[Jason Hoffman]

I live in WNY, and I went out to my single hive yesterday 3/10/21 to see if I had some activity since the weather was pushing 60. Did not see anything so I opened the hive up, and it was a dead hive. Not sure why as of yet. I had 2 brood boxes, a medium honey super and a sugar board for overwintering. I did not have a mite issue going into winter as my last test in October was a good one. Last treatment was done with Apivair, the last week of October.

When I opened up the hive, I noticed several beetles on the sugar board and up in the honey super, but no other major concerns. Comb in the boxes is in tact, no signs of mice invasions' or otherwise. In December, I noticed some bees were out scattered in the snow around the yard. I figured that maybe these were the last of the drones being kicked out of the hive and never thought anything else. There was no moisture inside the hive when I opened it up so I am guessing that the hive has been lost for a long period before deep cold settled in. No ice or water inside the hive on the frames or on the solid base.

What should I be looking for? I am going to collect a handful tonight and put them under the magnifying glass to see if I can see signs of anything regarding mites or deformity. Any other ideas as to what I need to be looking for in the brood box?

These bees were from a package that I received last April along with a second hive that I lost to a non-productive queen mid summer. This was a strong hive as it produced 2 full medium supers of honey in late summer of golden rod. 2021 will be my second season as a keeper.

 

[username00101]

Could you tell us what strategy you implemented for condensation control?

 

[username00101]

Furthermore, Apivar may or may not actually work anymore. Did you try to do a mite count ?

 

[Jason Hoffman]

I wrapped my hive with ridged foam insulation. Both a lower and upper entrance were open all winter. The top cover was insulated inside above the sugar board. The sugar was dry when I put it in so if there was any moisture building up on the inner cover, it would drip onto the dry sugar and be absorbed before it was able to get to the lower brood boxes. This is how it was made. Newsprint on top of an old queen excluded and dry sugar. Vent hole in center of sugar board and at both ends. The hive was located behind a building to prevent direct wind onto hive. So it was protected. Hive facing south east.

 

[Jason Hoffman]

Furthermore, Apivar may or may not actually work anymore. Did you try to do a mite count ?

I did have a count, but I will need to go back thru my logs. I remember it was a good number, because I did the Apivair as added insurance to make sure I did not have a problem.

 

[username00101]

Could you snap a picture of the dead colony combs?

 

[Jason Hoffman]

I didn't get any photos today. Both brood boxes were about 50% capped honey. Both had brood space up thru the center as I would have expected. So they had 10 deep frames of honey, 10 frames in the honey super and 15lbs of sugar. SO, they did not starve. I noticed 3 in the upper brood box that had tongues sticking out, but that was it. Not suspecting any poisoning. I inspected about 40-50 and did not notice any wing or abdomen deformity. BUT almost all of the dead bees in the bottom of the box had their heads decapitated and missing. After all my work and prepping for my first winter I suspect that I did everything right except a mouse guard.

 

[Jason Hoffman]

So today, I set out some frames from my dead hive. You can see the honey stores that they had. However, I am not sure what type of honey bees these are. I was looking as they do not seem to be what I had last year. Carniolan is what I purchased. The abdomen seems to be a little longer and darker. Are these Buckfast?

 

[JWPalmer]

Looks like the Mountain Gray Caucasians.

 

[Kay_B]

I live in WNY, and I went out to my single hive yesterday 3/10/21 to see if I had some activity since the weather was pushing 60. Did not see anything so I opened the hive up, and it was a dead hive. Not sure why as of yet. I had 2 brood boxes, a medium honey super and a sugar board for overwintering. I did not have a mite issue going into winter as my last test in October was a good one. Last treatment was done with Apivair, the last week of October.

When I opened up the hive, I noticed several beetles on the sugar board and up in the honey super, but no other major concerns. Comb in the boxes is in tact, no signs of mice invasions' or otherwise. In December, I noticed some bees were out scattered in the snow around the yard. I figured that maybe these were the last of the drones being kicked out of the hive and never thought anything else. There was no moisture inside the hive when I opened it up so I am guessing that the hive has been lost for a long period before deep cold settled in. No ice or water inside the hive on the frames or on the solid base.

What should I be looking for? I am going to collect a handful tonight and put them under the magnifying glass to see if I can see signs of anything regarding mites or deformity. Any other ideas as to what I need to be looking for in the brood box?

These bees were from a package that I received last April along with a second hive that I lost to a non-productive queen mid summer. This was a strong hive as it produced 2 full medium supers of honey in late summer of golden rod. 2021 will be my second season as a keeper.

Maybe the family was weak and could not keep warm in the cold? Could there be some kind of infection? Not ticks, not some other pests, but a disease.

 

[wildbranch2007]

I did not have a mite issue going into winter as my last test in October was a good one. Last treatment was done with Apivair, the last week of October.

you put the apivar on the last week of Oct. or removed it. If removed it, the weather was warm through Dec. if you have other hives locally a good chance that your hive picked up there mites. look for mite scat in the cells.

 

[username00101]

Ah Apivar.

Apivar requires very precise movement of the strips to the exact location of the brood nest.

Throughout the entire treatment period.