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Author Topic: Strange behavior  (Read 3996 times)

Offline LizzieBee

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Re: Strange behavior
« Reply #20 on: April 23, 2018, 04:30:07 pm »
The frames were not just solid brood, there were patches here and there of pollen and nectar. Is that normal? It is a deep brood box. They haven?t been consuming as much syrup lately, probably only one cup a day.

LizzieBee

Offline eltalia

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Re: Strange behavior
« Reply #21 on: April 23, 2018, 07:07:04 pm »
Eltalia;  In many areas the nectar flows are weak and intermittent, and a new package
 of bees started on foundations must be fed to give the bees sufficient sugar for them
 to draw wax. 
(edit)

I do know the arguments ARB, simply put I disagree with most of
them - justifiably so.
As put many times now I do not comment on feeding bees as the
mentality is so ingrained any steerage towards sustainable
beekeeping is wholly wasted effort.

As one aspect I roll my eyes when I read TF proponents listing
measures to feed bees. Those folk must be accepting advice from
quite different sources to those I follow.

Bill

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https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/532260/Feeding-sugar-to-honey-bees.pdf

"These actions by a colony of bees are
designed to maximise the colony?s survival in a
natural system."

Offline AR Beekeeper

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Re: Strange behavior
« Reply #22 on: April 23, 2018, 07:54:26 pm »
No problem, I understand that there are different ideas as to how honey bees should be managed. 

Online cao

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Re: Strange behavior
« Reply #23 on: April 23, 2018, 09:15:33 pm »
The frames were not just solid brood, there were patches here and there of pollen and nectar. Is that normal? It is a deep brood box. They haven?t been consuming as much syrup lately, probably only one cup a day.

LizzieBee
There will be cells with pollen and nectar interspersed within the brood area.  This is used to feed the brood without the nurse bees having to travel to the edge of the brood nest.  That is normal.  Imagine a soccer ball in the middle of your deep box.  That will typically be the shape of the area where brood nest will be.  The area above the "ball" will be where the majority of the pollen and nectar/honey is stored.  The larger the hive gets the larger the '"ball" gets.  Eventually the "ball" will extend past the outside of your box and into a second box.  That is when you will see complete frames full of brood and even they will have a few cells with pollen and nectar. 

If they are only taking a cup a day of sugar water then I think they are finding enough nectar on there own. 

It sounds to me that you are off to a good start.  You have had them about 3 weeks now.  Correct?  Just one thing to keep in mind is that until new brood starts hatching, your bee population will continue to dwindle.     


Offline LizzieBee

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Re: Strange behavior
« Reply #24 on: April 23, 2018, 11:06:08 pm »
It?ll be three weeks this coming Saturday.

LizzieBee

Offline yes2matt

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Re: Strange behavior
« Reply #25 on: April 24, 2018, 07:43:41 am »
I just opened the hive today. They were all very calm and seemed to not notice me. They have quite a bit of syrup stored, lots of pollen too. I would?ve liked to see more larva but there was some. I also so the queen, I?ve named her Guinevere. :)  I?m going to stop feeding them once I?m out of the sugar water which should take about three days. They still need to draw comb on two frames, but I trust they?ll have the resources.

LizzieBee

I'm sorry if I missed it earlier, but how many frames is your box?
 
I personally would plan to feed them constantly thru October, tho these guys 'round here might pick at me for it. My reason would be that you want as much comb as they can draw, so they can get straight to real honey-making next spring. Of course you would never have a feeder on with honey supers on. Only use white (never brown or turbinado!) sugar, and do not cook/boil it. Ratio recommendations are given by weight; a gallon of water weighs 8 pounds. My bees are snobs; if they can find something better, they don't take the sugar.

Offline Acebird

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Re: Strange behavior
« Reply #26 on: April 24, 2018, 08:29:09 am »
The frames were not just solid brood, there were patches here and there of pollen and nectar. Is that normal?
No, patches are not normal.  I believe you have created a tunnel hive by adding a box too soon.  They stay towards the center and go up instead of building out to the outside frames.  I can't say how much this will hurt because CA is a big state with a whole lot of climate zones.  There are thousands of brood nest photos on the net.  Take a look.  There should be a sphere of brood and above that should be pollen or bee bread and a CAP of honey.  Drilling through the cap is bad in northern climates.  The brood should be concentrated so it takes less bees to keep them warm.  Stretching out the brood limits what the queen can lay and results is slow progression.
Starting a hive from scratch is completely different then preparing an overwintered hive in the spring.  The irony is once you learn how to begin beekeeping you don't need it anymore.  After the first year you will have drawn comb and that makes a big difference.
Brian Cardinal
Just do it

Offline LizzieBee

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Re: Strange behavior
« Reply #27 on: April 24, 2018, 01:33:15 pm »
matt,
It?s a ten frame hive.

Acebird,
I have not added a box. It is still one single 10 frame deep brood box.

LizzieBee

Offline Acebird

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Re: Strange behavior
« Reply #28 on: April 24, 2018, 01:59:47 pm »
Acebird,
I have not added a box. It is still one single 10 frame deep brood box.

Still not knowing your climate AR's advice is probably the best you are going to get.
Quote
Add the second box and continue to feed as long as the bees will take the syrup until all comb is drawn out.  You will need to exchange the side frames for drawn ones in the upper box just as you do in the bottom box as the bees will draw the center frames in the upper box first.  The bees will usually start work on the frames directly above any frames with brood in them.

When the nectar flow is sufficient for the bees needs, the bees will ignore the syrup and work the nectar flow.  When the bees ignore the syrup, remove and clean the feeder.  If the nectar flow stops before the upper foundations are drawn you must feed until they are drawn.

I know nothing of your nectar flows, but if a colony doesn't have 3 deep frames of food stores the queen will reduce her egg laying.  You need all the young worker bees you can get for the spring nectar flow to collect surplus for yourself and for wintering.
Normally a package and new queen would not have hodge podge brood, honey and pollen.  I will bow out of this thread for now.
Brian Cardinal
Just do it

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Strange behavior
« Reply #29 on: April 25, 2018, 05:26:58 pm »
There are people who say that feeding can't hurt.  I have no idea why they say this.  I think feeding CAN hurt a lot. Feeding is one of the leading causes of problems. It attracts pests like ants, it sets off robbing, it often drowns a large number of bees, and worst, it often results in a nectar bound brood nest and swarming especially with a new package. If the hive is light in the fall, the beekeeper should feed. If the bees are starving, feed. If you're installing a new package or a swarm, feed until they get a little stores. Once they have a little stored and there's a flow, let them do what bees do. Gather nectar. A good rule of thumb is that they should have at least some capped comb and a flow before you stop feeding.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm
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