Year 6 May - Navigating Wyoming's Weather Rollercoaster 🖊️
April threw Wyoming a wild weather party, and let me tell you, it was not the kind of celebration we’d hoped for.
Essentially, we had a snowstorm every three days. The silver lining? Much-needed moisture for sure. However, with all this snow, I still haven’t had the chance to pull a few frames and get an up-close look at my buzzing buddies.
Despite the chilly weather, it was high time to top up the feeders for those lighter hives. So, I decided to do a bit of déjà vu from that March visit.
- Crack open the hives by parting the two deeps.
- Refill those feeders.
- Quick visual scan of brood combs from the bottom of the box.
- Closer examination of mostly drone brood exposed between the top and bottom frames.
The Good News
- Not a varroa mite in sight.
- Hives have been sipping on their feed as expected.
Bad News?
While inspecting the exposed brood, I stumbled upon a few young, grayish, off-colored worker larvae. I’ve crossed paths with these little fellas before, and I’m crossing my fingers, hoping:
- They’re just chilled larvae.
- Nutritional rock stars who missed a meal.
- Larvae sacrificed during the last inspection.
- Or even better, not European foulbrood.
- Fingers crossed that I’m wrong!
If not, I’m counting on these bees to handle the situation because, honestly, this beekeeper can’t bear another disaster.
Déjà Vu
The last time I encountered this scenario, it spiraled into a three-year catastrophe. Those peculiar, grayish larvae were the ominous start to a slow-motion Colony Collapse Disorder.
- A handful of these strange larvae made their debut.
- The bees hit pause on their feeding and foraging routine.
- Hives dwindled to about five brood frames.
- Colony structure crumbled.
- Every single colony perished.
I did my best to hit the reset button:
- All frames were tossed, replaced with fresh ones.
- Wax and propolis were scraped off the wooden ware.
- Interior surfaces got a scorch-and-bleach treatment.
It was a gamble, and maybe contaminated equipment can’t get a second chance without radiation therapy.
As a hobbyist beekeeper, I never thought I’d be wrestling with the same cost/benefit musings from my commercial beekeeping days. Maybe it’s a holdover, but there they are. If I have to bid farewell to all the equipment, starting anew won’t be an option.
The Big “Ifs”
Many ifs are swirling around. I witnessed something concerning, but the why remains a mystery. I’m itching to crack open those hives and give the brood nest a thorough inspection.
But alas, it’s more disruptive than helpful at this point. The few precious hours of prime pollen foraging weather are too valuable to interrupt. Plus, even if it is the early stages of slow-motion CCD, I can’t offer much assistance.
Only time will reveal the next chapter. ✨
-Cheers, D 🐝🤠
