I checked the hive in mid February and the bees were doing well. Then we got 7" of snow in early March and 4 nearly 4 weeks on very wet, 30 degree weather.
When I checked the hive yesterday they are dead -- all buy maybe 100. There's still almost 50# of honey in the hive. They didn't leave the hive, they were piled 4" deep on the bottom board (there is a 3/4 inch exit hole in the top super). There doesn't appear to be hive beetles. I did not find mites on any of the dead bees I inspected. They didn't die with there heads in the comb. All I can figure is they got wet. I thought I had it vented sufficiently, but perhaps not. Now, I'm scrambling to locate a package of bees.
Anybody else loose hives this winter?
When I checked the hive yesterday they are dead -- all buy maybe 100. There's still almost 50# of honey in the hive. They didn't leave the hive, they were piled 4" deep on the bottom board (there is a 3/4 inch exit hole in the top super). There doesn't appear to be hive beetles. I did not find mites on any of the dead bees I inspected. They didn't die with there heads in the comb. All I can figure is they got wet. I thought I had it vented sufficiently, but perhaps not. Now, I'm scrambling to locate a package of bees.
Anybody else loose hives this winter?