I am going to tell you about a hive that the bees were preparing to die and actually separated most bees for sacrifice saving only a few nurse bees and the queen but the hive was diagnosed and saved. I will tell you the story as I saw the events unfold before my eyes.
A few years ago I placed 3 newly created identical hives on stands. I say identical, I mean same size hives bodies, same number frames, same number of bees that is in all regards theses 3 hives were identical hives. One very important note, all three hives were presented with 5 unwaxed frames.
The time is early June and the bees were still foraging but nectar and pollen were kinda in short supply. By July a dearth had set in and the bees started wash boarding and fanning. By August all three hives were bearding during the day but hive number 3 did something unusual. Hive number 3 would remain bearded on the outside of the hive all night unlike hives number 1 and 2 which bearded during the day but retreated into the hives as the temperatures dropped.
Hive number 3 caught my eye as this was the only hive out of the 3 newly created that remained bearded all night outside the hive. All hives in the apiary, about 15 bearded during the day, retreated into the hive as the temp cools at night. Hives 1 and 2 behaved as all other hives. Only number 3 was different.
Remember I noted above the unwaxed frames that were presented to all 3 new hives. So I conducted an inspection of all 3 newly created hives. An inspection revealed hives 1 and 2 did NOT wax out the new frames and had ample honey stores. Hive number 3 did wax out the new frames and was void of honey. In fact hive number 3 had practically no food stores. Hive number 3 used up all their honey to make wax for the frames and now a full dearth is on so food was not available.
The honey bees of hive number 3 realized their situation, there were going to starve so most bees bearded on the front and prepared to die leaving what little food there was for a few nurse bees and the queen. This starvation became obvious with inspection and I immediately provided frames of food.
Immediately after I placed frames of food in hive number 3, the bearded bees marched into the hive. Problem solved as hive number 3 began to beard only during the day and would retreat into the hive at night as the other hives.
Beeks, wax is expensive as I like to call it for the bees. Hives 1 and 2 saved their honey and did not wax out the new frames. Hive number 3 waxed out the frames and in the process used their food supply.
Wax is expensive to bees and it takes 5 pounds of honey to produce one pound of wax. My amazement with this story is the bearded bees of hive number 3 were willing to sacrifice their lives refusing to eat the last few honey reserves. Everything work out well, hive saved.
Blessings
Van
Topic: A dying hive, saved by inspection. (Read 1045 times)