Saskatraz

[JackM]

Yesterday hives were great, today they are all dead.  Dead bees all over the bottom.  They got into something apparently.  Everything dead .... well I guess not the brood...yet.  Don't know what they got into, everything started blooming Monday.

[van from Arkansas]

Mr. Jack, OH NO!!  I have been awaiting your inspection report as you said in a few days you will report.  So everyday I have been looking for your response.

So sorry, this is not what I was anticipating.  So sad, I know you had high hopes for the Canadian queens Saskatraz.  I will by watching your post in the future, so if you figure out what exactly happened I would like to know.  Again, so sorry,,,  all the hives dead?????? all hives???  Even Italians??

Hang in there, don?t get discouraged!!
Van

[BeeMaster2]

Jack,
Really sorry to hear about loosing all those hives. I know how that feels. It will take a while to get over it. Do not let it Stop you from Beekeeping, I felt that way a little over a year ago. Now I?m back to over 30 hives and loving Beekeeping again.
Jim

[CoolBees]

My goodness. That's terrible!!! I'm sorry to hear it.  Thats just awful Jack. I certainly hope you can find a way to get going again.

[Ben Framed]

Very concerned.  Yesterday was over 50.  Not one of my hives had any activity.  That is concerning, but it isn't good to open the hives right now.  Might get out my fiberoptic thingy and try to get stung.

I would open those hives up and check for live bees immediately.  If you saw no activity at 50 degrees, that could mean the worst case but is not for sure evidence.  If the hives are dead, you need to open them up and shake out all of the dead bees, and leave the frames open to sunlight for the empty frames and place the frames of honey and pollen in the freezer if the wax moths have not buggered them up. 

If the bees are still alive, make you condense the amount of space they have down to the minimum with only frames of bees or frames of resources.  Remove empty frames and boxes the bees are not occupying.  If there are no resource frames, place a bucket feeder full of sugar syrup on top of the inner cover with an empty box to cover it and fill the remaining space with some sheets of foam insulation board INSIDE the box and above the bucket feeder.  This will hopefully help keep the syrup warmer than ambient temperatures and minimize the loss of thermal energy. 

Hope your girls are still hanging in there. 

If you read further along you would see that the next day they were foraging.  All my hives had some activity or another yesterday.

My mistake.  Won't happen again.

Mr Live Oak, I appreciate your advice. Please continue to voice it. Many New folks here that respect your opinion and I am one. Thanks, Phillip

Sorry for you loss Jack. What did you see when you got out your " Might get out my fiberoptic thingy and try to get stung." ??  I would appreciate your answer, as it might help the rest of us in a similar situation in case that situation were to manifest in the future.
Phillip

[JackM]

I never bothered with the fiberoptics.

Just sick. so many dead bees

[Ben Framed]

I never bothered with the fiberoptics.

Just sick. so many dead bees

I would be devastated. Sorry for your loss. I know this just recently happened, have you thought of what is next?  I would like to encourage you, in not giving up.

[Aroc]

Always concerned when I hear of hives almost literally dying overnight.  We are still under snow and haven?t been able to do much yet.  Since this is a Saskatraz thread I will say so far we are 9/11 with the only dead out being an Italian cross.  The rest are Saskatraz and seem to be doing well.

Find out what caused the problem...that is very discouraging.

[Aroc]

Yesterday hives were great, today they are all dead.  Dead bees all over the bottom.  They got into something apparently.  Everything dead .... well I guess not the brood...yet.  Don't know what they got into, everything started blooming Monday.

Having them all die overnight like that is odd.  Almost sounds like vandalism.

[Ben Framed]

Yesterday hives were great, today they are all dead.  Dead bees all over the bottom.  They got into something apparently.  Everything dead .... well I guess not the brood...yet.  Don't know what they got into, everything started blooming Monday.

Having them all die overnight like that is odd.  Almost sounds like vandalism.

This is concerning to me also. I am trying to make sense of it. Looking back at previous post, the only clue thus far is;
? Reply #46 on: January 24, 2019, 08:54:43 am ?
Quote
Very concerned.  Yesterday was over 50.  Not one of my hives had any activity.  That is concerning, but it isn't good to open the hives right now.  Might get out my fiberoptic thingy and try to get stung.

Live Oak had responded to this. I for one sure would like to hear from you Mr Live Oak. Your professional experience is welcome by me. I am seeking the "education" . If you do not want to respond here please PM me Sir. Thanks Phillip

[van from Arkansas]

Mr. Ben, I am the fella with the fiber optic cable camera connected to my iPhone.  Just a man toy, a gadget, I would not recommend as they are kinda pricey.  Only works in winter on clustered cold bees.  On warm days, the bees swarm and cover the camera lens, so can?t see a thing.  Kind of cool though to view a cluster without opening a hive in winter and verify no mice.  But I emphasized, it?s just a man toy, not at all necessary.

[Ben Framed]

Mr. Ben, I am the fella with the fiber optic cable camera connected to my iPhone.  Just a man toy, a gadget, I would not recommend as they are kinda pricey.  Only works in winter on clustered cold bees.  On warm days, the bees swarm and cover the camera lens, so can?t see a thing.  Kind of cool though to view a cluster without opening a hive in winter and verify no mice.  But I emphasized, it?s just a man toy, not at all necessary.

From Jack
Re: Saskatraz
? Reply #46 on: January 24, 2019, 08:54:43 am ?
Quote
Very concerned.  Yesterday was over 50.  Not one of my hives had any activity.  That is concerning, but it isn't good to open the hives right now.  Might get out my fiberoptic thingy and try to get stung.

[van from Arkansas]

Oh Ok, thank you Ben for my correction, sorta, well I do have a fiber optic camera.

Still hate to hear Mr. Jack lost his hives.  I hate it when I lose one hive but it is going to happen to me.  Still not used to losing a hive, never happened as a kid.  I always look for WHY, did I screw up?  The answer is sometimes yes, my fault.  Lost a breeder quality hive last year to condensation,,,, a breeder quality!!! 

[Ben Framed]

Oh Ok, thank you Ben for my correction, sorta, well I do have a fiber optic camera.

Still hate to hear Mr. Jack lost his hives.  I hate it when I lose one hive but it is going to happen to me.  Still not used to losing a hive, never happened as a kid.  I always look for WHY, did I screw up?  The answer is sometimes yes, my fault.  Lost a breeder quality hive last year to condensation,,,, a breeder quality!!!

I am with you Mr Van, I am sorrowful for him also. A loss such as that would be deviating to me as it has to be with him. I hope he doesn't give up. Don't give up Jack.

[Ben Framed]

I guess Mr Jack must have gave up on beekeeping after the downfall of his hives. He has not been active since his last post here. I found this while looking for information to help answer Bush_84s' question concerning this strand of bee..

Phillip

[Bush_84]

Looks like a long read.