but when I inspected them I found no eggs or larvae or capped brood. Anyway I purchased a queen and she was accepted. That is after I inserted three to four frames of broods in there few days before. Again, will they accept a queen after being quenless for so long?
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: The hive is buzzing like it was the middle of Summer
« Reply #10 on: February 04, 2011, 03:11:59 am »
Quote from: Rodni73 on February 03, 2011, 10:00:04 pm
That is an awsome question/situation Allen!

Last year I wintered two hives and both made it! However, one lost its queen and was broodless. For how long? I have no idea but when I inspected them I found no eggs or larvae or capped brood. Anyway I purchased a queen and she was accepted. That is after I inserted three to four frames of broods in there few days before. Again, will they accept a queen after being quenless for so long?

Under the conditions you named yes, probably. But the questiion can be problamatic.  Often times a hive that has been queenless for a few weeks and has gone laying workers, frames of brood must be introduced over a period of a week or two before attempting to introduce a queen.  When trying to requeen a queenless hive the sooner it can be done the better the chances of success.  But once laying workers set in the hive must be primed with multiple frames of brood over an extended period.  But once evidence of queen cells are noted, the introduction of a queen is pretty straight forward.
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Offline D Coates

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Re: The hive is buzzing like it was the middle of Summer
« Reply #11 on: February 04, 2011, 10:41:34 am »
Does the brown mess on the landing board you mention look like this?  If it does then it's robbing going on.

http://s196.photobucket.com/albums/aa190/Drew454/dirty%20hive/
« Last Edit: February 04, 2011, 12:45:59 pm by D Coates »
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Offline iddee

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Re: The hive is buzzing like it was the middle of Summer
« Reply #12 on: February 04, 2011, 11:06:26 am »
If it looks like this, give the hive it's last rites.





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Offline DM

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Re: The hive is buzzing like it was the middle of Summer
« Reply #13 on: February 04, 2011, 07:00:44 pm »
I just went out tonight to see if there is any change in there sounds within the hive. I did not have to get too close with my ear to the top box and they are buzzing like it is still summertime. The other two seem to be in cluster and make the low buzz when I tap on the hives.

As for the mess on the landing board, it seemed like the cleansing took place there instead of in flight.

With them on the very top of the upper deep, should I open them up to add a medium super and 5 lbs of sugar on newspaper?

yes if I open them up it will be with much smoke at hand. They sound angry.
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Offline Two Bees

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Re: The hive is buzzing like it was the middle of Summer
« Reply #14 on: February 06, 2011, 01:24:51 pm »
I'm keeping an eye on one of my hives for a similar reason.  Last week, we had one day with temps in the lower 70s and all of my hives were humming.  But one hive seemed to have some wax cappings at the entrance.  No "brown" stuff.  I watched the bees and did not notice any different behavior at the entrance of this hive when compared to the other hives.  But I don't notice wax cappings at the entrances of the other hives either.  But, I'm still watching and learning!
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Offline DM

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Re: The hive is buzzing like it was the middle of Summer
« Reply #15 on: February 08, 2011, 08:21:59 pm »
Yesterday it hit 40 degrees and no wind, so I fired up the smoker and had to investigate. I slightly picked up the front of the cover to get some smoke in on top of the inner cover and a mass of bees were out in a flash. I gave them allot of smoke to settle down. Took the inner cover off and the top of the frames were
covered with bees. Smoked them down, added a medium deep, newspaper and 5 pounds of sugar and closed them back up.

They all looked healthy and in good shape from what I could see. I went out to listen and they had calmed down somewhat. 

We had snow last night and it went down to 15 degrees and a wind chill of -20. So I did not get out there to check today.

So I will have to wait and see what the future holds for them, until I can open them up to really see what maybe going on. 

Dennis
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Offline Acebird

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Re: The hive is buzzing like it was the middle of Summer
« Reply #16 on: February 08, 2011, 08:32:35 pm »
how in the heck did you hit 40 degrees?  We are getting hammered.  My plow is broken, my tractor is crying for sunny weather and I am freezing my butt off and they are talking about more snow and blistering cold.  I think my bees are going to die.  I couldn't throw them a banana if I wanted to.

I guess the bright side is it is going to be a nice pay check this month.  :-D
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Offline DM

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Re: The hive is buzzing like it was the middle of Summer
« Reply #17 on: February 10, 2011, 09:15:06 pm »
Only one nice day with the good temps. It went back down to around 10 degrees.

 I did get back out to listen to the hive and all is back to normal. One tap and they sound like they are back into a cluster. The only thing that can think of is they were hungry and out of stores. So maybe the granulated sugar saved them? Time will tell.

I had a friend in the area who had the same issue with one of his hives and he feed them as well and all is back to normal for this time of winter.

Dennis
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Offline D Coates

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Re: The hive is buzzing like it was the middle of Summer
« Reply #18 on: February 11, 2011, 09:54:57 am »
Glad I was wrong and glad to hear they are still plugging along.  Thanks for the update.
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Offline DM

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Re: The hive is buzzing like it was the middle of Summer (Need some advise)
« Reply #19 on: February 13, 2011, 03:37:44 pm »
Went out today and the girls are dead. The weather and work did not allow for me to rescue them in time. Opened it up and the hive smells foul. I have two dead hives to deal with in the spring. Time to get the swarm traps ready and wait for warmer weather.

They both have wood frames and wired foundation which have been in there since 2008. Since the hives need attention, should I change to plastic foundation or just replace the wired wax foundation and start all over?

What should I do with the hive that smells?

Any thoughts will help in my future planning.

Thanks Dennis
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