# Bee Losses, Brunswick Maine



## gomarciab (Aug 7, 2013)

Hi All TF Beekeeps,

I have been TF for about 5 years and it was going pretty well till last years drought.. We experienced terrible dryness here last year beginning about mid July. My bees ate through their honey and I had to start supplementing with syrup. I figured out they were truly in trouble by the 2nd week of August. I managed to save the 10 colonies but they were weak going into fall and still no stores or not much.. I set them up with quite a bit of dry sugar for the winter. I lost a couple in the late fall and more as I checked end of February on a warm day. 3 had survived but this last cold snap did 2 more of them in. 

How is every body else doing???

I am buying one nuc this spring but honestly at $120-$160 these nucs and packages are just out of the ball park in my opinion. Fingers crossed the one colony left will be ok and the new nuc will be strong.

Mother Nature is a toughy 

Best
Marcy

Brunswick Maine


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## dlbrightjr (Dec 8, 2015)

Sorry to hear about your loss.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

If the bees have nothing coming in it is amazing how much sugar it takes for fall brood ing and to make the equivalent of winter stores for 10 colonies in a long winter. In my short season if I did not depend on fall feeding I sure could not harvest very much honey.

I guess there is a reason there are virtually no feral bees here! The price of replacement bees nowadays kind of takes the fun out of it when someone loses the number of colonies you have!


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## tsmullins (Feb 17, 2011)

gomarciab said:


> Hi All TF Beekeeps,
> 
> How is every body else doing???
> 
> ...


Sorry for your loss. That is tough. A good late flow is so helpful. We lost one out of 16 colonies. I am so thankful for only losing one.

Shane


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