Why new beeks fail?

[Greg V]

So I now have two small colonies on hand.
My goal is to get them through the winter alive...
I am a return beek, not totally new to this and so know a thing or two about the keeping.

Meanwhile, I don't mind hearing examples of why the first-year/second-year beeks fail.
Right next here we already have fresh examples of possible failures looming.
It would be useful to hear the stories and learn from them and try to avoid.

Let me start...
#1 - failure to start the bee yard with two-three colonies up front (no backup plan makes the project very, very vulnerable)

[262jp]

Our first year failure was simply them absconding as far as I could tell, they had plenty of stores they left for us but two hives both up and left in November.  no pile of bees, just plain left.  Second year failures were in having enough stores in the hives, most starved out before the shortage was noticed.

[GBle...@aol.com]

Two of my hives got robbed out late last October.  I did not put an entrance reducer on them.  My bad,  won't happen this year.

 

Glenn B

 

In a message dated 8/18/2016 4:18:02 P.M. Central Daylight Time, johnp...@hotmail.com writes:

Our first year failure was simply them absconding as far as I could tell, they had plenty of stores they left for us but two hives both up and left in November.  no pile of bees, just plain left.  Second year failures were in having enough stores in the hives, most starved out before the shortage was noticed.

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[Greg V]

Left the hive into the pre-winter to die?
Must have been desperate of mites or whatever....
Never heard this one before.

On Thursday, August 18, 2016 at 4:18:00 PM UTC-5, 262jp wrote:

........ left in November.... 

[William Palmer]

Absconding happened to me 2 years ago. Lots of honey but no bees.  I suspect high mite load as the cause.

Get those mite treatments on as soon as you remove the honey (August 15) now.

 This gives you time to feed and medicate.  Get the bees prepared for winter.

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[James]

I think most new beekeepers fail because they mess with new hives way too often.  I think that's a good thing.  You read a ton, and now you want to see for yourself.  I usually tell new beekeepers that odds are they will fail and to not take it personally or lose heart.  I also try and tell new beekeepers that it's not a one or two year learning curve, and that you'll shell out some serious bucks before you turn the corner.  Might as well be honest with folks, eh?

[Greg V]

Just to clarify on this..

I finally had an excuse to spend $$$ for a good, portable table saw from Bosch (still happy with what I got; too bad - missed a sale price thou).
This was 90% of my beeking expense so far and I intend to keep it that way.
Lumber is free. Will see how goes it.

But yes, if you do buy bees - get at least 2-3 packages/nucs (more is better).
You get too stingy up front, you'll pay twice++ .

On Friday, August 19, 2016 at 2:44:48 PM UTC-5, James wrote:

...............you'll shell out some serious bucks ...........

[Paul Zelenski]

How many new beekeepers fail? Is it really that common? What do you consider failure?

On Aug 19, 2016, at 2:44 PM, James <hendri...@gmail.com> wrote:

I think most new beekeepers fail because they mess with new hives way too often.  I think that's a good thing.  You read a ton, and now you want to see for yourself.  I usually tell new beekeepers that odds are they will fail and to not take it personally or lose heart.  I also try and tell new beekeepers that it's not a one or two year learning curve, and that you'll shell out some serious bucks before you turn the corner.  Might as well be honest with folks, eh?

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[Greg V]

What is failure? - You start in spring brand new with X hives; by the next season you are back to zero live hives. Your bees died. Simple enough.
Don't know how many fail in percentages (did not google) - I know two cases off hand this summer (they are not on this forum even).
Is it common? - Again, don't know. I do know that many people out there never report to this forum either way.

I might fail very likely this winter.

All in all - trying to learn here. This is all.

[Greg V]

So yes, here is one case:
a dead, very tall Lang hive with dead Italians (from what I saw);
why they got the bees? - because bees are cool and help to pollinate and the bees are dying (from the talk);
after they got the bees, the garden of their parents about a mile away got better crop - must be that the hive helped;
then they got too busy to watch the hive (young parents - totally understand);
then bees died;
Pretty much it.