Worldwide Beekeeping

Beekeeping => Swarms, Cut Outs, Trap Outs and Bee Trees => Topic started by: robo on June 25, 2014, 11:45:52 am

Title: Cut-out question?
Post by: robo on June 25, 2014, 11:45:52 am

Had a small cut-out yesterday that appeared to be fine and healthy until I vac'd off the bees.

(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs10.postimg.cc%2Fl6pp9gx9h%2F10440214_10202439982466937_2999512875259628866_n.jpg&hash=b1f56de983064691e229c432e2639379ef63103e) (http://postimg.cc/image/l6pp9gx9h/)

It appeared that they started to chew the cappings off the brood,  but brood looked fine (nice and white and no sign of varroa or foulbrood).   I just thought maybe it had gotten chilled as we have had some cool nights.   As we dug in deeper,  we found the same on all the brood.

The colony had plenty of stored pollen,  but little to no nectar/honey.   Maybe 10-20 cells scattered across all the comb.   There was plenty of eggs and young larvae as well.

Would a starving colony chew out capped larvae?   I can understand not having food to feed young larvae,  but capped larvae has no food load on the colony.

We did not find the queen as many bes migrated up behind the power panel and had to just suck them out with the vac.    I'll be checking them this evening to see if I can find the queen.

Not the greatest picture,  but the best I have. 


(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs2.postimg.cc%2F7qnd0ag0l%2F10353638_10202439983066952_2087821720408910145_n.jpg&hash=eb93e2eac1fec3ce9e20f0390cb301b52bd3cdd2) (http://postimg.cc/image/7qnd0ag0l/)

Thoughts??

Title: Re: Cut-out question?
Post by: iddee on June 25, 2014, 12:03:45 pm

I have heard a starving hive will eat the brood, but have no science to back it up.

Title: Re: Cut-out question?
Post by: riverbee on June 25, 2014, 12:16:38 pm

same as iddee rob, read that a starving colony will eat the developing brood for protein/sustain themselves.

Title: Re: Cut-out question?
Post by: robo on June 25, 2014, 12:18:54 pm

Ya I have heard that too,  but would think they would start with the young larvae and eggs as they require feeding (and have had the least resources invested in them).   I'm gonna feed them and see what happens......

Title: Re: Cut-out question?
Post by: CpnObvious on June 25, 2014, 12:20:56 pm

How can you tell the difference between chewing the cappings off the brood vs the cappings in the process of being formed?

Title: Re: Cut-out question?
Post by: robo on June 25, 2014, 12:25:07 pm

Cappings are formed in a symmetrical manner.  Chewing them out leaves odd shaped holes off center.  Plus there was about 1/2 of wax debris on the floor (can see it in the picture)

Title: Re: Cut-out question?
Post by: tefer2 on June 25, 2014, 05:35:47 pm

Wonder why they wouldn't have any nectar this time of the year? Strange indeed!

Title: Re: Cut-out question?
Post by: LazyBkpr on June 25, 2014, 08:28:22 pm

Interesting find Robo..    Did they get into some pesticides?   Was the brood alive or were they removing it because it had died?

Title: Re: Cut-out question?
Post by: robo on June 25, 2014, 10:26:29 pm

No dead bees and no brood parts laying around.   Just a 1/2" or so of fine wax particles.   Brood all looked bright white and healthy

Title: Re: Cut-out question?
Post by: LazyBkpr on June 25, 2014, 11:20:17 pm

Strange..   Sounds like an emergency situation for sure but the question is why..  they lost all the foragers in one fell swoop?

Title: Re: Cut-out question?
Post by: robo on June 26, 2014, 09:25:27 am

They were still foraging and bringing in pollen.....