« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Hive Autopsy #1  (Read 2729 times)

0 Members and 3 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline Some Day

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 196
  • Thanked: 18 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Iowa
Hive Autopsy #1
« on: February 11, 2017, 02:01:18 pm »
We had an above 50 degree day today so I decided to go through a hive that I know is dead out.  My theory is that they were a small hive going into winter and on one of our warmer winter days they broke cluster and went to different frames to get groceries. Then we had a cold snap of below zero weather for a couple of days and the separated bees could not get back together and froze out.  I think I see a couple of hive beetles also, but no evidence that they created a problem for this hive.

Any advice or opinions from the experts?





Logged

Offline Some Day

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 196
  • Thanked: 18 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Iowa
Re: Hive Autopsy #1
« Reply #1 on: February 11, 2017, 02:06:33 pm »
I guess I posted a photo of another hive exterior in original post.  That photo is from today and I am assuming they are not dead.





I think these are the photos I wanted to add in first post.
Logged

Offline Mikey N.C.

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1393
  • Thanked: 76 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Cameron N.C.
Re: Hive Autopsy #1
« Reply #2 on: February 11, 2017, 02:20:22 pm »
Some day,  look's alot like mine. Was told cluster was to small. My pics on page 2 under lost hives.
Logged

Offline tedh

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1349
  • Thanked: 66 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Henry County, Iowa
Re: Hive Autopsy #1
« Reply #3 on: February 11, 2017, 03:12:52 pm »
Was gonna say that I'd take that top deadout off your hands, help you out, being neighborly and all. :D  I don't think I've ever seen a SHB before.  I'd like to keep it that way.  I know we have some here but not like down south.  Is that one on the second pick second post?  I don't mean to pry, but will anyway, where abouts in Iowa are you located?

About the deadout, I can't help much there, but I'm sorry for the loss.  How many hives do you have?  Man, this was a worthless post, no help at all.  Sorry, Ted
Logged
Share that which you have an abundance of.  In doing so both the giver and receiver are enriched.

Offline Some Day

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 196
  • Thanked: 18 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Iowa
Re: Hive Autopsy #1
« Reply #4 on: February 11, 2017, 03:38:27 pm »
Ted,

I am about 40 miles west of you.  I'll be at the bee meeting in Mt. Pleasant at Pizza Ranch on March 6th.

As of today we have 7 hives that have bees going in and out.  I had 2 small hives that are dead outs.  The second one had a very lucky field mouse in it.  I had my digital camera in my hand instead of a hive tool, other wise she would have gotten wacked.

Logged

Offline Some Day

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 196
  • Thanked: 18 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Iowa
Re: Hive Autopsy #1
« Reply #5 on: February 11, 2017, 03:43:00 pm »
Ted,

Yes, I think that is a small hive beetle in the second photo in post 2.  Also one in pic 2 of first post to the right of "Clusters Last Stand".  It is on the capped honey.
Logged

Offline tedh

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1349
  • Thanked: 66 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Henry County, Iowa
Re: Hive Autopsy #1
« Reply #6 on: February 11, 2017, 04:13:16 pm »
What time does the meeting start?
Logged
Share that which you have an abundance of.  In doing so both the giver and receiver are enriched.

Offline Some Day

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 196
  • Thanked: 18 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Iowa
Re: Hive Autopsy #1
« Reply #7 on: February 11, 2017, 04:50:49 pm »
The meeting starts at 6 P.M.  Andy Joseph will be the key-note speaker. As you may or may not know he is the State Apiarist for Iowa.
Logged

Offline Riverrat

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2169
  • Thanked: 56 times
  • Location: oxford kansas
Re: Hive Autopsy #1
« Reply #8 on: February 11, 2017, 05:20:50 pm »
Looking at the photos I think you had to few bees to reach critical mass and they couldn't generate enough heat to warm the cluster
Logged
"no man ever stood so tall as one that  stoops to help a child"

Forum Supporter

Offline Perry

  • Global Moderator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 7382
  • Thanked: 390 times
  • Gender: Male
    • Brandt's Bees
  • Location: Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia
Re: Hive Autopsy #1
« Reply #9 on: February 11, 2017, 05:31:17 pm »
Quote from: Riverrat on February 11, 2017, 05:20:50 pm
Looking at the photos I think you had to few bees to reach critical mass and they couldn't generate enough heat to warm the cluster

 :yes: :yes: :yes:
Logged
"It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor."      
Forum Supporter

Offline riverbee

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 8924
  • Thanked: 410 times
  • Gender: Female
  • ***Forum Sponsor***
  • Location: El Paso Twp, Wisconsin
Re: Hive Autopsy #1
« Reply #10 on: February 11, 2017, 06:39:36 pm »
what rat and perry said.........not enough bees some day. 

another observation, stores are pretty non existent.  with that said, i think you had a problem that caused a great reduction in your bee population; loss of queen, failing queen, mites and/or disease, etc. 

shb in iowa?  not sure about this for your area?  i think scott would know or could provide better info.  it is hard to tell from your pic, it is very small, and difficult to tell.

it's discouraging to lose hives, but don't give up!
Logged
i keep wild things in a box..........™
if you obey the rules, you miss all the fun.....katherine hepburn
Forum Sponsor

Offline tedh

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1349
  • Thanked: 66 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Henry County, Iowa
Re: Hive Autopsy #1
« Reply #11 on: February 11, 2017, 08:01:17 pm »
I was surprised when LazyBkpr showed me what he thought might be a SHB last year (?).  This past spring our state apiarist told me that we do have them (SHB) here in Iowa. (Insert roll of thunder)
Logged
Share that which you have an abundance of.  In doing so both the giver and receiver are enriched.

Offline Riverrat

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2169
  • Thanked: 56 times
  • Location: oxford kansas
Re: Hive Autopsy #1
« Reply #12 on: February 11, 2017, 08:11:11 pm »
There is a beetle that is just a hair smaller than the SHB we have here that is of the sap  beetle family .  When we first discovered SHB in Kansas a few of the samples came back and was identified as a Sap beetle they look almost identical to a SHB but as said just bit smaller.  We was told they was harmless to a hive but if you look sap beetles are a family of beetles and the SHB is part of that family.  So I am unsure if some of the samples we sent in was labeled at first as a sap beetle to keep it quiet the SHB had made its way to kansas or if indeed there is a smaller beetle in the family that looks similar
Logged
"no man ever stood so tall as one that  stoops to help a child"

Forum Supporter

Offline Some Day

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 196
  • Thanked: 18 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Iowa
Re: Hive Autopsy #1
« Reply #13 on: February 11, 2017, 08:19:18 pm »
We had one hive that was a cut out last spring that had SHB in Comb.  Talk about a mess in Hive body after a week.  That hive swarmed, but we were able to retrieve it and place in new equipment, on new foundation only.  They then took off and have made through to this point.  SHB make a slimy ugly mess.  And yes this is in Southern Iowa.  The 2 beetles in the dead out hive could very well be sap beetles.
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »