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Author Topic: Concerns about Carniolan shutdown  (Read 1826 times)

Offline Aroc

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Concerns about Carniolan shutdown
« on: October 12, 2017, 08:01:30 pm »
 A few weeks ago I had a suspicion that our Carniolan queen shut down.   She is in the hive as I spotted her a couple of days. This is actually an observation hive.

  The hive hasn't had any brewed in it for three or four weeks now. My concern is over wintering even though it's inside. I have a way to feed them  but still concerned about the longevity of this hive if she doesn't start laying for another month or two.

 The queen isn't even a year old as she came with a package in May. Could there be something else wrong? Is there something I could do to stimulate brood production again?

 I raised this question a couple of weeks ago and anyone I spoke to didn't seem to be all that concerned. Figured it was just another Carniolan  shutting down early.
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Van, Arkansas, USA

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Re: Concerns about Carniolan shutdown
« Reply #1 on: October 12, 2017, 09:01:17 pm »
Carniolans are known for wintering with few numbers of bees compared to other honey bees.  They are also known for rapid spring build up and subsequent swarming.

I have a carniolan hive, however this particular strain is not winter hardy, as the queen source is from Hawaii.  The winter hardiness has been breed out of this strain, is my guess.  They are a beautiful black honey bee.  My question is: my black bees are they true carniolan?  Same question applies to you.  How do we really know for sure?

Make sure they have adequate stores, and rest assured an indoor hive will be much warmer with your -30F weather.  You should have your winter bees by now in MT.  Your winter bees are physically different from your summer bees as they can store more fat, although they look the same.

My bees (North Arkansas) will shut down brooding in November, your a lot further North so I am not surprised you are already in winter mode.

Your queen knows what she is doing, no food coming in, so no brood to feed and keep warm.  This is what you want.  Keep us posted.  No fires in your area??
Blessings

Van, Arkansas, USA

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Re: Concerns about Carniolan shutdown
« Reply #2 on: October 12, 2017, 09:12:49 pm »
I should add, today I saw 2 hives hatching my winter bees and doing their orientation flights.  My summer bees will soon all perish.  In early spring, February or March, every winter bee will perish and my summer bees will emerge.  I always see a bunch of dead bees on the ground at the change over.  This did not occur to my hives when I lived on the coast.
Blessings

Offline little john

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Re: Concerns about Carniolan shutdown
« Reply #3 on: October 13, 2017, 05:53:16 am »
I agree with what Van has written: this is what Carnie's do.  I can't comment on American Carnies, but the brood rearing of my own 'Old World' Carnies appears to be a function of two triggers: the season, and the availability of fresh pollen.

Whether a 'seasonal trigger' involves changes in temperature or changes in day-length - couldn't say for sure, but the availability of fresh pollen is most definitely involved.  Right now (October 13), pollen is coming into my apiary in shed-loads.  Heaven only knows where they're sourcing it - probably from remnants of brassica crops in fields which have been abandonded after cropping and allowed to run to seed - and as a result, brood is currently being raised in fair numbers.  But just as soon as those fields are fully cleared within the next week or two, I fully expect colonies to begin shutting down for the winter.

Then, come spring, fresh pollen starts to come in again, and the colonies duly 'explode' in numbers.  Dynamic brood-rearing - classic Carnie behaviour.
LJ
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Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Concerns about Carniolan shutdown
« Reply #4 on: October 13, 2017, 05:53:34 am »
If you feed the bees 1 to 1 sugar water, you will probably induce the queen to start laying again.
I just lost my OH queen due to usurpation. Neither queen survived. The new queen just mated 2 days ago so I am feeding her to get cycle of winter bees.
Jim
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Offline Aroc

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Re: Concerns about Carniolan shutdown
« Reply #5 on: October 13, 2017, 11:34:09 am »
 Thanks again all for the information. I won't worry about it for now. There are a fair amount of bees within the hive.

 Van...... fires have disappeared for this season. We have had a couple rounds of snow. 2 to 4 inches each time.
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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Concerns about Carniolan shutdown
« Reply #6 on: October 16, 2017, 02:33:27 pm »
I just went through about 60 mating nucs that I was closing down for the year.  About one in 10 had any eggs or open brood.  Most had a little capped brood that was still emerging.  I would say they shut down brood rearing about two weeks ago.
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Van, Arkansas, USA

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Re: Concerns about Carniolan shutdown
« Reply #7 on: October 16, 2017, 06:43:27 pm »
60 mating nucs, MB, I have would like to know where do you get the energy?  I am retired, an old fert I am, happy, however,,,I find energy is in short supply as I age.  I maintain about 20 hives for pleasure, honey, old ideas resurfacing, and these (20) twenty mind you, hives wear me out.  60 mating nucs?????  There is a lot of work, energy that is, at your place.  I know of beekeepers with thousands of hives; I would be clueless as how to manage.  MB, With your energy and programming skills, you should start a beecoin block chain. Lol Blessings

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Concerns about Carniolan shutdown
« Reply #8 on: October 16, 2017, 11:16:11 pm »
Van,
I have mentioned this before. There is a 90 beekeeper in the Tampa area who maintains 1000 hives. I asked him how many employees he has to manage them. He has none. He does it by himself.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Van, Arkansas, USA

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Re: Concerns about Carniolan shutdown
« Reply #9 on: October 17, 2017, 10:10:11 am »
Jim, thanks.  I wonder, I wonder about that guy in his 90s in Florida??????   Is he keeping his bees alive, 1,000 hives or,,,,,,,,  the bees are keeping that guy alive. 
Blessings

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Concerns about Carniolan shutdown
« Reply #10 on: October 17, 2017, 02:14:44 pm »
>60 mating nucs, MB, I have would like to know where do you get the energy?  I am retired, an old fert I am, happy, however,,,I find energy is in short supply as I age.

There were 100 mating nucs a few weeks ago...  I am running out of energy as I get older.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin