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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
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Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:47:25 GMT
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>>To my utter amazement there were a few bees flying today  (>5,<10)

Either these bees are desperately short on something or something inside the hive is driving them out.

If they are not short on honey, pollen, and water, try to think of other factors (excessive varroa treatments, pesticide-laden pollen, excessive moisture due to inadequate ventilation).  Chemical contamination may become unbearable to confined bees.

I know it's cold and I don't know you apiary setting but, if you feel you may be losing this hive(s), I'd handtruck a hive into an unheated barn/garage and inspect it.  Cover all windows so no daylight will attract the bees and set up an extension cord with a single cold/screened light right over the hive being inspected.  If you smoke them well and go slow, you will not lose bees.

It would behoove you to try to find out the root cause of your bees' untimely flying.  You seem positive about having ccd but I just have not heard of ccd driving bees out into the cold.  This could be something new but I would try to rule out as many of the more conventional factors as possible first.

>>There were only few bodies in snow...  When I rapped on all hives I heard .... silence ... I realized that looking in the top hole moving bees were visible in 7 of 8 hives

You might want to put your ear up to the hive wall were you think the cluster might be.  You should hear the bees 'rustling' inside.  If you don't, put your ear to the opposite side.

>>FWIW my average brood-free time is 130-135 days (p2e)
It would be rather foolish for the bees to start
brooding when the first pollen is 3 months on...

How did you determine the length of your brood-free period?

When you say brood-free do you mean 100% brood-free?  A lot of colonies will start a small clutch of brood with the increase of daylight in January.  This small patch will steadily grow with favorable conditions until it reaches the full-scale build-up stage when pollen becomes available.

Waldemar

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