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General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
 #9131  by thewoodgatherer
 08 Oct 2020, 14:42
huntsman. wrote:Why would you unite diseased bees with healthy ones?

IMO you run a great risk of losing both.
My understanding is that CBPV is genetically predisposed, some official advise is to re-queen the colony which I have done, I have had the odd bee with it in the old queens line in the past but never like this. Yes I could have just left them to nature, its the choice you make as a beekeeper.
 #9132  by Chrisbarlow
 08 Oct 2020, 17:45
I saw a talk by giles budge earlier this year on cbpv. he commented about breeding from survivor stock to increase disease resilience. So instead of killing queenie,maybe better bulked her up with bees to see if she'd survive. However, what is done is done.
 #9137  by thewoodgatherer
 08 Oct 2020, 19:46
Chrisbarlow wrote:
08 Oct 2020, 17:45
I saw a talk by giles budge earlier this year on cbpv. he commented about breeding from survivor stock to increase disease resilience. So instead of killing queenie,maybe better bulked her up with bees to see if she'd survive. However, what is done is done.
There was method to my madness, she was 17 month old queen and i really think she was on the way out and not just having a brood brake. She had been very prolific (not my preferred type), laying up many frames end- end and top to bottom over the past two seasons. She laid up 14 frames no issue this summer and I would have kept her going as long as. I don't think the number of bees was the issue, more like she and they had been weakened by the MAQS treatment which i doubt I will use again. There was plenty of bees left and I'm confident that had I left her they would all be dead by xmas.

Finally, this lot went through so much stores last year I was leaving them with a good 30/40+ lbs of honey and although yes I know its a risk anyway, but I didn't want to be left with a hive full of wasted crystallised honey.
 #9146  by NigelP
 10 Oct 2020, 12:32
As I was hefting some hives this morning saw a sparrow hawk take out a Pidgeon just above me. He then ate it for about 30 minutes..... until he had his fill. Quite a sight.. now I have load of Pidgeon feathers and somewhat gory carcase to clear up.


Image
 #9148  by Patrick
 10 Oct 2020, 23:31
I know the females are much larger than the males, but taking out a wood pigeon is no small feat. Great photo.

Was taking off feeders filled with cappings now al clean and flaked, when I discovered another fermenting bin half filled with more needing to be done. So feeders back on again..

Found one I suspected was struggling was indeed a dead out. Wax moth already established on a few brood frames. Will have to reassemble steamer stack pretty quick.
 #9150  by Steve 1972
 11 Oct 2020, 10:38
That is a female..Muskets (Males) are less than half the weight and a different colour..if you left the carcass where it was Nigel it would come back and finnish it of a day or two later.
 #9158  by Steve 1972
 11 Oct 2020, 19:18
Fed more colonies 2:1 syrup and removed Queen exluders from three and nadired the supers..saying they where not happy is a understatment :lol: .. i have been putting it off as these three colonies are mental so i doubled my trousers and gloves and put my head down and cracked on..as soon as the crown board and then the excluder was cracked of i was covered in bees..luckily i never took a single sting..
 #9166  by nealh
 12 Oct 2020, 10:03
Truly an awesome garden raptor I see the same end results now and then and in the past have witnessed the same, I leave the carcass as my local Vulpes vulpes cleans up the left overs. Currently have three siblings visit the garden most nights since May/June for some titbits.
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