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BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: jazzybeez on April 07, 2013, 10:49:06 am

Title: Using components from old hive to start new one
Post by: jazzybeez on April 07, 2013, 10:49:06 am

My last hive died over the winter.  I just opened it up and it seemed like plenty of bees but spread out all over the hive and not making any effort to cluster. 

Anyway, my question is this  …  is it all right to use some of the honey, pollen and built out frames from this hive to start my new one when my package arrives?

Title: Re: Using components from old hive to start new one
Post by: greenbtree on April 07, 2013, 01:02:16 pm

Were the dead bees head down in the cells, with their butts sticking out?  That would show starvation.
Lots of Winter losses this year with the drought over the summer and all.  Don't know how bad the drought was last year in New York. If it looks like they starved, I would go ahead and use the equipment.  Varroa wouldn't survive the death of all of the bees either.  Always a risk of reusing equipment of course, for diseases like AFB, EFB, and nosema.

JC

Title: Re: Using components from old hive to start new one
Post by: jazzybeez on April 07, 2013, 02:35:06 pm

Thanks JC.

There were actually only a few with their "butts sticking out" and close to 50 pounds of honey in the hive so they probably didn't starve.  I just thought if I used already built out frames, honey, pollen etc. it would jump start the hive.  The risk, however, is kind of making me nervous since I don't really know what caused them to die.

Title: Re: Using components from old hive to start new one
Post by: greenbtree on April 07, 2013, 04:06:01 pm

Another possibility is they broke cluster, but got caught out with a big temperature drop.

JC

Title: Re: Using components from old hive to start new one
Post by: AllenF on April 07, 2013, 04:53:50 pm

I use the one hives as is in most cases.  I have one swarm in a nuc right now from last weekend.   In a couple more days I will move those frames into a deadout from last year.   I will dump out most of the dead bees and let the new bees take over the hive.  The bees will clean up the old hive.   They will polish over everything and clean it better than you can. 

Title: Re: Using components from old hive to start new one
Post by: Steel Tiger on April 08, 2013, 01:38:07 am

Just out of curiosity, did you wrap the hive for the winter?
 Did it have a top entrance? If not, did you keep the bottom cleared of snow?
Did you feed them sugar water going into winter?

Title: Re: Using components from old hive to start new one
Post by: Finski on April 08, 2013, 09:16:36 am

Quote from: Steel Tiger on April 08, 2013, 01:38:07 am

Just out of curiosity, going into winter?

You live on district of cold winters. Finland's procedures surely work there.

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,40142.0.html (http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,40142.0.html)

Title: Re: Using components from old hive to start new one
Post by: Finski on April 08, 2013, 09:19:20 am

.
Colonies die every year. 15-20% is normal. Hives are used again.

It depends in what condition combs are.

But it is better to look sign of diseases, like AFB. There are famous coffee coloured scales on the bottom of some cells.
.