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Author Topic: hive autopsy  (Read 8823 times)

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Offline Zweefer

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Re: hive autopsy
« Reply #20 on: April 11, 2015, 01:52:46 pm »
Can anyone tell me what I'm looking at?


Taking the frames apart and I see this...  More to come as I progress....
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Offline Zweefer

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Re: hive autopsy
« Reply #21 on: April 11, 2015, 02:33:09 pm »
I'm thinking it is sugar granules from the candy board...
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Offline Zweefer

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Re: hive autopsy
« Reply #22 on: April 11, 2015, 02:35:46 pm »
Answer to hive 1s demise...  Must have been in before I added the reducer...
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Offline efmesch

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Re: hive autopsy
« Reply #23 on: April 11, 2015, 04:44:36 pm »
Pictures #23 looks like a mouse nest to me.
Picture #21 is really hard to decipher----the blue coloring  is not natural and could be very misleading.  In several cells I seem to see what are the remains of larvae.  You can put a matchstick into the cells and dig around---see what comes out: whole dead larvae? larval mush? or sugar crystals?  After you've investigated the cells you'll be able to present us with better pictures and get better answers.
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Offline ledifni

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Re: hive autopsy
« Reply #24 on: April 11, 2015, 05:08:03 pm »
Quote from: efmesch on April 11, 2015, 04:44:36 pm
Pictures #23 looks like a mouse nest to me.
Picture #21 is really hard to decipher----the blue coloring  is not natural and could be very misleading.  In several cells I seem to see what are the remains of larvae.  You can put a matchstick into the cells and dig around---see what comes out: whole dead larvae? larval mush? or sugar crystals?  After you've investigated the cells you'll be able to present us with better pictures and get better answers.

Looking at the picture, I think the blue coloring is just dark coloring (from "wet" cappings) that came out bluish through the camera lens.  The open cells do look really odd, though.  Sugar crystals?  Shouldn't the bees have eaten and dissolved the sugar before carrying it to the cells?  I haven't ever seen bees just walking through the hive carrying sugar in their jaws, though I could have missed it.

Also, what are those cells around the upper center that look like white goo dripping out?
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Ray

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Re: hive autopsy
« Reply #25 on: April 11, 2015, 06:28:55 pm »
My take on post # 22 is sugar from granulated honey. The bees ate the liquid and left the rest. The blue color ( I think) is a optical illusion. IMO, Those are wet cappings of over wintered honey.
Sorry about your losses, but ... endeavor to persevere!
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Offline riverbee

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Re: hive autopsy
« Reply #26 on: April 11, 2015, 09:41:44 pm »
sugar crystals, all of it, whether from fondant, syrup or granulated honey, even the white goo.  i think the flash may have also affected the 'coloring' of these cells to make them appear white, unless it is fondant that is melting and dripping out.  if you blow the photo up, there are some cells with 'honey' or 'liquid' dripping out, you can also see crystals in the bottoms of these cells through the honey/liquid.   

the mouse nest zweef, sad that happened to you, they are destructive little buggers.
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Offline Zweefer

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Re: hive autopsy
« Reply #27 on: April 11, 2015, 10:45:30 pm »
Thanks all!
The blue wasn't really blue... Trick of the camera.

I am upset for missing the gnawing marks left on the entrance reducer when I checked over the winter... Bees were fine from the top... At least now I know why they didn't quite make it.

The second hive was a bit weak going into winter and I wasn't too surprised.  They were still in cluster, heads in cells with honey a frame away :-(
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Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: hive autopsy
« Reply #28 on: April 12, 2015, 09:42:23 am »
Sorry for your losses, Zweefer.  Small consolation, but if you learned from this, all is not lost.
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Offline Zweefer

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Re: hive autopsy
« Reply #29 on: April 12, 2015, 04:04:34 pm »
Today I t is 74°, sunny, and oh yeah this happened…
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Offline Slowmodem

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Re: hive autopsy
« Reply #30 on: April 12, 2015, 04:37:39 pm »
Quote from: Zweefer on April 12, 2015, 04:04:34 pm
Today I t is 74°, sunny, and oh yeah this happened…

That's a lotta bees!!!   ;)
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Offline riverbee

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Re: hive autopsy
« Reply #31 on: April 12, 2015, 06:29:16 pm »
geez zweefer, how many bees do you need?.............. :D :D :D

awesome day here in wisconsin to hive packages!  how many packages are you hiving?
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: hive autopsy
« Reply #32 on: April 12, 2015, 10:01:24 pm »
Holy smokes Zweef..   those aint all yours are they?
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Offline Zweefer

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hive autopsy
« Reply #33 on: April 12, 2015, 10:46:18 pm »
No, only three are mine.   It is a nice sight though, isn't it?
« Last Edit: April 12, 2015, 10:47:08 pm by Zweefer »
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: hive autopsy
« Reply #34 on: April 13, 2015, 08:56:12 am »


 Oh yeah!



   I might be in a bit of trouble trying to find woodenware if they were mine.  After winter losses, I will stick to making my own as much as possible from here forward.  VSH/Hygienic/survivor queens not withstanding.  Have to keep ordering and testing those!
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