I have lost Apollo, my original (and only) hive. Upon opening it this afternoon, I saw only a few handfuls of very sluggish bees. There is a little evidence of wax moth activity, but the hive beetle trap had been doing its job. There are a few queen cells, one of which was partially hatched, but it appears poor Apollo has been queenless for a while.
Now I have to decide if I want to start this venture all over again next spring. I have a few weeks to ponder that question. Package bee orders must be placed in November/early December. Otherwise, I can order a couple of nucs from local sources early in the new year.
I did freeze a couple of frames that had drawn comb and a little honey in them. Maybe that will help a new colony next year.
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Such a shame. I think you should start again. Practice makes perfect -- or at least more successful!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the encouragement and for following this journey. I shed some tears yesterday. But I can't imagine not having any hives — the bees have been part of my life for the past 5 years. So, I resolve to try again.
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