Honey Bees - Whats the craic?

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.

locum76

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Oct 9, 2005
2,772
9
47
Kirkliston
I'm a noveice beekeeper. We need bees at my work for the orchard.

We had 4 hives looking healthy going into the winter. They were still healthy at the end of March. Now three are dead! :(

One has been raided by a field mouse (caught and dispatched today) which chewed its way around our mouse guards, so we know what happened there.

The other two that died, were well fed, treated for Varroa, had no sign of any nasty diseases such as foul Brood and were near good sources of pollen and nectar. But still they have died.

Keith, who keeps hives on our farm, has lost all 5 of his hives and he is an accomplished beekeeper.

I thought the problems of the lat few years were over but apparently things are just as bad, has anyone else had similar issues?

On the upside the orchard is hoaching with bumble bees, mason bees and the like.
 

leaf man

Nomad
Feb 2, 2010
338
0
Blacker Hill
oh man! i cant listen to the link here in work but will watch it when i get home
bee keeping is something i want to get into, but i would be devastated if this happened to me. i hope your last hive is ok and stays that way.
all the best and keep us in the loop with how they get on
mike
 

Ryecroft

Need to contact Admin...
Mar 26, 2007
98
1
51
North Shropshire
I have just discovered what I think is a bumblebee nest in my garden, they are using an old nuthatch nest (mud front to the 'V' / hollow in a beech tree).

I thought that they used underground or low level nesting sites but this nest is about 15 foot up.

I am really struggling to identify, they are darker than wasps, not as 'focused' as wasps in their flying and about 12mm long from what I can see.

Are bumblebees a good shout?

I too will be taking the next available bee-keeping course (which is next year now due to popularity - which can only be (excuse the pun) good), I note also that the telegraph is running a bee campaign:-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/beekeeping/7855191/How-you-can-help-with-the-Telegraphs-Bring-Back-Bees-campaign.html

No connection etc., but hopefully more will get involved.

Any help on ID's on the above would be really appreciated.
 

g4ghb

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 21, 2005
4,320
246
54
Wiltshire
my colleague at work 'lost' her queen a few weeks ago but luckily she seems to have returned and is laying again!?.....
 

JonathanD

Ophiological Genius
Sep 3, 2004
12,809
1,479
Stourton,UK
I have just discovered what I think is a bumblebee nest in my garden, they are using an old nuthatch nest (mud front to the 'V' / hollow in a beech tree).

I thought that they used underground or low level nesting sites but this nest is about 15 foot up.

I am really struggling to identify, they are darker than wasps, not as 'focused' as wasps in their flying and about 12mm long from what I can see.

Are bumblebees a good shout?

I too will be taking the next available bee-keeping course (which is next year now due to popularity - which can only be (excuse the pun) good), I note also that the telegraph is running a bee campaign:-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/beekeeping/7855191/How-you-can-help-with-the-Telegraphs-Bring-Back-Bees-campaign.html

No connection etc., but hopefully more will get involved.

Any help on ID's on the above would be really appreciated.

Have you got a piccy, should be able to positively ID them from that. Even a long blurry one will do.
 

Ryecroft

Need to contact Admin...
Mar 26, 2007
98
1
51
North Shropshire
Thanks all, I will take some photos today, and research how to post them.

I would say, judging by the busiest I have seen them, that there are about a hundred of them.
 

silvergirl

Nomad
Jan 25, 2006
379
0
Angus,Scotland
SASA are the body that investigates bee deaths in Scotland.
It may be worth sending some of the bees or part of the hive for analysis to

BEE DISEASES
Scottish Agricultural Science Agency
1 Roddinglaw Road
Edinburgh
EH12 9FJ
 

dr jones

Full Member
Feb 21, 2007
209
0
west wales
Hi there , have you considered the possibility of the bees being dispatched by the Acarine mite, the syptoms of these are healthy looking bees that cant be bothered to fly thus starve to death . The mite grows and lives in the throat of the bee slowly suffocateing the poor creature and can go thru a hive in 10 days. This struck our hives in march and wiped them all out. Good luck with your remaining hive!
ATB Roly
 

Ryecroft

Need to contact Admin...
Mar 26, 2007
98
1
51
North Shropshire
Pictures as requested:-

The Tree
pict0069wq.jpg


The nest location within the tree
pict0070m.jpg


A bit closer
pict0072i.jpg


Another one (they would not stand still when I asked them!)
pict0071gl.jpg


Any clues would be gratefully appreciated.
 

locum76

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Oct 9, 2005
2,772
9
47
Kirkliston
yup, they look like honey bes to me too.

Our remaining hive is thriving by the way and ther orchard has been well pollinated.
 

Ryecroft

Need to contact Admin...
Mar 26, 2007
98
1
51
North Shropshire
So is this a good way to get into bee-keeping?

Coincidentally I have just started reading Bill Turnbulls book on beekeeping (light read admittedly, but may help me pick another hobby!).

So could I or more importantly, should I contact my local beekeeper and get this hive moved to a beekeepers hive? Or just leave it where it is - I do use this part of the garden quite a lot, so do my brothers kids and I dont want them disturbing the bees.

Help??
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE