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General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
 #12257  by MickBBKA
 04 Dec 2021, 01:06
Well not today but on Monday I went to help my mentee save a colony of bees in a fallen tree. Chainsaw and smoker in hand in 2 inches of snow we found our tree on its side in a field. looking at the hollow in the tree there were 5 or 6 combs visible so we made a guess where the cluster would be and set to work. We were about in the middle of the comb once we got the first block out. 4 feet of tree and comb later we had most of it out and in a brood box. I was gobsmacked at the size of this feral colony, it was huge. The heat in the comb was amazing considering it was about -2c. Having used chainsaw and axe the bees were as good as gold. There was no sign of disease, wax moth, varroa damage. Combs looked at the top probably 3 or 4 years old. I can't believe how little drone comb was there when I find any chance to build free comb in a brood box they only ever build drone comb. I have no idea if they will survive or if we got the queen. Fact is the tree was going to get chopped up for firewood so they got a chance. I imagine they will be a brilliant strain of bee to keep looking at the amount of stores they had. Great experience.
 #12261  by JoJo36
 06 Dec 2021, 07:27
Well Mick hopefully the rescue mission will be fruitful and the bees will be a productive colony next year!!:)
At least by doing what you did, you gave them a chance rather than condemning them to certain death!
 #12263  by AdamD
 06 Dec 2021, 09:25
I hope they survive; I guess a frame of stores donated by a well-stocked colony would do them no harm.
 #12285  by Alfred
 12 Dec 2021, 11:20
Took advantage of fortuitous break in the weather- nasty cold spell previous fortnight but tropical 12degrees today followed by more nastiness next week.
Vaped for the final time this year as I'm guessing they will be as broodless as they're going to get.
Most hives were active outside at 9am
Topped up fondant and put wraps on the boxes,strapped down tight thank you very much.
Now the dash to get some kit made up for swarm season only ten more days and the countdown begins :o
 #12287  by AdamD
 12 Dec 2021, 15:06
My colonies were flying well today - 14 degrees.
I'll leave the Oxalic Acid thing until between Christmas and New Year.
 #12288  by MickBBKA
 13 Dec 2021, 01:20
My experience over the last 3 months is treat as soon as you can, when its required.......... I have lost fantastic colonies this Autumn because Spring was so late, which meant Summer was so late and harvest was so late. My Varroa control usually starts in July, this year it was September I had a Varroa overload going into Autumn which I have never seen before. Kicked me in the pants, not withstanding I am still getting wasps at 5c while the bees are clustered..... 10 years and never had 2 the same.........
 #12289  by AdamD
 13 Dec 2021, 11:22
"I had a Varroa overload going into Autumn which I have never seen before".

I've had the occasional colony that is going great guns and then collapses with parasitic mite syndrome just at around the time that varroa treatment goes in. It's difficult to get the colony back on it's feet after that and a donation of a frame of good sealed brood is often necessary.
As an example, in 2020 I had a colony which was running on 2 very full brood boxes (as a guess, 16 - 18 frames of brood all summer) and collapsed to a nuc which did over-winter OK and picked up again this year.
 #12290  by Steve 1972
 14 Dec 2021, 17:46
Not done much in either apiary just two nucs and two full colonies got some fondant on the top bars..
I have been far too busy cleaning the damage up after storm Arwin..100mph winds where recorded and I am Lucky to still have bees after the scale of the damage..many trees where flattened luckely missing everything of value ... forty strapped down supers full of drawn frames ended up scattered all over but luckily again no damage..
The real damage was two big greenhouses destroyed with glass everywhere..one of which was 50ft away upside down on the Apple tree..and even worse her Sister who lives next door had to move out for 8mth while the roof and inside of the cottage has too bee rebuilt..the outhouse roof has gone and everything inside more or less ruined.. it literaly looks like a bomb has been dropped on the place..
The only good thing about the devastation is nobody was Hurt..
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