# weak hive or slow buildup?



## Tjsegla (Aug 3, 2013)

This is my first year I was able to over winter my hive. I inspected today and did not see the queen even though she is marked and I usually can find her. I did see her last week. There was some larva, eggs, a couple of drone cells, and some capped brood. The bees are bringing in pollen which I observe outside the hive and there seems to be nectar in the comb along with the pollen. There were still frames with capped honey left over from last year.
My question is how can I tell the difference between a weak, overwintered hive or just a slow to build up? They are carnolians and I have read they are slow to build up but with the nice weather the last week I think I was expecting more. I've seen others post pictures of their frames loaded with brood and I never seemed to have this but they did survive this long winter. 
Some other info which may or may not be relevant is I have seen the bees daily doing their orientation flights. They are also pretty calm during inspections, even today. I have tried giving them pollen patties and sugar water which they never seem to take. They hardly ate any of the candy board too


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## GaryG74 (Apr 9, 2014)

It will probably take more than one week of warm weather to really get them going. As more pollen goes in the queen should produce more brood. They don't need much to make it through a normal winter. Left over honey is probably a good sign that they had plenty for the past winter. Concerning your queen, if you saw eggs and young larve, she is probably still there, just a little shy. As long as the brood pattern is tight and you don't see crawlers or other sickly acting bees, your hive should be fine. (Crawlers are bees crawling in front of the hive. Probably sick with nosema or tracheal mites.) You might want to do a mite board check for varroa mites to see if they have gotten a start.


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## Tjsegla (Aug 3, 2013)

The bees do seem to be acting normally. They are flying and bringing in pollen. Their wings look good too. I do not see any crawling and struggling. The inside of the hive smelled normal. The outside of the hive was a mess once over the winter on a cleansing flight but I cleaned it off and have not seen anything like that since
I was comparing them to my friend down the street who has Italians and treated. He seemed to have a lot more bees. Now that I think about it he had more brood but not much more. 
Do you think it is necessary to feed them? They never took any syrup last year and still have some honey


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

Tjsegla said:


> They are carnolians and I have read they are slow to build up but with the nice weather the last week I think I was expecting more.


That they are slow to build up is both true, and false. 

Carniolans, if they are pure, come out of winter with less bees than Italians, and do not build numbers much until there is a reasonable amount of nectar coming in, at which time they explode. Whereas Italians, probably because of the more gentle climate they come from, go through winter with more bees, and then are happy to eat stores in spring to build numbers even though there is no nectar flow, they just assume one will come. Carniolans prefer not to risk it they wait till a flow starts but then really go nuts.

So on that score no need to be be worried about your bees. But not taking syrup, that may indicate a problem. Or, it could just be the way the sugar is fed is not convenient for them to get it.


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## Tjsegla (Aug 3, 2013)

Thanks Oldtimer for the clarification as far as the feeding I had tried a hive top feeder and an inverted jar. They did take some but not enough where I had to refill it. Always ended up dumping it out. I guess I need to be a little more patient just don't want to get caught off guard


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

If the inverted jar is right over the cluster and they are not taking it there may be some other issue.


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## Andrew Dewey (Aug 23, 2005)

The OP is in Connecticut. What have the daily temperatures been there? It has been too cold for syrup where I am.


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