[hotlanta_buckeye]

I had a very weak hive that I requeened and stuck in a nuc box 3 weeks ago. She was quickly accepted and was laying eggs within days. All seemed well until I went to check on them last night. They were all gone. Maybe twenty left & no queen. They abandoned their brood and I have no idea why they absconded.

 

[JD's Bees]

Maybe short on feed?

 

[hotlanta_buckeye]

I was not feeding but spring is already full swing in GA. They had some capped honey as well. I went to take a closer look this AM and noticed a handful of dead bees on the bottom board that were ripped in half. Would they swarm if they were invaded? By hornets, wasps, carpenter bees? IDK, just speculating.

 

[Michael Bush]

I've seen bees starve with no feed, but I have never seen them abscond because of it. Yes they sometimes leave if they are harassed too much by pests.

 

[JStinson]

I was not feeding but spring is already full swing in GA. They had some capped honey as well. I went to take a closer look this AM and noticed a handful of dead bees on the bottom board that were ripped in half. Would they swarm if they were invaded? By hornets, wasps, carpenter bees? IDK, just speculating.
View attachment 10280

I have a hive that had a bunch of bees on the bottom screen ripped in half like that. No idea how or what or why. They didn't abscond, thankfully.

 

[Michael Palmer]

I have a hive that had a bunch of bees on the bottom screen ripped in half like that. No idea how or what or why. They didn't abscond, thankfully.

Shrews dismember bee corpses like that, leaving shells.