Starvation

Just a note to say that I feel this mild winter could give the bees a problem with starvation. They are flying, nothing out there. I have already put fondant on and 2 hives are on their second block. Hives getting lighter already.

Gave one hive six full brood frames of honey and a block of fondant about a week ago to see them through. Thankfully all the others very heavy but come February??

I put 2 x 2.5kg blocks on every hive mid October as normal and checking at the weekend most hives have eaten a full block already. All hives were nice and heavy with stores when the fondant was added. Will most likely be adding another 2 blocks mid/late December

Tom Bick said:

Gave one hive six full brood frames of honey and a block of fondant about a week ago to see them through. Thankfully all the others very heavy but come February??

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Yes.

However warm the weather, any hive that runs short before Christmas simply couldn't have been well enough provisioned for the start of a normal Autumn.
Hence the first real stores check would be at Oxalic time.

During the cold part of our winter, Jan maybe + Feb, they don't use very much.

But, usually sometime during February, when brood-rearing starts, food requirement per day increases massively, and keeps on increasing through April.
A late start to the forage nectar, or a spell of bad weather keeping the bees inside at that point, can see the last of the stores disappear VERY quickly - that is the time for close beekeeper attention.
But, for heaven's sake, they surely ought to have enough stashed away to last past Christmas, however mild the weather.

I was actually about to start a thread about this until I've came across this. One thing I've been thinking of asking is with the bees getting worked and not much stores coming in, will I need to feed again. I've been seriously thinking of topping them up. I've also been wondering that will these winter bees make it through winter because they are getting overworked when really they should be clustering this time of year. What about the queen, would she still be laying with this weather/early nights or gone off until next spring, if she has it could be disastrous for the hives I would guess.

itma said:

However warm the weather, any hive that runs short before Christmas simply couldn't have been well enough provisioned for the start of a normal Autumn.

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They should be okay until at least late March early April if properly provisioned.

Topping up.. definitely only with fondant now.. I have had some comments from people about extra syrup. No way. Fondant now .. and then in early April, if warm- some Neopoll

I definitely won't be checking stores Christmas time, hefting yes, mine are still collecting pollen and probably nectar last Sunday.

Heather said:

Just a note to say that I feel this mild winter could give the bees a problem with starvation. They are flying, nothing out there.

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Funny - I was thinking exactly the same thing this morning, as I watched a few girls flying. It's continuing relatively mild - at least in these parts.
Dunno why people keep banging on about insulation - it's warm winters that are causing the most losses in the UK, not cold ones.

Just as well I bought some fondant.
Thanks to whoever put me on to the Bako 'online' ordering site.

LJ

Just been round to weigh all mine and club hives this afternoon.

Some had gone up by 1 or 2 kg since last month, most about the same, some lost 1 or 2 kg.

All have plenty of stores for the moment.

All mine feel nailed down. Odd bee bringing small pollen loads.
Still seeing the odd bee in the garden too

Little John said:

Dunno why people keep banging on about insulation - it's warm winters that are causing the most losses in the UK, not cold ones.



LJ

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What's your reasons for these thoughts!!

irishguy said:

I I've also been wondering that will these winter bees make it through winter because they are getting overworked when really they should be clustering this time of year. What about the queen, would she still be laying with this weather/early nights or gone off until next spring, if she has it could be disastrous for the hives I would guess.

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It's brood rearing that knackers the bees....bit like us, really.
Queen might lay a small amount till she picks up in the spring but that won't be a disaster.

Erichalfbee said:

It's brood rearing that knackers the bees....bit like us, really.
Queen might lay a small amount till she picks up in the spring but that won't be a disaster.

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How's that! Would flying all them miles, having to go out in these not ideal conditions and not bringing in stores not knacker them more. My bees are still bringing in stores but not all them, in fact its less than half that's coming back with some.

Hi all,
All my hives flying seemingly off to forage, some pollen going in. Scout bees are supposed to tell them where to go for forage, so who is out flying with no pollen coming back... Scout bees? My hives smell as if nectar is going in with wet looking white pollen??

irishguy said:

What's your reasons for these thoughts!!

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2012-13 : 30% colony losses nationwide.

Losses were due to extremely poor foraging throughout 2012, followed by a warm autumn, warm winter and warm early spring - by which time stores in many colonies were exhausted. This extended period of warmth was followed by a very sudden cold spell, just as the bees had started brooding-up - and that was enough to take substantial numbers of colonies out of the game by starvation.

Had the weather remained cold over the winter, then the reduced quantities of stores might possibly have been preserved.

Many beekeepers were caught out by this scenario of extended warmth followed by sudden cold.

LJ

This relates to the previous winter, but goes into much greater depth about winter brood-rearing/ food consumption etc.
http://www.-------------/files/library/spring_feeding_for_web_18_may_1337335404.pdf

missing bit is: b-b-k-a.org.uk (delete the hyphens) - hope this doesn't cause any offence anywhere ...

Checked my hives this morning temperature 11 degrees C ,One hive that had plenty of stores a fortnight ago is now much lighter and will need more feeding not sure whether to give it fondant or more syrup considering the temperature. The bees were flying but didn't seem to be bringing in much.

I dont believe bees are so daft as to go out for a fly around without any real purpose. If they are flying, they have a reason. You may not work out what they are collecting or what they are doing, but they do have good reason.

I dont believe bees are so daft as to go out for a fly around without any real purpose. If they are flying, they have a reason. You may not work out what they are collecting or what they are doing, but they do have good reason.

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you beat me to it !!

Sometimes I think we assume to much and think we know too much.

In reation to

nothing out there

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not so sure , depends where

there

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is ?

Around me there is plenty of mahonia in flower, also viburnum and probably ( certainly ! )other species of plant I am not aware of.

Years of evolution I am sure have not resulted in Bees flying aimlessly around in present conditions with no purpose or productive results in relation to their forays.

I am sure they know, better than we do, what they are at.