What Caused my Bees to Leave?

Empty hive

One of the most common misconceptions amongst new beekeepers is that when a colony vanishes, its bees have merely moved on to another location. They may be left confused as to why this occurred and offer good wishes for their bees' journey ahead; however, this is rarely the case. The truth: in such situations, colonies are abandoning what has become an intolerable environment with inadequate supplies necessary for survival beyond it.

Swarming vs. Absconding

Before we tackle the difference between swarming and absconding, two scenarios where bees leave their hive, let's address a common misconception: many beginners confuse these terms. It is essential to comprehend this distinction since they are not interchangeable.

Swarming

Swarming is the act of a portion of the bee colony and its queen departing to create another hive elsewhere. In spite of this, many bees will stay in the original nest, raise a new queen and thrive as normal. While swarming may be seen by some beekeepers as detrimental (as it can lead to reduced honey yields), it remains an essential evolutionary process for preserving vital species.

To ensure the success of your colony after swarming, you must provide them with a new queen. This can be done either by allowing them to raise their own or putting in place one that has already been purchased. Unfortunately, even when all steps have been taken correctly, sometimes the queen fails and leaves your colony without any leader.

Absconding

When bees flee their hive in masse, this is known as absconding. This includes the queen and all of her workers deserting the colony, leaving behind any young bees who are unable to fly yet and unhatched brood or pollen stores. If this occurs in your hive, then something must be amiss; there can be a variety of explanations for why they chose to leave-perhaps there was a varroa infestation that threatened them or maybe insufficient forage options meant it wasn't worth staying put anymore. Whatever the situation may be, if your bee colony decides to take off, you need to figure out what's gone wrong fast!

Two Other Scenarios

Nevertheless, bees may flee from a location in the absence of any health issues. For instance, freshly-caught swarms are often transient—they've yet to become an established colony and do not have anything invested like combs or honey inside their current residence. As such, it is typical for beekeepers to catch a swarm only to see them fly off within 24 hours.

The nomadic proclivities of a swarm make it simple to relocate if the environment isn't suitable. Nevertheless, their mercurial nature does not necessarily reflect their health status; at times, swarms will "swarm themselves to death." This is particularly common in Africanized bee colonies as they send out an excessive number of small swarms that weaken and ultimately destroy the original population's viability for survival.

Recognizing Signs of an Unhealthy Colony

To ensure your bees don't abscond, it is important to closely monitor their health. You can do this by routinely performing hive inspections. As a new beekeeper, I suggest that you inspect your bees every 2-4 weeks; however, try not to exceed the frequency since excessive visits could create stress for the colony and lead to potential wellness issues.

For beekeepers, it takes more than a quick glance in your hives to make an informed evaluation of the hive's wellbeing. New keepers may find this daunting, but by investing time and energy into learning what specific signs indicate healthy colonies will help you on the path to success.

Warning Signs

If your beehives are exhibiting any of these warning signs, catching them early may just save the hive: spotty or unhealthy brood patterns, dwindling populations, bees with deformed wings, high mite counts, a lack of honey stores/empty combs and the presence of beetles/moths in combs or ants near the hives.

Typically, a feeble colony will demonstrate one or more of the previously mentioned issues. It isn't unusual for an issue to perpetuate another; for instance, food shortages can constrain a hive's population and cause both vacant combs and too few workers. If the bees don't have enough force to protect these cells, they are likely susceptible to infestations from moths or beetles.

If you discover your hive lacks honey stores, supplementing its feed can often help alleviate other issues. Nevertheless, if the problem persists for several weeks or if they display signs of illness despite their full stores, more extreme steps may be necessary-like requesting.

Carefully document your colonies' symptoms with notes and photos, so you can begin to research the potential cause of their sickness. Even if you have already lost your colony, it is essential to take the time to carefully analyze what remains in order for you not to make similar mistakes to your next hive.