Today we popped by the bees to do an inspection but it had to be cut short quite quickly due to the weather and Kat's impending workload (teacher).
FeeBee
Weak strength
Quiet temperament
1 brood box - 6 frames
2 frames of bees
2 frames of brood (all stages - drones - drone laying queen)
2 frames of stores
2 foundation frames
Actions Taken: N/A
Kate
Moderate strength
Annoyed temperament (possibly due to the weather)
1 brood box - 11 frames
8 frames of bees
5 frames of brood (all stages)
2 frames of stores
4 foundation frames
Actions Taken: While all the fondant was gone (below left) the stores still don't seem to have gone up that much. Feeding continues to be needed. ( See below right for some of the girls having a good ol' munch!)
Laura
Strong strength
Annoyed temperament (possibly due to the weather)
1.5 brood box - 11 + 11 frames
10 frames of bees (only inspected the brood box due to the incoming weather - we know she's doing well so it was unnecessary to inspect the under super)
1 frames of brood (all stages)
2 frames of stores
2 foundation frames
Actions Taken: It was during our inspection with Laura that we had to close up early due to the wind and incoming rain. All fondant was eaten (see above) but more was needed so Greg popped back to feed both colonies.
When Greg went back he noticed loads of dead drones outside Laura (see left) which means that she is getting rid of all the useless males ready for winter so that she can preserve food stores for her working girls.
More points to note are that Laura was exhibiting some unusual behaviour for us to research. Firstly, there were some signs of dysentery (below). If this happens it can sometimes be due to bad feed however we know that that's not the case in this instance as the fondant is pretty pure sugar and doesn't have chance to ferment which is usually what causes dysentery.
Greg wonders if they have Nosema mites which are inside the bee's guts. The Apiguard we've been using should also treat these mites so it could be that it's not dysentery but the bees getting rid of the mites that have died inside them. This is a good thing!
Secondly, as we opened up Laura the bees were clumping at the top as we've never seen before (see below). While it was windy and about to be wet it certainly wasn't cold. It could be something to do with the Apiguard as the vapours given off are heavier than air so it smells more at the bottom of the hive. It could be just the bees trying to get away from the smell.
As I said, Greg is going to do more research before we're 100% sure - always learning!
Finally, when Greg returned to feed the colonies he also took out the inspection trays which have only been on a week and found a huge amount of Varroa in both Kate and Laura; this is great news as it means that the Apiguard is working; we're just sad that they must have been infected when we got them.
I've had some questions from readers about Varroa and the effects it can have on the bees. Varroa is a massive problem all over the world. They originally came from Asia but have infected all bee colonies over the last century. Even if we manage to get rid of all the Varroa in our hives the likelihood is that they will always come back as the bees forage in the area and get infected that way. It's something that can be controlled through the use of yearly treatments such as Apiguard but will never be completely eradicated. It's just something we have to manage.
Hopefully next week Kat'll be a little more settled at school and the weather will allow us to do a more thorough inspection. That being said, a full inspection is now no longer completely necessary as the swarming season has passed and as long as there are some eggs and the colonies are building up their stores that is all we need to see.
Until next week then ...
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