I took as many frames out as I could and cleaned them and gave all the larva to the chickens. They snatched them up and ate every one of them! But there are still lots more. The brooder box is FULL of them.
Here are some bees on some frames. They are trying their hardest to survive.
But see how black this is? I did read that the wax moths like older frames. Mine are. They also like shaded areas. My hive is under a shade tree all day. I am going out to cut some limbs. I took one box off. So now there are just 3.
I went to the bee store in town and got a mesh bag of menthol to put on the bottom board. Did that as soon as I got home. The bees will still not go in the hive through the front entrance. They are buzzing around the hive like crazy. So I opened the back just a pinch, enough for the bees to go in that way. I hope that's ok. I want them to make it. I love these bees. The whole time I worked out there yesterday, I only wore my regular clothes. I was talking to them and they never stung me once. I think they knew I was trying to help them. I hope this menthol works.
I am also freezing the one box of frames I took off. I also bought more was frames to replace some I took completely out of the frame. I just need to clean them up some more. I hope something works here.
Kristin, I hope your hive is ok. Let me know what happened, ok? I'll be thinking of you as I'm working out in my hive.
2 comments:
What an eewy gooey mess. Mine doesn't look much different. I took all the infected frames out. The frames I extracted 3 weeks ago were in good shape. I put those into the bottom (and now only) super. I think I saw the queen as I brushed all the bees into the one box. I don't want to give those few bees too much space to have to maintain.
I took the nasty maggoty frames down to the yard by the house and just have them laying in the sun for now. The bees are coming and taking bits of honey and wax off them.
I put a feeder of sugar water on as well. Anything to give them a boost. Now I can only pray- for both our bees.
I guess I'll give mine some sugar water too. They seem so busy trying to figure out what to do with this mess in their hive, they aren't going out doing what bees do. I did buy new wax frames to put in the old frames. I just need to clean them up. I put 11 frames in the freezer and just took them out earlier to put back in. They are so upset. I can tell. Poor bees.
I sure hope yours make it too. We have to do all we can do for them, right?
Post a Comment