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Date: | Sat, 28 Aug 1999 16:43:21 -0300 |
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Hello all;
I have two hives, both feral colonies obtained this April. One hive is doing very well; the other hive is a non-performer.
The poor hive is working on only two full frames and will not expand. There is a queen and this is at least its second queen - I have seen the new queen cells. The newest queen is about six weeks old.
I have taken some steps to try to help...
1) I have added bees from the good hive to the poor hive; all that happened is that there were a few more bees - no expansion beyond the two frames.
2) I am feeding the bees with pollen substitute mixed with corn syrup and also giving them sugar water in a 1:1 mix. This is to try to trick then into thinking there is some kind of nectar flow.
They eat the patties and drink the syrup - still no expansion. I also started feeding them thinking there might not be enough bees to keep the queen and larvae fed.
Introducing a commercial queen is not a possibility - we cannot get them here.
Is there anything else I can do to try to make this hive thrive? Add more bees from the good hive?
The bees all seem healthy - they are active foragers. There are no distressed bees near the entrance or on the ground, no Foul Brood, no mites - they are not known to be in Bequia although I'm sure they are coming...
Thanks for your advice,
Bob in Bequia
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