# 3 of 5 hives dead in last month, 1 on it's way out



## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

Combining this time of year around here is risky business. Having decent stores is only one part of the equation. More importantly, what shape are the bees and brood in?


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## bjorn (Aug 7, 2013)

I didn't get very deep into the remaining hives for fear I might do more damage. I probably should to better assess the situation.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

I wouldn't do a deep inspection at this stage, unless you have a bunch of resourses from other hives any damage done now is pretty well irreversible.


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## vdotmatrix (Apr 5, 2014)

what was your varroa load in your hives? or SHB? do you see eggs or larva? If you suspect varroa, you can still do something. but like you said you are flying blind if you don't know what is going on inside of your hives....You are and have been feeding syrup? Do a sugar roll mite count.....you could get away with an OAV but I don't know if i would try MAQS this late...APIVAR is a good choice but you'd better do something this weekend and figure out what is going on or your whole year has been a waste of time...if they die, if they all die.


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## fieldsofnaturalhoney (Feb 29, 2012)

vdotmatrix said:


> what was your varroa load in your hives?
> 
> Who cares, he posted under treatment free At this stage, without knowing what's going on inside the boxes, I would be inclined to hold off on combining until I knew what was going on with the colonies. Next consecutive warm days, make a point of it At the very least, I would consider consolidating the small cluster in three deeps down.


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## vdotmatrix (Apr 5, 2014)

OH HECK!!! I shouldn't even bee in this section and I didn't notice I was in a treatment free place....man I will just have to read to see what people here do when their mite load reaches the gotta do something point.cheers!


fieldsofnaturalhoney said:


> vdotmatrix said:
> 
> 
> > what was your varroa load in your hives?
> ...


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## biggraham610 (Jun 26, 2013)

At a minimum they should be compressed to an area they can cover in my opinion. I did a little compression myself today. G


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

vdotmatrix said:


> ....man I will just have to read to see what people here do when their mite load reaches the gotta do something point.cheers!


They don't they let the bees handle it that is the idea behind treatment free. Some bees do, some don't , breed from the ones that do


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

For this hive to have a chance after the combine you must have a 
laying queen to make some Fall and winter bees. If not the hive is a goner without a 
laying queen when they develop the LWs later on.


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