# Hive empty :(



## cornermac (Jan 1, 2012)

I went out to check the bees today - and found the hive completely empty. I'm a beginner. My first attempt failed (turned out the queen was dead when we got the package so the hive turned into all drones and died out). This year was my second attempt - the queen wasn't doing great - only 6 frames of comb after several months. I figured I'd just wait and see what happened, maybe they'd breed a replacement queen for next year. We were gone over the Thanksgiving holiday and its been cold and damp. I went out to check on the food level (they never did stop eating the sugar water) and noticed a total lack of activity.

Inside the combs are empty except for a couple of dead bees in their cells. The honey comb is crumbly, and piles of it are on the mesh bottom.

Did I starve them? Any ideas? In the photo you can see the drawn comb at the 'bottom' and 'above' is the section of frame where the comb has broken off. It's lying below in chunks.

I'm planning to try again next year - any suggestions for getting the hive ready for a new batch?









I tried to attach several pictures - but the upload screen just puts a ! next to the second and third (they're all less than 100k in size and all Jpgs).


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## hemichuck (Oct 27, 2009)

If the hive wasnt strong maybe they got robbed out. Usually get a lot of crumbley wax at the bottom when one gets robbed.Bees are not too neat when in a frenzy.Try starting off 2 hives next year and you will have something to compare to. I highly recommend buying a nuc as opposed to package bees especially for beginners. Its a little more costly up front but a nuc is already a month ahead of packages in maturity and you can see what your getting when you open it up so you already know the queen is laying and what kind of pattern she lays etc. Package bees are such a crapshoot, you never know whats going to happen. Good luck and dont give up.


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## New Ky Beekeeper (Jun 27, 2011)

I too, suggest anyone start with more than one hive. If you have one die out, then you can use the other hive (when it is strong in the late spring / early summer) to re-start your failed hive. I too have lost a very strong hive I had, but I had a skunk to attack the hive and eat so many bees, it was too weak. I have placed the hive in my chest deep-freeze for 48+ hours to kill out any eggs from any moths that may have set up shop in the hive. 

I loose about 10% annually. Phil


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## Steven Ogborn (Jun 3, 2011)

Hi, Cornermac
Did you use the same supplier for both hives? If you did, I'd try someone else this year. To ditto Hemichuck, yeah at least two
hives and you should be able to find nucs in CA easy enough. Only reason I have any bees right now is because I started
with two hives. Sorry your bees are gone but, keep trying. You could get more this year and they might take off and
go "BOOM". Then you'll get to have the fun of running around with supering and making nucs, etc. Steven


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## cornermac (Jan 1, 2012)

Thank you all for the quick responses. I'll definitely try again next year - any suggestions for your favorite nuc suppliers? (That's if any of you are in So. Cal.)


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## Holmes (Feb 16, 2011)

I'm sorry to hear about your losses cornermac. Don't fret though, you're not alone. This was my first year and my hive is done and pretty much cleaned out already. I knew they weren't doing well but I checked on them today since it was so warm out and noticed they were all dead. I have a Warre hive and unfortunately don't know anyone else in my area that keeps them so I'm limited in my resources and local help. I'm planning on getting a second hive this coming season for the exact reasons mentioned above. I purchased my package from Betterbee since I only live about 15 minutes from them. As much as I'd like to catch a swarm for next year, I don't know if I'm comfortable enough doing so quite yet. Nucs aren't really an option unless I find a supplier that sells Warre nucs. I've posted about the issues I was having this fall on here already, but what I think happened was that there was a late swarm. It's hard to tell though since there are so many things that can go wrong. There was a drastic drop in egg production, so I don't know if they did indeed swarm or that I got a poorly mated queen. The colony also ran out of all their stores. It could be possible they were robbed, but I did not see any crumbled comb like others mentioned here. Who knows, all I can tell you is to keep trying, I know I most certainly am.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

It looks to me that Lakewood is in the middle of Los Angeles Suburbia. There will probably be dozens of swarms flying around looking for a home early this spring in your neighborhood. Stand your boxes up disassembled in a well lighted area to protect it from wax moths and check them regularly to make sure the larva's are not eating the combs. Or place them in a freezer. Ask local beekeepers when swarming season starts. February? March? Set the hive back up and sprinkle a few drops of lemongrass oil on a comb and inside the entrance. If a baited swarm moves in mail me a check for half the cost of a package. I will have earned it for this good advice. If there are bees working flowers in your neighborhood you know there are free bees for the catching.


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

odfrank said:


> If a baited swarm moves in mail me a check for half the cost of a package. I will have earned it for this good advice.


:lpf:


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Now I looked at the picture. Plastic combs. 

>>any suggestions for getting the hive ready for a new batch?

Try real wax combs that have served bees well for several million years. Yours looks like all the ones I see, like the bees hate them.


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## max2 (Dec 24, 2009)

Holmes -"Nucs aren't really an option unless I find a supplier that sells Warre nucs"
May I ask why you are set on a Warre nuc?


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## Holmes (Feb 16, 2011)

max2, I don't believe a traditional nuc would work with a Warre. Aren't they suited for Lang hives? The dimensions of the two are different, therefore I don't think it would work. Am I wrong in thinking that?


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

I would think there is not enough standardization in the manufacture of Warre equipment that you would be likely to find topbars that would easily fit your equipment when buying a Warre nuc.


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