Newbee :)

Welcome to Beesource Megan! Just ask away and someone will answer

Slow Drone said:

Welcome to Beesource Megan! Just ask away and someone will answer

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Thanks! I posted elsewhere but I got my bees almost a month ago and the past few days I've been seeing a few dead bees at the entrance- this morning there was a bunch! I have the hive on a pallet and I noticed more under it. It's been raining the past few days and 60 degrees.

When it's been raining the bees don't carry their dead out away from the hive as they usually do.You're probably seeing soon of the die off from the package. If they have capped brood and the queen has a decent laying pattern you'll be just fine. It's been raining here in TN quite a bit and I see the same thing with my hives. You will always notice a few dead bees outside your hive that's normal, particular after rainy weather. Keep asking question you have nothing to lose and everything to gain! By the way what are you considering a bunch?

At first it was 3 or 4 now it seems like a handful

Did you notice was there mostly dead drones? Any fecal streaking or bees stumbling or crawling on the ground?

Welcome Megan! It might help to know what part of the country you are in.

I am in western ma.

Slow Drone said:

Did you notice was there mostly dead drones? Any fecal streaking or bees stumbling or crawling on the ground?

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There wasn't any fecal streaking that I saw, and yes there were bees stumbling and crawling on the bottom board. There were about 10 that were still alive, I brought them inside and was going to put them back out when it warms up tomorrow, or if they passed I was going to try to look for mites. Is that weird?

Megan

I don't consider it weird. It's good to observe. The mites are little reddish or more burgundy in color kind of tick like in appearance. Probably small chance of seeing them on a dead bee. Are any of the bees wings configured such as the letter K meaning the wings are unhinged? It could just be die off of the original bees from the package. Bees die all the time get used to that it's normal but a lot of bees with K wing could be an issue. When did you do your last hive inspection?