[paulnewbee1]

One of my two hives is dead. There were bees 2 inches deep on the bottom board.(had 3/8 x 3 slot on top)
Dead bees on the frames in clusters, some of which have a very fine sawdust powder on them.
Several frames have capped honey in them.
Bees seem to be normal and can find no evidence of Foul brood.
Should I use the capped honey in the other hive?
Will keep hive intact for further examination. Appreciate any advise.

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Are the combs oily or cob-webbed?

 

[Beeslave]

It is a very good chance that they starved in the cold weather because they could not move over to the honey that was left in the hive. If the honey was above them it could bre something else. If it was a frame over from them than I would say starvation. Another idea is that there was to much moisture that built up and it dripped down onto the bees chilling them and causing the death.

 

[mike haney]

i cant speak to your weather there, but with the cold/snow/wind i'm having here in ky if a hive needed feeding, i would go with the "mountain cap" system (do a search here) rather than disrupt them by moving frames. save your "dead-out" hive frames,comb and stores for a package or a split or a swarm capture. good luck,mike

 

[HVH]

Only a guess but a sawdust looking powder on the bees may be from mold - could be a moisture problem.

 

[paulnewbee1]

thanks that is what I think happened to

 

[JOHNYOGA2]

The "sawdust" looking stuff could also be honey comb caps that the bees chewed off to get to the stored honey.

 

[sylus p]

One theory:

No Q or varroa or not enough nutrition in fall to rear young bees = small and dwindling cluster = not enough heat to get brood rearing started again = frozen bees = use the honey.