# Dead Out



## bleta12 (Feb 28, 2007)

I believe that you are right, smaller cluster may be a result of problem in the fall (mainly Varroa), low honey reserves are a result of smaller clusters. So starvation is just the logic end result of previous situations. 

Dealing with other problems (Varroa) takes care of most of the reserve problem for a successful overwintering.

Not proper dealing of the Varroa problem and over harvesting of the fall honey, is the reason that most of the people need emergency feeding.

You may save a colony from starvation with sugar feeding, but the colony that needs that kind of feeding has other problem, Varroa, and will not amount for anything in the spring.


good luck

Gilman


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## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

chief:

how is the baby? you getting more sleep these days?


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## MountainCamp (Apr 12, 2002)

How old was this colony?
Where they rearing brood?
When was the last time you saw them alive?
What has the weather been like?
How many frames did they cover? Cluster size?

Sometimes a cluster that is too small can get anchored by brood and not move up into their stores. They also do not have the population to generate enough heat to loosen and access / move stores during cold weather.

Where you trying to feed this colony? You did not mention trying to feed them, only that they had a full medium.


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## Moeuk (Feb 4, 2008)

Hi chief,
Your not the first beekeeper this has happend to and your absolutly not the last. I find it a bit upsetting when we have done our best to provide for our colonies for the winter and something like this happens.

Chief, may I have your permission to use two of the photographs to illistrate what happens in a case like this to a beginers group, as I am giving a talk on 'Honey bee diseases and pests'?

Great shots.

All the best 
Moe.


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## chief (Apr 19, 2005)

Moe - Feel free to use my photos. If it makes a point to a new beek then not all is lost.

MountainCamp - 

1. It was an early spring split.
2. I only found a few dead capped cells of brood. No eggs or larva.
3. They were alive about 2 weeks before I found them dead.
4. Not as cold as New York. It is always between 30 and 45 degrees here in the North West during the winter but it got down in the 20's some lately.
5. The cluster was small I think due to them crashing from mites. It was about the size of a softball covering about 3 frames.

My guess is that they were not anchored by brood but rather just too small to break cluster and get to some food.


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## xC0000005 (Nov 17, 2004)

Chef sorry to hear about your loss. Is that a dead larva in the bottom center of the picture? Sure looks like it. Just think about how much fun you'll have when your baby's old enough to come out and help.


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## Moeuk (Feb 4, 2008)

Chief
Thanks.

Moe


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## Dave W (Aug 3, 2002)

chief . . .

How strong was this colony LAST FALL?


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## chief (Apr 19, 2005)

Dave W - This was a split from last spring. The hive it came from did very well the previous winter and this hive mid summer was strong enough to produce surplus honey. Going into winter it looked good but I think the mites got out of control and it was crashing before I got a chance to treat. The damage was done and it was doomed to die. What are you getting at exactly?


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## bleta12 (Feb 28, 2007)

In the last pic you can see a Varroa mite on one of the bees on the right.
Gilman


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## Moeuk (Feb 4, 2008)

Chief,
I keep returning to the last photo of the group of three. Can you explain to me why the cells are almost pure white, there is no pollen to be seen and no eggs. The tops of the cells have a brown tinge and thats because of the thousands of tiny feet walking over them. As for the cells being empty, now that has got me 'bewaxed'.

Moe.


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## ScadsOBees (Oct 2, 2003)

Moe, the white cells are from a newer frame, probably only ever stored honey. The darker the comb, the older it is, dark from pollen and brood.

I also notice that the cluster is at the top of the frame. It was too cold for them to move past the gap between boxes/frames so they were stuck on that frame which had no honey. This is a good reason to leave bridge comb in over the winter if possible. Not that this would have saved them, their small cluster probably doomed them. 

Rick


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## MichaelW (Jun 1, 2005)

I lost half my yard fall before last due to having a baby.


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## Dan Williamson (Apr 6, 2004)

MichaelW said:


> I lost half my yard fall before last due to having a baby.


What? all you had to do was stand there and hold her hand! How hard is that?


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