[JimD]

Checked both hives a week or so ago and all looked good.

Quick look tonight and the stronger hive had 50+ dead or dying bees out in front of the hive. Bees were fumbling and stumbling around and coming out on the platform looking poorly and the other bees were throwing them off the landing board. Few were dead and they were flying them off but there were some ones alive on the ground. There were plenty of bees working and acting normal.

Poisoning of some type?

The other hive looked normal.

Suggestions?

 

[Tim KS]

Might be some robbers trying to get in......or maybe they're tired of that lazy bunch hanging around and they're showing them the road.

 

[JimD]

I think that I had a die off and robbing on this stronger hive. Bees fighting and bees poisoned? I ended up the next day with close to 1/2 gallon of dead bees before the 3" rain.

Smelled like I was at the garage dump with the dead bees. Cleaned it up and went to a 1" opening on both hives and looking now I probably had 20 dead bees and a few flopping around since the major die/kill.

This was the stronger hive and now the split is working 3x as strong today but our low as 60 headed to maybe 80 today.

Ideas before I go into this hive?
Picture below is the dead bees the next afternoon from when I saw the fighting and stumbling bees.