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What Now? Guard Bee
Joined: 26 Mar 2012 Posts: 59 Location: Coventry, UK
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Posted: Tue May 10, 2016 7:42 pm Post subject: Oh dear! Any idea what may have happened?? Bees gone. |
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It's the start of May 2016.
I went into last winter with 4 apparently healthy colonies.
At the start of April I was optimistic that they had all come through the winter. On those few warm decent days there was a lot of activity.
At the start of May, 2 weeks ago, I went down, 2 colonies were either gone or now non existent / dead.
The other 2 seem a bit weak.
I wonder what happened? Could they have swarmed already? I sort of have a hunch that it is too early, the colony wasn't big enough and it has been to cold. Maybe I'm wrong.
I am sure they have not died of disease.
They haven't starved. There is still a lot of food still in the hive.
Any ideas ... it's too late now, but I would be interested. |
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trekmate Golden Bee

Joined: 30 Nov 2009 Posts: 1137 Location: UK, North Yorkshire, Bentham
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Posted: Tue May 10, 2016 8:13 pm Post subject: |
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Worth a look through http://www.beverlybees.com/how-to-autopsy-a-honey-bee-colony/ for ideas.
They could have starved with stores in the hive if they clustered in the recent cold weather near new brood instead of food.
101 other reasons, but without more info hard to say. |
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Quality Top Bar Hives by Andrew Vidler
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Conserving wild bees
Research suggests that bumble bee boxes have a very low success rate in actually attracting bees into them. We find that if you create an environment where first of all you can attract mice inside, such as a pile of stones, a drystone wall, paving slabs with intentionally made cavities underneath, this will increase the success rate.
Most bumble bee species need a dry space about the size a football, with a narrow entrance tunnel approximately 2cm in diameter and 20 cm long. Most species nest underground along the base of a linear feature such as a hedge or wall. Sites need to be sheltered and out of direct sunlight.
There is a spectacular display of wild bee hotels here
More about bumblebees and solitary bees here
Information about the Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum)
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