Bee Hive Blues

[JustBob]

Just checked my hive the other day after being gone for a month on hurricane recovery duty. I haven't opened it up (only have one hive right now) but there are lots of dead bees clogging up the hardware cloth mouse guard and everything sounds mighty quiet. I suspect the hive is kaput but didn't want to open it with the cold weather we're having.

Earlier this fall, I tested for mites a couple of ways, sugar roll and sticky board, but no signs of infestation. And I do the other usual preventive stuff, menthol crystals, screened bottom board, etc. Since I did not see any mites whatsoever, I did not apply any chemicals and, based on info I've learned here, desire to go chemical-free.

Some questions: Anything I can do now to figure out what killed the bees. What should I do to prepare the hive for a new package next spring? Clean it out now or wait until spring?

Lastly, next year I'm ordering a second hive so I can better compare how the hives are doing. I plan to buy Russian queens for the West Virginia weather.

Thanks.

[Michael Bush]

Try pulling the mouse screen and use a hanger or whatever to fish out the dead bees and make sure there is a workable entrance so they can fly if they are still alive. Then put the mouse screen back on.

[Kieck]

Michael's advice is perfect. If the weather's cold, you won't want to open the hive, and you'll need to open the hive to have a better idea of what might have happened. Don't give up on them yet, though -- you might still have enough in there to make it.

Just curious, how bad are your winters there in WV? Most people are switching to Russians for the (hopeful) resistance to Varroa mites, not for winter hardiness. With some protection, Italians and Carniolans survive the winters here in SD, and I imagine your winters can't be much worse than here.

[JustBob]

Thanks all. I'll remove the screen and dead bees and see what happens. Winter here is not too bad. We're two hours west of D.C. and not fully up in the mountains. I recall from my beekeeping course a few years ago they recommended Russians. I assumed it was for the West Virginia winters. I guess I should be ordering my packages now though, huh?

[Robert Hawkins]

Mountains? What mountains?

tongue.gif

Hawk

[suttonbeeman]

Robert has got you. Here in Wva and eastern Ky we have mole hills compared to out west!! Rick

[Michael Bush]

Yea, but in Ky, the valleys sure are low...