does this sound like t-mites?

[buford]

i've had a couple days up in the 50's and at days end there are several bees that decided not to re-enter the hive.

they don't look abnormal (crumpled wings or k-wing) they just "froze" doing whatever they were doing on the ground. it's just that there are quite a few of them.

[Kieck]

Depending on how cold it is late in the day there, the bees really may have "frozen," or at least been too cold to keep moving. I would guess they're leaving the hive while the temperatures are nice, then getting caught out in the cold later in the days when the temperatures drop.

[Michael Bush]

That's just normal.

[buford]

thanks. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Ian]

A good diagnosis of a t-mite dead colony, is a very loose scattered dead cluster. Bees infested with t-mites tend not to be able to cluster properly, nor create heat the same as an uneffected colony.

Bees flying out of the enterence is normal, but I have noticed sick colonies continously vacate the hive, leaving a pile of dead just infrount. Not a pritty sight, but follows my theory of only dieing or sick bees will leave the hive on sunny cool winter days.