[snispel]

I had to move 2 hives and then the weather turned unseasonably cold. I moved them on a night when low was 60s and the 2 weeks since it's been in the 30s and 40s and down as low as scant 20s. This was the first real cold spell this fall. There were some out today...it was the first day above 45. I checked around the hives and there are maybe a couple hundred dead bees by each. Is this normal? I am in SE Nebraska.

 

[Grins]

Sounds normal, bees get old this time of year and head outside to save the undertakers some work. A pile of bees just outside the entrance would be concerning, but scattered 20 feet or so around the entrance sounds normal.
Lee

 

[snispel]

They were about a foot away from entrance to about 3' away from entrance...

 

[Grins]

They were about a foot away from entrance to about 3' away from entrance...

Do they have feed? Have you controlled varroa?

 

[snispel]

I had external feeders about 100 ft from the yard before moving. They were 1 box of brood and 2-3 boxes of honey per hive. I haven't checked varroa in over a month.

 

[elmer_fud]

What were you mite numbers a month ago?

I usually use some in the snow in cold snaps. One of my hives seemed to have the cluster part way out the entrance during the last cold spell which is a new trick, and they lost a lot (several hundred) bees doing this, but they were flying today when it was warm so I think they are ok

 

[snispel]

What were you mite numbers a month ago?

I use a sticky bottom board / 24 hr monitor - one hive had 1, the other, the one with 4 boxes, had 2.

 

[LAlldredge]

I use sticky boards to do the count but using them alone to inform you about infestation is not enough. If you want a non invasive method for this time of year the best is oxallic acid vaporization or OAV for short. If you give them a treatment and wait 24 hours and then count, the mite drop is far more accurate. We call that the dead drop count or DDC for short. Once you have your count go to mitecalculator.com and it will tell your what your infestation rate is. My worry is that you have more mites then you know. I hope I’m wrong.

All things being equal, in a treated hive getting a drop of dead bees is common as the hives are thinning their population for winter.