The bees

Well, there aren't very many bees now. I am hoping they're all out doing what bees are supposed to be doing right now. I don't know though. It's just so sad.

A little bee hive update.

I hope no one is eating dinner right now. This is gross. This is the 2nd box that sits on top of the brooder box. It was full of honey last week. Now the whole hive is full of was moths and larva and cocoons. It's just awful There are still bees though. So maybe I caught it in time to save them?


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.

So depressing

I was all loaded up to go to market earlier today. Went out to check on the bees for some reason. I lifted the lid and saw long wormy things all over. I looked and they are all through the whole hive.There are bees but not too many. They were all through the hive. I took off the top box and cleaned it all out. Gave it to the chickens. They loved all those good gooey larva.

I kept looking through the whole hive. The bottom one is the worst. Full of moths and stringy webbing and loads of the larva. I am SO upset. Went in here and looked it up on Google. Saw several videos on the moth and what it does. Several said to burn the frames. Some said to freeze them. I just want to go get another clean new hive and start all over again. The poor bees are fighting and trying to save their home.

I don't know if  the moths got in because when I checked them a few weeks ago, I kind of didn't get the 4th box on good enough and there was a little gap at the back of the hive. That's where all the bees were going in and out. Not the front at the entrance. I found out why later. That bottom box is FULL of the darn things.

I just don;t know what to do now. Should I go get another hive and put it next to this hive? One of the guys said these moths and larva like the shade. The sun will dry them out and kill them. My hive is under a maple tree. Shaded all day. Should I move it out into the sun now? But I heard it's not a good thing to move a hive.

It also said the moths like the darker comb or frames. Well, every single frame has been BLACK since I got it. That and the shade. Not good. I so want the remaining bees to be ok. But are they doomed? What should I do????

I was so bummed about this whole thing, I didn't go to market. Plus it started raining here. I am just depressed now.