[AlWheat]

Im a first year beekeeper, and I opened my 2 hives yesterday for the first time after a very long, cold, hard winter. My first hive which happened to be my strong hive last year had very few dead, a very busy hive ( I only opened the tops but I never pulled the frames out ) I added a top feeder, removed the winter wrap and put in 2 varorra mite treatment strips, and closed it up. I then did the same to the second hive only to find fewer (much fewer ) bees.
Also, I pulled out the entrance reducer, and used some straw grass and pulled out 100's of dead bees off the bottom board
What should I do now?

very confused,

Al

 

[AlWheat]

Wow .. what a huge relief to think that it is possible that the hives are still okay, and thank you both for your replies and encouraging relations to this situation. I know that what I did was start to panic, and I was worried about starving the bees. my supplier of the nukes told me to put in the strips in the spring before the blooms start to arrive, and leave them in there for 42 days and no longer, I dish there was an active bee club that meet in this area but i can't seem to come across one (it would be great to pick a few brains, and listen to a few experienced beekeepers talk about there past failures and successes. looks like i'm going back out to re-insulate those hives!

Al