Adding package bees to dead outs

[honigbiene]

I had three colonies that died over the winter (cluster was just inches from stores on the same frame!). Do I need to clean the dead bees out of the cells (I brushed off the bees clinging on the outside of the combs) before installing package bees? Would subzero temperatures, which apparently killed the bees, kill any mites which were present? If not, how can I get rid of the mites before I add the new bees?

[Romahawk]

I had three colonies that died over the winter (cluster was just inches from stores on the same frame!). Do I need to clean the dead bees out of the cells (I brushed off the bees clinging on the outside of the combs) before installing package bees? Would subzero temperatures, which apparently killed the bees, kill any mites which were present? If not, how can I get rid of the mites before I add the new bees?

If those were your only hives then you are now mite free. Your new bees will probably reintroduce the mites to your hives but I would think the mites would not be of sufficient numbers to worry about until this coming fall. Just keep an eye on them.

[ScadsOBees]

Mites can't live without live bees.

The bees in the packages have mites. There are a few things that you can do, such as spraying the package with sucrocide or powder sugar, but that still won't kill all of the mites.

[John Gesner]

As for removing the dead bees, don't worry about it. Knocking the dead bees off the surface of the combs is good enough. The new bees will houseclean for you.

[peggjam]

You might like to find out the reason your bees died in the first place, before putting in more bees. A sample of the dead bees from the 3 hives should be sent to Beltsville Bee Lab. They grumble some about it, but they will test for nosema, which if that was the problem, will also kill your new packages.