BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER > DOWN UNDER BEEKEEPING

I?m in trouble again

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Guitarman:
Very briefly, I have a hive that?s a mess and I haven?t pulled it apart and it?s winter again so I won?t touch it till summer. Some of you might remember my post where I tried to under super and al that stuff but I?ve had no success. I?ve come out today and we are in winter here, to find maybe 100 Larvae  that have been thrown on the ground in front of the hive. I have no idea what?s going on. I don?t know if it?s been robbed I have no idea. When the heat comes on during the day, the hive looks very active, but when it?s raining or really cold, there?s just a couple of bees coming and going. I?ve never taken Honey off them  and they had plenty in there when I last looked. In the summer I did put a super on top to go three stories high, but by the end of summer with winter  starting they hadn?t done anything in that box so I took it back off a few months ago. I will try and attach some photos if it doesn?t give me grief. I have no idea what?s going on. This is way beyond my level of expertise.

Guitarman:
Here?s a picture

Lesgold:
 Hi Guitarman,

What?s your varroa count like? From memory, you are in Sydney and people are starting to struggle with it in some areas of the western suburbs. Your bees will not be flying in great numbers when it is wet or cold. I stayed up there last night and it was cool. There has been a cold change that has gone through most of the state.

BeeMaster2:
Guitarman,
I cannot tell from the picture but my bet, due to the onset of winter is that they are drone larvae. The bees do not want to support drones when no food is coming in. Take a clear closeup of one so that we can verify what it is.
Jim Altmiller

The15thMember:
I agree with Les and Jim.  The bees are pulling pupae they don't wish to come to adulthood for some reason.  It could be, especially if they are drones, that the colony doesn't want to support them during the winter season, so they have pulled them out.  Or the pupae could be infested with varroa mites or some other pest or disease, which they don't want spread to the rest of the brood.  Or, it could be that the hive doesn't have enough pollen to feed all the brood, so they have removed some, although in instances like that they will typically cannibalize the brood instead.  As Les said, if it's below roughly 15C (60F) and if it's raining regardless of temperature, the bees will not do much foraging.   

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